Online Bike Coach

Where Cyclists and Triathletes get Faster/Stronger/Leaner/Sooner

The OBC Dicta

The OBC Dicta (or, The Nine Commandments for Peak Performance In Cycling).

*** I wrote the first version of this over twenty years ago, hoping that it would become the foundation for another book, but life and acceleration got in the way, and I just found it again in my Google Drive.

A ‘Dicta‘ is defined as a series of statements that are sort-of Universally Accepted Comments or Commandments. The following Principles are nothing new, but they need to be plastered on a wall or a screen somewhere, frequently, to remind you of the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ that we are doing at Online Bike Coach.

(By the way – the whole ‘Dicta’ theme is something I got from my interest in fighter aviation and history. It’s based on an early pioneer in fighter aviation and tactics, Oswald Boelke.

So in their entirety, and updated for relevance, I present my updated ‘OBC Dicta‘.

OBC Dicta #1: IMPROVE YOUR RELATIVE VO2 MAX (rVo2Max).

Garmin Vo2Max 1040
The type of work you do when cycling dictates the gains and losses of Vo2Max. The Garmin algorithm seems to track FAIRLY WELL for me, against the Vo2master gas exchange analyzer. ***What you don’t see in this chart is the subsequent DECLINE in VO2max in the following four weeks. Vo2max needs to rise and fall like a seasonal tide. As I write this, I’m at about 53ml/kg/min, but it’s January, and I’m working my way back up for spring.

Vo2max translated means “Maximal Volume of Oxygen Absorption”. When you study the number in a laboratory setting, it is translated into “milliliters of oxygen, per kilogram of body weight, per minute” (w/kg/min). So, it’s based on absorption of oxygen, weight, and time. When we perform intervals that are hard as heck, and last maybe 2 to 6 minutes, total, we’re working on optimizing rVo2max.

When you improve your ability to process oxygen, you actually improve your ability to create energy at the cellular level, and thus ride stronger and faster with the same, or even less effort. If you’re like most of us, and you need to lose a few pounds, well, that’ll only help. W/Kg Babeee!

OBC Dicta #2: Raise Your Wattage at Lactate Threshold (wLT), VT2 (Ventilatory Threshold Breakpoint 2), or Functional Threshold/Critical Power, to the highest feasible value, relative to body weight.

Garmin Connect FTP Chart
The way I describe FTP is as such: It’s the power and cardiovascular output, ABOVE WHICH, you are on ‘Borrowed Time’. This can be measured in minutes and seconds. BELOW this value, you can ride much longer. Raise this value through proper training and consistency. Your speed and stamina will improve significantly.

Raising your ability to generate power at Threshold does wonders for your body’s economy, not to mention increasing your ability to ride faster BELOW threshold, for longer periods of time. The old-school method of wLT training was to perform longer intervals, but, surprise!

Shorter, more intense intervals at wattage levels ABOVE Lactate Threshold generate these little molecules call “Monocarboxylate Transporters” – let’s just call them “MCT’s”. More MCT’s in the muscle cells allow your body to purge Lactic Acid from the muscles and into the bloodstream, where it is processed into other forms of useable energy.

How to make more MCT’s? Shorter, more intense intervals (about 2 minutes), with longer periods of recovery in between, about 4 minutes of just glass-pedaling.

OBC Dicta #3: Become as economical a cyclist as possible.

OBC Dicta Base Ride
Under Dr. Bruce Rogers‘ guidance, OBC Clients have had a lot of success with Luisma Gallego’s AlphaHRV Field on Garmin bike computers. Keeping Alpha1 ABOVE a certain value provides assurances that the heart is working efficiently, and you’re thus improving your economy. Do rides like THIS…

No, this doesn’t mean that you have to trade in your LandCruiser for a Hybrid Escape! What it does mean is that you want to save every KiloJoule of energy as possible. By ‘banking’ the KiloJoules, you’ll be ready when the action begins! How to increase your economy?

VOLUME.

OBC Dicta #3 Big Picture
…to get Volume that looks like THIS.

Let’s face it. Time spent on the bike is important, and there IS an aerobic benefit from Long Rides. Your support muscles learn how to suspend your body more efficiently, your legs learn when to pedal and when to coast, and your heart adapts to sustained effort by  growing stronger and more efficient, so that you get more out of every stroke. If you’re a serious cyclist in any of the 3 major disciplines (Road, Track, MTB), you’ll make an effort to perform sustained rides, or try to hit at least 6 hours a week riding “base”. That’s an hour a day, 6 days a week.

Got a job? Try 1 hour every other day, and make up the difference on the weekends. THEN, work on Dicta #1 & #2…

OBC Dicta #4: Recover Nutritionally, Hygienically, Physically, Psychologically, and Spiritually as quickly as possible after every ride.

OBC Dicta: Tracy Recovering with Maple
My first coach, Micah McKee, taught me, “Why stand when you can sit, why sit when you can lie down.” Here’s my wife, recovering with a compression apparatus and our younger Pibble, Maple.

Training can be hell on your body, mind, and spirit. It creates trauma, and the best way to minimize the trauma is through a protocol like this:

              • Drink a nutrient and calorie-dense Sports Nutrition Drink within 15 minutes of the end of your workout.
                This will help you recover more quickly, and move your body towards better adaptation to the loads you have
                just placed it under.
              • Shower off, towel off, hose off, scrub yourself down, brush your teeth, and then get back in to your ‘street’
                clothes. You’ll feel refreshed, minimize decay on your teeth, and you’ll either warm up or cool o, depending
                on your needs. You’ll also be dry, which will require less energy to keep warm.
              • Stretch or practice self-massage after every ride. It’ll help the recovery process, and un-knot those muscles
                you’ve been using so heavily. A regular massage from a professional can also enhance recovery and improve
                performance.

OBC Dicta #5: Blog the Process.

 

 

(Click on the image to get a look at my Notes for this ride…)

This has never been easier; Garmin Connect, Ride With GPS, Strava, and tons of others all have areas for post-ride comments. Upload photos, upload screenshots, link to videos, link friends who rode with you or know the route or the ride, and give yourself at least SIX SENTENCES to review the effort and reflect. You’ll appreciate flipping through those notes, I assure you. Use the hours after a ride to comment, reflect, inflect, and project your goals, attitude, highlights, and low points. You may be able to detect trends, which can then be addressed and strengthened or corrected.

OBC Dicta #6: Maintain Strong Bones and Muscles Through Consistent Resistance Training.

Tracy Christenson Resistance Training Book Cover
Shameless Plug; my wife wrote a book about using suspension straps and body weight, to improve fitness for cyclists. It’s cheap, it’s thorough, and it just takes a few minutes every other day.

There is no doubt that we, as endurance athletes, need resistance training to augment our aerobic conditioning. Why? Well, here’s one reason: Research has shown that cyclists tend to be built like birds. We’re prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis on the bones that lay ABOVE the hips, while the bones from the hips down tend to be MORE dense than the average population.

Also, one of the major reasons that cyclists tend to have lower bone densities is that we have the potential to use the calcium in our bones to augment our need for calcium in the muscles, thus robbing Peter to pay Paul. Resistance training, with proper loads and nutrition, will help offset that leaching. Furthermore, training the muscles to re in certain ways will definitely help you increase your performance on the bike. Lastly, it’s my belief that resistance training can help offset muscle fatigue, especially in the core and upper body.

OBC Dicta #7: Develop Explosive Force

Richard Wharton Gold Sprints
“Gold Sprints” REALLY HURT! At 60 seconds in length, they’re arguably too long, but they push past the 8-12 second mark for ATP-CP, and then they push through the PAINFUL 25-seconds of ANAEROBIA, before finally forcing you to hang on for another 35 seconds. It’s not just that max power that matters – it’s how you handle that power decay over time that leads to a rider ‘staying on’ for another challenger.

Every cycling discipline relies on Explosive Force – from the gate dropping in a BMX race, to dropping the hammer in a road race, to cleaning a section of difficult singletrack when mountain biking. Explosive Force is what helps you make a break happen, bridge to a break, and even sprint to the Finish line. The more explosive the Force, the quicker the acceleration. The longer the Explosive Force, the more you can drop your competition. There’s some methodology behind that sprint to the City Limits Sign, so whether you’re solo or in a group, keep it up, keep trying, and give it your all. It’ll yield great dividends.

OBC Dicta #8: Develop the Endurance and Efficiency that are SPECIFIC to Your Chosen Type of Cycling.

Richard and Ryan Seher Bozeman 2001
This is an older photo with one of my ‘kids’, Ryan Seher, when we did a 100-mile ride from the ‘B’ parking lot in Bozeman, out to Livingston, MT and then back along the Interstate. This was a COMPLETELY AEROBIC EVENT.

Road Rallies and Tours take 1-5 hours. Track races are rarely more than 25 minutes long. XC mountain bike races, even among the pros, are in the 90-minute range, and road races for amateurs are usually in the 1-to-3-hour range. Whatever the length of the ride, the more efficient you are at that distance or duration, AT PACE, the faster you’ll travel, with less effort. Again, this can be done on weekend rides, solo or in groups.

Whatever the distance or duration, economy matters, and the only way to do that is to train at that distance or greater, at a speed that’s compatible with your goals. 100 miles at 16mph is more effective than 60 miles at 19mph. Think about the longest organized ride you may do, and train at tempo wattage or pace for AT LEAST that distance, once or twice a week, maybe more, depending on the season. It also helps to train in environmental conditions that are similar to what you’ll experience out in the real world.

OBC Dicta #9: Train Both ALONE and IN GROUPS to Optimize Your Cycling Social Fitness, Your Cycling Mental Fitness, and Your Cycling Physical Fitness.

While a majority of your rides may be solo efforts, just due to work or family conflicts, it’s crucial to remember that cycling is a social sport, and on some levels, it’s a team sport. There are some things you just can’t learn alone in a parking lot, so use group rides to learn the nuanced, indescribable, yet crucial skills that are necessary to safe, effective rides in groups. All that efficiency will fall apart if you end up using your muscles to tense up, lock your jaw and neck, and pretend that you’re in the middle of a group of 18-wheelers bent on your imminent demise.

Find a group that meets your level of fitness and comfort, explain who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish, and ask for HELP. Furthermore, make sure you COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS. Letting others know where you’re going, what you’re doing, and how you’re doing it will make THEM more comfortable with YOU and will help everyone enjoy the ride more. Lastly, don’t let words or barbs at you, your riding skill level, or your equipment, translate into distraction or lost opportunity. If someone calls you a “squirrel”, ask that person for suggestions on how to avoid the title. It’ll either shut them up or atter them, and you’ll get the help you need. It won’t take long before YOU are the one dishing out the advice or making suggestions.

CONCLUSION

OBC Dicta - Welcome to the Cathedral of Watts
The main thing to take away from this image is this; when you follow the Dicta, you WILL see success. This image is on a Micro scale. The blog post is on a Macro scale. Be consistent, stay focused, be Holistic, and watch what happens.

I’m going to end with a poster that disappeared when I sold Cycling Center Dallas. However, it’s still relevant to this day. I’ve certainly mellowed over time, but the main takeaway is this; becoming a better cyclist takes YEARS. My friend, Craig Fulk, taught me the Parable of “How Do You Eat An Elephant?” “One Bite At A Time.”

Follow the Dicta, and let me show you where I can help you with that, on a Micro and a Macro Scale, and then…

ENJOY THE RIDE!

Vo2 at Threshold

Vo2 at Threshold – Affirming Outdoor Power at Threshold

Richard Wharton Vo2 at Threshold Online Bike Coach
Vo2 at Threshold can reveal a lot about how cardio-vascular fitness and status. The closer that number is to your Vo2Max, the better.

In my last blog post, I mentioned that for my best 10-minute effort while climbing a trail on a mountain bike, my Vo2 at Threshold read as roughly 55ml/kg/min. I also believed that my Vo2Max was roughly 62ml/kg/min. I was curious to see if these values were valid, so I went back indoors. At my home studio, I performed five weekly 20-minute efforts, specifically to determine whether those two values, Vo2 at Threshold, and Vo2Max, were accurate.

 

Percentage of Vo2Max When Cycling at Threshold Intensity

Different Metabolic Thresholds at a Percentage of Max Wattage
I’ve followed Jem Arnold for about a decade now, as he’s been involved in studying SmO2 for cyclists, as well as a lot of other things. This chart he presents, from a lecture, shows wide variation in ‘Thresholds’, where the body begins to migrate from mostly aerobic energy to anaerobic energy. This post is about Vo2 as a % of Max at Threshold.

There’s a lot of new information coming out about the determination of Training Zones. Essentially, each method of measurement tends to come up with its’ own value, and training zones are then based on those values. Let’s face it – Vo2 at Threshold is expensive to acquire, since it requires a Vo2Master, a Polar H10 chest strap, a Moxy, a Power Meter, and probably a Lactate Tester, which is a product I have owned in the past, but do not own at this time. Instead, I use the Moxy and other readings from the Vo2Master and my Polar H10 chest strap, to determine the most accurate Threshold value for myself.

By looking at ALL of the values, however, I could then apply each of them when training. If the goal is to raise Vo2Max to its’ highest time-limited potential, and to raise % of Vo2Max at Threshold, then having those other metric markers can help me take a more holistic approach to every ride.

The Workout

For these five tests (and probably counting), I used my standard indoor training software, PerfPro Studio. My warmup consisted of a 27-minute protocol that I’ve honed using Moxy muscle oxygen sensors. I did roughly four Vo2master O2 calibrations for each workout, but I only recorded the 20-minute effort on the Vo2Master app. The Vo2Master is best used in a consistent atmosphere, so I used a local 8000 btu air conditioner in my small room, to help keep humidity and temperature under control.

PerfPro Studio Vo2 at Threshold Workout
There’s literally no better piece of software in the cycling fitness world than PerfPro Fitness. The amount of information I can read, along with the myriad ways I can build workouts, remains unmatched.

Here are the results:

Date20Min Vo2 Average20Min Power Average20Min HR Average20Min RR Average20Min DFAA1 Average20Min SmO2 Average20Min EqO2 AverageBest 30-sec Vo2maxVo2 as a % of Max
6-Oct53.5271163350.56.822.262.685%
13-Oct55.1287172390.41524.560.691%
20-Oct57.5281170420.42024.565.288%
27-Oct56.9273172430.4310.225.363.290%
3-Nov56.9273172430.410.225.363.290%
AVERAGE55.98277169.840.40.42612.4424.3662.489%
HIGH57.5287172430.52025.363.291%
LOW53.5271163350.46.822.260.685%
RANGE416980.113.23.12.65%

What the Chart Says

There’s more information on this chart than just Vo2 values, but here’s the summary…

  • My 20-minute average Vo2 over 5 efforts was 56ml/kg/min. This is comparable to the 55ml/kg/min that was observed in the mountain bike climb from the previous, outdoor, post.
  • The highest 30-second Vo2 value over the same 5 efforts, which I’ll call Vo2Max, was 63ml/kg/min. Again – I’ve seen this ‘Vo2Max’ value enough to believe it is accurate. Incidentally, my Garmin 1040 and Garmin Connect continue to show my Vo2Max, per calculation only, at 59-60ml/kg/min, which I believe tracks pretty well, even though it is not using metabolic values, and instead uses calculations.
  • When you take the 20-minute Vo2 at Threshold, and divide it by the 30-second Vo2Max, well, my Vo2 at Threshold occurs at about 89% of my Vo2Max.

Notice that I have not mentioned power, or watts. I’ll explain why…

Vo2 at Threshold is a PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

For 27 of my 31 years as a Professional Cycling Coach, pursuing watts at Threshold, watts at Vo2Max, and watts per kilogram per minute, has been a stated priority. However, Physics is immutable, while physiology is incredibly mutable.

For the same amount of physiological effort on the outdoor effort in the previous post, I averaged maybe 235 watts over 10 minutes, and 207 watts over 20 minutes. For these five indoor tests, I averaged about 277 watts over 20 minutes. The delta is too great to ignore.

On that same ride, I averaged 165 beats per minute for the climb, while on these five indoor rides, the average heart rate was 170 beats. Temperature, convection, and evaporation are important considerations for heart rate intensities.

For my climb outdoors, which was not 20 minutes, the average DFAA-1 on AlphaHRV was about a 0.4. For the 5 indoor efforts, it was 0.43. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is something ‘there’ there when it comes to DFAA-1 and Threshold.

Finally, the SMO2 value for my climb was about 25%, while the SMO2 average for the 5 indoor 20-minute efforts was 12.4%. I’m convinced that this is because of micro-recoveries on a mountain bike trail, vs. the consistent resistance of a 2% slope indoors.

I think I want to optimize my physiological markers going forward, and those of my clients, and let the watts take care of themselves from now on. Chasing watts as a primary metric, especially on a mountain bike, can leave a rider disillusioned and frustrated.

Conclusion

Vo2 at Threshold is a great way to assess your current fitness, but it requires expensive apparatus. I still don’t own all of the kit I could possibly wear that would help with this assessment. Knowing that my Vo2 at Threshold, is roughly 89% of my Vo2Max, does reassure me that my fitness, at least in August of 2024, and again in October of 2024, is pretty close to my genetic potential.

The next step, one I won’t attempt until the Spring of 2025, will be to try and grow that Vo2Max up to a 65, 66, or even 68ml/kg/min. This will be INCREDIBLY difficult to achieve as a 55-year old male, but I’d like to try. The next step would be to see if I can HOLD my Vo2 at Threshold near 90% as that Vo2Max rises. This is going to require losing another 2 kilograms of mass, maybe 3. That MAY affect my power output and fatigue levels, so I have to temper action with wisdom on this as we go into the 2025 PreSeason.

Winter is approaching quickly, and the cooler temps mean that I won’t be able to use the Vo2Master outdoors nearly as much. When the snow finally leaves the trails unrideable, I’ll be hyper focused on my indoor efforts in my VQ Velocity until Spring. But until then, I’ll be riding outside on the mountain bike on my beloved Peavine, trying to keep my singletrack skills and dreams alive until April 2025, when I can get back out there again.

I’ll post some follow up blogs about the other metrics featured in the chart above, but I need to consult with some PhD’s that are wiser than I am on these parameters. I also have to thank my client, Ken O’Brien, a retired Bell Labs professional, on his coding assistance for a new project that I’ll reveal next.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 
 

Building An MTB Course With Garmin Connect Course Creator

Garmin Connect Course Creator Offers Course Building – But Singletrack Can Be A Challenge

The Garmin Connect Course Creator is yet another of Garmin’s under-utilized features. Other Apps and Software offer Course Creation, like RideWithGPS, but keeping everything inside the Garmin Connect Ecosystem allows for easier transfer to a Garmin Bike Computer or wristwatch. However, it is easier to build a course on known roads or routes. If a cyclist wants to build a Garmin Course for a mountain bike trail, he or she has to be precise, and add in a LOT of waypoints. These waypoints can be a distraction when certain settings are running on Garmin Hardware.

Let’s dig in to the Garmin Connect Course Creator.

Creating a New Course in Garmin Connect Course Creator

I’ll post a caveat to this weblog; GO TO A WEB BROWSER ON A PC OR MAC and use the ‘Big Screen’ version of Garmin Connect. 

Once you’re in Garmin Connect, move the mouse over to the vertical ‘Connect’ drop-down menu of options.

Click on ‘Training & Planning’, then on ‘Courses’. The ‘Courses’ sub-menu will pop up, and you’ll see a list of options, including ‘My Courses’, ‘Favorites’, and ‘Nearby Courses’, where you can see public routes built by other cyclists or afficionados.

I’ve highlighted the course I’m reviewing for this post; the ‘2019 Reno Wheelmen Peavine Classic XC MTB Course – Online Bike Coach Created‘.

When you mouse over the pre-built course, the route pops up on the map overlay, with a summary of distance, meters or feet of climbing, and descent. There’s also the option to ‘Send to device’, which I’ll cover later.

Garmin Connect Course Creator Map 1
Garmin Connect offers a course building feature. Here’s where to find it.

This course is my ‘home’ course, and it’s the one I use for almost all of my training and testing purposes. It’s usually low-traffic, and it can be completed in about 30 minutes for me.

 

Garmin Connect Routing Options

The first part of the process is to use the ‘Custom’ Drawing Method. Why? Well, sometimes maps are not completely updated; in this case, if I try to follow the ‘Follow Popular Routes’ option, the ‘Halo Trail’, shows an old, dug-up, not-used version of singletrack. This trail is not even called ‘Halo Trail’ at that junction. The trail is called ‘Total Recall’.

Garmin Connect Course Builder Image 2
Sometimes satellite images are not as up to date as maps might be. Here, when the Garmin Routing Option was set to ‘Follow popular routes’, the Purple Trail, known as ‘Halo’, was where the routemaker kept taking me. That trail has been re-routed to the trail that is more prominent (and serpentine). Changing the ‘Routing’ setting to ‘Freehand’ allows a coursemaker to follow the most updated trail for GPS purposes.

In this image, you can see that as I needed more detail, I added more and more waypoints, to stay on the route I wanted.

Garmin Connect Course Creator Waypoints lots of waypoints
To keep the Course as accurate as possible, use LOTS and LOTS of waypoints. Waypoints will create a straight line between them for the course, so add as many as you need for accuracy.

Back On (Single) Track – a KNOWN ‘Track’

Here’s an example of what I like to call ‘Drift’. If you place your waypoints zoomed too far out, then at times, the waypoints will be ‘off the track’. The ‘Course’ in the GPS world, is off from the ‘actual’ course by a few feet. This error DOES add up, and it can make your ride annoying, since the head unit will continually call out the error, and may direct you off the actual singletrack.

Garmin Course Creator Known Trail Drift
Details matter. I had to zoom in on this map, to realize that my waypoints were ‘off’ by just a few meters, and those meters can lead to the Garmin bike computer chirping and redirecting you off the known trail. Use more waypoints, more often, especially in singletrack, and zoom in.

Zoom in and continue to use as many Manually Placed Waypoints as possible, to ensure the greatest accuracy.

One more thing; take a look at the ‘Knuckles’ that have been automatically placed, without a blue-dot waypoint, on this image of the Course Creator. This implies that the App, and corresponding Mapping Service behind or beneath it, recognize this trail as ‘Popular’, and generally follow it through twists and turns.

Automatic Routing on Singletrack is really hit-and-miss, so use Individual Waypoints and Freehand Routing as much as necessary to ensure the most accurate Course.

Looping the Course (Making a Lap) in Garmin Connect Course Creator

Building the Course is definitely tedious, but it’s worth it. Once you’ve finished the Course, get the final waypoint as close to your Start Point as possible, and then click ‘Loop to Start’. This will connect the start to the finish, making each the same waypoint or GPS coordinate.

Garmin Course Creator Loop to Start and Save
When you’re done creating your course, click ‘Loop to Start’ so that the Start and Finish overlap perfectly. Then, ALWAYS and OFTEN, click “Save”, so you won’t lose your work!

ALWAYS click ‘SAVE’!

The ‘CLIMBS’ Button….

Once the Course is saved in Garmin Connect Course Creator, click on the ‘Climbs’ Button, and you’ll get a breakdown of the vertical elevation, as it relates to ‘Category’. Climb Categories are based on % grade, length, and surface type. They’re not especially applicable for this Course, but they can provide some useful information.

Garmin Connect Course Creator Climb Category and Highlight
In the Summary box of the first climb (‘Category 4’), you can see that the average slope is 5.7%, length is 2.46km, and the vertical rise is 144m.

 

Garmin Connect Course Builder Climb Detail
This detail of the vertical composition of ‘Climb 1’, breaks down the slope percentages. This image also appears on your head unit when climbing, and you can customize that screen to show two fields, like ‘Distance to End’ and ‘Time to End’.

Using the Speed Calculator (Virtual Partner) In Garmin Connect Course Creator

Now, this feature on a course is a little challenging. I need to start with some background.

Per my Strava history, which is NOT Garmin Connect, I’ve ridden this route at least 91 times over the last five years. That would be even higher if I had not moved to Sacramento for 18 months in 2023 and half of 2024. I know that my fastest time on this loop is a 27:10, set in 2020. At the time of this writing, my fastest time this year, four years later, is a 29:36.

A modest improvement would be about 15 seconds on a lap, matching a time from September 0f 2020. So, I’ve set a ‘Goal’ time of 29:17, which translates to 17.6kph. If I achieve this goal, then I can always edit the course, and enter another time, like 29:00 flat.

Garmin Connect Speed Calculator - Virtual Partner Goal Time
Garmin Connect does have segments, which can be ridden and raced, and there are rankings, but that’s another feature to be saved for another day.

“Send to Device” in Course Creator

None of this work bears fruit without having the Course in memory on your Garmin bike Computer. When you’re done with your mountain bike course, ALWAYS click “Send to device”. You’ll get a pop-up asking ‘which device’? Choose your bike head unit, and once again, click, ‘Send to Device’. I prefer using Garmin Express, but it SHOULD sync with Garmin Connect on your Smartphone, and when you sync or turn on the head unit, it should download the course in to your bike computer’s files.

Garmin Connect Send to Device Course Creator
I guess I’m just old school, but I still prefer a cable connection to my 10 series computers for data transfers, and in Garmin World, this means using Garmin Express. You can also use basic Garmin Connect on your smartphone.

I’m going to hold off on the Field Application part of this post, because the intent of this effort was to explain how to build the course itself; not to ride it. I’ll do that part soon.

Stay tuned, and Enjoy the Ride!

 

Peavine Mountain Bike Video

Mountain Biking On Peavine Mountain Is In My Blood!

Hey everyone – I’m still working on several blog posts, but I had to post this mountain biking video real quick.

It was filmed with a Skydio 2 Sports Drone, and I filmed this all on one battery. It depicts a trail on Peavine, the Halo Trail, followed by a descent on Stage Coach Trail. All of this is about 5 minutes from my front door.

I’m still re-learning the muscle memory for my mountain bike, and to be honest, I’m still having issues with suspension tuning and hand numbness. I don’t know if there’s an answer at this point. But, I’m still having fun, it’s still better than the alternative, and I’m determined to gain and share some knowledge along the way.

Thanks for watching, and #EnjoyTheRide!

Return to Reno!

Return to Reno – Fresh Air, Open Roads, Singletrack and Jeep Trail out the Front Door.

Online Bike Coach Cat 3 Segment Reno Nevada Home
My home in Reno is literally at the edge of pavement and dirt. Try climbing this after every long road ride in the area!

Hey everyone – Rich here, writing from my home studio in Reno, Nevada.

After 18+ long months where my wife, dogs and I left Reno, moved to Pueblo, CO, realized it was a wrong move, and then moved all the way back and then some, to Sacramento, CA, we finally returned to our beloved home on Peavine Mountain in Reno, NV.

It’s been a journey of stress, adventure, severe depression, fights against ageism, and struggles with income and occupation. I won’t go into the details, but it went beyond frustration. That said, I’m grateful for the time in both areas. We still live in a beautiful country, on a beautiful continent, and I have a family that is stronger than ever. But Reno is home. We’re never leaving again.

VQ Velocity Virtual Studio with Online Bike Coach, Now In Reno

VQ Velocity PerfPro Studio Online Bike Coach Reno
My Virtual Studio at VQ Velocity, a development from PerfPro Studio, allows me to coach clients from around the world, in real-time, from my home studio in Reno. Classes are available both LIVE and via Replay/On-Demand.

Perhaps the biggest development from late 2022 through early 2023 was the incorporation of the VQ Velocity Virtual Studio into Online Bike Coach. VQ Velocity is the latest development of Drew Hartman, the creator of PerfPro Studio, one of the most robust pieces of training software for cyclists and runners ever created. In the midst of the Covid lockdowns, Drew and another friend, retired Professional Cyclist Robbie Ventura of VisionQuest Coaching and Studios (hence, ‘VQ’), agreed to a buyout of PerfPro Studio. They then worked overtime to build an online platform. The result is VQ Velocity.

With VQ Velocity, I host both LIVE and ON-DEMAND rides, at least 4 days per week. The rides are 60-75 minutes on weekdays, and 90-180 minutes on weekends on a seasonal basis (rain, snow, off-season/pre-season). The rides follow a ‘MesoCycle’, according to Northern Hemisphere seasons. However – EVERY LIVE RIDE is saved, and then available for Replay. The live rides allow for banter between participants, video on/off, audio on/off, and a ‘Scoring’ system that can be shared. This keeps the workouts fun, challenging, and relevant, without revealing watts, calories, or failed intervals. The studio is based out of my home in Reno, and Live Classes are held at 0500, PST (GMT – 7 or 8, depending on the season).

If you’re curious, here’s a link. There’s no cost to you for signing up; we can decide together if you want to register for participation or coaching packages.

ONLINE BIKECOACH.COM/VQ VELOCITY Virtual Studio Registration

Garmin Connect is my Go-To Wellness and Health Platform

Online Bike Coach Reno Nevada Garmin Connect
Garmin Connect, along with Garmin head units, watches, scales, blood pressure cuffs, pedals, trainers, and more, gives us a better window into the body. We can then use that information to individualize training for health, wellness, fitness, and YES – Performance.

As I’ve aged, and my demographic has aged, the crazy pursuit of watts and kilojoules has taken a slight step back. Watts still matter, but the integration of the Garmin Ecosystem, which melds hardware, software, history and slight projections (It’s NOT AI – it’s Empirical Science), gives me the ability to better understand how you, the client, responds to the stimulus of training. Eustress leads to Distress, which leads to adaptation and optimization. Again- watts still matter, but they’re more of an ends to a mean, instead of a means to an end. I’ll be blogging about Garmin Connect, features, and products on a regular basis. If you have questions about ANYTHING Garmin related, send me an email and we can arrange a meeting on Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Reno – Yes You CAN Go Home Again

Online Bike Coach Reno Nevada Mt Rose Peavine
‘See that mountain out yonder? Some day I’m gonna climb that mountain! Just you wait ‘n see!”

We moved to Reno in 2019, but when Covid hit, it made getting involved in the local cycling scene a bit of a challenge. I hope I can change that, with participation in clubs, rides, and instruction. While we were stuck in California, I actually made multiple trips over the Donner Pass to get involved in local politics, and I intend to pursue that with small single-issue discussions and mandates. But my heart is still in cycling, and Reno is our home. Join me on this journey, and let’s make the NEXT 40 years the best they can possibly be.