Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
This document provides a detailed breakdown of the common training mistakes made by beginner cyclists, as discussed in the “TMT40” episode of the Empirical Cycling Podcast. A “beginner” is defined as an individual with less than two years of dedicated experience in the sport, who is still on a steep learning curve. The following analysis synthesizes the key concepts, providing context and elaboration for an audience seeking a deeper understanding of training principles.
These errors often stem from a newcomer’s mindset, exposure to cycling culture, and the initial excitement of rapid progress.
The Mistake: New cyclists often encounter a barrage of “rules” and advice presented as absolute truths. This can range from aesthetic gatekeeping (e.g., how to wear sunglasses and socks) to dogmatic training principles (“only ride the small chainring in winter”).
Underlying Cause:
Simplicity is Appealing: For a beginner navigating a complex sport, a short, simple, absolute rule is easier to remember and follow than a nuanced answer that begins with “it depends.”
Cultural Pressure: Newcomers want to fit in and may mistake cultural norms or satirical “rules” (like the “Velominati”) for serious training advice.
Consequences: This mindset stifles critical thinking and prevents the athlete from learning the physiological “why” behind effective training. It can lead to suboptimal training choices and unnecessary anxiety about conforming to arbitrary standards.
The Correct Approach: Cultivate a mindset of inquiry. Always ask “why” a particular piece of advice is given. Understand that effective training is based on physiological principles, not cultural dogma. The best answer to most training questions is often “it depends” on the individual’s goals, physiology, and training history.
The Mistake: A beginner may jump from one popular training philosophy to another—sweet spot, then polarized, then high-volume Zone 2—without committing to any single approach long enough to see results. This is driven by a fear of missing out (FOMO) on a “secret” or “magic bullet” for performance.
Underlying Cause:
Marketing and Media: The cycling media and community often hype the “next big thing” in training.
Desire for a Shortcut: It’s tempting to believe there is one perfect training style that will unlock massive gains, like those seen in elite athletes like Wout van Aert.
Consequences: This approach leads to inconsistent training stimuli. The athlete never builds a proper base or allows their body to adapt to a specific stress because the methodology is constantly changing. Progress stalls, and frustration mounts.
The Correct Approach: Recognize that there are no silver bullets. Different training modalities (polarized, sweet spot, etc.) are simply tools to apply specific physiological stresses. The key principles are consistency, progressive overload, and rest. An individual’s success depends on how any given training philosophy is tailored to their specific needs, limitations, and goals. As the hosts emphasize, training is the ultimate N=1 experiment: what works for the masses may not be optimal for you.
The Mistake: After experiencing rapid initial improvements (“noob gains”), a beginner often mistakenly assumes this rate of progress is permanent. This leads to the flawed logic that if 10 hours of training is good, 20 must be better, and 30 is best, leading them to dramatically increase volume or intensity far too quickly.
Underlying Cause:
The Excitment of Newb Gains: The initial, rapid improvement is highly motivating and reinforces the idea that “more is better.”
Misunderstanding Adaptation: Endurance adaptations are a long-term process. The body needs time to absorb and adapt to training stress.
Consequences: This is a direct path to burnout, overtraining, and injury. The athlete’s enthusiasm wanes as progress inevitably slows, and the constant fatigue makes cycling feel like a chore.
The Correct Approach:
Focus on the Process, Not Just Results: Shift your focus from chasing ever-increasing numbers to building a sustainable and enjoyable training process.
Pace Yourself: Understand that endurance sport is a long-term endeavor. Use your initial excitement as fuel, but temper it with patience and a gradual, methodical approach to increasing training load.
The Mistake: In the pursuit of performance, a new cyclist might adopt an “all or nothing” mentality, treating their training plan as a rigid set of rules that cannot be broken. This often comes at the expense of social rides, rest, and general enjoyment of the sport.
Underlying Cause: A hyper-focus on achieving a specific goal (e.g., winning a first race) can obscure the reason most people start riding bikes: for fun.
Consequences:
Detrimental to Performance: A lack of fun can lead to burnout. It also means the athlete is more likely to train when they should be resting, as they are too focused on “the plan” to listen to their body.
Social Isolation: Sacrificing all social aspects of the sport for marginal gains can lead to an unhealthy relationship with what should be a hobby.
The Correct Approach: Consciously balance your desire for improvement with the need for fun and recovery. A group ride might not be the “optimal” workout, but if it keeps you motivated and happy, it has immense value. It’s crucial to establish your personal priorities—how much are you willing to sacrifice for performance? A healthy balance leads to longevity and greater overall success in the sport.
These errors relate to how a beginner approaches competition and measures their own progress.
The Mistake: The primary goal becomes getting a good result or upgrading to the next category as quickly as possible, rather than learning the fundamental skills of bike racing.
Underlying Cause: The desire for external validation. It’s more satisfying to tell friends you won than to explain that you got dropped but learned a valuable lesson about positioning.
Consequences: An athlete who can win a low-category race by simply riding off the front on pure strength will be completely lost when they reach a higher category where everyone is just as strong. They will lack essential skills like:
Peloton dynamics (moving through a pack).
Positioning and timing.
Energy conservation.
The Correct Approach: Treat your initial races as learning experiences. The result is secondary to the lessons learned. Ask yourself after every race:
What tactical mistakes did I make?
Where was I poorly positioned?
What could I have done to conserve energy?
What are the specific fitness demands of this type of race?
Building a foundation of race craft will lead to much greater success in the long term than simply “smashing upgrade points.”
The Mistake: Becoming obsessed with achieving specific data points—like a 4.0 W/kg FTP, a certain squat 1-rep max, or a peak sprint wattage—and viewing them as the sole indicators of fitness.
Underlying Cause: Cycling is a data-rich sport, and it’s easy for analytical people to get drawn into the numbers. These metrics provide immediate, quantitative feedback, which can be more tangible than the subjective feeling of “racing better.”
Consequences: This can lead to a “teeter-totter effect” where focusing on improving one metric (e.g., FTP) causes another aspect of race-specific fitness (e.g., repeatability, anaerobic capacity) to decline. The podcast gives an excellent example of a client whose FTP dropped by 10 watts but who began racing significantly better because his training was focused on the specific demands of racing, not an arbitrary FTP number.
The Correct Approach: Use metrics as tools, not as the end goal. Your primary focus should be on performance in your target events. Ask yourself if your training is making you better at the things that matter in a race. Sometimes, improving your ability to handle repeated surges or hold a position in a sprint is far more valuable than adding 5 watts to your 20-minute power.
The Mistake: After a few months of riding, a beginner looks at their power curve and declares themselves a “sprinter,” “climber,” or “time trialist,” and subsequently tailors all their training and racing to this perceived identity.
Underlying Cause: A desire for identity and a misunderstanding of physiological development.
Consequences: This is a self-limiting belief. Different physiological systems develop at different rates. The podcast host notes his sprint power was initially very poor but developed significantly over many years to become a key strength—something he never would have discovered if he had labeled himself as a non-sprinter early on.
The Correct Approach: Spend your first few years exploring all facets of the sport. Try everything: road races, criteriums, time trials, gravel, hill climbs. You don’t know what you might be good at until you try it and give your body several years to adapt and develop. Your “rider type” will emerge over time through broad experience.
The Mistake: Viewing cycling as a purely individual sport and not seeking out a community of other riders.
Underlying Cause: Introversion, intimidation, or the perception that cycling is about “rugged individualism.”
Consequences: The rider misses out on one of the most beneficial and enjoyable aspects of the sport:
Shared Knowledge: Learning from more experienced riders.
Community and Motivation: Having friends to train with and share experiences.
New Opportunities: Being introduced to new types of riding or events.
The Correct Approach: Find a local club or team that aligns with your goals and personality. The social connection and shared camaraderie can be a powerful motivator and a source of immense enjoyment, which is critical for long-term participation.
The Mistake: Immediately diving into the most complex training science and overanalyzing every data point, believing they need the “perfectly optimized” plan from day one.
Underlying Cause: An analytical mindset combined with the vast amount of training information available online.
Consequences: Paralysis by analysis. For a true beginner, almost any consistent training stimulus will lead to improvement. The marginal difference between a “good” plan and a “perfect” plan is negligible at this stage. The stress of trying to perfect everything can remove the fun from the process.
The Correct Approach: Keep it simple. In the beginning, focus on the fundamentals:
Ride consistently.
Incorporate some longer rides (endurance).
Incorporate some harder rides (intensity).
Rest.
It’s better to achieve 90% of your potential gains while having fun than to burn out chasing a theoretical 100% with a stressful, overly complex plan.
A common question from beginners is how to determine their FTP when they have no experience with pacing.
The Correct Approach:
Focus on Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) First: Before chasing a number, learn the feeling of different effort levels. FTP corresponds to the highest intensity that feels sustainable for a prolonged period (typically 30-60 minutes).
Key Sensations of FTP:
Breathing: Your breathing is deep and controlled, but not ragged or out of control. You are on the “edge of control.”
Muscular vs. Respiratory: The effort should feel primarily like a muscular strain, not a desperate, lungs-burning sensation.
Pacing: It should feel like an effort you can hold for at least 30-40 minutes.
Don’t Test Too Often: An FTP test once every 4-6 weeks is more than sufficient. Testing every week is counterproductive.
Utility of Knowing FTP by Feel: Learning your FTP by RPE is more valuable than any single test number. It allows you to gauge your fatigue level in real-time. If your threshold feels lower on a given day, it’s a clear sign of fatigue, and you should adjust your training accordingly.