Training
I think I’m addicted to being fit. At first It wasn’t even as much about riding as it was little things like jogging up a flight of stairs and realizing that used to make me gassed.
And that’s just walking up stairs. You ride your bike a few hours a week for a year and suddenly you can climb up mountains.
The progress is addicting, and improving is relatively simple. You just need to train.
I think about training primarily as a function of time. If you ride a lot, you’ll get pretty fast. Though if you ride too hard, you’ll overcook it. So to train effectively is to ride hard and spend as much time on the bike as you can, but in a way where it can be repeated week after week.
Lots of discussion on training centers around power and zones, but I think time is often more important to consider. When a rider starts training, the first thing they should figure out is how much time they want to - and are able to - spend on the bike. Once that baseline has been established, you can design a program.
To provide an example - if a racer only has 6 hours per week to train, it doesn’t make sense to prescribe them 10 hours a week because it’s better for their fitness. You establish that 6 hours a week is what you’re working with and get smart with what you have.
This rider will likely spend a higher proportion of time at intensity than someone who’s riding 12 hours per week. Maybe they’ll target shorter crit races and circuit races vs. 3-4 hour road events. And as they start nailing 6 hour training weeks, maybe they become more efficient and can start doing more hours.
Consistency is key, and this goes for riding within the week as well. I’d rather see 6 hours a week distributed across 5 rides than 2.
It’s much easier to properly incorporate structured workouts and intensity once you’ve established a consistent schedule. For a rider training 5 times per week, 8-12 hrs total, I’m typically looking to incorporate intensity on 1 - 3 rides per week. Zone 2 / endurance riding makes up the rest of their training. Exact structure beyond that is dependent on time in season, goals, strengths, weaknesses, etc.
If you’re a newer rider, following a training plan can be helpful, though it’s not always the best place to start. It can be more natural to spend a bunch of time on the bike and make sure you actually enjoy riding versus imposing structure on something you’re not even sure you like.
It’s helpful to know basics around zones and pacing regardless, but I don’t think it’s worth fussing over too much if you’re only riding a couple times a week. Take someone who does 95% of their riding on weekends. They might be in the bin after their Saturday megaride, but they’ll have enough time to recover and do it again the next weekend.
A schedule like this isn’t the most sound from a training perspective, but it is a great way to fall in love with the sport.
If they want to get better, structure will help. But fun comes first. Training should be fun.
Diet
I get “you must be able to eat ANYTHING” a lot when people hear how much I ride.
An accurate response would be, “I’m actually very selective about the foods I eat to ensure I’m fueling my training properly”, but no one really cares so I typically respond with “yep”.
I’ve settled into a routine for several years now that I really like. I’m not a nutritionist or dietician or anything, but it’s a simple routine that I feel would work for most.
It ‘s ALL ABOUT CARBS.
That’s the only macronutrient I pay attention to.
This leads to many an aggressive “BUT WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN”
Well, I am not a defensive lineman so I don’t need that much. And I opt for a variety of whole foods that total up to plenty of protein even if no single food I eat is “protein-rich”.
Here’s an example of what I eat (off-bike) on a normal day.
Breakfast (pre-ride) - Muesli Bowl
1-2 servings dry muesli
Mashed banana
Dates
Figs
Oat milk
Honey
Lunch (post-ride) - Avocado Toast
3-4 slices sourdough bread
Mashed avocado
Sprinkled w honey
Seasoned w choice (hot sauce, italian seasoning, red pepper, etc)
Depending on my hunger level, I’ll eat an apple and / or handful of dates as well. I’m typically snacking on fruit throughout the day.
Dinner - Pasta
1/2 pound pasta
Helping of carrots, sliced & boiled
Helping of broccoli, cut & boiled
Sauce
Tomato / pasta sauce
Optional to mix in a bit of Tzatziki and / or hummus or whatever else your heart desires
Optional add-ins:
Avocado (not weird, try it)
Olives
I have quite a sweet tooth and go out for ice cream or some other treat a few times a week. On days I don’t visit the gelateria, I’m typically snacking on fruits and oats and other carby things after dinner.
I stick to a diet pretty similar to this on most days and have a handful of other go-to’s I’ll swap in as well. I don’t stress these principles as much when I’m out to eat or on vacation, but I still opt for high-carb when possible. My main goal is to stick to a good plan most days of the week.
Weight
I don’t count calories, though I do have a rough idea of how much I’m consuming and burning each day, and I try to stick around a caloric balance. I’ve counted cals in the past to lose weight, and it’s undoubtedly effective if done right.
Even if you’re not cutting, I think it’s useful to ensure you have an accurate picture of how much you’re eating each day. It’s easy to go overboard though, and I think it’s best to limit counting to short, intentional periods.
I try to think about weight as little as possible. It seems to take care of itself when I focus on eating in a way that allows me to feel good on the bike.
NYC Riding
I fell in love with cycling in LA during the pandemic. I was always planning to move back to NYC, but the more time I spent out there, the less I wanted to come back. I thought the riding would never compare.
It doesn’t, but I think New York is a very underrated place for cycling.
It’s not LA or Girona, but LA and Girona are not New York. You don’t want to train for a grand tour here, but it’s still an awesome place to ride.
Let’s start with Prospect Park and Central Park. Huge loops blocked off from cars in the middle of New York City. We get to race there too.
Sure Central Park is busy, though it’s typically reliable for endurance rides, and you can go fast before ~7 am. Prospect Park is more reliable for going fast.
Outside the city, there’s a world of riding across the George Washington Bridge. You have tons of options to switch up routes and find terrain suitable for different types of training.
Here are some of my favorites roads / hills:
And some routes:
All these routes start and finish at the NY side of the GWB. Finding a good route to the bridge can be a bit tricky at first, but spending as much time in the parks and on Riverside Drive is typically reliable.
It can take a while to find a groove riding here. You’ll screw up plenty. My first time riding across the GWB I ended up with the cars.
You’ll figure it all out though if you love the bike. It’s a great place to ride.
NYC Racing
It’s pretty cool you can race your bike in the middle of New York City. Central Park is iconic, and we get to race there 15 times a year. Prospect’s incredible too - just as many races there as well.
And March thru September, you can race in or around the city pretty much every weekend.
Most of this is park racing - 60-90 minute races that are relatively flat and high speed. Road races outside of the city tend to be longer and hillier.
Here’s some info on where/ how to race in the NY area:
To start, you need a USA Cycling Membership to sign up for races. All race registration (with the exception of CRCA) is done through BikeReg.
There are three major race series:
CRCA (Central Park)
Lucarelli & Castaldi Cup (Prospect Park)
Verge Series (Prospect Park)
Here’s a complete list of 2025 NY area races and events. There are a few gravel events listed as well, and you can find other disciplines like track and cross throughout the year.
Racing teams
There are a number of racing teams in the city, though it’s not a requirement to be part of one to race.
The process to join a team is typically informal. Riders will meet through races and local rides, then join a team through these connections. Most teams in the city tend to be focused on higher level racers (Cat 1/2/3).
To be frank, bike racing is crazy and getting started with a group can help. If you’re looking to find a group to ride with you can reach out here. I’d like to start organizing a regular ride for new racers.
Equipment
There are 3 primary topics in the cycling contentverse: Equipment, Racing, and Training. Racing is my favorite by far, equipment second. The Nero show is gold.
All the fuss over gear and tech is kinda silly though - ultiamtely it’s all about the legs. It is a fun rabbit hole though.
At a minimum, your setup has a huge impact on how you feel. I’ve been drinking industry koolaid and recently switched to 160mm cranks. I love them. And I have no idea whether I’m faster.
And gear definitely matters when you’re starting out. Your first road bike will feel like a rocket ship, and you’ll never ride in t-shirt again after wearing your first jersey.
And please, just get the shoes and bibs.
You’re gonna be afraid to fall over and will think you look like a dork. One will happen, the other is true. But you’ll get over it and will progress as a rider far more quickly than if you didn’t have these things.
A bike fit is a great early investments as well.
As far as bikes go, a road bike is all you need in NYC. Many new riders start off with a gravel bike because of its versatility, but given 99% of the riding within 50 miles of NYC is road, you’re better optimizing for what most of your riding will be. I made a video breaking down what to think about when getting your first bike.
If you’re deeper in the game and thinking about an upgrade, go aero. All the fast guys are doing it.
Fueling
Sugar is public enemy #1 in many diet-crazy circles. Most of Los Angeles is afraid of bananas.
Don’t be afraid of bananas if you’re a cyclist. Sugar is your best friend. You can’t get enough of it.
There are rumors of pro riders consuming up to 160 grams of carbs (640 cals) per hour during races. Triathletes are consuming 200.
And while you probably don’t need quite quite this much, you should go into your rides with a fueling plan. Bonking is OUT.
For endurance rides shorter than 75-90 min, you can typically fuel the ride on just water or a bit of sugar in your bottles. Anything longer than that, it’s best to dial things in.
Needs vary rider by rider, but the above table provides some basic guidelines for on-bike carb intake.
Yes, this is a lot of sugar. You may need to train your gut before jumping straight into 90 grams an hour. Son’t worry about your dentist. Floss twice a day.
I try to get as many carbs as possible into a drink mix so I don’t need to fuss with anything other than my bottles. In a 20 oz bottle, I’m regularly packing in 100g (400 cals) carbs.
I use a combo of cane sugar and a sports nutrition mix like Skratch. You can go even more DIY and just do sugar and salt. In a 100g (400 calorie) bottle, I’m typically doing 280 cals sugar, 120 cals Skratch.
Fun game: give non-riders a sip of this mix
I also do gels and sometimes clif bars on the bike. Caffeine gels are great, but I use them sparingly.
There is research behind an optimal glucose:fructose ratio for fueling. Truthfully I don’t pay attention it. I don’t think I’m better than science or anything, but what I do is cheaper and it’s always worked reliably. I’m sure I’ll be obsessing ratios soon enough.
Content
There are many phases of development in the evolution of an amateur cyclist.
One of them is when the amateur cyclist has decided that what they do on the bike is so great that it cannot be kept to themself any longer. So they get a gopro and start showing their hobby to the world.
This is called the content phase.
I am deep in the content phase.
It all started in October 2023 at the Variety Coffee on 85th & Lex. There was a fellow rider posted up there sporting a gopro on his helmet, and I walked over to him and started talking about riding and how he’s using the camera. Shoutout John. We’re still buddies today.
I bought my own gopro a couple days later and made my first video shortly after. I had never edited a video before and didn’t have any videography experience, but I was addicted to YouTube, and I’ve always enjoyed writing and storytelling.
Now I have a new hobby, which has also allowed me to launch Wannarace.
Making videos has felt like bike racing in many ways. 5 years ago, I never would’ve imagined I would be as fast as I am today. Yet I’m only a cat 3 racer.
When I was chatting with John in Variety, I never would’ve imagined I’d reach as large of an audience as I have. But as of Feb ‘25, I’ve made $23 total from my content.
It’s not as much about the results and podiums or views and subscribers as it is about enjoyment. It’s been a tremendously rewarding project, and it’s fun to keep getting better.
So by the end of 2025 would I rather have 100K subscribers or be Cat 1? I think you know the answer.
Pro Cycling
I was living in Austin, TX in 2019 when my dad visited me for a weekend. We were out grabbing a coffee and happened to choose Mellow Johnny’s. It was July and the Tour was on TV.
I had no recollection of having seen a bike race before, and I had never considered getting a road bike, but I couldn’t pay attention to my dad because I was so mesmerized by what was on the screen.
The colors were so vibrant, and it was a mountain stage so the riders were WORKING - mouths open, jewelry swinging, fans running alongside them. It was one of the most engaging things I had ever seen.
Nothing changed immediately after that, though I was commuting on a bike to work every day and just stuck with it. When the pandemic hit and I bought a gravel bike like the rest of the world, I got pretty hooked and YouTube started serving me Lanterne Rouge videos.
I couldn’t follow along at first, but it was a fun project to learn. The main issue was I had no concept of drafting - or climbing frankly - so I didn’t understand how the strongest rider didn’t always win. And all the competitions within the competition were very confusing.
I was deeply intrigued though because of how much I loved riding, and these guys were doing 100 miles a day, every day, going 15 miles per hour up mountains.
You don’t need to follow the pros to enjoy riding a bike, but the two are inextricably linked for me.
Most of the time I’m riding I have some image of Pogi in my head, and if I look like that in even the tiniest of ways I’m happy.
So when I wake up at 4 in the morning, put on my spandex and pin numbers on my back so I can do 30 miles per hour bar-to-bar with 75 other sleep-derived dudes trying to go faster than me, I’m not an amateur bike racer. I’m a pretend pro.