What age do young riders start serious training?
 

Have started coaching some riders aged 13-14. In New Zealand there are National road and track events for U15 riders and all are keen to do well.

Do people think that this is too early to get serious training? The goals are based around learning, base aerobic fitness (no planned anaerobic training) having fun and socialising.

Any thoughts?

Hamish Ferguson

it's never to early to start in my opinion. i'm 14 (15 in october) and i'm looking for teams around my area where i could start racing roadies.

Wasn't Lance in junior high or high school?

Ask at your local cycling store. They should have contact details for upcoming events.

Best of luck.

Hamish Ferguson

16 or puberty... for boys. I think girls can start a little younger since they hit puberty sooner.

What you don't want to do is train them so hard and so much that they 1) burn out at too early an age, and 2) damage bones from overstress.

Even Lance didn't focus totally on biking- he did other sports too, just showed a natural ability to cycling.

I'm definitely not saying don't train- but do learn A LOT about what is required to train children. Children are different than adults. That's part of the reason why I don't get keen on training or advising children. There are whole seminars and workshops dedicated to training kids, and I just don't know enough about kid physiology and anatomy to work with them... yet.

Koffee

Well it's good to start early but not too seriously. I guess that the start of my cycling interest was cycling 10 km each way to high school at 12-13 years of age. By age 14-15 I was riding 15km out, a rest and then 15 km back after school and I think I was 15 when I built up a lightweight racing bike and was competing in club races.

Nothing wrong with organized training but keep it fun.

Regards, Anthony

Depends if you live in China or not.