mattm

At the cat 3-5 level, I really don't think people need a coach - unless they are not self-motivated enough, which is not a problem money can fix anyway.

Seems like a lot of people are just trying to buy motivation more than actual coaching..

jsutkeepspining

i had a coach when i was a 4 and a 3...

mattm

And I didn't, so I guess we break even? =]

Well, I guess that's not true; the closest thing I have to a coach is the 33, besides the Friel book.

All of that said, getting to cat 1 may require a coach, for me anyway.

swalsh627

I had this same question and went with the training bible. No regrets, I figured out what worked for me and saved some money that I used to invest in some tools.

thechemist

This is really it I think

jsutkeepspining

i'm going to need to just hope the entire field crashes in atleast 10 races before i have a chance of getting to cat 1

revchuck 

While I agree that you can't buy motivation, I don't agree that a beginning racer doesn't need a coach. I think s/he needs one more than an experienced racer.

A newer cyclist doesn't really know what he doesn't know, while an experienced one is acutely aware of his strengths and weaknesses, and at least has a clue on how to address them. A coach can help the newer guy/gal to get stronger, quicker, rather than the racer learning by trial and error. IME, that trial-and-error stuff gets old pretty quickly.

One has to decide on priorities as well. For the price of a set of Zipp 202 Firecrest wheels, you can get a year's worth of coaching and have money left over. Buying cool stuff is fun - I'd love to have a set of those new 202s - but a new racer would be faster on, say, a CAAD9 with 105 and cheaper wheels and a year's worth of coaching than he would be with those 202s and no coaching.

You can't buy motivation, but you can buy knowledge gained through experience and training. You still have to sweat and hurt, you just sweat and hurt more productively.

grolby

Hey thechemist, you know Tim is a coach, right? He might have a full docket or might not be the right choice of a personal coach for other reasons, but at the very least he knows who else in the area can coach and may know who the good people to talk to are. Definitely use your local resources! Your team manager is one of the biggest guys in the local cycling community, take advantage of that.

agoodale

Bike racing isn't rocket science. Some experience and good reading goes a long way. A good coach might get you an upgrade quicker but what's the hurry. Unless you're a jr. planning to go Pro there is really no rush. Unless you're as dumb as a rock you'll progress steadily to a point where your genes become a deterrent to future advancement. Whether that takes 1 year or 5 years who cares? If you quit before that point then this sport wasn't right for you anyway.

(The only exception would be if people you trust are telling you that you've got real talent and could go far if you trained more effectively. Then maybe you need a coach and there is a chance you're also dumb as a rock.)

kindablue

A lot of times, hooking up with the right group rides, the right teams give that beginner the push to learn all of the basic stuff.

YMCA

I was self coached, because when I started racing, coaches were few and far between.
It wasn't until Lance's first Tour win in '99 and the whole Carmichael empire took off, did the US have coaches on every corner.
The one thing I could have used, was a mentor in those early years.

I think for the majority of new riders, a "mentoring coach" is more in line with what they need.
Customized training programs are the least important piece of that partnership.
By simply straddling the top tube 10+ hrs a week, the new rider will gain massive boosts in fitness, even if their plan is a bit askew.

I have coached new riders over the years, with a focus on technique and tactics, then simply getting them out the door as often as possible, putting in the miles and learning the art of the peloton.

OP - don't overanalyze, just keep it simple, keep your eyes and ears open and if you want to hire a coach, make sure they help you become a "bike racer" and not just another "fitness rider"

shovelhd

Well said.

merlinextraligh

Actually in my situation, I'm paying for a voice of reason, rather than motivation. Often, I'm pushing to do more, particularly when during a rest, or tapering phase, and he makes me stick to the plan.

fly:yes/land:no

for a lot of people, spending money on something is a VERY effective means of motivation. if you are paying a hefty amount for a coaching session, you sure aren't going to blow it off to watch celebrity rehab or gossip girl.

a few years ago, i was obligated to attend a chris carmichael event through one of our sponsors. one of the things that he said was that in the past, he was hired by some very well paid athletes to help them get fit in the offseason. he charged them the same that he charged his other individual clients. the result - none of them took the training seriously because they had no substantial skin in the game. if they blow off a $1000 session, they don't care, because it is a pittance to them. subsequently, he claimed that he now charges a much higher fee for those athletes for the same coaching program and time that he would give a regular client. it ensures that the cleints take the training seriously, and that is the only way that the training gets results.

now, this may be just marketing or a money grab, but i tend to think there is a lot of truth to it.

Enthalpic

That is a well known effect. The idea of something being high quality conflicts with the idea of it being cheap which creates internal stress (dissonance). To remove the stress the mind changes it's opinion of the product to closer resemble the cost.

It also works the other way, if you buy something overpriced your opinion of the product will improve, if it doesn't your self esteem will take a hit because only fools overpay.

Damn this bottled water is refreshing, so much better than tap...

Racer Ex 

Don't get me started. The majority of bottled water is filtered tap water.

revchuck 

Mine sure is...I run it through the Brita filter and fill my cycling water bottles from the pitcher. The folks at work know I'm a cyclist, so they've stopped rolling their eyes.

waterrockets 

My wife worked for Coca Cola for several years. It actually costs more money to make a bottle of Dasani than a bottle of Coke (due to the filtering and additives with the bottler's local tap water). I just don't get it.

AzTallRider

Maybe if you are a kid. Certainly not true if you are starting in your 50's.

pecos

OK, to the OP, this really hits me, as I did Friel's Jock Classic race program and the virtual coach (ATP) feature at trainingpeaks.com for 2 years. I progressed quite a bit, this after racing 1-2 years following a program on my own based on knowledge I picked up from reading books and talking to other, more advanced racers.

Then I hired a coach.

Not just a coach, but someone who understood the importance of nutrition.

The problem is, I hired him to late, at the time of my last race. And with only a month of following his program I was in better shape than in the peak period following Friel's virtual coach. Only dropped 5 lbs in that time, but believe me, I must have improved my body fat ratio by more than that. Looking at the plan he gave me, I still can't believe it is so simple, but the intensity and the length are just right for me. So, yeah, I think hiring a coach would be the first thing I would do, if I were to be a starter, like you. It will save tons of time and unnecessary suffering.

He's based in Nashville, so you have a leg on me as far as he in particular is concerned. Not telling you his contact info, I'm keeping that a secret. Yes, my secret weapon, since you and I will probably race each other (I'm also in TN, race in the 5's, though hopefully not for long)

revchuck 

This. I started at 60. I'm not going to kick the bucket anytime soon, but I don't have time to BS around with trial-and-error...especially with my propensity for error.