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Old 04-07-04, 04:04 PM
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SSP
Software for Cyclists
 
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redding, California
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Bikes: Trek 5200, Specialized MTB

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I have the cycling specific version of PC Coach, but was not very impressed.

As a "coach" it's OK, but mostly common sense (start out slow, increase mileage, add some intervals). I think you can glean most of the same thing from training books (e.g., Carmichael's, Friel's, etc.). If you need a very structured training plan to motivate you, it might be OK.

As a "training diary" it lacks a lot. For instance, it is not at all easy to tell how many miles you've ridden each week or month. It does not track distance/time by bike (i.e., if you use more than one bike, all of your training gets lumped together). It also does not track bicycle maintenance.

As software, PC Coach suffers from a very clunky, hard-to-use interface. Worse, your ride data is locked into their propietary data format - there is no option to export your data out of the program (to Excel, for instance). And, it is pretty pricey (around $70, I think).

After searching for some time for a decent training log/diary, I decided to create my own. Called "CycliStats", I think it's pretty good (it is not, however, a "coach"). You can try it for free for 45 days, by downloading it from my web site : http://www.CycliStats.com.

Last edited by SSP; 04-07-04 at 04:10 PM.
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