Catapult your cycling to the next level with these 3 pro tips
Sam Long shares his winning advice on maximizing your bike workouts

The self proclaimed “strongest legs in triathlon,” pro triathlete Sam Long, has three ways you can be out in front on the bike this season.
Long’s first tip is to have a clear purpose. Unlike pros, age group athletes have limited time to train. Work, family and other life commitments put a time constraint on how often we get to saddle up. Given that reality it is imperative that you make those precious training hours count, explained Long on his YouTube channel.
Tip 1: Have a purpose
He broke down training into three weekly sessions. Long recommended an hour threshold workout on Tuesday, a Thursday session focused on improving weaknesses, and a Saturday session not typical of the long endurance weekend ride. Long gave examples of each weekly ride he recommended.

Tuesday’s one hour threshold session can be achieved several ways. An easy approach is to do over-unders, riding just above threshold, then just below. Long recommends five sets of three minutes over followed by three minutes under, repeated twice on three minutes rest. Another option is six times 10 minute hills, four times 15 minute hills, or a 30 minute time trial ride at threshold.
Thursday’s session depends on the individual athlete’s weaknesses, and should include a variety of work. Long recommended low and high cadence drills, VO2max intervals, fat burning blocks, neuromuscular repeats and single leg drills.
“You could say I have to get good at riding at 70.3 watts, but I believe if you really want to expand what you are capable of you need to push that whole network,” said Long.
On weekends, Long encouraged athletes to push beyond the classic ‘coffee ride’ effort. Those rides are great if you have the time, but a shorter, harder ‘long ride’ will give athletes more bang for their buck, he suggested. Riding in the upper end of Zone 2, which includes a huge range of effort below threshold, is a more efficient way to get it done, he explained.
“It’s such a big zone. It has such a big percentage of threshold and VO2max. So, if you are riding at the top you are going to be riding hard. It’s going to be uncomfortable. You’re really going to stimulate those mitochondria.

“The gains are going to build over time. That’s the idea with all three of these sessions. Follow the structure, progress over the season, and that Thursday is where the focus changes a lot and you are giving your body different things.”
Tip 2: Optimize the body and machine
Tip two is to optimize the body and machine. By this Long means get outside and ride. While power and aerodynamics are often credited with being the ultimate metrics in cycling, Long suggested bike handling can be a secret weapon.
“We so often as triathletes think it’s all about power, and what power are you pushing? Then, we maybe think about aerodynamics a little bit. How aero are you and how much power are you pushing?
“I’m here to tell you I think there is so much more to that. The brain is a muscle. If you are always on the trainer and then get outside and are not sure how to steer or balance a bike, the brain will be using a lot of energy that doesn’t go into the pedals.”
He also emphasized the importance of a comfortable, aerodynamic bike fit and an optimized hydration set up.
Tip 3: Get comfortable being uncomfortable
Long’s third tip is about wrapping the mind around the physical demand of training. He advised the psychological way to approach the bike is to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
“If you can raise how much you’re able to suffer in your brain, your threshold is going to be able to go up,” he said. To practice this he suggested setting a time trial course using landmarks on the and going as hard as you can at threshold.
“You almost always find more to get out of yourself if there is a reason to push.”
By using your time wisely on the bike you will squeeze the most out of your training and be the best version of yourself.
“If you’re on the bike six hours a week you need to get the most out of yourself when you’re doing those intervals. Overtime, you will learn that you are capable of more and you will improve.”
If you are fortunate to have more time than the average triathlete, Long suggested using it to do more swimming and running.