Wenzel Coaching: A Tradition of Science and Experience
Wenzel Coaching is based in Portland, OR and has coaches around the US. We provide everything from teaching people to ride to world class elite endurance training for cycling, triathlon and marathon.
When we started Wenzel Coaching in Berkeley, CA in 1994, the idea of a paid coach providing structured training for a cycling club was novel for most cyclists. Up to that time, the main training day for the Berkeley Bicycle Club was a Saturday suffer-fest known as the “Anarchy Ride.” Many riders were at first skeptical of even basic training principles like warming up before hammering, or doing deliberate aerobic endurance training rather than racing every ride. But as our first few clients began performing better, many others came around. Soon the majority of the club racers were doing structured training, and inquiries were coming in from members of clubs from around the district. Some of our clients were winning medals at nationals and turning pro. Word was spreading.
From the beginning, Wenzel Coaching has aimed to help athletes of all abilities and budgets make the most of their training time. Our initial focus on bicycle road racers has expanded over the years to meet the demand for coaching in other cycling and endurance sports disciplines, from mountain bike and cyclocross, to gravel riding, triathlon and marathon running.
Our Head Coaches
Co-owner and co-founder, Head Coach Kendra Wenzel, is a former professional racer, Pan-Am gold medalist and collegiate champion. Our other owner, CEO and Head Coach Scott Saifer, M.S. (exercise physiology) joined a few months later, originally as the tech guy and our first assistant coach.
Founded in 1994 and moving to Oregon in 1995, Wenzel Coaching has since become a professionalized, full-time business. The original staff working almost entirely with one local club has grown to include over 40 coaches and experts working with athletes all over the country and a few around the world.
Head Coaches Todd Hunter of Cary, NC and Paul Page-Hanson of San Francisco, CA both came on board in 2011, and Head Coach Jessica Cutler joined the coaching team in 2016 after being a Wenzel Coaching athlete for several years. To date, Wenzel Coaches have advised a combined total of over 3000 athletes through training programs and consultation, and numerous additional athletes through clinics and camps.
For more information and pricing, contact info@wenzelcoaching.com. Find out more about our coaches and let us help you choose a coach!
Wenzel Coaching
4726 SE Salmon St
Portland, OR 97215
Training and Coaching Philosophy
Wenzel Coaches believe in responsible coaching practices that support your sustainable athletic development and learning of self-monitoring. We guide you to establish reachable goals and expectations and accept new challenges. We view your coach-client relationship as a partnership between your you and your guide as you work towards a shared goal. Interaction with your personal coach is as important as the written training program.
In creating your training program and formulating our guidance to you we utilize all of our coaching staff’s experiences and those of our international peers, complemented by the scientifically validated knowledge of peer-reviewed research.
While Wenzel Coaching training programs are periodized and highly structured, they are not as narrowly number-focused as some other training programs. We offer complete coaching programs that include physical training, as well as nutrition, psychology, skills, tactics and the subtleties of movement and position. We don’t overlook the “the game” in pursuit of “the physiology project.” We coach you to race or achieve your specific goals, not just to score higher on strength and threshold tests (unless those are your main goals).
Wenzel Coaches can prescribe training intensity using heart rate, wattage, and/or perceived effort, whichever will be most effective for you. You will also receive guidance on gearing, cadence, stroke count, stride length, and pace as appropriate to your sport. We can train cyclists with or without power meters at all program levels.
You and your Wenzel Coach have the support of the entire Wenzel Coaching team. The professional coaches who make up our network share a commitment to staying informed, delivering excellent advice, and being responsive to your needs.
Wenzel Coaching Anti-Doping Policy
Wenzel Coaching deplores the use of banned substances. We do not advocate nor condone their use and refuse to do business with any athlete who uses banned substances or any coach who encourages their use. If a client tests positive we will immediately end the coaching relationship with no refund.
