With Wenzel Coaching
Since 1995
Client levels accepted:
Individual, Custom, Elite Custom, ConsultationPricing:
- Individual $139/mo
- Custom $239/mo
- Elite Custom $350/mo
- Consultation $120/hr
Scott Saifer
Head Coach / Walnut Creek, California
"It’s one thing to read about good training technique on the internet or get tips from your friends, but the benefits of following a structured plan guided by a good coach for a solid period of time is irreplaceable. The benefits of my time as a Wenzel client will last for as long as I ride."
A. Osborn
Coach Scott is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and ready for in-person coaching with appropriate precautions.
Like other Wenzel coaches, Head Coach and bike fitter Scott Saifer, M.S. works with athletes of all ages and abilities. He particularly specializes in older athletes and those dealing with health or injury issues that affect their training and performance. Graduating in 2003, Scott earned a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology, with additional coursework in sports psychology, nutrition and biomechanics. He has been coaching and writing training plans for Wenzel Coaching since 1995. Working with beginners as well as elite athletes, he has helped road cyclists, triathletes, MTB and cyclocross racers, runners, XC skiers and in-line skaters to win numerous World, National, State, District, Senior Games, and Police and Fire Games medals. He has helped athletes achieve upgrades, body-weight goals, blood glucose control and other personal bests. Scott has also guided athletes through from the beginner ranks to professional status and has helped several diabetic athletes to achieve at levels similar to their non-diabetic peers.
Got a tight back, aching knee, saddle sore or other pain from riding? As a bike fitter, Scott has helped numerous athletes to achieve faster, more comfortable and powerful positions and to overcome overuse injuries. He provides bicycle fitting services to local Bay Area cyclists, and has helped riders as far away as Japan and Israel with their bike fits via Skype, Zoom and Facetime.
Scott analyzes the individual athlete to identify the most productive training methods and areas for attention. He is well informed in the latest scientific training techniques, power training, and sports nutrition and how they apply to endurance athletes. Building on his education and his 25 years of racing and coaching experience, Scott guides his athletes to train in ways that have proven effective, using modern tools and techniques to improve rather than replace what has previously led to success.
Scott has helped numerous older athletes, very busy athletes and athletes with health issues, injuries and other special needs. He believes that with commitment and hard work, athletes of any age or history can achieve amazing or even seemingly impossible things. Whether you want to prepare for life-changing adventures, win races, complete tours or just be fitter and healthier, Scott will be committed to helping you reach your goals.
As Head Coach for Team in Training, a health related charity, Scott has helped several hundred beginning athletes prepare for their first century rides, recreational and competitive endurance mountain bike events, and cross country ski marathons. He has trained and managed teams for 24-hour MTB relay races and helped more than 50 riders to complete all five passes at the 129 mile, 16,000 foot Markleeville Death Ride. He has also coached riders through brevet series, Paris-Brest-Paris, double-centuries and other ultra-distance events. Several of his riders have qualified for the Race Across America (RAAM).
As an athlete himself, Scott successfully raced bicycles on the road, mountain, and track in the U.S, competing in over 300 events with numerous wins and top placings. He has completed an unsupported transcontinental bike tour; the 24 Hours of Moab; several Tough Mudders and other adventure races; the Gold Rush, Anchorage and Yellowstone Rendezvous 50-kilometer Cross Country Ski Marathons; the Markleeville Death Ride and El Tour de Tucson (in less than 5 hours on a tandem); several half-marathons and 10Ks as well as numerous other competitive and non-competitive events. He has completed numerous backpacking trips up to three weeks in length, climbed Half Dome by a technical route and slept in snow caves and igloos many times.
Scott is available for custom program development, seminars and clinics as well as individual consultation, beginner cycling lessons and coaching. He can provide guidance in planning an athlete’s season as well as conduct anaerobic threshold testing, skills lessons and bike fittings. Scott is a contributing author of the book Bike Racing 101 and published over 100 articles in ROAD Magazine. He is a source for articles in Bicycling magazine, has contributed to various fitness and adventure related blogs and has even been on radio to talk about chocolate milk as a recovery drink. He keeps fit with bike rides, trail running, hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, snow-camping, strength training, gymnastics and swimming.
He lives in Walnut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area of California with his wife, son, cat, dog and four egg-laying chickens.
Events: Adventure Racing, Cross Country Skiing, Cyclocross, Endurance Mountain Biking, Endurance Road Riding, Gran Fondos – Centuries, Gravel Grinders, Ironman Triathlon, Learn to Ride, Marathon, Mountain Bike Racing, Olympic/Sprint Triathlon, Road Racing, Running, Touring – Multi-day, Trail Running, Ultra Endurance Cycling – Brevets - Double Centuries
Services: Bike Fitting, Consultation, Learn to Ride, Mental Coaching, Skills Training, Testing, Training Programs
Specialties: Preparation for Adventures, Return from Cardiac Issues, Return from Illness, Return from Injury, Return from Overtraining, Senior Athletes, Senior Games Coaching, Tandem Coaching, Training with Medical Issues
"I've been working with Scott Saifer for over a year. He has gone above and beyond to help diagnose issues with my performance. I can't wait to see more gains for next season. As a never been trained 57yr old recreational cyclist, I was apprehensive in signing up for a Coach. It has proven to be the best cycling decision I've made." ~Barry W.
"I have been approached by others about the "expense of training" and my answer was exactly as you said: "My coach is my health insurance and makes sure I am adequately prepared without overtraining, he helps me with dietary issues, bike issues, body issues...asks me questions to help me sort out other life issues" and I consider that pretty cheap. No other insurance/training/counseling/physician/coach can offer that much for the price and I need that for my health. I am grateful to be able to train with you! ~G. Lonand
"I sprang for some coaching this season. I was worried about meeting my goal of all 5 passes of the Death Ride. Wenzel Coaching and Scott Saefer have been outstanding, exceeding my expectation. I would highly recommend this for those who are striving to get to the next level." M. Adams
"I'm a long time cyclist and I always thought I knew hot to train and get in shape. I learned so much in my time in the program. I can now ride faster with less fatigue and more strength and stamina. Thank You for the training plans and guidance." T. Perez
"Gotta tell you, this is by far the most thorough, comprehensive and intelligent coaching experience I've had in 25 years. I'm really grateful for your efforts, energized by process. Sincere thanks." ~T. Krummel
"I'm only writing to tell you how obviously stronger I felt compared to some hiking I did back in October. Much quicker recovery times when climbing turned to flat, and a feeling of being much lighter (even though it's only about 8 pounds). It was really noticeable. The change can only be attributable to the work you've had me do, so count me as a satisfied customer. I'm looking forward to being back on the bike." ~Joe M.
"In addition to a personalized training plan; dietary advice; starting up training again after extended lapses; how to exercise on trips; what to do after being sick; what to do to stop my knee and feet from hurting; starting me on a proper weight training program; preparing me for a seven day, four hundred mile excursion in Ohio two years ago including teaching me mechanical skills needed to pack/unpack my bike in Ohio; and explaining what will happen several weeks/months down the road if I follow the program (he is a great fortune teller!), he has been very instrumental in getting my bike to fit me (much better than fittings at the store) and to work correctly. He was a bike mechanic and bike racer for many years. He adjusted the shifting on both my bikes when several local bike stores failed after several attempts. It's great having someone so knowledgeable a phone call away!" ~ Gary M.
"The fit worked out quite beautifully, I put in a 60-mile ride this past Saturday and I felt great - I wasn't as beat and I felt relaxed and powerful and I did pass up someone on a $10,000 Alchemy on Paradise Loop." ~ Navi T.
"Hey Scott, Back from the cycling trip now, and it could not have gone better, really. Especially on the climbs, your advice and guidance were indispensible. For Ventoux, l'izoard and Galibier, your coaching made the climbs easier, for l'Alpe it made the climb possible. I only saw another rider or two who didn't have to stop, and I passed dozens on all the climbs who weren't in as good shape or who had gone out too fast and had no idea of what their sustaining pace was. I did the work, but you sure helped make it pay off." ~Andrew O.
"How do I sum up 17 years of continuous coaching? I have always thought there was a good balance of hard work and rest. From what I have overheard some other racers telling me about their training, I have sometimes thought that those poor souls were being driven into the ground. The whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger is not always a good thing especially for older athletes such as myself. I find the weight program plus stretching has been particularly necessary as I have gotten older (quality of life issues as well as bike related). I like Scott's manner, a good combination of a dry sense of humor and probing inquires, which while sometimes slightly uncomfortable, make one take stock of what one is doing which is the whole point of the exercise anyway. I will continue being a client, God willing and the creeks don't rise." ~ Narda R.
"Just wanted to vouch for Scott's nutritional advice. Those of you who remember me from BBC days know I always had trouble and was never able to lose those last 10 lbs. Since I started working with Scott I have lost those and then some. I really haven't eaten less, just totally different using his guidelines." ~ Lorie H
"In January 1979, I had the privilege to be fitted to my bike by Eddy Borysewicz. At the time, Eddy was new to this country (he had been a national champion in Poland), and he was soon seen as the best coach that the USA had ever had. ... it was clear that I was in the hands of a genius. ... I have always felt comfortable with my fit, and with two minor exceptions, I hadn't changed it since 1979. I long took solace that I had been in the hands of a true master, and if it ain't broke, why 'fix' it? Thirty-one years later, I still perceived no fit-related issues, but with time, our bodies change, as does the knowledge of cycling physiology. Yes, I can put out plenty of horsepower while staying smooth at 120 RPM, so what is there to improve? I knew Scott Saifer to be a smart cookie on a variety of issues, I asked him to have a go at my fit, and I soon had my answer. Scott showed that he is a smart cookie on the issue of fit as well. While he didn't make any major changes, there were several minor ones that he did most purposefully. In a few cases, there was some back and forth, but in all cases, he not only told me what he was doing, but he also showed me why he was doing it. I enjoyed a series of small revelations. For example, he observed that when I would go from the hoods to the drops, one part of my hand would always touch the bar before the rest of my hand. No big deal, right? But by making a small adjustment, those two surfaces are much more parallel just before they touch, with the net result that the loading that occurs is much more even, decreasing the likeliness and severity of numbness during the heat of battle. I could bore you with more, but that is pointless as everyone will have their own unique experience when getting fit by someone as talented as Scott." ~ Mark W
"Just a short note to thank you for the training program you've put together for me. I think it's what I've been looking for and needed for a long time. April marked the fourth anniversary of my getting back on a bicycle. During that time, never before today have I ever ridden for three hours and not finished with legs wobbly with lactic acid - until today when I did the Push Basic drill for the first time. I think it's the combination of targets (power, HR, cadence) you give me that are responsible for this trick. I've read lots about how you're supposed to train and feel, but this is the first time it's ever happened." ~James Good
"I nominate Scott Saifer for Coach of the Month for giving the science behind why you should do things the way he suggests without being servile or talking down to his clients. Great support!" ~ Steve
"What I like is his approach. He does not flower things, giving you sound coaching, and ties this in with your age. He responds so fast that it catches me off guard! Service has become a lost art and I'm glad Scott offers not only good service but great coaching skills. ~ Joe
"Thanks for the fitting ... feels pretty good after several long rides -- definitely more power, no adverse handling, and less foot numbness surprisingly. Thanks again!" ~ John K.
"The classroom clinic was outstanding! Scott Saifer is energetic, upbeat and incredibly knowledgeable. He supported his talk with first hand observations of his athletes as well as cited research done by physiologists in the field. A representative slice of the club was there -- fresh newbies, to experienced racers -- and we all went away having learned something new. He totally pumped me up for the season. I can't wait to get out there this Saturday!"~Chris Lambert, SF Triathlon Club President
"Knee pain is gone. Good job. Thanks." ~ Chris Baker
"Scott gave an excellent presentation to our team covering exercise physiology, training strategies, peaking, and other topics of interest to our athletes. The kids loved it, and learned lots from Scott. I would recommend Scott's help for anyone who is trying to be fitter and faster!" ~Steve Kraft, Assistant Coach, Albany High School Cross Country Team
"Last Saturday I did the moderate climbing interval alternating standing/seated climbing as per the instructions. I've definitely made a big improvement in my standing climbing: its was easy to control my hr and my legs don't burn like the used to. Practicing the technique you showed me during the standing intervals (base hr) has helped a lot. Going into the Ultimate Endurance workout with 8-9 lbs less weight and two months of base training is making a huge difference too (duh!) ~ John Bernstein, CA
"The diet guidelines are also a huge benefit - I tried working with a nutritionist before but this is the first time that I've gotten realistic guidelines that work for both high and low activity days." ~ Michelle Gross
- Indoor Cycling Doesn’t Have to Suck
It may be tempting to wait for the all-clear from the meteorologists to resume training each spring, but the folks you’ll be racing against when the weather improves are training through the winter, and consecutive months of consistent training really …
- Will a Bike Fit Fix My Knee or Back Pain on the Bicycle?
A good bike fit lets you deliver maximum power from your current fitness and lets you ride for hours without generating new injuries. It lets you comfortably use all the hand positions your bike offers If your bike fits correctly, …
Will a Bike Fit Fix My Knee or Back Pain on the Bicycle? Read More »
- Knee Pain & the Cyclist [How to Prevent & Solve Knee Pain on the Bike]
Many if not most cyclists develop painful knees at some time in their cycling careers. You may be experiencing sore knees currently when you ride. If you are, make a change before riding again! If you ride with the same …
Knee Pain & the Cyclist [How to Prevent & Solve Knee Pain on the Bike] Read More »
- Six Causes of Foot Pain, Numbness, and Hot-Foot During Bicycling, and How to Solve Them
Aside from saddle sores and knee pain, foot problems are among the most common afflictions of cyclists. In coaching recreational and competitive cyclists for the last three decades, I have found that there are several common reasons for foot pain, …
Six Causes of Foot Pain, Numbness, and Hot-Foot During Bicycling, and How to Solve Them Read More »
- How to Avoid the Post-Illness Over-Training Death Spiral
You’re just getting over an illness, feeling maybe 80% healthy, but you are more than desperate to start training again. You fear losing fitness and you want to make up for lost time, so you head out for your first …
How to Avoid the Post-Illness Over-Training Death Spiral Read More »
- Diet Tips for Cyclists & Endurance Athletes [Four Complete Fueling Plans for Success]
Nutrition can make or break an athlete’s performance. For the best chance of success in cycling and other endurance activities, different eating regimens are appropriate at different times. Athletes will utilize the following four basic eating plans: Different foods and …
Diet Tips for Cyclists & Endurance Athletes [Four Complete Fueling Plans for Success] Read More »
- Overreaching During a Peak and Taper May Make It Worthless
Cyclists and triathletes want to be ready for a peak performance at their ‘A’ race. It’s common practice to attempt that by doing a period of “overload” or extra hard training ending 1-3 weeks before the race, and then a period of …
Overreaching During a Peak and Taper May Make It Worthless Read More »
- Improve Your Cadence for Faster Gran Fondo Finishes
Whether you have a lot of time to train on the bike or just a little, optimizing your pedaling cadence1 will help you to finish gran gondos both faster and stronger. This is because the main moment-by-moment determinant of fatigue …
Improve Your Cadence for Faster Gran Fondo Finishes Read More »
- Speed vs PURE SPEED on the Bike
“Fast” is a vague term in cycling that means different things in different contexts. We might say that someone who can hold 29 mph for an hour is fast, or say the same thing of someone who can sprint to …
- Healthy Weight Loss Part I: Shedding Fat to Make Race Weight
For a cyclist, appropriate weight is just as important as aerobic fitness, strength and skills. However, many riders under-perform in hilly races because they carry too much body mass. They hope to ride off their excess weight in time for …
Healthy Weight Loss Part I: Shedding Fat to Make Race Weight Read More »
- Healthy Weight Loss Part II: Shedding Excess Muscle to Make Race Weight
Keith has great aerobic power. He can ride a flat 40-kilometer time trial in less than 56 minutes, making him quite competitive in his master’s category. He’s been training an average of 12 hours per week on a periodized plan …
Healthy Weight Loss Part II: Shedding Excess Muscle to Make Race Weight Read More »
- Recovery Tips for Stage Races, Omniums & Multi-Race Weekends
When racing twice or more over a weekend, your between-race recovery activities will determine how well you feel and perform in the later races. Follow this guidance to improve both. Wenzel Coaching Head Coach Scott Saifer, M.S. raced over 300 …
Recovery Tips for Stage Races, Omniums & Multi-Race Weekends Read More »
- How to Throw Your Bike
How to Execute a Bike Throw: Let the final pedal stroke lift your butt barely off the saddle if you are not already standing Drop the shoulders Straighten the arms forcefully Push the butt off the back of the saddle …
- The Basics of Training and Competing at Altitude
Tips for Altitude Training and Racing Preparing for an event or racing an event at altitude can be intimidating to the sea level athlete. Fortunately, the science is quite definitive on the tactics for the best chances of success in …
The Basics of Training and Competing at Altitude Read More »
- Understanding Fitness Peaks and Troughs
Peaking is a cyclist’s nirvana. If training has gone well, you are strong on the bike, riding fast with little effort, recovering quickly enough to attack several times in a race or race several days per week and your head …
- Going the Extra Mile: The Costs and Benefits of Supplemental Training
Racing, especially stage racing, favors those willing to train long and hard and to suffer intensely, so serious bike racers exercise in ways that sound crazy to non-racers. Occasionally, some racers train to such an extent that even us cyclists …
Going the Extra Mile: The Costs and Benefits of Supplemental Training Read More »
- Beyond the Intervals: The Deeper Benefits of Power Meters
Power meters are great tools. They assess current physical ability, track training progress and improve performance, but those benefits are only the beginning. These devices allow for comparison of your physical abilities to competitors’ before signing up for a race. …
Beyond the Intervals: The Deeper Benefits of Power Meters Read More »
- The Cutting Edge: When Cycling Technology Can Make a Difference in Winning Performance
Depending on your goals, you may enjoy riding bikes that are heavy and inexpensive or that were modern decades ago. If you want to win races, you need a bike that is close to the cutting edge. Being an early …
The Cutting Edge: When Cycling Technology Can Make a Difference in Winning Performance Read More »
- How Was Your Ride? The Importance of Attitude to Recovery and Success
Effective recovery only happens if you relax. Without recovery, training gains are minimal, and you can even weaken despite working hard. The blissful rush felt when sitting calmly after hard training corresponds to a hormonal shift from work mode to …
How Was Your Ride? The Importance of Attitude to Recovery and Success Read More »
- What Are You Really Trying to Do? Prioritize Performance
Mike races bikes. He has been getting faster on all sorts of terrain and has become competitive on flats and descents, but not on climbs. A photo of Mike shows beautiful mountains behind a rider cornering aggressively on a long …
What Are You Really Trying to Do? Prioritize Performance Read More »
- See You Next Year? Knowing When to Stop Racing
The end of the road-racing season has arrived. Even the most serious roadies are relaxing, having the annual beer, and taking a few easy weeks before resuming training. In the coming months, they will connect with teams and coaches as …
- Accepted Truths Are Sometimes False
For convenience, riders and coaches accept certain truths regarding bike fit, tactics, training and health. Some popular beliefs include: Athletes need plenty of sleep; they must use the right equipment for the job; set the saddle straight and level; bike …
- Ready for the First Races of the Year?: How to know and why not to race too soon
This article is for people who haven’t trained as well as they might have for the new season. It is also for anyone with underprepared friends. Good friends won’t encourage the undertrained to race or do hard club rides. Read …
Ready for the First Races of the Year?: How to know and why not to race too soon Read More »
- Endurance Training is Boring? Are You Kidding?
More and more scientific evidence piles up in favor of training programs that are heavy on high-volume, sub-threshold endurance work and light on harder efforts. Studies of elite and world-champion runners, cyclists and cross-country skiers show that they typically spend …
- Discipline: Good and Bad Habits and Why We Mess Up
It’s 9 p.m. on Friday. Mary got home from a long workweek several hours ago, had a quick dinner and showered. She’s ready for bed. She’s also excited about a club ride she’ll be attending for the first time early …
Discipline: Good and Bad Habits and Why We Mess Up Read More »
- Total Preparation: Fitness is Not Enough
What does it mean to prepare as well as possible for a big race? You’ll want to develop your physical abilities such as aerobic and anaerobic endurance along with sprint speed to peak for the event. That means accumulating many …
- Bike Racing 102: Tactics to Win With
Each competitor starts a race with unique physiological abilities. Some people are better at sprinting or at climbing, while others ride better in the wind. Some are just plain stronger and better at everything, while others aren’t outstanding at anything …
- The Vocabulary of Road Racing: A glossary of tactics
Racing without a fundamental understanding of tactics is like going to a joust without a lance. You’re going to get skewered. In the absence of tactics, the strongest riders would win all bike races. Strategy and tactics are the tricks …
The Vocabulary of Road Racing: A glossary of tactics Read More »
- Upstart Wins Nationals: How Did Jade get so good so fast?
On May 25, 2013, Jade Wilcoxson was crowned National Champion at the USA Cycling Pro Road Race in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has been racing only five years altogether, and only two years as a pro. That’s a pretty quick trip …
Upstart Wins Nationals: How Did Jade get so good so fast? Read More »
- The Big Picture: Today’s Performance Reflects Years of Diet and Training
In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside it, under it and over it.- Johann Wolfgang von Goeth Several years ago, the training blogosphere was atwitter with posts from …
The Big Picture: Today’s Performance Reflects Years of Diet and Training Read More »
- Life is Not Fair, and Other Good News About Being an Athlete
This article by Scott Saifer, M.S. first appeared in ROAD Magazine in April of 2014. “Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give …
Life is Not Fair, and Other Good News About Being an Athlete Read More »
- Mark Your Calendar – Planning for Performance
Aspiring elite bike racers must prepare for success over several years. Elite-level performance requires numerous specific skills and aspects of fitness, each of which takes time to develop. Some, such as aerobic power or descending skills, will develop gradually over …
- Do You NEED to Win?
A strong drive to win is a necessity for bike racing success. Something has to make one keep training, keep eating right and keep pedaling no matter what happens. Some riders have plenty of motivation, while drive is a limiter …
- Peaking – Reaching Your Competitive Best
A peak is a period within a racing season when a rider is at his or her competitive best. Most serious riders plan to do many races during a season, but have a few particular races or periods of racing …
- The Ugly Truth About Training Zones
Exercise physiology textbooks generally devote several chapters to the three energy systems that power muscle contractions and how the three systems interact to support various intensities and durations of exercise. They tell us that adenosine tri-phosphate or ATP is the …
- Good Sportsmanship and the Meaning of Competition: Why Following the Rules Matters
Riders and teams enter bike races because they want to see how they stack up against the competition. For that to make sense, riders must believe that the playing field is level. The competition must be fair to be meaningful. …
Good Sportsmanship and the Meaning of Competition: Why Following the Rules Matters Read More »
- Hey Kid! Wanna Get Lucky? – Defending Against Misfortune in Bike Racing
This article has been updated from an article previously published in ROAD Magazine. Coaches often say that racing success requires genetic talent, hard work and luck. You get the talent from your parents and there’s not much you can do …
Hey Kid! Wanna Get Lucky? – Defending Against Misfortune in Bike Racing Read More »
- I Guess You Had to Be There: What you need to know about bike racing but can’t learn from a book
Riders take certain things for granted. We believe the bike will go where we steer it, that we’ll pedal harder when we want to go faster and if we pedal hard enough, we’ll be able to catch the group or …
- Does Your Coach Make You Angry?
Most people are averse to change. That is, in part, why so many people knowingly continue unhealthy habits. Rare is the person who likes to hear that he or she is making self-defeating choices and needs to think or act …
- Diet Soda Makes People Fat. Here’s Why.
Here’s an interesting bit of science. There are taste receptors that are sensitive to “sweet” substances in the intestine (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820175426.htm). They are similar to the ones on your tongue. When the intestinal receptors interact with sugar in consumed foods, they …
- Practice Makes Perfect? Practicing good athlete habits and avoiding bad ones
There is a widely quoted old adage that says that practice makes perfect, and like most old adages, especially when applied to bike racing, this one is a gross oversimplification. What practice really does is make habits. Practiced habits become …
Practice Makes Perfect? Practicing good athlete habits and avoiding bad ones Read More »
- Will You Win Your Races or Your Training Rides? Control Your Competitive Drive!
Joe stomped hard as the light changed. It was supposed to be an easy day, but a few hundred yards ahead he spied prey, another rider. Accelerating, he dropped into an aero position, elbows deeply bent and knees in close …
Will You Win Your Races or Your Training Rides? Control Your Competitive Drive! Read More »
- Pistons, Potatoes and Bullets: Energetics and Pedaling Technique
Cyclists’ muscles metabolize chemical energy, stored mostly as glycogen and fatty acids, and convert it to contraction forces that accelerate the legs around the pedal circle and drive the pedals. Metabolic capacity alone does not determine cycling success. The amount …
Pistons, Potatoes and Bullets: Energetics and Pedaling Technique Read More »
- Time to Train for Cyclocross? The conflict between road and cross seasons
Cyclocross, which started as a way for road racers to have fun, add some variety to their training programs and avoid racing withdrawal in fall and winter has recently become a major sport in its own right. Where wrecking road …
Time to Train for Cyclocross? The conflict between road and cross seasons Read More »
- Ride Safer: Pretend You Are Invisible on Your Bike
With kids back at school and more people on the road, it’s a good time to recall this tested riding tip: We’ve all heard too many stories of bike-car collisions and near collisions. In the majority of those bike-car crash …
Ride Safer: Pretend You Are Invisible on Your Bike Read More »
- The Elephant in the Room: Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is the elephant in the room when it comes to training plans. If you want to be a champion cyclist, your training hours need to roughly match those of your strongest competitors. It is possible to tweak training to …
- Blister Prevention for Runners
As your runs get longer, the chance of getting blisters goes up. Blisters happen when some part of your shoe or foot or sock rubs hard enough to tug on skin again and again until the top layer of skin …
- Could an Older Rider Win a Pro Race? The Effects of Aging on Cycling Performance
Most professional cyclists retire in their mid-30s, but all around the country there are guys in the later 30s and into their 40s and 50s who still compete with the 1/2/pro fields. Some of them occasionally show at the front …
Could an Older Rider Win a Pro Race? The Effects of Aging on Cycling Performance Read More »
- The Unwritten Rule – Why cheating must be punished
Professional bike racing is a big business where money considerations often trump athletic ones, but we fans maintain the fiction of the purity of sport. We get to believe that bike racing identifies riders who are somehow superior. A race …
The Unwritten Rule – Why cheating must be punished Read More »
- Lactate Threshold Test
The lactate threshold heart rate is the central datum when setting up heart rate training zones. There’s no magic required to determine the LT heart rate though. Below you will find two different lactate threshold test instructions for measuring ventilatory or …
- Hey Coach, How Can I Climb Faster?
The fastest climbers may not always be the fastest Granfondo riders or the winningest racers, but climbing speed is an honest measure of fitness. You don’t make a good time on a long climb by sucking wheels or otherwise taking …
- Post-Ride Recovery
Over the years, watching hundreds of athletes train, it’s become clear that for most, the limiter for performance is how much training they can handle. The upper limit is not based purely on how many hours they have available to …
- Is Your Bike Fit as Good as Your Bike?
You’ve dropped several grand for your all-carbon superbike with all the latest features and another grand to upgrade the wheels and the shop fit the bike for you so your bike is fast, right? Maybe and maybe not. How the …
- Got Video?
One of the major frustrations for coaches of bike racers is not being able to watch all our clients race. We tell them how to train and get their files or training logs back so we have a decent idea …
- Why Get on a Team?
What would happen if Speedy, a professional racing star with a palmares full of podium finishes in classic races, somehow slept through recruitment season and ended up on a local, amateur team instead of a ProTour team? Speedy would not …
- Keeping Training Effective
Training is an integral part of bike racing. Bike racers train to get better, so if training is not making them “better” they should obviously change something. The question is how to measure the effectiveness of training so one can …
- Winning in the Heat – Tips for Racing in High Temperatures
In the spring and summer, internally generated heat limits training intensity and affects the outcomes of races. Only about one fifth of the energy released by a athlete’s body during cycling ends up as useful work, with the other four-fifths …
Winning in the Heat – Tips for Racing in High Temperatures Read More »
- Stay Calm, Stay Safe, Win
The first few criteriums for a new racer are often a humbling or even terrifying experience. I remember speaking with the manager of a national level pro squad about goals for each of his riders in a downtown crit. One …
- Winning – It Could Happen to You
Many riders enter races for which they are not suited. Skinny little climbers enter flat crits with huge fields. Big-muscled sprinters enter hilly road races. For the most part the results are as expected. One needs powerful legs to win …
- Spoke Trivia – The Hour Record
The Hour Record is the world record at any given time for the longest distance traveled by a solo rider on a bicycle in one hour not assisted by wind, hill or another vehicle or power source. Hour records are …
- Close Riding Drills – Improving Your Ability to Move Up In Tight Spaces
The ability to move up in a tight group or pass on a narrow trail can often make the difference between a podium and a mid-pack finish in a road or MTB race. Some people seem to have the knack …
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- Tip of the Month: Find More Time to Train
The biggest challenge for most non-professional endurance athletes is simply finding enough time to train and recover on a daily basis. Here are some tips to help you save a few minutes here and there that can add up to …
- First Races
Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want – Dan Stanford As warmer weather and bike racing return to the Northern Hemisphere this Spring, racers will again be making errors and learning from their mistakes. Many …
- Cross Training for Cyclists
Cyclists sometimes seek other forms of exercise, even those who love riding and live to race bikes. Wanting to do something else is not necessarily a sign of weakness or lack of devotion. There are valid reasons to do something …
- How Much Recovery Is Enough In the Rest Period?
All Wenzel cycling and triathlon programs include annual extended recovery periods, usually about a month in length, though cross racers might break the month into two chunks, one before training for cross and one before training for road or MTB. …
- Tip: Choosing Your Exercise Drink
Research clearly shows that drinking fluids during extended exercise sessions improves performance, and that taking on calories during exercise enhances endurance in events lasting more than an hour. The research comparing different exercise drinks shows that if you like your …
- Descending and Cornering on a Bicycle
Most racers want to climb better. Climbing is a measure of worth for many even though climbing speed alone wins very few races. Unless the finish is at the top of the mountain, a climber who doesn’t descend well will …
- Training Tip – Riding In the Heat
It’s getting to the hot time of year, which adds another tactical dimension to your training and racing. Since I’d like to see you all beating the competition, here’s the scoop on how to turn the heat into an advantage: …
- Spoke Trivia: Ironman Origins
“Ironman” Triahlon: The first Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) was held on Oahu, Hawaii in 1978 to settle an argument between the Mid-Pacific Road Runners and the members of the Waikiki Swim Club about …
- The Good Teammate – How to Be Positive Part of a Team in Cycling
Cyclists mostly know at some level that bike racing is a team sport and that we need good teammates to help us win. Sometimes listening to the stories and complaints of club racers, though, I wonder if most riders know …
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- Don’t be a rat
I first got seriously into bike racing when I was 23, after a decade of bicycle touring. I was young enough to dream of turning pro and riding in the Tour de France. I had great base from thousands of …
- Let’s Get Real: In season training and tactics
The racing season is here. Racers are hitting peak fitness and doing their best racing of the year. In some districts there are opportunities to race six or seven days per week including the track, mid-week TTs and twilight criteriums. …
- Death Stalks the Peloton
When one takes up cycling, one gets more than a healthy activity, an outlet for competitive urges, an excuse to travel and a hole in one’s wallet. One can also choose to become part of the community of cyclists. There …
- Pressed for Time – Making the Most of Your Limited Winter Training Hours
With the amount of day light hours fading and economic pressure increased, work just seems like more work lately. Many athletes find themselves riding less and working to make the most out of it. When your training time is limited …
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- Don’t Overdo the Hills – The Value of Training on Flat Terrain
Many cyclists rightly observe that riding hills is more challenging than riding flats and then wrongly interpret that to mean they should ride hills on the majority of their rides. Riding hills can be a useful part of a road, …
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- When You’re Feeling Low… Guidelines for Training While You’re Sick
While cyclists tend to think that their cycling makes them the fittest and healthiest people on Earth, they do still occasionally get sick or injured. Regular exercise does boost the immune system and make one more resistant to illness generally, …
When You’re Feeling Low… Guidelines for Training While You’re Sick Read More »
- The Things We Do For Love – The Costs of Bike Racing
Forward thinking riders sometimes ask me about the costs of bike racing. I tick through the list: A racer needs a racing bike and an extra set of wheels. Then there are special foods, tires, tubes, pumps, shorts, shoes, socks, …
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- Joe Racer Vs. The Bad Guys
Many bike racers with the talent to be super heroes have terrible enemies in the peloton who repeatedly thwart their ambitions. In a bike race, the good guy doesn’t always win. If the good guy has to waste energy dealing …
- Training Tips: Save Your Matches in a Criterium
Many riders are under the impression that successful criterium riding is all about repeated explosive accelerations. Nothing could be farther from the truth, at least if you want to win. In fact, the most successful crit racers minimize accelerations, doing …
- Don’t Hate Them For Winning
There are riders who never work at the front prior to the final few laps in a criterium, and yet consistently get on the podium. These riders are often not aerobically powerful. Some can’t time-trial their way out of a …
- Road Trip!!! It’s Stage Racing Time!
It’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Cycling fans are focused on the 21-day Tour de France while bike racers are heading to their own shorter stage races for sustained doses of suffering, and nearly guaranteed good times. Stage races can …
- Zen and the Art of Bike Racing – Relax, Focus and Enjoy the Contradictions
By Head Coach Scott Saifer This article was originally published in ROAD Magazine in May 2009. What takes place… is believed in only after it has been accomplished. There will be great progress and success. Advantage will come from being …
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- Winter Base Training Q & A
This month rather than expound for several pages on a single topic, I’ll present short responses to some frequent questions in winter training. If you race you probably have thought of some of these yourself and applying these answers will …
- The Importance of Little Things
Little things matter. Bike races are won or lost by fractions of an inch or almost immeasurably small differences in average speed. Cyclists focus on training and tactics, but small changes in equipment, body weight, clothing, position, cadence and even …
- Oh No! Not Junk Miles! – Understanding what makes a quality training ride
Racers must ride quality miles and avoid junk miles to succeed in competition, but how can one distinguish junk from quality on a given ride? Many racers do junk training thinking they are doing quality, and then avoid riding that …
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- Is Your Lifestyle Consistent with Your Goals? You Must Live Like a Racer to Ride Like a Racer
Bike racing is an extremely demanding and unforgiving sport. Unlike baseball, soccer or football in which half of the few dozen players in any given game will win, only one rider gets to take the top step on the podium …
- There’s no “We” in “Team”
Bike racing at the professional level is very much a team sport. While individuals get credit for winning races and tours, they cannot do so without the support of a strong team. Sometimes the support is obvious, such as when …
- Breaking the Law of Specificity
The single most powerful concept in training plan development for all sports is the “Law of Specificity.” This rule says that the greater the similarity between practice and the desired performance, the more effective it is. Training exercises should resemble …
- Bad Weather? No Problem Late Winter Riding Tips
It is okay to look at the weather report and rearrange your riding calendar to put the long rides on the nicer-weather days. Ask your coach for help. Ride outdoors as much as you can, even if there is a …
- The Unique Needs of Novice Racers
Novice racers working their way up through the amateur ranks are not little professionals. Advice that is appropriate for professional riders is often inappropriate for novices. While developing riders share many characteristics with seasoned pros, they also differ in important …
- Holistic Racing Preparation
How many times in a career does an aspiring racer get a new piece of equipment, a new training plan, or a new magic food and figure, “this is it, now I’m on the short path to the big time”, …
- Shooting the Moon: Will You Be the Next Cycling Superhero? – The Importance of Setting Performance and Outcome Goals
Only one person will win the next Tour de France or U.S. Men’s Professional Road Race. No one knows who it is yet, but we do know some important things about him: He is a hard-working, goal oriented rider between …
- Heart Monitor? Power Meter? Don’t Forget the Brain! – Perceived Exertion as a Measure of Effort
Bike racers train to gain physiological adaptations that will allow them to ride faster, farther or more aggressively. The response to training depends on the details of the training and on the condition of the rider beforehand, but not on …
- Take 5: The Annual Rest Period
Should riders take a break from training after one season before starting to train for the next? Most professional riders do. Some argue that anyone who doesn’t take a post-season break will more or less burst into flames and fall …
- Bike Racing: The Game
By the time you read this the Northern Hemisphere racing season will be in its waning months. Chances are that you’d still like to earn a few more upgrade points or attract attention from a bigger team and that you …
- Win or Go Blind Trying
You have to be tough to succeed as a bike racer. If you don’t like pain, this is not the sport for you. This doesn’t mean that bike racers deliberately seek pain, but simply that success frequently requires doing things …
- Relax, it’s
nota big deal: Recovery behaviorsLatest Survey: Training Makes Riders Weaker! “The majority of bike racers surveyed say they come back from training rides and gym sessions weaker and more tired than when they leave, contradicting the popular perception that training makes one stronger. ‘At …
- The Skinny on Climbing
Racers don’t expect to win hilly races carrying bricks or riding 33-pound bikes. Extra pounds are a huge disadvantage. Unless a weighted-down rider’s talent or training is far superior to that of the competitors, he would be dropped on any …
- Quiz: Racing is the best training – or is it?
Underline the best answer and discuss: Racing is the best training: a) Always b) Sometimes c) Never I’m sure you’ve heard or read that racing is the best training. What does that mean? Should you pile on race miles to …
- Tactical Toolbox: The Attack
An attack is an acceleration initiated with the goal of getting a tactically significant gap. A well planned attack is often the tactical turning point of a race, but many attacks are ineffective: Some don’t result in a gap. Some …
- How to win a bike race
Many riders who race but don’t win assume that they need to train some weak area of physical ability. One can train in specific ways to improve the power that can be sustained for mile after mile, for a few …
- Cyclists Who Ride Too Much: Exercise Addiction as a Cause of Overtraining
Most racers will say they train to improve performance, but many ride in ways that do not support that goal. Sometimes from ignorance and sometime for more insidious reasons, they undertake excessive volume or intensity for their current experience, fitness, …
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- The Making of a Champion
There is a lot of variety in race preparation programs. Plans followed by national teams are different from plans recommended by books or by individual coaches. Coaches recommend particular exercises not found in the programs of other riders. Are national-team …
- Emigrating to Bike-World
Involvement in club racing can be extremely rewarding. Besides excitement and challenge, one gains physical fitness, confidence, self-knowledge and a social network. For many, bike culture is the background for life’s journey of self-discovery or provides a structure that gives …
- How Long Will You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
by Scott Saifer, M.S. This article first appeared in ROAD Magazine in December 2006. Bicycle racing does not favor whiners. Competition requires willingness to do what needs to be done even if it is hurts, as it often does. Muscles …
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- You have to want it: The emotional component of racing
Preparation for athletic performance is like a three-legged stool. All three legs must be equally long and strong if the stool is to be stable and support you as your race to victory. The first two legs relate to physical …
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- Simple Diet Tips for Cyclists and Endurance Athletes
If you are heavier than your ideal race weight, this is the time of year to do something about it. When you are racing or doing higher intensity training you need plenty of good quality food to support rapid recovery. …
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- Physiology of Performance and Periodization
Physiology is the science of how the body works: How muscles contract; how the heart, lungs and blood vessels deliver oxygen and fuel to the body; how the energy in food is converted into muscle power; how training affects muscles …
- Aerobic Base Training: Do your homework
If it’s fall and you are preparing to race next Spring, it’s time to be working on your base. Quoting the old cliché, it is time to lay a big foundation for the harder training and racing in the months …
- Double Reality Check – Identifying a tactical race plan that suits both your talents and the course
There are as many potentially successful strategies for winning bike races as there are courses and categories. However, only a few strategies are likely to be successful in any given race. Strategies that work beautifully on one course or with …
- Light a Candle, or, Race the Race You’ve Entered
See if you can figure out the common factor in these five situations: Riders are stretched out single file on a wide straight road as the leader weaves back and forth, pedaling furiously, occasionally looking over his shoulder, and frantically …
Light a Candle, or, Race the Race You’ve Entered Read More »
- Quiz: Racing is the Best Training (underline the best answer and discuss)
a) Always b) Sometimes c) Never I’m sure you’ve heard or read that racing is the best training. What does that mean? Should you pile on race miles to the exclusion of all else? Is racing really the best training …
Quiz: Racing is the Best Training (underline the best answer and discuss) Read More »
- Race Your Strengths
Each rider is more suited to particular aspects of racing and less suited to others. Some riders have tremendous speed for a short distance, some can ride all day at a good clip and some can climb away from a …
- Your Ride: Dynamic Bike Fit
The fit of the bike is essential to the performance of the rider. A properly chosen frame and properly fitted bike will allow you to ride the drops for many miles in comfort, corner with confidence and lay down the …
- My Kung fu is stronger than your Kung fu: The Science of Training
Even well informed coaches and riders can argue frequently, and sometimes angrily, about training methods. Enough research has been published, one might think training would be reduced to a science: That there would be one proven and accepted training plan …
My Kung fu is stronger than your Kung fu: The Science of Training Read More »
Learn to Ride or Learn to Ride Better. Improve your road riding skills!
For racers, road skills can make the difference between struggling to keep up and really being part of the race. For recreational riders and century enthusiasts, road skills make the difference between going the distance and enjoying the ride.
Scott Saifer, M.S. has been teaching descending, cornering and close riding in clinics and one-on-one sessions for over 20 years. More than 1000 riders have improved their skills and enjoyment of riding under Coach Scott’s guidance.
Choose specific skills to work on, or let Coach Scott analyze your current abilities and suggest areas for improvement with a 40-Point Road Test. During your private or small-group skills session, Coach Scott will walk you through each skill, breaking it down to the level you need for mastery.
Each lesson can be individualized to you or your group. See below for pricing.
Some ideas for areas of improvement:
- Cornering
- Descending
- Climbing
- No hands
- Bunny hop
- Held TT starts
- Clipping in – Race starts
- Drafting
- Close riding and bumping
- Gear choice
- Efficient braking
- Sprinting
- Receiving a feed
- Flat tire and other repairs and adjustments
- 40-Point Road Test (takes ~2 hours)
- Areas that have held you back in races in the past
- Any skill you’d like to work on
- Getting started on the bike for new riders. Learn to ride a bike at any age.
Pricing:
1 hr Session: $120
2 hr Session: $210
Longer Sessions: $100 per hour
Sessions may be shared by two or more riders.
Dynamic Bike Fitting for Road, Mountain, CycloCross, Gravel, and Stationary Bikes Including Peloton
Scott Saifer performs bike fitting services for road racers, century riders, recreational riders, mountain bikers and triathletes. Scott has been doing bike fits in the San Francisco Bay Area since the early 1990s. He can help any rider, of course, but specializes in difficult to fit riders:
- Leg-length or leg-strength discrepancies
- Sore knees
- Stiff backs or necks
- Numb hands
- Those who have tried several fits without success
- Recumbent bicycles, tricycles & unicycles
- Peloton Bike fitting
Like all Wenzel Coaches, Scott does dynamic fittings. Rather than making your bike conform to arbitrary measurements and angles, we actually watch you ride and make adjustments to optimize your comfort and power. All fittings start with cleat adjustments and wedging as needed, and continue with saddle height, tilt and set back, stem length and height, bar tilt and brake lever positioning.
Scott’s bike fitting studio is easily accessible to all Bay Area riders via BART or freeway. For your convenience, he can also bring his tools to your home or office, or fit your bike via video chat.
Bike fittings cost $210 plus any needed parts and travel time. All fits include a three-week follow up if needed, and any needed corrections for up to three months after the initial fitting. They are also covered by a money back guarantee. (If you are still not happy with the position after follow-up corrections, we will adjust the bike back to your initial position and refund your fee.)