Cycle Coach/ Personal Training?

[totallyfixed]

In my newbie eyes, there would seem a gap in the market to help people improve technique, fitness etc.
A

That is a good point, I coach my better half and each year we are getting better results but that is for racing so a little different to most on here. On the other hand I often see people out on quite expensive bikes [not always!], and especially in Sportives [I don't ride them] with poor positioning / fit / technique who would be able to go much quicker and easier with a couple of hours tuition. I know we are all prone to using the phrase "all the gear and no idea", but unfortunately it is too often true. Even if your goal is not to go fast, surely everyone would want to make it relatively easier rather than looking like a bag of spanners and pedaling squares as we say.
Hands up all those who think they are going well, only for a roadie [often a much older person] to come past with seemingly little effort leaving you wondering how they do that? There are plenty of ways to improve without being super fit, far better to get the correct technique first and develop the power later should you wish.

 

[black'n'yellow]

At the moment as newbie, I would consider say £20 per hour, for someone with all the equipment to give me my base line on such as fitness (HR,Power, endurance) review of my ride data via GPS, cadence and technique, followed by personalised plan to move me foward. I think this once a month could really help more than just going out on my own.

£20ph actually works out pretty expensive. £40-60 per month would be more reasonable - for which you could expect regular consultation and a monthly training programme, designed to help you achieve whatever your targets might be. Establishing a 'scientific' base line is actually not as important as you might think, so spending time working out your VO2 max, FTP or whatever probably wouldn't be much use to a coach, especially if you didn't have a power meter to train with regularly. Something like an aerobic limit test (which you could do on your own, on a turbo, with nothing other than a stopwatch) would give you a baseline figure which was just as meaningful for improvement & measurement purposes.

 

[ayceejay]

Part of a personal trainers job in the gym is to make sure that you don't injure yourself with incorrect technique this approach would seem to be a logical step from a professional bike fit. Get the bike fit then spend half an hour on a trainer under instruction - come back a month later for reappraisal £150.00.

 

[black'n'yellow]

To be fair, some gym PTs don't know one end of a bike from the other - I wouldn't be confident taking cycle-related advice from them.

 

[Ian H]

Join a proper cycling club.

 

[ayceejay]

That's not what I meant B 'n Y obviously. I was thinking of this being an extension of an expert bike fit from the same type of person who did the bike fit.

 

[black'n'yellow]

That's not what I meant B 'n Y obviously. I was thinking of this being an extension of an expert bike fit from the same type of person who did the bike fit.

ok - fair enough. But that presumes the guy who does the bike fit is also qualified to offer professional coaching advice, which doesn't necessarily follow. Most professional coaches will not offer advice in this way, without entering into a longer-term association.

 

[ayceejay]

Then perhaps it would work the other way round? That is the coach would offer a bike fit as part of their long term association or in association with the bike fit guy.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

You're talking about a professional relationship which a client has no real influence over. But the same applies to a coach that applies to a PT or a bike fitter.

In order to the job of another, you need to be qualified and in the UK, REPS registered/insured for your services

 

[ayceejay]

I am sorry I don't know what you are trying to say TMHNET, perhaps my suggestion was not clear.
It seems to me that having a bike fit is a serious step towards enjoyment of the bike but only goes so far, my suggestion is that this could be extended to include at least some basic coaching. Maybe this is already done, I don't know but an analogy might be learning to drive that requires a bit more than passing a test if real competence is the aim.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Why or how would having a bike fit extend directly to hiring a coach? Or further to a PT?

I've never had a bike fit and have never had the urge to pay a coach. I don't see that changing if I had a professional fit, so I can't see what your actual suggestion is. I'm not sure the leap from a bike fit to hiring a coach is one many would take.

Anyway, it would require that your bike fitter(qualified) is also a qualified coach in your discipline and in the spirit of the thread, a qualified level2 Fitness Instructor + level3 PT (as you can't be level 3 without level2)

And to top it all off, qualified in nutrition, which PT'S,Instructors and Coaches generally aren't.

 

[black'n'yellow]

It seems to me that having a bike fit is a serious step towards enjoyment of the bike but only goes so far, my suggestion is that this could be extended to include at least some basic coaching. Maybe this is already done, I don't know but an analogy might be learning to drive that requires a bit more than passing a test if real competence is the aim.

As above - I'm not really sure of the proposition here. People who need a bike fit will get a bike fit. People who need coaching will get a coach. It does not follow that if you need one, you might also benefit from the other - especially from the same source.

Bike fitting is usually a one-time exercise. Coaching is usually provided over a course of several months and involves regular review, monitoring and feedback. Even if someone was in a position to require both, I can't see how getting it from the same source would be in any way beneficial, or expedient.

 

[ayceejay]

I get the sense that this is argument just for the sake of it when my 'could' becomes your 'would' and when you say "I've never had a bike fit and have never had the urge to pay a coach" my suggestion would obviously be of no interest to you.
Over and out.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I get the sense that this is argument just for the sake of it when my 'could' becomes your 'would' and when you say "I've never had a bike fit and have never had the urge to pay a coach" my suggestion would obviously be of no interest to you.
Over and out.

It just might. If it made some sort of sense.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I get the sense that this is argument just for the sake of it when my 'could' becomes your 'would' and when you say "I've never had a bike fit and have never had the urge to pay a coach" my suggestion would obviously be of no interest to you.
Over and out.

the point I was making is that your suggestion doesn't really have any logic to it.