The author starts by describing the basic cycling abilities of speed, endurance, and strength and goes on to describe the advanced abilities of muscular endurance, speed-endurance, and power. His training program consists of "periods" that emphasize the specific training of those abilities in varying proportions.

Those periods are Base I,II,III, Build I,II, Peak, and Compete. Throw in the factors of frequency, duration, intensity for all of the training periods, as well as lactate and cardiovascular monitoring and you have got yourself one complicated program. There is a lot of overlap in the training: to say that this manner of riding is this kind of training can seem somewhat arbitrary.

As a long-time runner and cyclist, I can attest to the fact that numerous training books exist for runners that are far easier to follow than is this one. There are a few basic workouts that can make one a successful runner. It is the opinion of this reviewer that the author would better serve those likely to buy this book or a next one if he would make the effort to simplify and reduce his descriptions of basic physiological systems and the corresponding training needed. And the author does readily admit that some cyclists are successful without going through such a complicated schedule. There must be some middle ground here.

I work about a 50-60 hour week and raise a family. There is no way I could have achieved the level of cycling proficiency I have without this text. It makes the amount of time I decide to spend training pay dividends on race day.

This book has two potential drawbacks. First, it is possible to get too wrapped up in the minutae of planning each and every workout for the next six months. Friel offers literally hundreds of possible workouts to choose from, and a system for selecting workouts that will help you approach each ride with a specific purpose. So long as you have some ability to read and apply both principals and a suitable level of detail, this book can not be beat.

My second issue is that I have worn out the binding from so much use and now need to buy a new copy.

The only downside may be that his training advice is very hard to follow for most people. The natural inclination is to do fairly idle rides without purpose, but the book emphasizes always riding with a purpose and gameplan. The very act of organizing a yearly calendar and planning for peaks can be daunting. In fairness, he does provide some good advice for riders who have limited time to commit to the sport, but one can gather from the tone of his writing that the book is really meant for the individual with at least 15 hours a week at his or her disposal for training. Afterall, this is the cyclists training *bible*.

I have found personally that the book was helpful for me to become versed in the language of cycling training. I use a coach on my team for my training regimen, but this book has educated me so that I understand that purpose for what I do. This alone has improved my dedication and enjoyment in following a regimen.

The main drawback of the book is its complexity. The book never claims to be a one-size fits all sort of plan so there is a lot of information that will allow the reader to customize his or her own training. This can be overwhelming at first. The best approach to the book is to read it through a couple of times to get a feel for what is being said. Once this is done, the material will feel a lot less overwhelming. In any case, there is some effort to be put into understanding the book just like there is effort that must be put into training to achieve the result of better performance.

Short of going out and hiring a coach to do your thinking for you, this book is the best way to start training for competition.

If you are planning to race against me in next year's Leadville 100, and Vail Ultra 100, PLEASE don't read this book!!!!!

I felt it prepared me well for my races. The workouts had enough variety that I was enthusiastic about training throughout the entire season. I have a lot to learn about race tactics, but as far as training goes, I'm comfortable relying on this book for the next season.

The book is based on periodization and divides the training into six different areas (strength, speed and endurance are the main ones). The season is also split into several phases. Based on the time of year and your weaknesses and strengths you set up a yearly plan. The whole point with this plan is to peak you performance on a scheduled time. Out of some tables you choose different exercises for a weekly plan. The exercises differ in intensity and volume. But Joe explains all this.

Although I am just an amateur road cyclist I highly recommend this book for any cyclist who wish to follow a better plan and improve their performances in races. Hell, even if you just interested in structured endurance-training, this book is a good read. Reading your journal (I recommend making an electronic one) you can easily see your improvements and what kind of exercises suited you best at different times.

I have really improved my training and look forward to next season, when I will be much better fit to race!