Each Sunday I’ll post a Smart Trainer session that you can do in about 60 minutes to enhance your cycling.
Confused by cycling gears? This beginner-friendly guide explains chainrings, cassettes, one-by and two-by setups, and what gear combinations like 52-13 or 34-32 actually mean. Perfect for new cyclists and triathletes wanting to better understand bike gearing, cadence, climbing gears, and how riders talk about the gears they are using.
View More Bike Gearing Explained for Beginners
Tempo is the intensity that can be sustained for longer durations. It is the intensity that is used in marathon mountain bike events, Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events. This session gives three short exposures to this intensity, with a variety of cadences. The changes in cadences with give a different training stimulus building strength at the lower cadences. This workout is great to include early in a build up, or later in a build up to enhance aerobic efficiency or as a recovery session.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Coach Ray’s Tempo Cadence in Control
Gareth’s VO₂ Max Intervals Plus One builds on a proven session by adding an extra round of high-intensity work. With progressive ramps leading into repeated VO₂ max efforts, this workout challenges your ability to go deep, recover, and repeat—ideal for cyclists and triathletes looking to boost top-end power and endurance.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Gareth’s VO2 Max Intervals Plus One
This is a short, sweet session that although lacking in some physiological considerations packs a lot of punch into the 30-minutes. It will build strength and power, with the limited time available. It is a great session regardless of your goals, but especially if you have limited time to train.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Beep! Beep! Beep!
Gareth’s VO₂ Max Intervals is a smart-trainer session designed to push your top-end power and repeatability. With progressive ramp efforts leading into multiple VO₂ max blocks, this workout challenges your ability to go deep, recover, and go again—ideal for cyclists and triathletes looking to build high-intensity fitness and race-ready strength on the bike.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Gareth’s VO2 Max Intervals
Hairpin Wizard is a smart-trainer session focused on control, cadence, and smooth power through changing efforts. Designed to simulate the demands of tight, rolling terrain, this workout helps cyclists and triathletes maintain momentum, manage intensity shifts, and build the coordination and resilience needed to ride efficiently under pressure on the bike.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Hairpin Wizard
ERG mode makes indoor training easy—but that convenience can come at a cost. This article explores how over-reliance on ERG can limit pacing, power control, and real-world cycling skills, and what to do instead to become a stronger, more capable cyclist both indoors and outdoors.
View More There’s something satisfying about ERG mode.
Riding the Line is a smart-trainer workout that challenges you to balance efforts just above and below threshold. With short high-intensity surges followed by controlled riding, this session builds power, control, and resilience—helping cyclists and triathletes improve their ability to recover quickly and maintain strong, consistent efforts under pressure on the bike.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Riding the Line
Climb On [Lite] is a smart-trainer session designed to simulate rolling climbs with changing gradients. By alternating between steady efforts and over-under intensity, this workout builds strength, control, and endurance. Ideal for cyclists and triathletes, it develops the ability to stay smooth and efficient as effort rises and falls on the bike.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Climb On [Lite]
Dave Scott’s HIIT for the Holidays Minus is a dynamic smart-trainer session that challenges cadence control, power, and focus. With constant changes in intensity and position, this workout builds strength, speed, and resilience on the bike—ideal for cyclists and triathletes looking to improve coordination, efficiency, and race-ready fitness in a single session.
View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session: Dave Scott’s HIIT for the Holiday’s Minus