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How hard should you train?! | Im not a Pro

The Watt Life

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Does it feel like everyone is now super professional?! Over the last few years the number of people who ride their bikes 15+ hours a week really feels like its increasing. I know a load of guys who ride well over that and have little to no interest in racing. We're facing an age of real professional lifestyle cyclists. I think this covers a lot of the social media riders that you see- often ones who doesnt do events very often. But i dont think its something to be mad about. Everyone in full kit and on carbon bikes had to start somewhere.

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20 Comments

@markfly480 2 days ago

Tbh if you're not a pro and these guys are riding 18-20 hrs a week I think they have a real problem. Its no longer a hobby, and has taken over their life, their thoughts, and their decisions, and it becomes their identity, which I think is very dangerous, because if it all suddenly ends, they will be in a bad place! If your not a pro then treat it as a hobby. Good structured training 12 hrs a week is plenty.

@JimHunter-kz6jz 2 days ago

20 hours seems a lot, but you also need to have the time in your life to dedicate to it. I used to find training on the London streets on a dark winters night just too dangerous, not to mention breathing in all the car fumes. I opted in the end to train on a fan based indoor trainer, which was surprisingly effective. Blasted my first lap of Richmond Park the following Spring. You obviously miss out on the social element, but it keeps you alive.

@EagleRC1923 2 days ago

Over 30 years ago my friend said cycling isn’t a sport it’s a way of life

@gateshead4ever 1 day ago

Most people bounce between taking it more seriously and less I think. It's fun to go hard and see how fit you can get, but the cost is high and the results (99.9% of the time) are usually underwhelming. For most adults finding a balance that is sustainable and satisfying is the answer. Whether your ftp is 3.5, 4.5 or 5.5w/kg it doesn't really matter that much in the end. Some 16 year old from Slovenia will still be faster. Just enjoy the ride and the challenge and remember it very much is a hobby, and there's other things more important than impressing people with Strava stats.

@JaysonBryant 2 days ago

Totally agree, social media has made it more visible. We're not watching trad media, we're watching what appeals to us, including Watt Life.

@r_unner_G 2 days ago

It's like runners in marathon training cycles where it kind of takes over your life; almost like a 2nd job (or that's how it felt), with races on the weekend and sometimes mid week.

@itsTJM 2 days ago

I raced from 2014-2017, commuted, trained, had a coach, 10-12 hours a week, structured, was fine to be a good cat 3, but when i got to cat 2, those hours needed to be 15-20. My food, diet, recovery, all played a part, i gave it up when the youngsters who could put the hours in kept dropping me. Basically lived like a pro, but wasnt 😂 far from it! Soon realised that i missed social stuff off the bike, party’s, bbqs, seeing mates, later nights, loved being race fit, loved training, but the cost, time and then how dangerous some local races got just lost the spark! Happy riding for fitness, cafes and the social now, but once a racer, always a racer! 💪🏻👊🏻

@liamwalkercycles 2 days ago

Great topic.

I think there’s been a bit of a societal shift in general. The park I regularly cycle around is PACKED on a Saturday morning with running clubs and cyclists all in their 20s. It seems as though people are choosing more of an active lifestyle over the more drink/party focused one of the past.

Not only is it the in thing to do, there is so much quality training, diet and gear advice out there on social media and the internet in general.

Im all for it though. I wish I was more active when I was younger!

@mercurialcyclist 2 days ago

I think it’s great that those lads are getting out to Belgium to ride some kermesses. They’re incredible races, tough but well supported by real knowledgeable bike fans, it’ll be such a great experience for them.
Gotta get myself out there again…..I’ll be watching roadside with a Super 8 Flandrien though!

@Cycling_heavy 1 day ago

Great content as usual mate 💪

@CycoWarriorx 2 days ago

I’ve come to define cycling as a 1/3 is here for the fashion (kit/expensive bike), another 1/3rd is here for the work (training/racing/lifestyle) and the last 3rd are here for the social interaction (fun/hobby)… that’s what helps me keep what’s sometimes insane - sane… 😂🍻

@TBATTIECYCLING 2 days ago

Great topic Max - 20 hours 😮 ...let's roll 🚀

@EcTwinsOfficial 2 days ago

Thanks for the content..

@TGShunai 2 days ago (edited)

You don't need to ride for 20 hours a week to keep up, you just need to train smarter and with more quality.

It's not just about the amount of hours a week. The reason they can do that is because they do structured training. If you ride 20 hours a week without any structure, you'll likely progress less than training 12 hours a week with a proper structure, and you'll probably end up burning out within 6 months too.

@Suavedoe 2 days ago

“Wasted” had me in tears 🤣

@devinmorrison7131 2 days ago

Title of video is a question.......no questions answered.......I want my 11 minutes back 😅🤣😂

@Kefuddle 1 day ago

Three hours a day whilst holding down a job that pays for a London suburb mortgage and top gear is insane. It just does not sound sustainable. I used to live in Ham (next to Richmond Park) in the 90s, and rode very day after work and I doubt I could get much past 10 hours per week. Once the career required more commitment to progress, that was out of the window. With that level of drive, they deserve every ounce of success. Kudos!

@andrewbutterly1566 2 days ago

London scene looks brilliant, not as vibrant in Dublin especially to that degree

@christianX792 2 days ago

London road riding looks pretty grim with the road layout and traffic. Aside from the parks doesn’t seem to have the core big long routes like Beach Road in Melbourne.

@nautje 2 days ago (edited)

20 hours a week… Jeez…

My top weeks are like 10/11 hours, which amounts to 350-ish kilometres. At which point I’d already call it a lifestyle I think. 😅

But then I also work 36 hours a week. 😊