When Should I Start Working With a Cycling Coach? 

If you are a woman who rides any kind of bike, you have likely received a little bit of help along the way.

Maybe you have scoured the internet for all of the ways to get into cycling, and all of the different types of bikes and ways to ride. You know, those seemingly endless searches of “why does my butt hurt” or “how do I shift gears?” or “how can I get stronger riding up hills?”

Or, maybe you had a chat with someone at a local bike shop, have a friend who rides bikes, or joined a group ride…and gotten some amazing advice that way!

I think we can all agree that some of the best biking advice we have ever received has come organically in these kinds of situations.

However, for many of us there comes a time where we feel like we have exhausted all of the free options out there. We get to a place where we either feel like we aren’t getting any faster or stronger, or are just having a hard time motivating ourselves to get on the bike.

Or, maybe you decide that you want to start racing and don’t know where to begin, or have a big event/ride you want to sign up for, but have no idea how to train for it.

This is when you might start to wonder if hiring a cycling coach should be your next move. 

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of hiring a cycling coach, some different ways to work with a coach, how to find a coach, and, of course, how to know if it’s the right time for you to hire one! 

Benefits of Hiring a Cycling Coach 

Better Bike Performance 

Hands down, the most obvious plus of hiring a cycling coach is that you will likely see improvements in your cycling performance.

Cycling coaches can help you get the most out of your bike and will craft a training plan that is suited to your needs. This will likely make you stronger and faster, and can even help you get up hills easier as your strength increases.

Admittedly, though, I have had more than a few cyclists who work with a cycling coach mention to me that hills are STILL hard, but they do get up them faster, and get stronger doing it!

Having an Expert to Answer All of Your Questions  

Have you ever wondered if you are training too hard? Not training enough? Are you unsure what zone you should be training in most of the time, if you should be doing intervals or endurance pace?

If any and all of that makes your head want to explode (I know it does me!), then it’s so helpful to have an expert there to answer all of your questions.

For example, it could actually be that you aren’t getting any stronger or faster because you are training too hard. For example, if you aren’t building in both rest days (and rest weeks!), it’s quite possible you might be over-training.

And, the great thing about paying a coach to answer all of your questions is that you don’t have to feel like you are bothering them. This is literally what you pay them to do, and a good coach will be happy to answer all of your questions and steer you down the right path. 

Built in Accountability 

When I asked women in different cycling groups why they chose to work with a coach, time and time again they said that having someone to hold them accountable for getting on the bike regularly was a huge piece of it.

First of all, you are paying someone to help. There is a saying that goes, “when we pay, we pay attention,” and I find this to be very true! When we invest in a coach we are making a commitment to ourselves and to the coach to take our training seriously.

Aside from that, just knowing that there is someone else in the world who put together a training plan for you can go a long way to getting you to actually execute the plan. Though I find I can normally self-motivate to ride a bike I absolutely do NOT self-motivate to strength train. 

The Luxury of Not Having to Come Up With Your Own Training Plans

This one is HUGE. There is just something so amazing about not having to think about when you are going to ride, how hard you are going to ride, what you are going to do, etc.

When you work with a coach there is no guess-work, you simply have a professional who is taking care of all of these decisions for you, and it is glorious.

For example, when I asked around about coaching in different women’s cycling groups, Morgan A. said this in regards to working with her coach, “ I have workouts on my calendar. I don’t have to think about it or stress. It takes a huge task off my plate to just turn on the workout and ride.”

I can relate to Morgan’s comments so much. I hired a strength training coach because I know I need to strength train, and all I want is to just show up and do the workout. If I am being honest, I didn’t even want to do that.

I work out with my coach, Natalie Hamel, once a week and she makes up a plan for me for my other two sessions so I don’t have to deal with the stress of figuring out what I am supposed to do. 

It is amazing to just go into an app, PDF, or google doc and have what you need to do already planned out for you.

Types of Coaching: Training Plans, Group Coaching, and 1:1 Coaching  

There are many different ways to work with a cycling coach. Below we will detail a few different options so that you can choose one that will work for your personal needs and your budget. 

Training Plans  

One of the easiest and least expensive options ways to work with a cycling coach is to purchase a training plan. This takes all of the guesswork out of what you need to do. You can buy pre-made training plans (the most economical option) or have a custom training plan designed just for you and your goals.

In fact, Femme Cyclist founder Kristen Bonkoski is a certified USA Cycling coach and offers both pre made plans and custom training plans specifically for women. I actually used her 12-week fitness training plan myself to get stronger last spring and thought it was great.

Kristen’s plans not only tell you what to do in terms of workouts, but also give you great fueling advice, as well as tips for what to do if life gets in the way if you have to skip a workout or even skip a week of workouts. To say that I got more than I was expecting from this plan is definitely an understatement.

Pros: 

• Affordable prices 
• Helps add structure to your training
• Great if you are self-motivated to ride but just aren’t sure what to do

Cons: 

• Can be more generic/not designed for your specific needs (though Kristen does also offer custom plans!) 
• Not great if you aren’t good at getting yourself on the bike because this option lacks the accountability/forces you to get it elsewhere

Group Coaching

If you want a little more accountability than a training plan, you might find that group coaching is right for you.

There are many different types of group coaching programs out there (I have heard women mention in some groups I am in that they like 360 Velo). Generally what you can expect though, in a group coaching program, is access to a coach and a community.

Pros

• Community – having other riders to commiserate with and bounce ideas off of is a huge plus to group coaching 
• More support than a training plan 
• Access to a coach without the 1:1 coaching price tag 

Cons

• Less individual support than 1:1 coaching 
• Workouts may be more designed for the group than they are for your individual needs

1:1 Coaching

If you are really serious about getting straight up, individualized help that is catered to you and your specific needs, you may want to explore 1:1 coaching. When working with a coach 1:1 you have your coach’s undivided attention for those sessions, and this can be priceless. In addition to training plans, Kristen also offers 1:1 coaching.

Pros

• Complete, individualized attention
• Can work with you to train for a particular event or just work on getting stronger 
• Accountability – you can’t hide in a group! Your coach is going to know if you aren’t completing your workouts. 

Cons

• Well…like I said…you can’t hide! Your coach is going to know if you aren’t completing your workouts. 
• Can be awkward if you need to move on/if it’s not a good fit. 
• Lacks the community aspect of group coaching. 

How to Find and Choose a Coach  

Finding a coach that suits your needs can feel a little bit daunting. One of the best ways to find a coach is by word of mouth.

You can ask around in cycling Facebook groups, ask at your local bike shop, or ask a friend who you know works with a coach if they would recommend their coach!

It is also important to make sure that the coach you choose is a right fit for you. If your friend is super intense about training and has a super intense coach, and this is just not you, that coach may not be the right fit.

Most coaches will offer a consult call of sorts or a time to chat to make sure that you are both on the same page. You may want to ask questions like “what is an appropriate training schedule for someone of my skill level?” or “These are my goals, how would you go about helping me achieve them?” or “How do you take into account the physiology of women in your training.”

When I asked in Facebook Groups about experiences women have had working with coaches, they mentioned that they wanted a coach that considered women’s physiology, so if that is something that is important to you I would definitely ask!

Now, if you approach a coach and they say that they are full and don’t have time, don’t be discouraged! This happens a lot. Ask them if they have any recommendations, and just keep looking. Don’t take any “nos” from coaches personally, they just may be too busy or might not think that they are the best person to help you.

Finally, when you are looking for a cycling coach you should consider if it’s important to you for a coach to be licensed. In the US, you will likely want to look for a coach that is certified by a reputable cycling organization like USA Cycling.  USA Cycling has a coach finder on their website that you can use.

Looking into the qualifications and training of your coach is especially important if you want your coach to have a certain expertise. If you are just looking for someone to help hold you accountable and bounce ideas off of that might not be so important to you, but if you want someone to be making your training plans for you then you should ensure that they actually have the background and education to do so.

How to Know if it’s the Right Time for YOU to Hire a Coach 

Now, you might still be on the fence about hiring a coach, and you might be wondering how to know if it’s the right time.

My best advice to you is to ask yourself if you are able to meet your goals right now on your own.

Is your current training program/schedule working for you? Do you like what you’re doing? Are you able to motivate yourself no problem to get on the bike?

If you are answering yes to all of these questions, then this might not be the right time for you to hire a coach.

But, if you feel like you are struggling to make gains on the bike, are sick of making your own decisions about what your next ride should be, if you are unsure if you are training too much or not training enough, then these are all signs that you might want to look into a training program, group coaching, or 1:1 coaching.

You truly don’t have to go it alone. Before you decide to train for your next race or event on your own, I strongly suggest considering getting some support. There are so many ways to work with a coach that it is very likely you can find one that will fit your budget and your needs.

At the end of the day, there is truly no one-size fits all answer to the question of when you should start working with a coach, but hopefully after reading this article you have an idea of where to begin!

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