How to Track Cycling Progress
Progress isn’t just speed — it’s understanding. Cycling can drown you in metrics: heart rate, power, cadence, FTP, elevation, TSS, VO₂ max. Data can sharpen your training — or steal its joy. Here's what matters: Track enough to grow. Ignore enough to stay free.
What Actually Matters
A handful of signals tell the real story. Everything else is decoration.
🕒 Time in the Saddle
Hours build endurance more reliably than miles.
Your body adapts to time under tension — not to leaderboard numbers.
🔁 Intensity (HR or Power)
If you train with zones, track time spent in each.
Balance is magic: 80% easy, 20% hard keeps performance rising without burnout.
🚵 Long Ride Progression
The length of your weekly long ride quietly predicts fitness and confidence.
Add 10–15% every 1–2 weeks, then pull back every 4th week.
😴 Recovery Days
A rest day logged is a choice made — not a day lost.
Improvement happens because of recovery, not in spite of it.
🧠 Feel
After every ride, write one word:
Strong • Calm • Flat • Curious • Restless • Drained • Sharp
Patterns will appear before PRs do.
Feel is the first indicator — data only confirms it later.
How to Use Tools Without Becoming a Slave to Them
Technology should enhance awareness, not replace intuition.
| Style | Best Tools | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Social / Journaling | Strava | Community + memories + motivation |
| Structured Training | TrainingPeaks, Intervals, Garmin Connect | Analytics for athletes who love numbers |
| Adventure & Exploration | Komoot, RideWithGPS | Route planning + discovery |
| Analog | Notebook / Wall Calendar | Grounded, minimal, deeply personal |
None are “right.” The right tool is the one you’ll actually use.
Signs You’re Improving (Beyond the Numbers)
You’re progressing when…
- The same routes feel easier
- You recover faster after hard rides
- You climb without fear and descend without panic
- You fuel smarter and hydrate before you’re thirsty
- You no longer wonder whether you’re “a real cyclist”
- You finish rides feeling alive, not destroyed
Progress is a feeling before it’s a graph.
Avoid the Comparison Trap
Comparison is the fastest way to erase joy.
- Someone will always be faster
- Someone will always ride farther
- Someone else’s numbers don’t belong to your body
Track to understand, not to compete.
Track to stay curious, not to prove anything.
The Sendō Way to Growth
Your training doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be yours.
- Use data to sharpen awareness
- Use intuition to shape decisions
- Use reflection to fuel improvement
The goal isn’t to collect numbers — it’s to collect experiences.
Progress isn’t found in dashboards.
It’s found in the feeling of rolling home a little calmer, a little stronger, a little more you than yesterday.
Cycling Rides & Events
Cycling Rides & Events The journey doesn’t start at the start line — and it doesn’t end at the finish. A charity ride, a local group ride, a gravel fondo, or a solo century all share the same core challenge: Can you stay present in motion, even when the pace,
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How to Track Cycling Progress Progress isn’t just speed — it’s understanding. Cycling can drown you in metrics: heart rate, power, cadence, FTP, elevation, TSS, VO₂ max. Data can sharpen your training — or steal its joy. Here’s what matters: Track enough to grow. Ignore enough to stay free. Endurance
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Route Planner Bike Fit Assistant Quick starting points for size & contact points. Refine with a pro fit as you progress. Units cm
in Height Inseam Measure barefoot from floor to groin. Riding Style Road / Endurance
Gravel
MTB (Trail/XC)
Tri / TT
Commuter / Hybrid Frame Size
—
— Saddle Height (BB
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