Last week, we wrote about switching up strength training now that cycling season is in full swing and outdoor exercise restrictions are easing. I thought it would be a fine time to lay out one of my favourite on-bike strength and agility workouts.

With the better weather and some easing of pandemic restrictions, going outside and riding to our heart's content is both necessary and fun. But now is NOT the time to ditch your strength training. Here’s why and how you should be looking to turn UP your strength training as riding season swings into force.

For cyclists, this has been the strangest of all springs. Instead of races and group rides, events are cancelled and most are forced to stay indoors to train. A new survey wants to learn how COVID-19 has affected your training, and we'd like your input.

Solitary cycling on trainers in the garage, basement, or back-of-the-dining room may be a far cry from a morning ride with your cycling friends through your favorite route.  How do we mentally cope with this drastic change in our lifestyle?

TOOLBOX: Yes, training does make you fitter, but how does it actually improve your fitness? How much comes down to increasing haemoglobin and blood volume to improve oxygen delivery? How might we test this?

Positive thinking for COVID-19 lockdown. Negative thinking, especially during difficult rides, will certainly hurt your cycling confidence and prevent you from riding your best and achieving your cycling goals. Your goal is to retrain your negative thinking into positive thinking and high confidence that propels you to your very best rides.

Toolbox: The occasional or seasonal use of virtual cycling training such as Zwift is now our normal routine and as such, nutrition and hydration may need to be adapted accordingly. Should we be drinking and eating as we would outdoors?

TOOLBOX: Static Stretching doesn’t resolve muscle tightness, and neither does strength training alone. Soft Tissue work is the missing linchpin, but you don’t need your own personal soigneur, using a foam roller can have significant benefits for warm-up, flexibility, recovery and better overall cycling performance.

This is the time of year when we should be reveling in the spring classics. Nothing beats these races for pure spectacle, with its 'there's no tomorrow' ethos of all-out racing. One of the best examples of great racing tactics and sport psych was Luca Paolini's masterclass at Gent-Wevelgem in 2015.