The Climb (#167)

I recently reached out to my email subscribers and asked a simple question.

Nothing complicated.

Just:

👉 “What are you struggling with right now when it comes to your cycling, weight, or training?”

The idea was to get a better understanding so I can build more useful resources and support around what people actually need… not just what I think they need.

And the responses I got back were really interesting.

Different people. Different situations.

But very similar patterns.

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A few of the replies really stuck with me.

One said:

“Motivation, diet and consistency… I know if I had all three I’d improve.”

Another:

“I track calories… but when I do, I end up eating more.”

And another:

“I’ve been cycling for years and never had a breakthrough.”

And when I read those, I didn’t think:

👉 “They need more discipline”

I thought:

👉 “They don’t have a system that’s working for them”

Because that’s usually what it comes down to.

It’s Not You… It’s The Way You’re Doing It

Most cyclists I speak to are actually trying really hard.

They’re:

• riding regularly
• thinking about their diet
• trying to be consistent

But they’re still stuck.

And that’s frustrating.

Because it feels like:

“What’s the point if nothing’s changing?”

But the issue usually isn’t effort.

It’s that everything feels a bit… random.

What I Told Them (And What I’d Tell You)

I ended up replying to a few people properly — even sending voice notes and videos — and the advice I gave was actually pretty simple.

Nothing fancy.

Just the stuff that actually works.

1. Give Your Week Some Structure

This is where most people are missing a trick.

They’re riding a lot… but not really training.

I used to do the same.

Just go out, ride hard, hope it made me better.

It didn’t.

What changed things for me was having something like:

• one proper interval session in the week
• one longer ride at the weekend
• a couple of easier rides

That’s it.

Nothing crazy.

But suddenly every ride had a purpose.

2. Stop Trying to Lose Weight While Under-fuelled

This is a big one.

A lot of people are trying to:

• eat less
• train hard
• lose weight

All at the same time.

And it just doesn’t work like that.

You end up:

• feeling flat on the bike
• seeing no power improvements
• getting frustrated

What I always say is:

Fuel the work, manage the weight elsewhere

So:

• before your ride → eat something related to the ride your doing. Bigger portions for your longer rides and less for a hour turbo session. But both are fuelled.
• during → fuel if needed
• off the bike → that’s where your calorie deficit sits

That one shift alone makes a huge difference.

3. Don’t Aim for Perfect — Aim for Direction

One of the guys said when he tracks calories… he eats more.

And yeah, that happens.

Because you suddenly become hyper-aware.

So instead of trying to be perfect with it, I said:

Just look at trends

Same with weight.

Weigh yourself daily if you can.

Then just take the weekly average.

Ask yourself:

“Is this going in the right direction?”

That’s all that matters.

Add a Bit of Accountability (Even If It’s Just You)

This is where coaching helps… but you can still do this yourself.

What I do with my clients is simple:

• weekly check-in
• look at their weight
• look at their training
• make small adjustments

You can do the same.

Pick a day each week and ask:

• What went well?
• What didn’t?
• What needs tweaking?

That alone puts you ahead of most people.

5. Stop Waiting to Feel Motivated

This is probably the biggest one.

A lot of people are waiting to feel “on it” before they start being consistent.

But in reality…

Motivation comes after you see progress

Not before.

Once:

• the weight starts dropping
• the rides feel easier
• your power improves

That’s when motivation kicks in.

The Big Realisation

Reading through all those replies, the thing that stood out most was this:

👉 No one was lazy
👉 No one didn’t care

They just didn’t have something that was clearly working.

So they kept second guessing everything.

What I’d Do If I Was In Your Position

If this sounds like you, I’d keep it really simple this week:

• plan your rides before the week starts
• eat before your sessions (don’t go in empty)
• track your weight trend (not daily emotions)
• add one proper interval session
• review your week at the end

Nothing extreme.

Just consistent.

Want Me To Take a Look?

If you’re reading this thinking:

👉 “That’s exactly where I’m at”

I’ve put together the same questions I sent out.

If you fill them in, I’ll have a look and get back to you when I can.

👉 Click here to get personalised feedback

No pressure at all — just a bit of guidance based on where you’re at.

Final Thought

You don’t need to try harder.

You don’t need to start again.

You just need to stop guessing…

…and start doing a few simple things really well.

That’s usually where everything starts to click.

Whenever you're ready, here are the ways I can help you:

1. The Cycle Lean Collective: Personalised 1:1 Coaching for Cyclists Who Want to Ride Stronger and Leaner — Without Wasting Hours Training. Start Today.
2. The Cycle Lean Blueprint: The science-backed 12-week blueprint to cycle leaner, climb stronger, and become the most resilient version of yourself.

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