From the NYTimes, "An Olympic Cyclist's Levelheaded Advice". A reporter speaks with Christian Vande Velde about the basics of training to race.

Unfortunately, the writer didn't seem to know whether or not she was writing for a lay audience, so the article comes off sounding really lacking in direction. Explain the basics or pick apart the particulars? Depends on who you're right for, doesn't it?

Quite regrettably the article starts out by talking about spending money, which I think is bullshit. Yes, you need a race-worthy bike to race (and it's good that they mention that the difference between spending $600 and $1500 is much, much, much more than the difference between spending $1500 and $8000), but the article is really about training, and in order to train all you really need to be able to do is get comfortable on a working bicycle.

If I were writing the article, I'd have written something like this: "If you're a road cyclist looking to get into racing, no need to buy another bicycle. Instead, spend money on a few things that will keep you on the bike longer and let you put in good training time. A professional fitting can run a couple hundred bikes, but can get you set up in the perfect intersection between comfort and performance. Saddle comfort is a very personal area; try buying several, from cheap ones to more expensive ones, to see what works for you. And make sure you're comfortable in your shoes. Setting up your contact points on the bike - the bike fit, saddle, handlebars, and shoes/pedals - will ensure that you won't experience pain or discomfort that would block you from training to achieve new personal highs. These, much more so than buying a new titanium/carbon/whatever-material-is-in-vogue-right-now racing bicycle with the latest gimmickry (11-speed? Really, Campagnolo?) will get you competitive - which, after all, is about your strength - not the bike."

It could also have benefited from a section like, "For those who don't care to spend a cool grand on a power meter, there are other ways to train. A basic $15 cyclecomputer can guage your speed, distance, and ride time. Ride the same training route and see if you get faster during key splits. Train for sprints by keeping an eye on your maximum speed, and also by improving your leg speed - in certain mid-range gears, aim for target speeds that have you spinning at 150+ rpms (32mph at 42-16, for example). Try to climb the big hill on your ride (yes, it should be much, much bigger than the lump in Central Park) in ten fewer seconds next week. A minute less by next month."