SMART CYCLING LAB
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A passion for everything cycling
“Hi, I’m Greg Boileau — Masters National Champion and author of Smart Training for Cyclists. I help cyclists at every level ride smarter, build lasting power, and perform with precision — with a special focus on unlocking performance after 40.”
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Read more: The Lactate Clearance SecretWhy Some Cyclists Can Attack Again and Again While Others Explode There are secrets in cycling. No, I’m not talking about doping. Every time someone mentions “secrets” in endurance sports, that’s where people’s minds immediately go. What I’m talking about are the things that the best riders understand, either consciously or unconsciously, that many cyclists…
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Read more: Power Is Not AbsoluteWhy Watts Scale to the Athlete—and Why Cycling Still Gets It Wrong There’s a persistent myth in cycling that refuses to die: “Bigger riders are faster on the flats because they produce more power.” It sounds like physics. It isn’t. There is no law of physics—none—that says higher absolute watts make you faster without considering…
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Read more: The Long Ride Myth: Cost, Context, and Why Volume Isn’t the Same as DevelopmentFor as long as endurance sport has existed, athletes have been told that long rides are the foundation of fitness. Three, four, five hours at a time. Regularly. Religiously. The logic feels intuitive: more time must equal more endurance. But intuition isn’t physiology. And for trained athletes, that belief has quietly outlived its usefulness. The…
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Read more: Beyond the Zone: Why “Perfect” Metrics Can Lead to Fragile FitnessThe Standard Model: Why We Use Zones Most training is built on Output Zones—calculated as a percentage of your FTP or Max Heart Rate (mine is 203 bpm). We use them because they provide a repeatable, objective language for intensity: • Zones 1-2: Aerobic foundation and recovery. • Zone 3: Tempo and steady-state work. •…
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Read more: Zone 2 Training Plateaus: Why It Elevates Pros but Traps AmateursZone 2 Needs Space Above It — Why It Elevates Some Pros, Breaks Others, and Traps Amateurs in Maintenance. Zone 2 has become the most discussed training zone in cycling — and also the most misunderstood. What was once a vague concept of “endurance riding” has evolved into something far more precise: a zone defined…
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Read more: Zone 2 Is a Truce — The Physiology of Letting Adaptation(Part 2 of “Zone 2 Isn’t a Number — It’s a State”) Fuel your next breakthrough. Don’t miss new insights, workouts, and the launch of SMART Cycling. If Part 1 established that Zone 2 is a metabolic environment governed by the parasympathetic nervous system, then Part 2 must answer the harder question: Why is it so…
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Read more: Zone 2 Cycling Guide: Why It’s a State of Adaptation, Not Just a PercentageWhat is the true purpose of Zone 2 training? “Zone 2 training is a metabolic state where the body builds aerobic capacity without triggering a stress response. Unlike percentages, true Zone 2 is defined by parasympathetic dominance, allowing for mitochondrial growth and better fat oxidation.” Lab Notes: Quick Summary • The Content: • Zone 2…
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Read more: Breaking the Volume Monster: Why Your Zone 2 Obsession Has Hit a CeilingIn the world of endurance sports, a seductive myth has taken hold: the belief that endless miles of Zone 2 (Z2) training will indefinitely raise your FTP and VO_2 max. This has birthed a new archetype—the Volume Monster. These are athletes stacking 20 to 30 hours a week, often sacrificing their social lives and family…
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Read more: Experience Doesn’t Mean Your Training Makes SenseMost training mistakes aren’t made by beginners. They’re made by experienced cyclists doing what feels familiar, disciplined, and responsible. The problem isn’t a lack of knowledge. It’s that experience creates confidence — and confidence creates momentum. And momentum can carry you in the wrong direction for a very long time. Experience teaches you how to…
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Read more: The FTP Mirage: Why the Number You Worship Isn’t What Makes You FastParsing power, physiology, and what actually matters when the race gets hard Most cyclists can name their FTP as casually as their height. It has become the sport’s shorthand identity marker — a metric that promises to define how strong we are, and how fast we should be. It is easy to test, simple to…