How to Choose an Online Cycling Coach (And the Red Flags That Should Send You Running)

You'd think choosing a cycling coach would be straightforward. Find someone qualified, check their results, sign up. Job done.

In reality, the online coaching industry is full of people who look credible on a website and deliver very little in practice. After 27 years of coaching — from complete beginners to UCI World Championship gold medallists — I've seen most of what works and most of what doesn't. Here's what I'd tell a friend.

First: what a good coach actually does week to week

Before you can spot a bad coach, you need to know what good looks like.

A good coach does more than write training sessions. They monitor your data regularly — not just at monthly check-ins, but as a matter of routine. They adjust your training when life gets in the way (because it always does). They explain the why behind what they're asking you to do. And when something isn't working — an injury, a plateau, a block of travel — they respond to it rather than just continuing to send pre-written sessions as if nothing's changed.

Fundamentally, a good coach treats you as an individual. Your training should not look identical to every other athlete they coach.

Red flag 1: No formal testing

If a coach doesn't test you properly at the start — and retest you periodically — they're guessing. Full stop.

Good coaching is built on data. Your MAP (Maximum Aerobic Power), your training zones, your recovery capacity — these need to be established from actual measurements, not estimated from a chat about how many hours you ride per week. Without baseline testing, your training zones will be wrong, your prescribed sessions will be either too easy or too hard, and your progress will be slower than it should be.

Ask any prospective coach: how do you establish my training zones? If the answer involves a questionnaire and no testing protocol, that's a problem.

Red flag 2: Promises of specific results

"Guaranteed 20% FTP increase in 12 weeks." "Add 50 watts in 8 weeks."

Anyone making specific performance guarantees is either misleading you or setting themselves up to fail. Coaching outcomes depend on your starting fitness, your training history, your recovery capacity, your life stress, your sleep, your genetics. A coach can create the optimal conditions for improvement — they cannot guarantee outcomes.

What a good coach can promise: a structured, progressive, evidence-based programme built around your individual data, and honest communication when things need to change.

Red flag 3: No coaching credentials or relevant qualifications

The internet has made it very easy to call yourself a coach. There is no legal requirement to hold any qualification whatsoever.

This doesn't mean credentials are everything — experience matters enormously, and some excellent coaches have unusual backgrounds. But credentials tell you that someone has been through a structured learning process, has been assessed, and has met a baseline standard. At minimum, look for British Cycling coaching qualifications, a relevant sport science degree, or equivalent.

Also worth checking: have they actually coached athletes who've achieved things? Not just ridden themselves — coached. Winning a sportive is not the same as knowing how to develop an athlete.

Red flag 4: Generic training plans dressed up as coaching

This one is common and hard to spot from the outside. Some coaches sell "coaching" that is, in practice, a training plan with your name on it, occasionally reviewed. You get sessions. You don't get a coach.

The difference becomes obvious when something changes. You get ill for a week. You have a terrible race. You're suddenly training for a different event. A real coach adjusts. A plan-in-a-coaching-wrapper just keeps sending the same sessions.

Ask before you sign up: what happens to my training if I miss a week through illness? What happens if I'm struggling with the prescribed intensities? If the answer is vague, push harder.

Red flag 5: No communication structure

How often will you communicate? Through what channel? Who responds to training questions — the coach you signed up with, or an assistant? How quickly?

These sound like logistics, but they define whether coaching actually works. If you're paying for a coach and you can't reach them when you have a question about tomorrow's session, something has gone wrong.

The best coaching relationships involve regular, structured communication — not just data uploads and the occasional email.

What to actually look for

To summarise what good looks like:

A coach who tests you properly at the start and retests regularly. A coach who explains the reasoning behind your training. A coach who monitors your data actively, not just at scheduled check-ins. A coach who adjusts your programme when your circumstances change. Clear, accessible communication. Genuine credentials and a track record of developing athletes — not just riding themselves.

And ideally: a coach who's still in the sport. Coaching is most effective when the person designing your training understands what current racing and riding actually demands — not what it demanded fifteen years ago.

One more thing

Price is not a reliable proxy for quality. Some expensive coaches deliver very little. Some more affordable coaches are outstanding. Evaluate on the criteria above, not on what someone charges.

If you've read this far, you're probably already thinking about whether coaching is right for you. So here's the straightforward version: if you want to know whether CycleCoach is a good fit, just get in touch. Tell me where you're at, what you're training for, and what's not working. I'll tell you honestly whether we're the right match and which tier makes sense for you — no hard sell, no obligation.

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