How to Find the Right Cycling Coach for You

Look for a coach with IMBA certification, or a background in mountain biking. Because riding a mountain bike is, obviously, very different from riding on the road, you want someone who has that skill set and knows how to share it. IMBA-certified instructors have gone through a clinic that teaches them how to teach basics like bunnyhopping and cornering on dirt.

Since it’s such a skill-based sport, you’ll want a coach who’s capable of teaching you how to get up and over obstacles on the trail, explains Tammy Donahugh, who coordinates IMBA’s program. A local coach who can offer in-person skills sessions is ideal, but even a remote coach who can point you to how-to videos and who is willing and eager to look at videos of you practicing can be a great help.

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Look for someone with TrainingPeaks certification. "TrainingPeaks Certified Coaches have a proven expertise in workout planning and advanced analysis of training data,” says Kelly Stueven, TrainingPeaks’ program manager. You’ll end up with a coach who’s well-versed in connecting all of your tools together, from power meters to heart-rate monitors to food diaries, and while the certification doesn’t guarantee that your coach will be on top of the latest app for athletes (like HRV4Training), it’s a good sign that he or she is staying current with new and exciting tech that can take your riding to the next level.

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Look for a coach who also has a nutrition-science background so you can combine your exercise with your diet, and work with someone who understands both. "If you want to get leaner, be more purposeful about what you eat,” says Nate Dunn of Data Driven Athlete. Dunn holds a USAC Level 1 certification in addition to being a Certified Sports Nutritionist. His advice: “A coach with a certification in sports nutrition can help you make smarter food choices on and off the bike. Smarter nutrition will improve the quality of your rides and accelerate your weight loss."

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You might think a coach can become your best friend or riding buddy—or help you meet new people. Unfortunately that’s not how most coaches operate when coaching monthly clients. But you can get up close and personal by signing up for skills clinics hosted by coaches or pro racers.

If your main goal is to meet new people, consider skipping formalized coaching altogether and set a goal to just attend a different clinic once a month. Check BikeReg.com for camps and clinics near you; you’ll make new friends, and meeting a coach at a clinic gives you a chance to see what his or her coaching style is like before committing.

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Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you need a female coach. But if you think you’d be more comfortable with one, make sure you find one that fits your needs as a rider—i.e has the right certifications, experience and coaching format—and you’re not just choosing her because of gender.

The good news is that your options are growing rapidly: Recently, British Cycling reported a 70-percent increase in female coaches over the past three years. There is also a growing number of options for women’s-specific clinics, like The Vida MTB Series or Ladies AllRide, which can be great for meeting new riding buddies, as well as getting female-specific instruction.

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Find a coach who runs a weekly skills clinic or cyclocross practice, like coach Chris Mayhew does in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "There's really something to be said for seeing a coach in person if you want to learn skills, especially when it comes to cyclocross. Basketball coaches don't work remotely,” he says. That’s why he recommends that his cyclocross-racing athletes go to a weekly practice to dial in their 'cross skills.

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Assuming you don’t have an endurance sport background and you’re just looking to ride more, you might not need a coach at all. There are plenty of free training plans out there to give you a basic framework for getting faster on the bike, and the best advice is truly just to get out and ride.

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If you feel like you’re lacking in motivation, you could also consider joining a local riding group. Being part of a group gives you accountability similar to what you’d have if you were reporting to a coach. You’re almost guaranteed to get faster as you spend more time riding, you’ll learn a lot of tips and tricks about group riding as you go, you’ll make new friends—and eventually, when you feel like you want to take it to the next level, you can ask them for coaching recommendations.

Skip a full-time coach, and opt for someone who does one-time phone consultations to get you started. Many coaching companies offer phone consults for around $25, and this 30-minute talk can give you a bit more direction than blindly poking around pre-made training plans. After your chat, you’ll have a better sense of what kind of training plan to look for. You can buy one of the cheaper pre-made options or use on of Bicycling’s pre-made plans armed with some intel on how to put it into practice.

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Think about a fast local rider or racer you admire. Don’t ask him or her to coach you—just because someone is a great cyclist doesn’t mean they're qualified to help you become one—but do ask who their coach is.

And before you commit to a coach, spend a few minutes doing an informal, quick interview with them to see if you ‘mesh.’ (If a coach won’t take a call or answer an email before he or she gets paid, that’s usually a red flag.)