Discover all the new features of MyCycling App: from Alpe d'Huez to Strava

Those who love to live the passion as a cyclist with results and professionalism, know that road training necessarily involves good indoor training in the months when getting out on the road is complex due to the weather or the little light available.  Motivation and constancy in the hot months to go out alone or in groups, as well as a good system of rollers to grind miles and watts in winter are the cornerstones of the training of cyclists who want to give continuity to their work when this is difficult to do outdoors.

Technogym, in its original mission of being close to sportsmen at all times of their training, has always studied technological solutions and training programs to develop the potential of athletes at home and in the gym. In particular, there was no lack of innovative and design solutions for the world of cyclists, as in the best tradition of the company. In the 90's, for example, Spintrainer revolutionized the world of rollers, guaranteeing an innovative experience to training at home: it was the first cycle-simulation machine that reproduced all the sensations that the cyclist lived on the road, from the climb to the roughness of the road track.

The evolution of that revolutionary project is MYCYCLING, the first smart trainer that allows you to train at home with the App and with training programs specifically designed to increase indoor and outdoor performance.

Designed for fans of all categories of cycling (road, mountain bike, triathlon both professionals and fans) MYCYCLING has pushed indoor bike training to become the perfect synthesis between knowledge, scientific research and performance monitoring through the intelligent interaction of the 4 elements that make up the training experience:

1. the product
2. The dedicated MYCYCLING app
3. Training programmes organised by professional trainers.
4. The coaching service

MYCYCLING App: what it is and how it works

Three of the four pillars of smart trainer training live within the MyCycling App, and this article is intended as a brief introductory guide to the application that offers the best training experience with a smart trainer. In its latest release, MyCycling app offers a unique experience with a new homepage, which gathers emotional videos, a window to easily access workouts, and intuitively offers the possibility to start with the first step to start the test based on threshold values to implement the TNT program, the heart of the project.

From the homepage it is also possible to connect the main apps for cyclists, such as Garmin, Zwift and above all Strava (where the Technogym community already exists), which allows you to import the outdoor routes made to be able to replicate them indoors on the trainer and which we will talk about later.

What is TNT?

TNT (Technogym Neuromuscular Training) is Technogym's training methodology, developed by Technogym's scientific department and the world's best athletes, coaches, physiologists and trainers, based on the most effective preparation techniques for cyclists. Based on a TEST that identifies the anaerobic threshold, a training plan is generated in which the variations in cadence, pedalling and power are designed to ensure the improvement of all the qualities necessary to enhance performance on the road.

The 18-week TNT is divided into three phases: construction, development and finishing. Each phase consists of 6 blocks with 3 weekly sessions and is present among the free programs in the application.

Training Programs

Right next to the home you will find the Programs icon, from which you can access a complementary Discover menu (for the programs to be activated) and Active menu (for the programs activated, to be completed. from which you can choose a range of programs. Before starting the program and at the end of each phase, the system recommends that you perform a new test to evaluate your progress and plan the new phase. Workloads are based on your threshold value.

"Discover" is in fact a showcase that shows all the programs that can be activated, one of which is the Technogym Neuromuscular Training (TNT).

Free and for a fee

Scrolling down, the user will find the subsection "Suggested by Technogym" in which there are programs that can be activated for free that replicate the experience of different Gran Fondo such as the Marathon Des Dolomites or the Nine Hills, while in the subsection "Suggested by the trainers" you can consult the paid programs, purchased one-time only at the first activation and which can then be completed at your leisure.

These plans are highly customizable and able to guide the user in a path to be applied consistently for several weeks in a row.

To do this, Technogym has the support of professional coaches, known in the sector at international level, who have structured, tested and signed each of the programmes.

Training and itineraries: choose according to your needs

The new release of the app offers new opportunities to choose engaging routes and replicate them in the tranquility of your own home. You can simply start from the type of training, slope or power, or there are specific predefined workouts to train skills (Agility or Specific Strength) and perform better during a particular stretch such as the program for Constant Intensity Ascents, Endurance Strength Ascents or Training at uphill intervals.

The latest addition to MyCycling's itineraries is the Alpe d'Huez, an absolute icon for cycling at all levels. The 21 hairpin bends of this tricky climb are a classic of the Tour de France and are each dedicated to a champion who has triumphed over the years.

Remembering the last legendary attack of the Pirate which started in 1997 after the first kilometre of ascent and, after three rabid attacks on the opponents, reached the summit alone overtaking with his crazy pace the Yellow Jersey Jan Ullrich, escorted by the gregarious and reigning champion Bjarne Riis and the Pointed Jersey Richard Virenque.

The climb winds its way up the Romanche valley in France, and the village of Bourg d'Oisans is the traditional starting point for the ascent. The slope is maintained at around 11% for two and a half kilometres, imposing a constant cadence to proceed easily. When you arrive at the seventh hairpin bend the slopes give no respite, reaching 12-13%, while 3 km from the end the road splits and then you reach Rue du Pic Blanc, the traditional stage arrival of the Tour.

MyCycling Coach: great professionals at your service

In the coaching area of the app, the user can structure a training plan that is perfect for their personal needs and is always at their side during the training. MYCYCLING COACH was created for this: to allow cyclists of all levels, from amateurs to professionals, to express their best athletic qualities with personalized programs and suggestions from Technogym certified coaches.

MyCycling Coach is a paid service, subject to renewable monthly subscription until the user cancels it.  The main purpose of this section is to establish a relationship of trust, direct and informal, between you and the coach of your choosing.

This relationship takes place mainly through the chat in app: this is the most widely used tool in the dialogue between user and Coach, but you can also make voice calls to find the right solution.

The area allows you to choose between different coaches according to their characteristics, the experience of the coach and their goals. Among them Michele Bartoli, one of the strongest Italian cyclists of all time, twice world champion and winner of the Freccia Vallone, Amstel Gold Race and twice Liege-Bastogne-Liegi, former member of the team pro MG-Technogym. He currently works as a trainer for cyclists of all levels.

PERSONAL PROFILE: Results, Exercises and Tests

Within the personal profile of the app, a series of useful resources to guide your training: from the results of your training on Technogym equipment to specific training with specific exercises to free body that allow you to improve flexibility, stabilization and muscle relaxation translate into a better pedaling efficiency.

What is Strava?

Strava is the social network for sportsmen, specifically cyclists and runners. It is available in both desktop and mobile versions with an app that can be downloaded to your smartphone. With Strava you can monitor your athletic activity, processing your training in detail.  The app lets you track your bike and race routes, track speed and duration, and share them with your contacts. The desktop version goes a step further with training plans, route planning, detailed task analysis, and other tools to plan and analyze your performance.

You can synchronize the Strava app with most devices (phone, gps clock, heart rate monitor) by processing any type of data. Users can set privacy to keep some protected areas within a radius of one kilometer: when you enter those areas in fact the tracking disappears, making it more difficult to locate where you live or work. Using Bluetooth technology you can communicate where you are while running: activating the beacon feature you can share your position in real time with three people.

The social network section allows you to exchange comments and opinions with other sportspeople in the community, share photos of places where you train or compete, assign kudos to extraordinary performances and leave comments on their respective activities. All types of groups form street clubs to organize activities and build communities - friends, teams, brands, equipment stores and more.

The social network section allows you to exchange comments and opinions with other sportspeople in the community, share photos of places where you train or compete, assign kudos to extraordinary performances and leave comments on their respective activities. All types of groups form street clubs to organize activities and build communities - friends, teams, brands, equipment stores and more.

For all cycling and racing enthusiasts who want to learn more, Strava has created Strava Stories a section (available only in desktop version) in which you can find content and insights divided into different categories:

Community: content related to specific topics using the contributions (photographic and textual) provided by the users of the app.

Cycling: section dedicated to the field of cycling with in-depth analysis on routes or training

Running: there are the same types of content of the previous category but related to the scope of the race

Technology: content related to the world of technology

Training: training tips

Strava with MYCYCLING: the first Technogym group

One of the features of Strava is to be able to create and join clubs or groups formed by friends, people with common interests. All members of the same Club enter an internal ranking based on the number of kilometres travelled per week.

The result of the meeting between Strava and MYCYCLING welcomed the arrival of Technogym Cycling Club, the first group on Strava dedicated to cycling. MYCYCLING owners can share their training sessions, which will show the characteristic kpi of reference (power, as well as km and duration) and the Technogym look and feel.

The group is global and brings together MYCYCLING owners and Technogym ambassadors. A section is dedicated to posts on cycling and you can stay updated on cycling events in the program.

Then download the Strava app, enter your data and search for friends or people close to you. If you are already registered, search for the Technogym group in the search bar and have fun sharing your workouts using MYCYCLING.

Prepare for major cycling events with MYCYCLING

The MYCYCLING project is continuously enriched with new features that make the user training experience increasingly tailored to their needs. From today it is in fact possible to directly access an area dedicated to the most important amateur cycling events in Italy. For a cyclist, it is possible to replicate on the smart trainer the most famous Gran Fondo routes such as the Nove Colli or the Strade Bianche and - soon - the Maratona Dles Dolomites - it will be easier to access the new "Main events" section in the "Discover" window of the "Programmes" area in the MYCYCLING app.

The hub of the smart training system is the MYCYCLING app. It is easy to use and always available on your smartphone. It connects the smart trainer to your mobile device with a simple Bluetooth connection and opens up a virtual world in which you can experience training in line with your level of preparation and your preferences. Technogym, present every year during the most important Gran Fondo of Italy, offers the opportunity to relive the emotions of all the most important Italian amateur races with the smart trainer MYCYCLING app.

For example, the cyclist can choose free and paid training programs, developed by the Research and Development Centre or purposely built by accredited trainers, known in the industry internationally, who have structured, tested and signed each of the proposed programs.

Or on MYCYCLING you can relive the excitement of cycling along the most iconic routes of the great stage races, such as Alpe d'Huez.  You will be able to climb the world's most famous peak (by bike) in the safety and comfort of your own home while the Tour de France is leaving.

Discover the new program of coach Odelle Joubert

Thanks to MYCYCLING Coach you can establish a relationship of trust between you and a coach of your choosing for your training. Within the personal profile of the app, there is a series of useful resources to guide your training: from the results of your training on Technogym equipment to specific training with specific exercises to free body movements that allow you to improve flexibility, stabilization and muscle relaxation which translate into a better pedalling efficiency.

The section "Suggested by Technogym" is enriched with a new program: "Agility training to increase speed", by Mycycling Coach Odelle Joubert. The goal of this training program is to develop agility in pedalling: it is therefore important to try to maintain composure and stability in the saddle even when working at very high speeds.

After preparing "Agility", a short program consisting of only two sessions with a focus on agility, our South African Coach now proposes a longer, more complete and challenging program, in 4 phases and 4 weeks.

Each phase lasts 1 week and there are 3 sessions per week on MYCYCLING. The length of the sessions is progressive: starting with 45-minute sessions in the first week and ending with more than an hour in the last week. The training focuses on cadence progressions and endurance work to be carried out while maintaining constantly high rpm: the aim is to improve the effectiveness of thrust on the pedals and agility, to have more grip on steep terrain, develop techniques to manage a high cadence climb and respond better to short sprints to the finish line.