A 6-week polarized training pilot on 15 moderately-trained athletes showed that a properly-structured plan of just 5 to 6 hours per week can produce meaningful FTP gains, provided one specific type of session is protected.
Running has spent 15 years arguing over minimalist shoes. Cycling has quietly gone the other way, chasing carbon-plate rigidity and tighter uppers, and there is a good biomechanical reason the barefoot movement has not crossed the aisle yet.
The new SPD-SLR platform lowers stack height by 2.3 mm, cuts cleat weight by 22%, drops the engagement angle from 15.5 degrees to 10.5, and refuses to talk to a single one of the SPD-SL cleats sitting in your workshop drawer.
Recent European Journal of Applied Physiology research on sleep-deprived cyclists produced a surprising result. Your 20-minute TT power holds up. Your Zone 2 endurance takes the hit. Here is what actually changes at the pedals.
