The Gemini breakaway - Get better at cycling with AI

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The Gemini breakaway - Get better at cycling with AI

This is my journey to improve my mental health by riding my bike

22/06/2026

**When the road test confirms what the lab promised. 🚀**

After Friday’s absolute indoor furnace on the turbo trainer, Sunday was all about taking the K.one out into the real world for a deep, 3.5-hour endurance block. The main objective? Test the new advanced saddle geometry under real-world conditions, manage the heat, and let the heart rate dictate the pace.

And the data doesn't lie. For nearly 100km, the engine ticked over like clockwork, keeping the heart rate perfectly locked between 132-141 bpm. Sticking to the aero skis for hours felt stable, fluid, and sustainable—proving that the biomechanical adjustments are officially locked in for the long haul.

The highlight of the day was handling the signature Epping climb with pure tactical maturity. Instead of burning matches with a raw, out-of-the-saddle surge, I kept the ego in check: controlled the effort at a steady 229W sub-threshold pace, keeping the heart rate capped at 164 bpm. No residual fatigue, no useless lactic acid, just clinical ex*****on.

Week 1 of Phase 5 is officially in the books. Now, we enter Week 2 with a massive goal on the horizon: this Sunday, it's time to pin a number on my back for the Southern Wheelers Open 50—the ultimate 50-mile race simulation on the official circuit.

We keep building. We keep refining. ⚔️

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14/06/2026

**Sunday endurance blocks hit different when the data aligns perfectly. 🚀**

Today was the ultimate real-world test for the new advanced saddle geometry on the Colnago K.one. The verdict? An absolute masterclass in biomechanical sustainability. Spent nearly the entire 3.5-hour ride locked down in the aero skis with zero cardiac drift, rock-solid stability, and total visual comfort. What felt like a survival battle indoor became total second nature on open roads.

But the real story happened at the very end. After 3 hours and 85km of heavy endurance legs, I hit the signature Epping climb. Instead of fading, that "Italian power" took over: averaged 240W (pushing right above my current FTP) on a raw torque effort while keeping my heart rate perfectly capped. Knowing the engine can still fire on all cylinders under deep fatigue is a massive mental win.

The timing couldn’t be better. Tomorrow marks the official start of Phase 5: The Final Build & Peak Phase. Exactly 5 weeks left until the ultimate A-Objective—the 50-Mile Time Trial on July 19th.

The aerobic engine is primed. The position is officially locked. Now, we sharpen the blade. ⚔️

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08/06/2026

Week 5 of phase 4 in the books for 'The Gemini Breakaway' journey! 🚴‍♂️💨

It was a week of major biomechanical breakthroughs, high-speed telemetric glitches, and a healthy dose of raw reality.

Let’s talk about the big win first: The Bike Fit. Lately, I’ve been feeling heavily restricted at the top of the pedal stroke—essentially driving my knees straight into my chest and choking off my breathing. Instead of raising the front end and catching more wind, we made a calculated, aggressive adjustment: sliding the saddle forward on the rails.

The result? Absolute game-changer. My hips opened up instantly, giving my lungs the space they desperately needed. I managed to hold a rock-solid aero position on the skis for 35 minutes during my indoor block, proving that a comfortable position is a sustainable position.

Then came Sunday’s road truth: a full "Viper" simulation starting from a dead stop. I’ll be honest—when I saw the clock, I was a bit disappointed. It was my 3rd fastest time ever on the segment, and when you put the work in, you always want that shiny new PR.

But sifting through the data with the DS mindset, the reality is a massive victory. I dropped that effort 1 hour and 21 minutes into a heavy endurance ride, spinning at an ultra-agile 101-105 RPM. Crushing those sustained watts on the Colnago K.one with pre-fatigued legs doesn't mean I'm slowing down—it means I'm building deep, unshakeable muscular resilience for the ultimate goal: the 50-Mile Time Trial on July 19th.

No shortcuts, just adaptation. This week, we head back into the pain cave on the Wahoo Kickr v5 to lock in this new saddle position with some heavy Sweet Spot and Threshold work.

The process is working. We keep moving.

31/05/2026

Today was the ultimate road test for the cockpit. Instead of just spinning the legs, we decided to pass to the attack and hunt some real fatigue resistance: a simulation of two 30-minute race pace blocks.

24/05/2026

🥈 27:17. NEW PERSONAL BEST & 2nd PLACE IN THE HANDICAP CLASSIFICATION! 🔥

Something special happened today at the ECCA 10 (on the rolling E91/10 course). I went in ready to leave everything on the road, and I'm coming home with an all-time career best.

The official numbers don't lie:

⏱️ Final Time: 27 minutes and 17 seconds.

🚀 Average Speed: 35.4 km/h (22 mph) – completely pulverizing my previous record of 34 km/h!

🏆 Podium: 2nd place overall in the Handicap classification!

Anyoe who races against the clock knows that time trialing is a game of grit, pacing, and pure suffering. It was a brutal, relentless effort. I spent the entire race riding on the rivet, fighting through the tough sections, and keeping the focus absolute. The engine was in absolute grace mode today: smooth, agile (holding 93-96 rpm), and relentless until the finish line—and I even had enough gas left to punch out another 36 minutes of Sweet Spot on the ride home!

This is a massive milestone. The road to the 50-mile TT on July 19th is a long one, but today was a huge boost for both my morale and performance. We are moving in the right direction, and the hard work is paying off.

Huge thanks to everyone following the journey. See you on the start line! 👊

🏷️ Recommended Hashtags:

23/05/2026

First day out with my new TT bike

17/05/2026

Sunday "testing in production" on the road. 🚀

The plan was simple: a specific long ride, race-pace blocks, and putting the K.One through its paces in the real world.

The reality? 90 minutes in, the rear bottle holder decided to surrender to the Essex asphalt vibrations. Result: immediate shift into survival mode—screws and brackets stuffed into already packed pockets, a bottle crammed down my jersey like a smuggler, and straight back to pushing on the extensions. 😅

But the numbers don't lie, and today's logs confirm the engine is firing on all cylinders: 👉 20 minutes at 225W average... almost entirely uphill, maintaining a 30 km/h average. 👉 8 minutes at 234W on the flats (basically hitting my new FTP), flying at 36.7 km/h with a solid 98 rpm cadence.

When you manage to "turtle" properly—tucking your head between your shoulders behind the panoramic visor of the Aerohead—and watch the speed build on the flat sections, you realize how crucial ex*****on and position are.

The journey toward the 50-mile TT in July continues. Next up? Tuesday we push the training intensity even further. No staging environment needed—we push straight to production. 💻⚙️

10/05/2026

Back at "The Viper" this morning for a 10-mile TT. It was a race of truth in every sense. 28:08 on the clock, pushing the Specialissima to its absolute limit against a field of proper TT spaceships.

My heart rate was pinned at 180bpm for the best part of 28 minutes—emptied the tank completely! ⛽️ Despite a "nerves of steel" week managing a calf ni**le, the legs responded when it mattered.

I might have finished 17th out of 21, but the real win is in the data: a solid power PB and a new FTP of 235W officially unlocked. 🔓 Next stop: more specific work on the K.One. The road to the 50-mile TT in July just got a lot faster!

30/04/2026

And the race ended abruptly with a flat after 9 minutes. What a disappointment. I was so pumped for this evening and the clock was showing -40 seconds on the first intermediate compared to my PB.

29/04/2026

It's the Viper again! Let's see if we can stop that clock officially below 30:58 on a single lap today!

Address

Epping

Website

https://federicociccotti.substack.com/

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