drivetrain

Home
United Kingdom
London
drivetrain

Coaching you to push your limits, improve your performance and discover your potential on the bike + in life. Visit www.drivetrain.cc for more information.

07/05/2026

On Sunday, took on the 100 gravel race.

At the start of the year, we discussed the calendar and agreed that this was more of a B race. It’s a “home” race so it has some extra attraction, but not top of the priority list for a variety of reasons.
Closer to the time, we weighed up whether or not to give it more prominence. But in the end we agreed it wasn’t meant to be an A race.
In other words…… the pressure was off.

Was this the secret ingredient for one of Mérida’s best performances yet?

The night before the race, we talked about timings…Mérida was cautiously optimistic about how fast she would get to the feed zone. I was more confident… and, wow, I’m glad I was right, because she massively surpassed her own expectations! Mérida was so ahead of schedule that .beyond and I nearly missed seeing her at the feedzone!

This was a breakthrough performance for on many levels.

It felt like a culmination and a celebration of all the physical and mental effort that she has been putting in, consistently, over the last year.

It was also an extra-special race for me as coach because I got to be there to see it, to share the experience and to celebrate together at the end.

Great athletes are the ones who turn up everyday. Whether or not they have a good race is a happy byproduct of their commitment, consistency and grit.

Good coaching is celebrating that effort as much as the success.

28/04/2026

What is the number one foundation for your success?

In coaching, we need to think about four elements in performance:

1. Psychology

2. Physiology

3. Technical skill

4. Tactics

Athletes often address some but not all of these.
Often they avoid the one that could bring the biggest return.

A good coach will help an athlete to work on all aspects of their performance, and hold them accountable for the work that makes the difference.

What do you think is the most important one for your success?

13/04/2026

Coaching tip this week: variety is the spice of life…. TLDR: Eat everything!

It’s not ust about carbs. Or proteins. It’s about carbs. And fat. And protein. And vitamins. And minerals. And all twenty of those fabulous amino acids!

What the video to find out more.

Post your questions in the comments below 😊

04/04/2026

Do you want to know the secret to winning the group ride? 😝

It’s not rocket science.

It’s called FUELLING.

Too often, strong riders let themselves down and perform far below their capabilities because they don’t eat (or hydrate) enough on a ride.

Don’t let the controllables be a reason for you to not be at your best.

Plan your fuelling. Every time.

What do I recommend?

As a BARE minimum and rough rule of thumb, times 10g carbohydrates by the number of hours you are riding, and then fuel that for every hour of a ride IE
a 2 hr ride needs at least 20g per hour
a 3 hour ride needs at least 30g per hour, and so on.

These numbers are still well BELOW what you would burn through and therefore need on a training ride, but I see lots of people not even hitting this very low bar. So that’s why I set it here, and then try to encourage you to raise it 💪🏽

Want to know more? Send me a DM to find out how holistic coaching can help you perform to your best 🙌🏽

02/04/2026

In my second Substack article, I share my thoughts on why AI coaching will never replace a human coach.

Have a read and let me know what you think!

30/03/2026

The story behind the coaching tip:

Last month I was on a bikepacking trip in Patagonia. It was amazing.

The experience reminded that the best way to discover and adventure is to travel by bicycle:
- not too fast that you miss things
- not too slow that you become impatient or complacent.

During that trip, it also dawned on me that I didn’t need to travel so far for such experiences.

Catalunya is one of the most amazing places I have ever been, but I haven’t got close to taking in everything that the region has to offer.

While I was still riding in Patagonia, I registered for

Kromvojoj had been on my radar for a while. It has an ethos that resonates with my own coaching philosophy - it feels approachable and supportive, while also challenging.

It will definitely be a challenge.
I am not going to be fast.
I’m not delusional about my speed.
But, I’m here for my own challenge. I’m excited to test my resilience. And I’m excited to explore Catalunya by bicycle.

Cycling and setting goals is about pushing and rewriting your own limits to inspire yourself and others to do and be better. If you didn’t believe it was possible yesterday, or even today, you still have until tomorrow to rewrite that story and set that goal.

What story would you like to (re)write?

What goal are you going to set to get there?

23/03/2026

What is your training / performance focus for 2026?

If you haven’t already nailed down some goals for 2026, now is the time! It’s never too late to pick and work towards a goal.

Friday 20 March marked the official start of spring in the northern hemisphere. Longer, warmer days means more opportunities to ride and run outside. If you sometimes struggle to pick or commit to a goal, try to do it now while the conditions are starting to improve.
All the evidence shows that we make greater improvements when we know what we are aiming for.

If you want to have a chat to help you work out your goal,
or you’re curious how a coach might help you to do this, get in touch by email.

No matter what your level, age or stage, you deserve to give yourself the time and energy to work towards something for you.

cyclingperformance

24/02/2026

it’s time to share another special athlete moment.

Leo and I have been working together for a year. He found me after listening to a podcast I did with , (which you can listen to in the link above) and we also share a connection through

This is Leo’s fifth year cycling but his first year working with a coach.

This week, he travelled to Tenerife to take on Teide.

If you’re not familiar with Teide, here are some stats:

• Third-tallest volcano in the world
• 32 km of climbing
• 2,095 m of elevation
• 6.5% average gradient

In other words, it’s a SERIOUS climb.

Over the past year, we’ve focused a lot of his training, on and off the bike, on building his strength for climbing.

On Wednesday morning, Leo set out with the goal of climbing Teide.

He didn’t just reach the summit.
Leo paced it so well that he had the energy to continue beyond the top towards the cable car.

That’s not luck.
That’s hard work, determination and self-belief all coming together.

And this is exactly why I coach.

Not for results.
Not for numbers.
But for those moments when I can help someone to realise they’re capable of more than they thought.

The smile at the end? That’s the real win.

Results are just a fortunate by-product.

15/02/2026

is a champion at the process, and this weekend it paid off.

I’ve been working with Mérida since August 2024 (wow, time flies!) and I am so grateful to work with her. She’s open, honest, hard-working, curious, and yet also necessarily accepting of the hard and boring stuff. (Hint: there’s a lot of it.)

Coaching and training are 90% process:
- The daily grind
- The showing up

Coaching and training are also about being able to roll with the punches.
- Accepting when things to be hard
- Learning from failures
- Being willing to switch to Plans B, C and D when things don’t go to plan.

Training is also a smorgasbord of ingredients. It’s not just watts. It’s also
- Off-bike S and C
- Technical skills
- Mental resilience
- Fuelling
- Recovery
And more! Ultimately, it’s about showing up day after day with a smile on your face, even if it’s been a tough day in the office. Because if we are able to ride bikes for fun, life must be pretty good, right!?

This weekend, Mérida put all of her daily processes into practice. This is why Mérida will always be a champion. The podium result this weekend was just a bonus 😉💪🏽

14/01/2026

In 2018 I saw David Marquet, a former nuclear submarine commander, speak at the Performance Learning conference in Manchester.

During the talk, he handed out these small cards with the Ladder of Leadership.

Marquet spoke about Intent-Based Leadership. Everyone is a leader, at every level. We step away from a permission-based organisation. We flip the bias so that the default is in favour of trusting people to make good decisions.

As a leader, every time someone asks you what to do, you try to avoid telling them. I.E. you endeavour to avoid the red 1st step on the ladder of leadership. Instead, you frame it according to the appropriateness of the levels on this ladder.

It’s funny how some things stick with us.

I received this small card at that conference and seven years later, it’s still on my fridge. I’m far from a perfect leader. But I do my best to think about these steps every day.

We are all leaders in many different roles in our lives, whether in work, at home, in a relationship, or as an athlete, or as a coach.
This ladder benefits us all.

Which step are you going to stand on today?

Address

London

Website

https://www.drivetrain.cc/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when drivetrain posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to drivetrain:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Gym/sports Facility in London?