Online Bike Coach

09/23/2026

Physics vs. Physiology: What Happens When Garmin Power Guide Meets Real-Time SmO2? 🚴‍♂️📊

Breaking 4 hours around Lake Tahoe (71.6 miles @ 6,200ft+ elevation) was a huge success—stopping the clock at 3:50:42! But the most fascinating part of the ride wasn’t just hitting the goal; it was what the telemetry proved under the hood.

Using the Garmin Connect Power Guide on my Edge 1040, the algorithm prescribed a steady "Tempo" target. But looking at multi-sensor internal data—specifically Moxy SmO2 muscle oxygen saturation, DFA α1, and Respiration Rate—revealed a massive gap between external physics and real human physiology.

Leaving an unadjusted 285W FTP in my Garmin profile pushed target recommendations well past my true high-altitude threshold, driving heart rate past VT2 and crashing my Garmin Performance Condition down to -10!

💡 With the big news breaking this week about Garmin acquiring Moxy Monitor, the future of endurance coaching is undeniably Physiology First. Pacing shouldn't rely on static wattage targets alone; it requires listening to internal muscle oxygenation and autonomic strain in real time.

Check out the full case study, telemetry breakdown, and chart analysis on the blog:
👇
https://onlinebikecoach.com/garmin-connect-power-guide-lake-tahoe-review/


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Garmin Connect Power Guide vs real physiology around Lake Tahoe: how an FTP error caused cardiac drift and a -10 Performance Condition.

09/14/2026

Stop training in the dark. 🚴‍♂️⚡

Most cyclists execute VO2 max intervals using standard flat-power targets. The problem? You either take 2 minutes just to ramp up your oxygen uptake, or you blow up early from anaerobic fatigue.

In my latest deep-dive case study, I test a 4 x 6-minute Step-Up Interval Protocol (3 minutes at Threshold stepping up to 3 minutes VO2) using real-time AlphaHRV (DFA α₁) and Moxy Muscle Oxygenation (SmO₂) telemetry.

Here is what the data revealed:
🔹 Pre-priming at threshold accelerated oxygen uptake kinetics almost instantaneously.

🔹 DFA α₁ crashed below 0.50 right on cue, confirming deep autonomic suppression without early blowouts.

🔹 Quad desaturation (SmO₂) hit a severe 11%–13% floor while respiration rate spiked to 43 br/min.

Read the full analysis, view the interactive telemetry charts, and learn how to structure step-up VO2 max intervals for your own training! 👇

🔗 Read the full post here: https://onlinebikecoach.com/breaking-the-plateau-how-step-up-intervals-unlock-deep-vo2-kinetics/

09/04/2026

Stop letting static algorithms dictate your training. 🚴‍♂️⚡

Most head units calculate your threshold using fixed heart rate models and post-ride power tables. But what happens when heat, fatigue, or stress shift your physiological boundaries mid-ride?

In my latest deep-dive analysis on OnlineBikeCoach.com, I break down how real-time AlphaHRV Vo2Max Training (DFA α1) combined with Moxy Muscle Oxygenation (SmO2) provides unmatched accuracy for pacing high-intensity intervals.

A huge credit to for developing the incredible AlphaHRV Connect IQ data field and for his pioneering work bringing DFA α1, autonomic stress tracking, and physiological thresholds to the forefront of endurance sports.

🔬 Inside the Post:
• Why Garmin’s Firstbeat algorithm misclassified a textbook aerobic VO2max session as "Anaerobic Capacity."
• How tracking live RR-a1 ratios predicts internal strain before heart rate lag catches up.
• Pacing 4x4-minute intervals using real-time autonomic and muscular feedback.

Trust your physiology first. Read the full breakdown and see the data charts here 👇
https://onlinebikecoach.com/real-time-vo2max-pacing-alphahrv-moxy/

Monitor

Master AlphaHRV Vo2Max training with Coach Wharton. See how DFA a1 and Moxy SmO2 deliver precise real-time intensity tracking.

08/15/2026

🚴‍♂️ How I Unlocked a 2-Minute PR Using Garmin Cycling Dynamics MTB & VO2 Telemetry!

When I analyze off-road performance, true progress isn't just about riding faster—it's about understanding how I rode faster.

In my latest telemetry breakdown on Peavine Mountain’s Halo Loop, I paired my lab-calibrated VO2 Master gas exchange data with dual-sided Garmin Cycling Dynamics MTB metrics to break down my 2:03 PR shift on the dirt.

Key Telemetry Insights Inside:

6.9% Metabolic Economy Gain: How I produced 217 W while requiring the exact same oxygen uptake (51ml/kg/min) as my 202 W baseline effort.

Torque Vector Biomechanics: Why steep dirt (>8% slope) expands my Peak Power Phase to a 67 degree arc and drives my Torque Effectiveness to 87%.

Synchronized 360° Visuals: I built interactive animated pedal stroke graphics mapping real-time torque profiles (Nm) against polar clock phases across steep, moderate, and flat terrain. https://onlinebikecoach.com/vo2-master-garmin-dynamics-mtb-economy/

Chassis Efficiency: How I used Garmin GRIT data to prove that carrying higher momentum reduces total upper-body impact exposure time.

If you're looking to master your Garmin Edge data or optimize your pedal stroke efficiency, this analysis sets the benchmark.

08/05/2026

If you’re not watching the Women’s Tour de France, YOU SHOULD BE!!!

08/04/2026

In 2024, Kristen Faulkner won the Olympic road race — a historic U.S. victory — and the marketing push that followed was… silence.

No parade.
No media circuit.
No national spotlight.

So while the hype machine slept, she went to work.

Faulkner is on the Tour de France Femmes TT course today, doing what champions do: preparing to win again.

If the system won’t amplify her, the results will.

07/29/2026

It’s RACEDAY with Reno Wheelmen! Come join us every other Tuesday through August!!

07/25/2026

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A ROLLING RESISTANCE THAT IS TOO LOW….

07/24/2026

My time up Alpe d'Huez in 2004, carrying about 20lbs of clothes and sandals in a backpack, and the ashes of a client who had died just weeks earlier. I think I cried the whole way up.

07/08/2026

Is your training software actually giving you an accurate picture of your fatigue?

Traditional metrics often treat a watt as a watt. But as dehydration sets in during a long endurance session, the internal metabolic cost of maintaining that wattage changes dramatically.

This is called Dehydration Decoupling (or cardiac drift). It represents the exact moment your workout transitions from a controlled aerobic stimulus into a heavy, systemic survival effort.

If you want to build lasting durability for epic endurance events, you have to learn how to monitor and manage this real-time drift. In my latest article, I unpack the science of blood volume loss, cardiac output, and how to use advanced biometric data to stay ahead of the curve.

Read the article here: https://bit.ly/4yqjtOW

Looking to optimize your internal training load? Send me a DM to learn more about our virtual coaching studio openings

Master your Garmin data. See how a dehydration decoupling drives real-time metabolic drift and spikes your internal engine cost.