VO2 Master meets Garmin Dynamics: Quantifying Metabolic Economy and Chassis Demands on Peavine Dirt
When analyzing Garmin Cycling Dynamics MTB telemetry across a full season, true progress isn’t just about riding faster—it’s about understanding how I rode faster. By comparing my lab-calibrated VO2 Master telemetry, dual-sided power metrics, and pedaling dynamics from my June 20th, 2026 baseline effort against my August 10th PR on the Halo Loop, the underlying […]
Tire Selection vs. Terrain: How Vittoria Rubber Saved 7.5% Effort on the Halo Loop
Tire Selection vs. Terrain: How Vittoria Rubber Saved 7.5% Effort on the Halo Loop By Richard Wharton | August 2, 2026 Proper tire selection on technical mountain bike trails plays a far greater role in overall efficiency than raw horsepower alone. If you ride strictly by feel, hot, dry summer dirt on Peavine Mountain’s benchmark […]
The Power Illusion: Why Your Suspension Setup and HRV Dictate Real Speed
Chasing Ghosts on Peavine: The Ecology of Speed By Coach Richard Wharton • May 27, 2026 Heading out from the Peavine Mountain Hoge Road Trailhead to collect raw biometric and suspension telemetry across the Halo Loop. Part 1: Physiology-First Cycling Training, the Weight, and the Climb Metrics It has been months since I last pointed […]
Stamina, Speed, Strength, and Skill – 4 Spokes With a Hub called “Consistency”.
Cycling Stamina and Strength: The S4 Framework Building elite cycling stamina and strength is the foundation of the S4 performance framework used by high-performance athletes.In the world of professional cycling, we often get distracted by the latest gear or chasing the highest wattage. But at its core, your performance is a wheel supported by four […]
Rocky Terrain Suspension Efficiency: The Open vs. Locked Debate
May 7, 2026 Rocky Terrain Suspension Efficiency: The Open vs. Locked Debate; A Peavine Challenge In November 2025, I conducted a “Physiology First” experiment on Reno’s Peavine Mountain to analyze rocky terrain suspension efficiency. This ride has since become the archetype and benchmark for my 2026 training season. The mission was simple: Two laps on […]
Life Stress is Training Stress: Navigating the 52-Hour Recovery Debt
Garmin Recovery Metrics: When “Life Stress” Becomes a Physiological Debt Coach Richard Wharton Published: May 11, 2026 Understanding your Garmin recovery metrics is the only way to stay objective when non-training stress starts to bleed into your performance. Following our May 5th deep-dive into what those orange bars actually mean during sleep, today I’m showing […]
The Garmin Ecosystem: Why Your Watch is More Important Than Your Power Meter
Garmin Recovery Time: Why Your Watch Beats Your Power Meter By The Garmin Guru | April 24, 2026 Understanding Garmin Recovery Time is essential for any athlete following a “Physiology First” approach. As a coach with over 20 years in the industry, I know that your bike computer is only half the story. To truly […]
Using Garmin Sleep and HRV Stress to Plan My Workouts: Today’s Real Example
When Garmin HRV Stress Hits 72: A Practical Morning Read on Sleep, Load, and What to Do Next Published: April 8, 2026 · Quick, physiology‑driven guidance for the morning after a high HRV Stress reading. I woke to an HRV Stress of 72 on my Garmin and a Garmin Sleep Score in the […]
More Suspension Tweaking With ShockWiz
ShockWiz Is Helping My Speed Rise, and My Splits Fall The ShockWiz suspension Tuning System has been around now since 2016. It’s a tool that attaches to front and rear suspension systems, and measures the velocity of compression, rebound, and air pressure ramping, to optimize contact with the ground. I was an original backer for […]
Building An MTB Course With Garmin Connect Course Creator
Garmin Connect Course Creator Offers Course Building – But Singletrack Can Be A Challenge The Garmin Connect Course Creator is yet another of Garmin’s under-utilized features. Other Apps and Software offer Course Creation, like RideWithGPS, but keeping everything inside the Garmin Connect Ecosystem allows for easier transfer to a Garmin Bike Computer or wristwatch. However, […]