The Rundown: It is the Christmas episode, and the guys are all in studio with homemade chocolates, a pocket full of petrified wood, and a year to look back on. Coach Gibbo runs a proper masterclass on zone two training, the crew recaps cyclocross nationals, Lance gives a wild account of chasing a runaway dog through a Vancouver intersection, and everyone shares their highlights from 2024.
What Happened on Dialed Podcast 351?
A deep dive on zone two endurance work, a 2024 year in review, cross nationals, the Wahoo Elemnt Ace update, and the holiday spirit in full effect.
Coach Gibbo on Zone Two
The centerpiece is one of the most useful training segments the show has run. Ian breaks down why zone two is a conversational but not easy pace, sitting around 70 to 75 percent of FTP, where you build mitochondria, grow capillaries, and make the heart more efficient. The key is consistency and volume rather than intensity, since drifting too hard shifts the work to a different system. A clean zone two ride shows little gap between average and normalized power, and the fat burning payoff sits just below the zone two ceiling.
Tools for Staying in the Zone
Holding zone two takes discipline and good data. The guys debate power versus heart rate for triggering an alert when you drift, with heart rate winning for steady efforts on the road. A power meter and a head unit make the difference between guessing and knowing, and on the trainer an ERG workout or a Zwift pacer bot keeps the effort honest. Lance has been logging 15 hour weeks with 11 of those hours in zone two, the bulk of a smart base block.
Cross Nationals and Champ Bailey
Lance recapped cyclocross nationals from Louisville. Andrew Strohmeyer took the elite men's title by one second, settling it on the barriers, while 19 year old Vida Lopez de San Ramon skipped the U23 ranks entirely and won the elite women's race over Katie Clouse and Raylyn Nuss. The segment also covered the Namur World Cup and the wall to wall Christmas period racing calendar in Belgium, perfect viewing for anyone chasing a Festive 500.
The Wahoo Elemnt Ace Update
Lance has been living with the Wahoo Elemnt Ace, and a major firmware update fixed his two big gripes. The audible bell now works on every page with a double tap above the center buttons, and prescribed workouts finally sync and run flawlessly, including a four by fifteen sweet spot session on the gravel bike. Battery life held at 85 percent after a three hour ride, and the big screen is winning him over more than he expected.
A 2024 Year in Review
Highlights ran deep. Ian pointed to riding 30 miles an hour through downtown Bend and the Tenerife trip with the brutal, breathtaking Mosca loop. Lance won his cross country series for the 50 to 59 age group on the final race at Washougal and took the OBRA masters BAR. Jake celebrated returning to real riding after a medical setback, logging gravel days and flogging rides and feeling like his old self again heading into 2025.
One Last Thing and Bikes for Kids
Matt plugged his hundred day review of the Apple Watch Series 10, a thinner watch that keeps inching toward being a proper cycling tracker. Ian offered 75 dollar Dialed Performance Coaching gift certificates as a stocking stuffer. Jake closed with the ninth annual Bikes for Kids ride, which kicks off the campaign to put new bikes under less fortunate kids, with donations running through the next few months.
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