charlie livermore Archives - Empire State Ride

Coach Charlie Livermore: Winter Training Tips

Posted on January 23, 2026January 23, 2026 by Jocelyn McNamara

Winter Training Tips:

By Coach Charlie Livermore

Ready to kickstart your training for Empire State Ride this summer? Here are some winter training tips from Coach Charlie Livermore that will help get your body prepared for the challenge of riding 500+ miles! As Coach Charlie would say, “Winter miles = summer smiles!”

Embrace Indoor Training

Make Zwift or TrainingPeaks Virtual your best friend. Structured workouts (sweet spot, VO2 max intervals, endurance rides) are far more effective than just spinning. Join virtual group rides or races to keep the social/motivational side alive.

Build a Solid Strength Routine (2–3x/week)

Winter is the perfect time for strength training. Focus on:

Core: (planks, dead bugs, bird dogs)

Single-leg exercises: (lunges, step-ups, Bulgarian split squats)

Posterior chain: (glute bridges, Romanian deadlifts)
These prevent imbalances and make you stronger when spring hits. Cross-train to stay fresh

Yoga or mobility work: improve flexibility and reduce tightness from indoor riding.

Focus on Cadence and Pedal Stroke Drills

On the trainer, do single-leg drills, high-cadence spins (100–120 rpm) and low-cadence strength intervals. These improve efficiency and smoothness for next season.

Work on Weaknesses

Winter is for fixing limiters:

Poor threshold? → More sweet-spot intervals
Bad climbing legs? → Over-under intervals or low-cadence work
Sprint weakness? → Add microbursts and 10–15 second max efforts

Prioritize Recovery and Sleep

Cold weather + hard training = higher stress. Get 8+ hours of sleep, eat plenty of protein/carbs and consider a foam roller or massage gun routine.

Have Fun!

Mix in silly trainer challenges (Zwift Everest, virtual tours) or indoor bike games. Staying consistent is easier when you’re not miserable.

Don’t just survive the off-season!

-Coach Charlie

Coach Charlie Livermore: Strength and Mobility for Cycling

Posted on December 23, 2024February 23, 2026 by j.schifferle

Coach Charlie Livermore:

Strength and Mobility for Cycling

By Coach Charlie Livermore

Empire State Ride is lucky to have the support of professional cycling coach Charlie Livermore as an advisor and friend. Charlie is a training consultant on our adventure across New York State. He offers his expertise and tips to all ESR riders and joins us on the road each July to ride 500+ miles.

More training blogs >>>>>

Hi All!

I wholeheartedly embrace the transformative powers of strength and mobility training, incorporating both into my daily routine to enhance my overall well-being and cycling performance. I hope this helps motivate and encourage you to incorporate strength and mobility into your training program!

Strength Training

Strength training is often overlooked by cyclists, but it plays a crucial role in enhancing both health and cycling performance. Incorporating strength training into your training routine can lead to improved muscle endurance, increased power output, and better overall efficiency on the bike. Stronger muscles not only help you climb hills more effectively but also reduce the risk of injury by stabilizing joints and improving balance. Additionally, strength training boosts your metabolic rate, helping with weight management and overall physical health.

By focusing on major muscle groups, cyclists can enhance their core stability, which is essential for maintaining good posture during long rides. This foundational strength allows for more energy-efficient cycling, meaning you can ride longer and faster with less fatigue. The best strength exercises for cyclists focus on building core stability, leg power, and overall muscular endurance.

Here are some top exercises to consider:

Squats: This foundational exercise strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, enhancing your ability to generate power while pedaling.

Deadlifts: Targeting the posterior chain, deadlifts improve strength in your back and hamstrings, crucial for maintaining a strong cycling posture.

Lunges: These help develop balance and strength in the legs, mimicking the cycling motion and improving stability on the bike.

Planks (Front and Side): A strong core is vital for cyclists, and planks enhance core stability, which helps maintain proper riding posture and control.

Leg Press: This machine exercise allows for heavy loading of the legs, promoting strength in a controlled manner. Incorporating these exercises into your routine can lead to enhanced cycling performance and reduced injury risk.

Mobility Training

Mobility training is an essential component for cyclists looking to enhance their health and performance.

As cycling involves repetitive motion, maintaining a full range of motion in the joints and muscles is crucial for efficiency and injury prevention. Mobility training helps to improve flexibility, balance, and coordination, all of which contribute to a smoother pedal stroke and better overall cycling mechanics.

Incorporating mobility exercises into your routine can alleviate muscle tightness and improve posture, allowing for more effective power transfer to the pedals. Enhanced mobility also plays a vital role in recovery, helping to reduce soreness and speed up the rehabilitation process from injuries. Furthermore, a well-maintained range of motion can lead to improved breathing mechanics, which is essential for endurance during long rides.

In summary, prioritizing strength and mobility training can lead to significant benefits for cyclists, resulting in improved performance, reduced injury risk, and better overall health.

Thank for reading and be well!

Coach Charlie

Coach Charlie Livermore: Riding in hilly terrain

Posted on July 10, 2024February 23, 2026 by Jackie Roberts McDonough

By Coach Charlie Livermore

This year’s Empire State Ride courses will give us some options to ride hills on open roads. Personally, this is my favorite type of terrain to ride, and it can be yours as well if you develop and apply this technique. If you do it right, you’ll feel a sense of flow as you use the hills to your advantage. Otherwise, it could feel like you can never get a good steady rhythm — like every hill is punishing you.

The method of riding hills that I’m about to walk you through is best used for long, steady endurance rides like Empire State Ride. If you’re racing or trying to split the field in a competitive group ride, this won’t do it. In fact, this method is designed to keep a group together at a good, steady pace.

So, let’s break it down.

In Figure 1 below, you can see that there are seven sections to our hill.

The Approach

As you approach the hill, keep your speed steady all the way to the bottom. Do not slow
down or shift to a lighter gear until you’re actually on the climb. This is the first mistake most cyclists make. Slowing down in anticipation of having to make a hard effort only makes the effort harder. The more speed (momentum) you carry onto the hill, the better.

The Start of the Climb

Here’s where you have to get it right. Do not start too fast! Let the slope of the hill naturally slow you down to a comfortable pace you can sustain all the way to the top. Find the right gear, keep your breathing steady and be patient.

The Middle Section

At this point you’ve found your sustainable speed and comfort zone. You should still be able to talk at this intensity. Keep it nice and easy here and don’t accelerate… yet!

The Top of the Hill

Here’s where the magic happens. The top of the hill is not the place to recover. If you need to recover from your effort at this point, you went too hard on the way up. This is the place where you should be slowly increasing your speed rather than decreasing it. Your highest speed on the hill should be going over the top of it, not at the bottom or middle sections of the climb.

The First Downward Slope

If you gauged your effort correctly, you should be able to shift into a bigger gear, accelerate (not a sprint), establish the speed you are comfortable descending at and then recover from your climbing effort as the gravity of the backside of the hill keeps your speed high. Depending on the grade, you might be able to coast down without losing speed. If the grade isn’t steep, you may need to soft pedal to keep the speed as high as possible toward the next flat section.

The Approach to the Next Hill

In this section, use the momentum from the downhill to keep your pace as high as you can. Here, it’s more about not slowing down too much vs. speeding up. You want as much momentum as possible going into the next hill without overexerting yourself.

During this entire cycle, your rate of perceived exertion should be about 5-7, at the most, on a scale of 10. You should not be in oxygen debt (breathing heavy) and your legs should not feel very acidic. If you are, try slowing down at the beginning of the next climb to find the pace that’s right for you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Shifting to a lighter gear before you start the climb. If you’re in the right gear on the flat approach to the climb, don’t shift to a lighter gear until you’re actually on the climb.
Accelerating at the start of the climb. Starting too fast is the worst mistake you can make on a climb. Better to start slower and finish faster.
Resting/slowing down at the top. The rest point is 20-30 feet after the crest of the hill. If you have to rest at the top, you went too hard on the climb.
Not using the first downward slope at the top to accelerate. The first 20-30 feet of descent is for accelerating. This is where you get the most speed for the least amount of energy expenditure. Again, if you can’t accelerate here, you went too hard on the climb.

Practice this technique on your next training rides these last couple of weeks before Empire State Ride, and you’ll see why it makes hills seem easier to ride and way more fun.

Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Coach Charlie

Check out Charlie's training plans

The best tires for riding 500+ miles across New York State

Posted on May 1, 2024February 23, 2026 by j.schifferle

Coach charlie LIvermore on Mobility

The Empire State Ride is lucky to have the support of professional cycling coach Charlie Livermore as an advisor and friend. Charlie is a training consultant on our adventure across New York State. He offers his expertise and tips to all ESR riders and joins us on the road each July to ride 500+ miles.

All blogs by Charlie

Are narrow bike tires really better?

This is a question that comes up a lot from ESR participants and it’s a good one. The answer is wider is better for all road surface conditions, but especially for the variable road surfaces you’ll encounter on the ESR route. Use the widest tire, with supple high-performance casings, your bike frame will allow.

Wide tires make cycling more fun, safer, and just as fast as narrow tires on smooth surfaces and faster on less-maintained and bumpier roads. Additionally, lower tire pressures are much more comfortable acting as a mini shock absorber. The wider the tire, the less pressure required. In the test below, the 44 mm tires were inflated to 2.1 bar (30 psi); the 28 mm tires at 4.5 bar (65 psi).

Here’s a tire test on real roads, using a down-hill coast with constant speed, on a day with no wind. Same exact tire and casing on a 44mm vs a 28mm model.

The results:

28 mm: 27.636 km/h
44 mm: 27.564 km/h

Debunking the Myth: Wide Tires Are Not Slower

It’s a common belief that wide tires are slower than narrow ones, but recent studies challenge this notion.

Real-World Testing:
Lab tests on steel drums don’t accurately reflect real-world performance. To truly measure tire performance, tests must be conducted on real roads with a rider on the bike.
Results:
Tests conducted on various tires, pressures, and road conditions consistently show minimal differences in speed between wide and narrow tires. Even at significantly lower pressures, wider tires roll at comparable speeds to their narrower counterparts.
Aerodynamics:
Contrary to popular belief, wider tires don’t significantly compromise aerodynamics, especially at moderate speeds.
Track Tests:
Power meter measurements on a track confirm that wider tires don’t require more power to pedal, and in some cases, they outperform narrower ones.
Smooth vs. Rough Roads:
On rough roads, wider tires actually perform better due to their ability to absorb surface irregularities without compromising speed.
Real-World Performance:
Racers have achieved remarkable success using wide tires in various competitions, showcasing their speed and durability.
Lab Tests vs. Real World:
Lab tests on steel drums may suggest narrow tires are faster, but real-world conditions prove otherwise. Suspension losses caused by vibrations are not accounted for in drum tests.
Placebo Effect:
Narrow tires may feel faster due to increased vibrations, but actual speed measurements show wide tires perform just as well.
Cornering Grip:
Wider tires offer superior grip, especially on twisty descents, due to increased rubber on the road surface.

Conclusion:

Wide tires are not slower than narrow ones. Choosing tires with high-performance casings ensures both comfort and speed, debunking the myth that narrow tires are inherently faster.

I rode the last two ESR’s on 35mm tires and will increase to 38mm this year.

Look forward to seeing you all soon!

Coach Charlie

Coach Charlie: How to prepare your body for #ESR24 training

Posted on October 7, 2023February 23, 2026 by j.schifferle

Coach charlie LIvermore on Mobility

All blogs by Charlie

The days are getting shorter and for many ESR riders, the outdoor riding season is coming to an end. Fall and winter are typically the best times to begin an off-the-bike program. This period of low to no riding is when you can switch your focus to preparing your body for 2024 ESR training.

The goals of an off-season preparation program are injury prevention, improved muscle recruitment patterns and improved efficiency on the bike. There are many approaches. For example:

Cross train with running
Cross country skiing
Hiking
Start a strength resistance/weight training program
Take yoga or pilates classes
Mobility training

I’m a firm believer that mobility is what we all need most for our long-term health and wellbeing. When you change the way you move and correct the imbalances caused by our modern habits, you will get better results for all other off-season options and the spring cycling season itself.

Mobility is defined as the active control of a joint. It is the combination of strength, flexibility and control. Mobility training involves conditioning or priming joints at their end range of motion which then expands the joint’s workspace and contributes to long-lasting changes.

Flexibility is defined as the passive control of a joint. Flexibility training or stretching creates temporary changes to the tissues. Flexibility is the muscle’s ability to passively lengthen. Flexibility, therefore, is a component of mobility, though mobility and flexibility are not interchangeable.

The great thing about mobility training is that you can do it at home with minimum to no equipment, and most sessions are in the 12 – 30 minute range.

Here are my two favorite programs that you can stream and follow at home.

FOUNDATION TRAINING (FT) : https://ftstreaming.com/

TRS VIRTUAL MOBILITY COACH: https://thereadystate.com/trial/

Start moving right and have a great fall and winter season!

See you on the road,

Coach Charlie

Coach Charlie Livermore: Pedaling and Shifting 101

Posted on May 5, 2023May 7, 2026 by j.schifferle

All blogs by Charlie

Coach Charlie Livermore on Pedaling.

This is a short version of a much longer talk on pedaling that Charlie will present at the ESR. The aim of this blog is to give you a simple technique you can practice to improve your pedaling efficiency.

For many of you training for the Empire State Ride, the outdoor riding season has finally arrived. The transition from indoor to outdoor riding adds the challenge of varying terrain, wind and group dynamics that require skills to manage well. Let’s look at what arguably are the most important skills that will make you a better cyclist: pedaling and shifting.

Pedaling.

Why is pedaling technique so important?

Good pedaling efficiency results in getting the absolute most power from each revolution of your pedal stroke. Do it well, and you’ll produce more power for the same or less energy output.

Most amateur cyclists pump their legs down, in a style which results in ‘spikes’ in torque, rather than a smooth, consistent application of power. Pedaling this way is all start-stop-start-stop. Rounding out your pedal stroke decreases torque spikes with each pedal revolution.

How do you pedal efficiently?

If you’ve had a good bike fit and are sitting optimally centered around the bottom bracket (seat height and for/aft position), you’ll be able to create full torque from 12 o’clock (top of the pedal stroke) to 7 o’clock (just past the bottom) with each leg. While your foot is traveling from 6 – 7 o’clock, the opposite leg takes over to create torque. It’s not full circles with each leg! Think a good smooth 1/2 circle with a well-timed handoff to the leg coming up around the back. The result is constant torque all the way around, all the time.

How can I spot inefficiency in my own pedaling?

Change up your cadence to highlight weaknesses. Say you ride naturally at 80 rotations per minute (RPM) — increase the cadence for a minute to around 100 rpm. If you are bouncing on the saddle, your pedal stroke is probably inefficient.

Similarly, try riding at a slow cadence, 50–60 RPM, and notice if the pedal stroke feels like a push-and-stop effort. If you’re constantly finding yourself re-engaging on the pedals, it means you disengaged from them. Disengaging results in a loss of speed and requires a re-engagement, which is the same as reaccelerating. Acceleration requires much more energy than keeping speed steady.

Shifting.

What's shifting all about?

The primary function of gears are to enable us to maintain a comfortable pedaling speed (cadence) regardless of the gradient or terrain.

A high gear, sometimes referred to as a ‘big gear,’ is optimal when descending or riding at high speeds. The highest or biggest gear on a bicycle is achieved by combining the largest front chainring size with the smallest rear cog or sprocket. Vice versa, combining the smallest front chainring size with the largest rear sprocket size results in the lowest available gear, which will help you keep your desired cadence when the road points up.

Again, shifting is about pedaling efficiency. Having a much broader choice of gears for a given situation will allow you to apply torque smoothly around the pedal stroke. I recommend having the greatest gear ratio possible for ESR. I’ll be riding a compact crankset 50/32 with an 11–30 tooth cassette on my bike.

Since we are all proficient drivers, I like to use the car analogy to bring home a point. Just like a car, bicycles benefit from a low gear to accelerate from a standstill, or to climb a steep hill, and at the other end of the scale, a high gear helps you to achieve high speeds without over-revving.

Continuing with the car example, using too low a gear at high speed would result in high fuel consumption. The same is true of your body pedaling a bike. More gears means more scope to your pedaling technique by fine-tuning your cadence to suit the gradient or terrain, often resulting in a lower energy cost.

On Cadence.

A quick word on cadence. I don’t believe there’s a specific optimum cadence for everyone, but current theories suggest that you should aim to train yourself toward a higher cadence as it’s a more efficient use of energy – moving the stress more to your cardiovascular system. The best cadence is the one that produces the smoothest torque around the pedal stroke.

Bike Practice.

Those long easy weekend endurance rides can feel boring and tedious, but they are crucial for aerobic development. These are the best rides to practice your pedaling and shifting skills and the focus will help pass the time.

I’ll leave you with a final thought on shifting: Never be satisfied with the gear you’re in. Shift constantly to try to find a better one. In a 75-mile ride, it’s common to shift 500–750 times. Keep an active hand on your shifter the whole ride.

I’ll be presenting an in-depth talk on pedal stroke at the ESR this year. I hope to see you there!

In the meantime: Train Right!

Coach Charlie

Coach Charlie Livermore: Nutrition and Hydration for ESR Training

Posted on March 7, 2023February 23, 2026 by j.schifferle

All blogs by Charlie.

Coach Charlie Livermore on Nutrition and Hydration.

The aim of this blog is to give you simple tips you can use to fuel your hydration and nutrition strategy as you train for the 2023 Empire State Ride.

In my coaching practice, I spend equal amount of time prescribing training and the fueling strategy necessary to complete those workouts and adapt positively. In this era of low carbohydrate diets, getting my athletes to consume enough carbohydrates is a struggle. When they do, the difference in the consistency of their moderate-to-high intensity efforts is astonishing.

Carbohydrate needs may be different at different exercise intensities. When exercise intensity is low and total carbohydrate oxidation rates are low, carbohydrate intake may have to be adjusted downward. With increasing exercise intensity, the active muscle mass becomes more and more dependent on carbohydrates as a source of energy.

Hydration is perhaps even more critical to get right for all workouts. One of my favorite quotes, “Nutrition doesn’t work in a dehydrated environment,” sums it up well.

Here’s a closer look at both areas:

Hydration.

The weather gets hot in July, and your body’s cooling mechanism is sweat. You must replace both the liquid and the electrolytes that make up your sweat. The less acclimated you are to heat, the more electrolytes you lose through sweat. Here are some tips to keep you well hydrated all week:

Drink 1 to 1.5 bottles per hour, depending on the intensity and length of the ride. Use an exercise hydration product that primarily focuses on replenishing electrolytes and carbohydrates.
If you have a computer that has an “Alert” feature, program it to remind you to drink every 10-20 minutes. The latest research recommends drinking greater amounts every 20 minutes vs. small sips every 10 minutes. If you choose every 20 minutes, you’ll need to drink a third of your bottle at a time. Either way, you’ll be fine.
Drink before and after your ride. Drink 8 ounces of water first thing in the morning and begin hydrating for the next day as soon as you finish you ride. A common practice I use (it’s hot in Florida) is to weigh myself before and after my ride. Then, I hydrate until I recapture my pre-ride weight. If you lost more than 3% of your morning weight, you didn’t drink enough during your ride.
If you’re urinating a lot throughout the day and the color is toward the clear side, you may not be absorbing what you’re drinking. Add some electrolytes to help absorption.

Nutrition.

Now that we’re beginning the level of intensity in training that requires glycolytic energy metabolism, we need to make sure we have the fuel/energy for the work required. For this type of work, carbohydrates will be your primary source of energy — but you also need protein.

Click the headings below to learn more:

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates requirements depend on the duration of your workout or ride. For the purposes of this guide: I’m going to break it down to three categories: Short: 45-60 minutes, Medium: 60 minutes to 2 hours and Long: 2+ hours.

Short: 45-60 minutes.

Pre-Workout: If you haven’t eaten three hours prior to your workout, consume a Gel 15 minutes prior to the workout.
During workout: An electrolyte hydration mix is all you need for this workout. I prefer LMNT or Liquid IV.
After workout: Drink 24oz to 32oz of the same low-calorie hydration recommended above, especially if your workout was indoors or in hot weather.

Medium: 60 minutes – 2 hours.

Pre-Workout: If you haven’t eaten three hours prior to your workout, consume a sport bar or a PB+J sandwich prior to your workout.
During workout: Consume 40g of carbs per hour. Here’s an example:
Skratch Sport (21g of carbs) + 1x Gels (20g of carbs) = 41g of carbs
After workout: Immediately after a medium-intensity workout, drink 24 oz to 32 oz of the same low-calorie hydration such as LMNT or Liquid IV. Within 30–45 minutes, consume a sports recovery shake. I like Skratch Recovery.

Long: 2+ hours.

Pre-Workout: If you haven’t eaten three hours prior to your workout, consume a bar or a PB+J sandwich prior to your workout.
During workout: Consume 60g of carbs per hour. Here’s an example:
Skratch Sport (21g of carbs) + 2x Gels (40g of carbs) = 61g of carbs
After workout: Immediately after a long workout, drink 24oz to 32oz of the same low-calorie hydration such as LMNT or Liquid IV. Within 30–45 minutes, consume a sports recovery shake like Skratch Recovery.

Protein

Current data suggests that dietary protein intake needed to support metabolic adaptation, repair, remodeling, and protein turnover generally ranges from 1.5–2.0 g/kg/d or to make it very simple, 1 gram per pound of body weight. Daily protein intake goals should be met with a meal plan providing a regular spread of moderate amounts of high-quality protein across the day.

Recommendations are currently to consume 25-30g of protein per meal. The key to maximizing muscle protein synthesis is to consume that amount, 4-5 times per day with at least three hours in between each consumption.

Nutrition itself does not make you fitter on the bike. What it does, however, is provide significant contributions to what we are trying to achieve from training.

Good luck,

Coach Charlie

Coach Charlie Livermore: Pedaling Efficiently

Posted on January 19, 2023February 23, 2026 by j.schifferle

All blogs by Charlie

Coach charlie LIvermore on Pedaling

Training for 2023 ESR requires lots of time at an easy, conversational pace (endurance intensity). Athletes often find this important piece of the training puzzle boring and repetitive. It’s too “easy” to keep your mind focused on the workout execution and counterintuitive to the old “no pain, no gain” cliche. But there’s no better time to practice your pedaling mechanics and improve your cycling efficiency than during those 60’ to 6-hour endurance rides. The smoother and more efficient you can train your pedaling stroke, the less energy you require to maintain your power or speed — and who wouldn’t benefit from that?

Think of a pedal stroke in the same way you might think of a golf swing, tennis swing or swim stroke. It’s a complex series of muscle activation of the hips, gluteus and leg muscles to act on moving the crank in a circle to create maximum torque. The longer you can create torque around the pedal stroke, the better. This is referred to as the duty cycle.

In the image below, you can see what the duty cycle of an efficient cyclist looks like compared to the duty cycle of most recreational cyclists.

On the left, the efficient cyclist starts applying tangential force when the crank is behind 12 o’clock (green) and ends at about 7 o’clock (pink). On the right, the duty cycle starts at 1 o’clock (pink) and ends before 6 o’clock (green).

It’s clear that there’s much more time in the duty cycle of an efficient cyclist. If you think about what’s happening on the other side of the crank of a short duty cycle, there’s a whole lot of time where there’s no force on the pedals at all. This results in the bike decelerating, forcing you to reaccelerate with every pedal stroke. If you have a hard time keeping your speed in a headwind or on a climb, you most likely have a short duty cycle.

So, how do we practice and change our pedaling efficiency? It’s really easy in theory, but it will take some time to adjust. Human are programmed to walk not pedal, and we are essentially applying walking biomechanics to pedaling, which looks like this: push down, wait for the feedback when our foot feels the floor, and then begin the process with the other leg.

To change that, we have to avoid reaching the floor and stop thinking about pushing down. Instead, think about pushing across the top and sweeping back before you feel the bottom. You don’t have to think about pushing down. That will happen naturally.

Quick tips

Things to think about and work on while practicing efficient pedaling technique:

Pedaling in the saddle is a two-joint action: hip joint and knee joint. No need to act on the ankle joint. No ankling.
Walking is a two-joint action: knee joint and ankle joint. We are not walking.
Think about pedaling from the hips, not the feet. Unless you’re sprinting, you should never feel much pressure on your foot against the pedals.
The push over the top starts by activating the muscles that extend the hip — the gluteus and rectus femoris.
The bottom sweep starts by activating the hamstring to close the knee joint. Try to feel your heel pulling back against your shoe.
To begin this technique, first focus on getting the sweep right. Try pedaling exclusively with the hamstrings (posterior chain) to activate and program this part of the stroke.
Imagine staying close to the top and the bottom of the circle. Do NOT overextend your leg on the downstroke or lift it too far over the top on the upstroke.
You are not pedaling in full circles! The pedal stroke is from 11 to 7 on a clock. Don’t overuse your hip flexor to “lift the leg.”
The advanced version of this technique is to synchronize the push over the top with the sweep through the bottom.

Thanks for reading!

Coach Charlie

Charlie Livermore: Coach, Cycling Enthusiast, Cancer Survivor

Posted on November 28, 2022May 7, 2026 by j.schifferle

Charlie Livermore's ESR Journey

All blogs by Charlie

With more than 30 years of experience as a professional cycling coach, Charlie Livermore has logged thousands of miles and helped countless cyclists reach their goals. He works as a pro-level contract coach at Synergy Performance Systems and has managed professional cycling teams in tours around the world. The BMC Racing Team, cofounded by Charlie, went on to win the Tour de France in 2011.

Charlie’s passion for cycling started decades ago when he bought a bike and subsequently met the president of the Florida Cycling Federation. The president invited Charlie to an upcoming race. Charlie accepted, conquered the race and never looked back.

“Cycling has been my life. I’m a prisoner of passion and discipline. It’s been a great life. I still coach, I’m still riding, and I’m still helping people. I love it. I’ll never stop doing it,” Charlie says.

On Empire State Ride.

Charlie’s involvement with Empire State Ride (ESR) can best be described as a perfect accident. A client needed to get in peak shape for a European cycling tour and pitched ESR as a training event to log his miles. Charlie agreed and joined him on the road in July 2015.

The duo planned to stay at hotels and eat at local restaurants to make it easier to adhere to their prescribed nutrition plan. Then they discovered the catering at camp and started to meet the ESR community. As Charlie got to know the other riders, he saw an opportunity to use his knowledge and become more involved.

He started giving fireside talks each night after dinner. During those chats, he shared tips and tricks for navigating the road and answered questions from new and experienced riders alike. His talks were so well-received that he was asked to come back the next year as a coach. He has returned every year since to set our road warriors up for success.

“I’ve done all kinds of amazing one-week and two-week long vacations in my life and the one that I keep talking about the whole year is the Empire State Ride,” Charlie says. “It’s a lifetime of stories all packed up into one week.”

“It's a lifetime of stories all packed up into one week.”

Charlie Livermore

Charlie’s reasons for coming back.

Charlie has joined Empire State Ride on the road for more than seven years now. For him, the event goes beyond his love for the sport of cycling. He connects to the ESR mission on a much deeper level.

“I never talk about it, but I’m also a cancer survivor. I resonate with what is going on, and I understand the studies and the clinical trials, because I went on a clinical trial that really made my outcome better. I’m still alive.”

Charlie was preparing for a cycling event in Europe when his cancer journey began. Between cycling regularly, running a cycling center and traveling to and from events, he maintained a healthy lifestyle and felt great. That’s what made what happened next even more surprising.

During a routine dental cleaning, Charlie’s dentist discovered a lump in his throat that wasn’t supposed to be there. He referred Charlie to a specialist to have it biopsied. When Charlie did, the results confirmed the worst-case scenario: throat cancer. He never smoked and realized quickly that a cancer diagnosis can happen to anyone.

Through a reference from a friend at Stanford University, Charlie got into a promising clinical trial for his specific type of cancer that involved less radiation. He signed up and began treatment, anxious for the upcoming cycling event in Europe. Luckily, Charlie took to treatment well and was able to get back to cycling sooner than later.

“I survived. But it would’ve been a completely different experience if I had gone through those three extra weeks of radiation that the normal protocol called for,” Charlie says. “When they talk about clinical trials at ESR, I understand the benefits and how much they can change the outcome. I have respect and passion for the research side of things, too.”

A full-circle journey for Charlie, it’s no coincidence that he found ESR and the amazing community of road warriors he works with. He says his experience with cancer and love for cycling have made him even more grateful for the journey and connections he’s made with the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.

“Empire State Ride is unique. What this organization is doing, and the passion around it, has been one of my biggest fulfillments in cycling. I look forward to the event every year.”

Charlie Livermore

Coach Charlie: How to train for your first century

Posted on November 25, 2022May 7, 2026 by j.schifferle

Charlie Livermore on the 100-Miler

All blogs by Charlie

Your first 100-mile ride can seem like an intimidating task, but with the right preparation, anyone can develop the fitness, skills and confidence to ride your first century. This is a basic overview of important topics that will help you get to that first century finish line.

Training the body to meet the demands of a century is multidimensional; it’s not just about the bike workouts. Put it all together, and I’ll see you smiling at the end of your biggest day at Empire State Ride.

Pre-Training Preparation.

Bike Fit — You’ll be spending significant amount of time on your bike. Make sure you’re sitting correctly on it. Book an appointment with a professional bike fitter to ensure that your body is in the most optimal position on your bike.

Prepare Your Body — In a previous blog, I wrote about mobility. The time you spend preparing your body during the winter off-season will pay off when bike training starts in the spring.

Training.

There are training plans coming soon on the ESR website for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders. Choose the right one for you, and once you start, focus on consistency. Getting on your bike regularly is the key to success.

Recovery.

Adequate periods of rest are essential for adaptation to training stress. Rest days and weeks are built into the training plans. It’s important to adhere to them even if you don’t feel like you need a day off or an easy recovery week.

Nutrition.

You must consume enough energy (food) to support your activity level. Your focus should be on improving your fitness, not losing weight. A major component of recovery is replacing the energy used in a training session so you can repeat it. Visit the ESR website and read some of my past blogs on nutrition for a deeper dive into this important topic.

Skills.

From learning to ride in a group, eating and drinking while moving or pedaling and shifting your bike, skills are an important part of being a good and safe cyclist. The best way to learn skills is with a local cycling club that has good mentorship leaders. Go on group rides and ask lots of questions.

See you all in July!

Coach Charlie

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Winter Training Tips:

By Coach Charlie Livermore

Embrace Indoor Training

Build a Solid Strength Routine (2–3x/week)

Focus on Cadence and Pedal Stroke Drills

Work on Weaknesses

Prioritize Recovery and Sleep

Have Fun!

Coach Charlie Livermore:

Strength and Mobility for Cycling

Strength Training

Here are some top exercises to consider:

Mobility Training

Coach Charlie

The Approach

The Start of the Climb

The Middle Section

The Top of the Hill

The First Downward Slope

The Approach to the Next Hill

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Coach charlie LIvermore on Mobility

Are narrow bike tires really better?

Debunking the Myth: Wide Tires Are Not Slower

Coach charlie LIvermore on Mobility

Coach Charlie Livermore on Pedaling.

Pedaling.

Why is pedaling technique so important?

How do you pedal efficiently?

How can I spot inefficiency in my own pedaling?

Shifting.

What's shifting all about?

On Cadence.

Bike Practice.

Coach Charlie Livermore on Nutrition and Hydration.

Hydration.

Nutrition.

Coach charlie LIvermore on Pedaling

Quick tips

Charlie Livermore's ESR Journey

On Empire State Ride.

Charlie’s reasons for coming back.

Charlie Livermore on the 100-Miler

Pre-Training Preparation.

Training.

Recovery.

Nutrition.

Skills.

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Connect with us!

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