Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-19 Duchy Cycling Coaching

Event Faster at 40+

Keep it in the Day!

The Duchy cycing coaches are back with more awesome insights on how riders 40, 50, 60+ (they’re even helping riders 70+) can go faster on their bikes.

There are some just classic themes from this episode:

How to Come Back from a Slump

Abandon the Numbers!

The Sum Total of All Stresses

and my favorite:

Keep it in the Day

Here’s to all us Busy People Trying to Ride Our Bikes Fast.

This is Episode 3 of 3 with Duchy Cycling Coaching, a highly recommended coaching company that focuses on cyclists 40+, but younger riders can learn a lot from Duchy.

https://www.duchycyclecoaching.com

The Duchy coaches are former European pros and their insights on what helps older riders are extremely valuable.

Huge thanks to Will Harper, Duchy founder, and Alex Sanković, a Duchy Coach.

Title and end credit song:

The North of California by The Guide to Fast Living

https://open.spotify.com/track/7Ml8DDrduQFbQpeMyympyr

00:33 Focus on Fueling

01:53 Nigel’s Story on Fueling Benefits

04:15 The Duchy Process

05:10 Eating More on the Bike

06:00 Fuel Yourself on the Bike

06:25 We Need Coaches

07:00 Coming Back from a Slump

07:13 Abandon the Numbers

08:48 Keep it in the Day

09:58 Stop Comparing Yourself

10:52 Just Go Out and Ride

12:05 Your Body is Your Temple

13:07 The Sum Total of All Stresses

14:35 Busy People Trying to Ride Our Bikes Fast

Links

Duchy Coaching Website

https://www.duchycyclecoaching.com

Duchy on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/duchycoaching

Duchy YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOLaqAuYc7GI7y2IQG1YgQ

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Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-18 Duchy Cycling Coaching

Fast at 40, 50, 60+

This is Episode 2 of 3 with Duchy Cycling Coaching, a highly recommended coaching company that focuses on cyclists 40+, but younger riders can learn a lot from Duchy.

https://www.duchycyclecoaching.com

The Duchy coaches are former European pros and their insights on what helps older riders are extremely valuable.

Huge thanks to Will Harper, Duchy founder, and Alex Sanković, a Duchy Coach.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-17 Duchy Cycling Coaching

Older Cyclists Need to Train Differently

I’m trying a bit of a new approach with this episode. I’ve got a full hour with the coaches at Duchy Cycling Coaching, but am breaking it up into 3 shorter episodes. This is episode 1 of 3.

I don’t even remember how I got on the Duchy email list but I am SO happy I did.

These guys have absolutely game changing advice to help you be a faster cyclist.

Even more importantly their advice will give you perspectives that will help you take a much healthier approach to your riding and enjoy it more.

I’ll add that even though their coaching is focused on older riders 40, 50, and 60+, younger riders should pay attention. You can get a lot wrong as a younger rider and still be fast.

But a lot of these tips could give you a real competitive advantage.

Huge thanks to Will Harper, Duchy founder, and Alex Sankovic, a Duchy coach.

Duchy Coaching Website

https://www.duchycyclecoaching.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-16 - Dennis Verity

You Never Got Off the Bike

Happy Birthday to my stepfather Dennis. On your day I wanted to take few moments to recognize you with two cycling anecdotes that represent many ways you had brought a great presence to my life.

One important thing I need to correct: at the Hilly Hundred in Indiana my stepfather actually rode 55 miles that first day. I misspoke as it was the second day that was only 45. Incredible!

"Lanterne Rouge" is the name for the person in last place in a bicycle stage race (a multiple bike races over multiple days where the overall time and/or points by the end of the race determine the winners.

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This is a slightly different episode as it's just me, Kurt Hoffmann, with an update on Burning Matches cycling podcast as of February 27, 2026.

"Cycling Has Been My Salvation Always" is my favorite line from the episode. I cannot tell you all the times I have been so low or lost, but somehow getting on the bike changes everything every time.

I remember one time in particular during the past couple years I was so utterly depressed. It was a depression unlike anything I had ever experienced. It just would not stop for an entire year. One day laying on the couch I just said to my self: GET ON YOUR BIKE. You have to get on your bike.

And I did. I put no expectations on myself except to pedal. Maybe ride to the end of the block, maybe a mile. As I kept going, through Montgomery Village, a tiny momentum found it's way and then I was in the Montgomery neighborhoods, that great tree in the middle of the road, kept going into Howarth, onto Channel. I was barely there just spinning around 12 mph, but it helped to just keep pedaling.

I was making my way through Oakmont when I saw two riders coming the other direction. As they got closer I recognized them. It was Mike and Natalie from Red Peloton! I was so grateful to be riding with them.

Just being with two teammates had me feeling better in minutes. Mike asked me if I was up for a sprint to light pole in the distance. Man, that felt so GOOD!!!

There was a similar afternoon recently where I found myself dead again on the couch from the weight of it all. I had posted how down I was online and saw there were messages from my teammate Clint and Mark Tucker. From those encouraging words I returned to my own mantra: JUST GET ON YOUR GODDAMN BIKE! I was processing it all when a call came through from another Red Peloton team mate Brett. He was checking in on me as he had heard about my post.

For some reason that broke me and I was in tears. We had a long talk and one of the things he said was, "You are resilient! You'll get through this!"

That phrase stayed with me in the days and weeks following. I was so happy to get out on a ride with Brett, Clint and Brian that Saturday. We all needed it.

To so many people on the road, whether we had a great talk, or just spent some time quietly riding by each other, you have no idea the difference you made.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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I’m really happy to present a look behind the scenes of veloToze cycling gear company.

I love this episode. It captures how cyclist’s devotion to endless improvement can permeate into the rest of our lives.

A huge part of the fun of cycling is all the toys we get to play with. How cool to share the road with the inventor of multiple of my favorite toys!

Joe Feng is a great rider who - through his company veloToze - has created many products that have become essential gear in our efforts to “outsmart the elements.”

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Sycip/Devout bike racing team was one of the teams that caught my attention when I got back into bike racing in 2022. Multiple riders from this team were doing impressive things on Sonoma County group rides, at the local TNT criteriums series, 2 Rock training races and at USA Cycling events throughout Northern California - and competing nationally.

It was especially impressive that this is a team of all juniors. On any given week you can find Sycip/Devout juniors going strong on group rides and on podiums for both men and women races.

It was great to talk to Sycip/Devout cofounder Jon Fisher about how the team grew out of his and his wife’s love of riding and supporting their 5 kids with healthy lifestyles and values.

Mentors and parents had an even greater impact than I realized on my cycling and it’s an honor to recognize people like Jon who make the wheels go around for young riders, the future of this great sport.

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Mark Tucker has been one of my favorite bike racers to watch since returning to racing in 2022. I’m excited for you to get to know Mark and get insights on this great sport!

In this episode you’re going to get a lot of great bike racing tips but even if you’re not a bike racer you will learn how to improve your cycling no matter what riding level you’re at.

I love that Mark did not even get into cycling until his 40s due to a back injury (he didn’t even like the idea of cycling as a form of exercise when his doctor first suggested it!), but has built an absolutely dominating record on the bike.

Most of all Mark’s passion for bike racing illuminates something truly special about this sport: you can bring the fire at ages when most people can no longer enjoy the sports they once loved. You can ride a century, you can ride across the country, and YES you can race your bike even into your 90s!

I recently visited my brother who nearly died from cancer earlier this year. His first exercise in his journey of recovery from surgery and radiation was when we got out for a 12-mile ride together. He was hooked! We rode over 50 miles together that week and riding is now a part of his weekly routine.

No matter what your level of riding - getting in 10 miles or riding 50 races a year - I hope Mark’s story will inspire you to get on your bike and feel the fire!

PS I’m listing this here so you don’t have to hunt through the episode to see that Mark’s all time power record is 371 watts - I believe my top FTP is around 220 watts. I’ve got some work to do!

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Any interested in riding long distances on their bike won't want to miss this!

I’m incredibly excited about this episode with my first cycling hero Lon Haldeman. When I first fell in love with riding a bike as a kid in the very early 80s, articles and tv coverage of Lon Haldeman racing across America created absolute awe and inspiration for how far your will paired with this simple machine could take you in all meanings of those words.

I was going through a very difficult time in the Spring of 2025 when a number of serendipitous events led me to peel my 1983 St. Louis Cycling Club membership card out of an old photo album. Seeing the surprise that had remained hidden since the card was first placed under that film 40 years ago let me know that not only were things were going to be okay but that life had a lot of great surprises ahead for me.

Note this episode was first recorded in April 2025 and had a number of delays, so some items referenced like the Terrible Two ride are now passed.

Thank you Lon for sharing your story and making such a difference in so many people’s lives, including mine.

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