Case study
Barry-Roubaix winds through the scenic roads of Barry County, Michigan — 80% gravel, with stretches of pavement, rough two-track, rocks, sand, mud, and whatever the Michigan spring decides to throw at you. Named after the legendary Paris-Roubaix, it earns the comparison. An 8-week coaching experiment on these roads turned into a product. This is how Vibe Coach got its first real test.
The setup
I've ridden Barry Roubaix four times. I know the course. I know what the gravel does to your legs in the second half. And I know what it feels like to show up undertrained and just survive it.
In early 2026 I decided to do something different. Instead of winging the prep, I started a structured coaching conversation with AI. Not to build a product. Just to see if it could actually help me prepare.
The parameters were straightforward: FTP of 216W, a max HR of 175, about 4 hours per week available to train, mostly on Zwift and Peloton with outdoor rides when Michigan cooperated. Goal was to finish strong, not race all out.
What followed was eight weeks of coaching that felt genuinely different from anything I'd done as a self-coached athlete.
Athlete profile going in
FTP
216W
Max HR
175 bpm
Weekly volume
4 hrs/week
Training days
Mon / Wed / Fri + long weekend ride
Setup
Zwift, Peloton, outdoor on Ibis Hakka MX
Goal
Finish strong. Enjoy the ride.
The philosophy behind the plan
“PRACTICE DOESN'T MAKE PERFECT.
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT.”
This wasn't a plan built around peak performance. It was built around a simple idea: make 170W feel easy late in a long ride. Make the fueling automatic. Make the pacing instinctive. Not a performance machine. A process that sticks.
How the coaching worked
01
It started with data
FTP, max HR, weekly availability, training history, and goal type. The coach used these to build a realistic starting framework, not an ideal athlete's schedule.
02
It adjusted every week
After each ride, data went in. Power graphs, HR zones, body state scores. The coach compared actual output against the plan and adjusted the next session accordingly.
03
It flagged what mattered
Cardiac drift too high on long rides? More Zone 2. HRV low? Reduce intensity. Aerobic efficiency improving? Extend the tempo blocks. The signal always came from the data.
04
It practiced the race
Fueling was rehearsed on every long ride. Pacing strategy was built around actual race demands. The goal was for race day to feel like a ride you'd already done.
The training focus
The early data told a clear story. After months of VO2-focused training, the top-end was there. But 150W was costing 145 to 150 bpm. For a 3-plus hour event, that's a problem.
The coach shifted emphasis almost immediately. Less VO2 work, more Zone 2. One structured sweet spot session per week. Long rides with a controlled tempo finish that got progressively longer. The goal was simple: make 150W cost 135 to 140 bpm by race day.
That shift in aerobic floor is what allows you to bank energy in the first half and actually have something for the second.
Weekly structure across 8 weeks
Monday
Sweet spot intervals
2x10 building to 2x15 min at 88-90% FTP
Wednesday
True aerobic ride
45 min at 135-145W. HR cap enforced.
Friday
Tempo durability
20-30 min continuous at 165-170W
Weekend
Long ride with tempo finish
90 min Z2, then 25-40 min at 170-175W
Race day
The conditions were not ideal. A soaking wet morning, gravel roads that had absorbed enough rain to turn soft and heavy. The kind of riding where every push forward costs more than it should.
I started with my brother-in-law. We rode together through the first half, then split into individual efforts as the fatigue set in for him. I kept my pacing controlled through the first hour, leaned on the fueling strategy I'd rehearsed, and pushed through the second half.
The training worked. Not because the plan was perfect, but because it was consistent. Eight weeks of deposits. The process became permanent enough to show up on race day — his strongest Barry Roubaix finish in four attempts. Not because he trained harder. Because he trained smarter.
Race day fueling
2.5 hrs out
Double espresso, bagel with cream cheese
Start line
Banana
On bike
Tailwind (hydration and carbs), maple waffle, fruit bar, coffee syrup, GU chews
Per hour
Approx 43g carbs. Functional but below optimal 60-70g target.
What to do differently next time
Increase carbs toward 60-70g/hr using Tailwind as the primary lever
Add a late-race caffeine dose around mile 18-20
Start more conservatively in the first 20 minutes
From experiment to product
It was conversational
The coaching happened in a conversation, not a spreadsheet. Questions got answered. Data got interpreted. The plan evolved through dialogue.
It adapted every week
No rigid plan survived contact with actual training. The coach adjusted based on what I actually did, not what it assumed I would do.
It should be accessible
Most athletes who train this seriously don't have a human coach. They self-coach with data and intuition. Vibe Coach sits in that gap.
Your turn
The same coaching that built this race block is now a product. Join the early access list and get it when the next wave opens.