Customer Testimonials

I am a 59 year old semi-retired doctor and in 2017 I decided to undertake the challenging 1400km London Edinburgh London audax event which has to be completed in 116 hours. I had ridden events of up to 400km but I knew that I would need some professional help in getting my power and endurance up to the required levels for this event. Dan was recommended by a friend and I quickly found that my performance was imporving under Dan's guidance. Dan managed to construct a training programme around my other commitments and he was both pragmatic and encouraging throughout. I picked up an injury 3 weeks before the event and Dan was great at helping me to hold my nerve and keep the whole project in perspective. I completed the event sucessfully in 114 hours and I will have no hesitation in asking for Dan's help preparing for another ultra distance event in the future.

Dan is an excellent trainer; his knowledge is wide and complete on fitness. Where he stands out is his willingness and ability to engage with the individual, getting to know their motivation, availability and interests and tailoring the programme to meet the individual need. Sessions fly by and the next one always eagerly anticipated

What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a training plan?

I decided to start following a training plan from Dan when I realised that I needed someone with expertise in a field that I was unfamiliar with at the time. It also enabled me to structure other elements of my life around my training and vice versa, as I knew what I had planned in regard to my training in advance. This in turn enabled me to be organised in how I went about things on a day to day basis. 

What results have you achieved since starting your training plan?

From when I started training with Dan I achieved various results and improved drastically. I achieved National and Regional Titles in my respective age groups, was selected for national representation at various levels consistently, and was given opportunities to complete against some of the top cyclists in the world across Europe and beyond. 

What do you like best about our program/ having a Dan as your coach? 

What I liked best about having Dan as my coach was the level of contact and feedback that I had from him, that meant any changes to the plan could be done in advance with little notice, meaning I was always able to stay on track in regard to the training and how it was going. There was no ‘one phonecall a month’ or ‘one email every other week’, he was there for as much I needed him. Also, even when things were going well, he always encouraged me to seek out ways to improve, and it is an attitude that stood me in good stead for the rest of my cycling career to date. 

What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our coaching program?

For someone who was considering Dan as a coach, I would not hesitate to encourage them to go down that line. As far as I am concerned, I would never have been given the opportunities to race at the level I have done, or achieve the results I did without his help and I owe as much of my success to him as I do to myself, if not more. Having heard what other people around me have had to say about their coaches, I have no doubt that Dan is one of the best at what he does. The fact that he coached me, uninterrupted, for five years, and that I felt no reason to change that agreement, while others jump from person to person and company to company, speaks volumes about the quality of service he provides. 

Testimonial for Dan Bennett Progressive Cycling Coaching Ltd.

Having just successfully completed Etape du Tour 2015 and this years Prudential 100 Ride London I cannot more highly recommend Dan as my coach without whom I would have struggled.

I was a Sunday coffee and cake road cyclist with average fitness. At the age of 57 I decided I needed a challenge. I realized after reading a couple of articles I would need some advice and support if these were to be achieved. Luckily I found Progressive Cycling Coaching Ltd.

As a doctor by profession I have a reasonable knowledge of physiology and the advice that Dan consistently gave me made perfect medical sense. The goal focused training to achieve way beyond you ever imagined was fantastic.

By following Dan’s clear and well explained plans, completing the weekly reports, and the regular telephone consultations progress was impressive. I have lost 12kg in weight, increased my FTP by 15%, and completed the Pru 100 in under 5hours! The greatest achievement was the Etape du Tour. This was thanks to Dan’s holistic approach, not just exercise plans for the bike, but also, hydration, nutrition, and motivational support.

I would always look forward to receiving Dan’s email report on the last weeks training. It was detailed, relevant and tailored to my personal needs. It would make you want to go out and do all you were asked to the best of your ability. If you were ever flagging then Dan was there with a nice paradigm switch to get you back focused. Analysis of the route and pacing advice based on your powermeter records gave you great confidence in your ability.

If you are, like me, goal focused, then having a coach is absolutely vital. The investment for me was more important than the bike and therefore excellent value

Cant wait for my next challenge.

Approaching my last year as a junior, I wanted some help to fine-tune my top end fitness which is where I felt I was lacking in races. I realised I needed someone to train me to have the kick when it matters in a sprint or a late attack in a road race, rather than simply being able to sit in the bunch.

I’ve managed to improve my 10 mile TT PB as well as getting several top 10s in local road races. I also managed to get 17^th in the Junior Rutland-Melton CiCLE classic, showing I can mix it with the best junior riders. It’s still early days, though, so hopefully plenty more to come!

Dan is friendly and approachable and is willing to put in extra effort to adapt your training around life commitments. For example, we have managed to work my season around my exams in May, and Dan willingly rescheduled my plan after falling ill early in the season.

The best thing about being coached is it removes the guesswork- you know you are going to improve and you know that Dan is giving you the right training and maximise your available riding time. Also, when something does go wrong, a coach can give you helpful advice to quickly steer you back in the right direction.

‘Most people invest money into the latest kit, that may be the latest shimano or assos but by forgetting the most important part of the package, themselves they negate any advantage this may give them. Since I started working with Dan Bennett I have reduced my body fat increased my overall fitness and gained confidence in my ability to perform. Now I can purchase new kit safe in the knowledge that Dan’s enormous level of knowledge and enthusiasm combined with the support he provides have given me the ability to use it’

"I started being coached by Dan primarly to have someone who knew how to get the best use out of my recently purchased powermeter.

It turned in to so much more. Not only did I get information  and tailored training plans based on my power zones, Dan provided advice on my TT position, nutrition and stretching.

As a triathlete Dan had his work cut out fitting in my bike training around swimming and running.

He succeeded admirably and I achieved PBs at  25 and 100 mile TT distances  this year alongside and age group win at Dorney Lakes 3/4 Olympic distance triathlon and 4th AG in my first middle distance tri at Ely.

Both of these thanks to a strong bike leg.

My 10 and 50 mile TT PBs were also set under Dan's tutelage.

Whether you are a pure tester or a triathlete, I would recommend Dan's approach.  he works closely with the athlete, making sure goals are set, recorded and analysed for each race as well as season-long ones.

This and many other tips are the things I will take away from my time working with Dan.

Thanks."

Approaching retirement I was looking for a new activity.

Having been a keen and competitive runner, cycling appeared a natural alternative. However I needed advice and guidance as I wanted to enjoy riding but at the same time enter sportives and undertake long distance rides.

Dan has provided this and over the last 4 years, I have ridden events in France, the UK and last year completed the Lands End to John O Groats journey. All this has been achieved with Dan's expert  guidance following a weekly training schedule. 

I live 200 miles away from Dan but have never found this a barrier, regular phone conversations and the e mail have been more than sufficient to help ensure I reach whatever goal is planned. 

Thanks again Dan for helping make my retirement special.

"Dan has been a great help to me as an ordinary club cyclist. He has a friendly and easy manner which means he is very approachable and understanding. The training plan he produced for me is most comprehensive and, as I aspire to follow it, I have already felt the benefits which makes my cycling even more enjoyable. Above all I know that Dan is always willing to provide further help and guidance as I need it."

My first season being coached by Dan and very good it has been, I am now more confident with my bike skills in races and know were to be in the group. I started as a 4th cat and now I have got one of my goals and have become a 3rd cat (thanks Dan) his help to me has always been very professional.

Being a typical club cyclist, Dan's training plan was a breath of fresh air. Each session has a reason, including the club runs which became more structured. Despite only starting the plan in November, the results are already evident. My strength has improved markedly, while my weight has reduced to a level that I haven't seen for 15 years. Thanks to Dan, I'm entering my first racing season with expectation, rather than trepidation.

Dan has made a huge improvement to my progression in cycling with a training plan and with his hands on experience and tips he has changed my thinking. The performance has improved as well as my enjoyment. I would recommend anyone to talk to Dan and he will bring order where there was chaos!

....with encouragement and support from Dan, my first year on a bike has been most enjoyable.  He has devised for me an individual structured training plan which has given me the confidence to try an array of cycling disciplines.  I find Dan incredibly likeable, knowledable, unbiased, supportive and has an amazing enthusiasm for cyclists and their progress whatever their level......

Dan has brought a great level of purpose and focus to my approach to training and road racing. Previously I entered races completely unsure of what to do or how it would unfold. Now, Dan provides me with the ability to plan and execute race craft. With Dan's guidance over my last two races, I achieved 7th and 3rd places which is enough points to gain Cat 3 status.

Riding with Progressive Cycle Coaching

About me. My name is Chris Cottrell, I’m a 47 year old telecommunications executive and PKD sufferer. Last year I rode the Dragon Ride as a personal challenge and to raise money for the UK PKD charity http://www.pkdcharity.co.uk/. I managed to get round the Dragon Ride in a slow time of 8hrs 4 min with the help of some good riding buddies and support at the roadside by family and friends. After the ride I decided that I could probably go much faster but would need a coach to provide direction and motivation. I found Dan on the web and after providing a letter from my GP saying that I wouldn’t drop dead in training I embarked on the 1^st  3 month plan with Dan. I’m now coming to the end of the 2^nd 3 month plan.

The challenge. At 6ft 3in and 14st I am never going to climb like Michael Rasmussen but the challenge I set Dan was to improve my climbing by about 10% to aid with the long climbs in sportive riding. I modified Dan’s climbing base line test so I use the same climb and measure improvement. The climb I use is known locally as “Westbury Quarry”. It is parallel to Cheddar Gorge and starts in Rodney Stoke and finishes just above the quarry above Westbury sub Mendip on the south side of the Mendip hills. The climb itself is a country lane; it is 2.25km long and about 200m of climbing. It has three pitches with some near flat bits linking them up, each of the pitches is about 14% to 16% with the average grade at 8.5%. My times have improved from a woeful 13min 54sec to a plodding 12min 16sec, however I think this is brilliant given my PKD. 

PKD. Polycystic Kidney Disease is the most common life threatening genetic disease, it affects an estimated 12.5 million people worldwide regardless of sex, age, race or ethnic origin. In fact PKD affects more people than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, haemophilia, Downs syndrome and sickle cell anaemia — combined. The chances of having it are about 1-800 in the general population but if you have it the chances of passing it on to your children is 1-2.

PKD and Me. We get on ok. I have 40% kidney function, well below normal haematocrit and haemoglobin levels and require blood pressure medication daily. My donations website is now close but you might find it interesting.http://www.justgiving.com/chriscottrell

This Years Challenge. This years Dragon Ride is 25% longer with 50% more climbing, my aim is to get round in the same time as last year for the longer, harder course. It’s a big ask…………..

Me and Dan. Dan provides me with a comprehensive training programme. I can usually only manage about 60-70% of it due to work and family commitments however Dan’s advice, positive attitude and cheery approach are very encouraging. We’ve never met so everything is done by email and phone. Is it hard? No doubt about it. Does it work? No doubt about that either. Nice one Dan.

Dan Bennett was a great help to my training, before I started Dan’s program I would train with no guidance and I would see no improvement. Since starting the program I can always see big improvements after each 3 month program. The big difference is Dan is always available for expert advice so my training is always working and improving for me. Cheers Dan….

My training on the bike was a bit hit and miss, to say the least.

Having enlisted Dan Bennett's services, he provided me with realistic goals and targets, helped me focus, and greatly increased my fitness and mental attitude.

After a couple of "stale" seasons I contacted Dan for a training program.

Best thing i've ever done, started in June and by September had got within 12 secs. of my 10 mile p.b and 30 secs. of my 25 p.b.

Currently enjoying my first real winter's training and can't wait for the season to start, with Dan's expertise in fitting training around work and family commitments i fell that this season is gonna be a good one.

Thanks Dan.

Dan has helped not only with my fitness but also my mental preparation, race planning, tactics and general organisation.

One of the main benefits of having Dan is that I have a specific training programme that I can follow that makes my riding a lot more structured and after just finishing my winter training I can say that it is very effective!!

Dan is also available to talk anytime I need help or need advice with my training which is very helpful.

Entering my second season being coached by Dan, I have found his knowledge and experience invaluable. Initially I was on the Intra programme last year which was really useful and one I followed as closely as I could.Unfortunately I only managed a hand full of events last season, but I'm sure that I wouldn't have been able to do as well if I'd gone it alone and really valued the purpose of each session.

This year, I've gone up one level to the Performer plan as I have added a PowerTap to my training arsenal with the gains it gives. I have been using the Performer Program since the start of the year and can honestly say that I've been surprised at how much quality over quantity my training has had thanks to Dan's direction and thoroughness of his program custom made around the time I have to train (with a busy work schedule and family).

My personal favourite are the 'tempo' sessions as I get to see how much power I put out using my Powertap and the accurate nature which I'm training within. Dan's as good, if not better than the 'top' coaches you read about in the magazines, and If you're lucky enough to get out on a ride with him, you'll understand why..

Dan has been training me for road racing for just over a year now. In that time I have enjoyed my best ever season, uninterrupted improvement and fantastic motivation.

Dan has been so reliable and supportive, I couldn't ask for more.

I’m now into my 3^rd training plan with Dan Bennett and I can feel the benefits starting to emerge.

By the end of last season I was spending too much time entering events and pushing myself too hard. The effect was totally negative, I started going slower and knew I had to deal with the situation.

This is when I contacted Dan, he assessed my available time to train, my family commitments and my goals and structured a plan that fitted in comfortably.

Like any form of training, it’s not all easy going but I feel fitter and stronger on the bike now and the season has not yet started for me. Also many of my midweek sessions have been turbo trainer based and that frees up the time I need for my work and family.

When I enter the early season events at least I will feel confident knowing that I’ve trained for them and given myself my best chance.

Thanks for the training regime, advice and help, through good and bad really. I certainly would not have trained as hard on my own. My cycling style has changed I now ride in a bigger gear and am able to ride more frequently for further (my recovery between rides is better). As for future rides, I don't know yet I will let the dust settle and see what happens. One thing is for sure every amateur cyclist should seek professional advice with regard to training for an event at least once during their cycling life time.

Once again many thanks and I plan to keep in touch if that's ok.

Kind regards,
Mark.

P.S. I'll toast Progressive Cycling when I next crack open a beer; cheers Dan!! - that's when my hydration level returns to normal (I'm even taken note of my nutrition course)

Thank you Dan, for getting me to the finish line of the Switzerland Half Ironman. It was the third half ironman that I have done and I wanted to see some changes in my performance. I needed to go back to the start to improve my training and bike skills and focus on the techniques that I would need in replication of the course that I would be doing in Switzerland. Loving those hills! We started by cycling in the pouring rain and I remember  dreading it, I usually 'turbo' when it rains. I learnt a lot about dealing with the weather, what impact it has on me and and other users of the road. Over a course of sessions we worked on cornering, speed, maintaining speed, visual awareness, using correct gears, overtaking, eating, drinking, balancing, pacing distances, long distances, going up hills, and descending, using the tri bars,signalling to other cyclists/group and signalling to other motorists. All of this I could do with a huge degree of instability and lack of balance. Now I can do them with speed and am a much better cyclist. You have helped my belief become reality in evident show of safety, speed and confidence. My next challenge is the 3/4 Ironman in two weeks, then I shall be calling on your help again for a Full Ironman next year.

I like most people live an increasingly busy lifestyle which invariably reduces the time I can dedicate to training. Therefore I need to make each and every ride count which until I sort Dan's advice I clearly wasn't doing. Now with a structured, tailor-made programme each session has a purpose and I have already begun to win some races!

If you're going to make the effort to get out on the bike - why not make it count. With Dan's help you can.

"I've been training with Dan on the Performer Plan for just over a year now (or a season, as I've learned to call it ;) ). Prior to starting with Dan, I'd been self-coaching for a period of about 15 years in a mixture of running and cycling. I'd read endless books and articles on training sessions and plans, and tried my best to put those ideas into practice. Working with Dan has completely transformed my training.

Having someone to be accountable to, and someone to inspire me to set goals and then work towards them has made a big difference. When it's time to ride hard, Dan has had me riding harder and longer than I ever would have done on my own. But when it's time to rest, Dan has also ensured that I built in proper recovery time - something I was never very good at in the past.

Better than any book or plan on the web, Dan is able to adapt the training schedule around my on-the-bike performances, and also around business trips, illness, and anything else that gets in the way.

Does it work? Absolutely!

Last season was my best ever by a long way - I competed in events I never would have tackled before, and rode the best times of my life.

Signing up for coaching from Dan is far better value than any component upgrade you may be considering for your bike... highly recommend!"

Training with Dan has been a revelation. I never knew I could achieve so much, In my first season with Dan I have considerably improved my time trial PBs and even won a club championship - my first ever cup! My training plan is focused, effective and fits perfectly with my lifestyle. Dan is generous with his time and advice, consistently positive, cheerful and encouraging, even with the face of the ups and downs of female hormones! Thanks Dan, I can't wait for next year.

Dan helped me through a serious knee injury recently. His strength and re-conditioning program helped my recovery a great deal. The exercises were easy to execute. Not only that, but the program helped me gain a high level of understanding for the injury. With that information it was easy to see that Dan was the best person for the job. I was out of competition for 2 months and that required a special person to keep me focused. When my mind wavered, Dan was quick to bring it back to the task in hand.

At the time of the injury I was riding for Cyclingnews-Jako. A professional cycling team based in Belgium. I had a large base of professionals available for the job. Chosing Dan was the right choice. Thanks Mate.

I have been riding for 30 years always wanting to be better but never going to worry the Pros! As time went on I was wanting to push myself further to see what I could do and how good I could get, so it was all about getting the most out of what I have. So I decided to try a proper training plan. I had tried a self help approach reading books and websites for a few years and achieved some performance gains but when I started working with Dan having the tailored structure and forward plan was just what I needed to step up another level. Well two or three levels in the end. 

Results - well shifted 12kgs in weight which is the biggest determining factor in performance gains! On sportives - went from a "lets get round the course" to top 10% and gold standard. Completed the La Marmotte in 2013 - most didn't. 

Tailored approach that is explained. Easy to follow guides to the training sessions. Frequent discussions about approach and any training issues. Can fit a plan within whatever time you have available and they will all have a beneficial effect. Start the plan off with a target setting session.  Dan never judges you....gives support and a plan. Also helps if you give him something to work with like targets. Also goes beyond just riding including nutrition, recovery, plan towards a key target ride etc.

Just do it. It works. You'll spend more on bike bits that have less effect on speed than tuning the engine!

After a hiatus of almost 20 years from road racing, I decided to return to competition.

I researched a number of online coaching services and personal coaching options prior to making my decision, but I have been very pleased with the choice I made. I can highly recommend Dan as a coach, and found him to be knowledgeable and personable.

Dan was prompt in responding to my initial enquiries, and took the time to explain his training philosophy, and question me regarding my goals and ability