Understanding Garmin Cycling Ability and Event Profiles

Cycling ability and event course profiles are unique tools designed to reveal your strengths as a rider and where to focus your efforts to improve. You can even analyze courses to understand their demands and how they compare to your current ability.

Compatible Garmin devices construct your cycling ability profile using advanced analytics, applying physiological models to interpret combinations of heart rate and power data during your rides. You can ensure the quality of your profile by recording all your training activities with a both a heart rate monitor and a power meter paired to your device. Fresh activity data keeps your profile active and you can expect your profile to expire after a month of inactivity.

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Viewing the Cycling Ability Glance

Before you can view your cycling ability, you must have a 7-day training history, VO2 max data recorded in your user profile, and power curve data from a paired power meter. To learn more about these features, see your owner's manual.

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The goal of analyzing the required training data is to reveal your ability to perform across the three key performance categories: aerobic endurance, aerobic capacity, and anaerobic capacity. This is achieved by considering combinations of VO2 max, power curve data, recent and longer-term training load distributions along with the intensity and duration of relevant rides.

Anaerobic/Aerobic Requirements

	VO2 max	Power Records	Training Load Focus
Anaerobic Capacity		5sec, 1min, 5min	Anaerobic
Aerobic Capacity	✔	20min, 60min	Aerobic High
Aerobic Endurance*	✔	120min	Aerobic Low
* Aerobic Endurance also incorporates an analysis of duration and intensity data from relevant rides in your activity history.

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Determining Your Rider Type 

Your current rider type is identified once your device has enough data to confidently assess your abilities. In addition to your performance abilities, information you enter about yourself, like body weight for example, also helps determine your rider type when it impacts what you can achieve.  

Rider types include Challenger, All-rounder, Endurance Specialist, Road Sprinter, Flat Specialist, Climber, Puncheur, and Sprinter.  

The first step towards classifying your current profile is to confirm basic fitness in at least one of the three performance categories. When general training is your best opportunity for development, your rider type is identified as Challenger.

Once basic fitness levels are confirmed, the classification process starts from your strongest ability and proceeds based on your relative strengths in the other two categories. For example, if aerobic endurance is by far your strongest ability, then your rider type will logically be classified as Endurance Specialist. If your aerobic endurance and anaerobic capacity are equal with aerobic capacity lagging, then your rider type will be identified as a Road Sprinter. When your aerobic endurance, aerobic and anaerobic capacities are equal, the All-rounder designation comes into play.

Definition of Event Profiles

Classification	Description
Challenger	Regular training with a balanced approach holds the key to across-the-board development of your abilities over time.
All-Rounder	Each of your performance capacities falls in a similar range and you are likely competitive in a range of events.
Endurance Specialist	Fatigue resistance gives you an advantage over the course of long rides performed steadily and with moderate intensity.
Road Sprinter	Combined strengths in endurance and anaerobic capacity translate into an ability to punctuate long rides with powerful attacks.
Flat Specialist	Pushing your limits on flat courses benefits from the strong capacity of your aerobic energy pathways.
Climber	Strong aerobic capacity combined with advantages in power-to-weight ratio return benefits on long and steady climbs.
Puncheur	Rolling hills and repeated sprints are ideal turning this combination of aerobic and anaerobic capacities into an advantage.
Sprinter	Strong anaerobic capacity translates into a preference for short bursts of pure power and speed.

To learn more about Cycling Ability and other cycling science features see our technology page - Garmin Technology - Cycling Science.