A Rolling Conversation with U23 Pro, Reid Kinniburgh

Reid Kinniburgh, a talented young U23 Canadian road cyclist and member of the TaG Cycling Racing Team has experienced the highs and lows of the pursuit of professional cycling. With multiple completions of North America’s biggest races under his belt, including Redlands Bicycle Classic, Tour of the Gila, Tour de Beauce, Joe Martin Stage Race, among others, he’s got a solid feel for the North American pro circuit. Like many Canadian riders, he’ll have a mix of time abroad in warmer climates like Spain, to log the big miles, and time in his home of Calgary, Alberta. We caught up with Reid on a relatively warm winter group ride, near 4iiii headquarters, to chat about his cycling life and to get some insight on how he’s gotten to this stage in his career.

You had a great performance in Edmonton, AB at the 2023 Canadian Road Race National Championships, getting in the break of the day and eventually claiming 8^th in the Elite Men’s race. You followed up this past season with a 3^rd place in the Elite Men’s Criterium National Championships in Beauce, QC. Tell us a bit about those race experiences and how they played out for you?

Yeah, Road Nationals is always a big target for me and the team each year, so it’s always nice to have a good performance there. Racing against some top pro riders and the best in Canada is definitely a different experience, and fun to take on with such a large team. In Edmonton, the team did a great job covering all the moves over a long day, and I happened to find the right one at the end. This year I knew the crit was a great course for me with a hard climb, I was really happy to have a solid ride there and find the podium.

TaG Cycling Race Team has been doing a consistent job of developing the next generation of talented road racers in Canada, both men and women. What have been some of the highlights of your race career so far, racing with the team? What are some of the best places you’ve had the chance to explore by bike with them?

Travelling to Europe with the team is always a highlight for me. It’s amazing to experience a different part of the world while racing there. Going from racing in North America to racing in Europe is always a fun and challenging transition, with the larger fields and difficult terrain. With the racing is being so demanding, it’s a great way to level up your racing skills and fitness. Another highlight for me is going to Spain for training camps with my teammates at the beginning of the season. The roads and nice weather make it easy to get some quality base miles in before the race season begins.

As a cyclist growing up in Canada, you’ve had to face the realities of our non-cycling-friendly winters, what’s been the approach that helps you stay motivated and on track for the spring season? Any cross-training activities that you’re particularly fond of?

I think the best approach for me in the winter season is to keep a good variety in my training and doing activities I enjoy. This usually includes XC skiing, hiking, gym sessions, and also some time on the indoor trainer. Whenever some nice weather rolls around it’s always fun to get on the gravel bike for some longer rides as well.

Is your coach (assuming you have one), building most of your programs based on power zones? If so, what kind of tests do you use to establish those zones?

Yes, most of my workouts and programs are based on power zones and sometimes heart rate. Usually at the beginning of a big training block we will do a 30s , 5min and 12min test to set my zones for upcoming workouts. It’s also good to look back at previous tests to see where I’m at compared to previous years, and note the progress.

Do you try to correlate power and heart rate as a guideline for fitness and fatigue, or one more than the other? If so, how do you relate the two?

I don’t look at them together too much but sometimes when the heart rate is not correlating with the power zones it’s a good indicator for some rest. There are times after a long training block that heart rate can seem lower than usual which can mean some higher fatigue, which is the goal at certain points in the season. Sometimes it can be hard to decide whether it is fatigue, or if I just need to push through, but that’s where good communication with my coach can help.

What would a week of off-season / build season look like for you in terms of training rides?

A lot of my off-season is just longer steady rides and gym sessions. When it starts snowing and I can’t get outside most of my indoor training workouts are lower rpm torque intervals to continue building some power. My week would usually have two gym sessions, a few trainer rides and then an XC ski or hike.

When you’re priming for upcoming races and sharpening your fitness, what would some of those efforts/workouts look like?

When I am getting ready for a race my coach will usually give me some high-intensity efforts for the few weeks leading up to the race. This would probably be a classic 30s /30s workout or a 4x4min, to really push the power and get my heart rate up. With these workouts I get a range of power to do them in but they are more about pushing the max I can do for the day.

You’ve had to overcome a few injuries in the past couple of seasons, what were they (if you feel comfortable going into detail) and how has the road to recovery been from those derailments in training/racing?

I had to get knee surgery last fall after some ongoing issues but had a pretty smooth recovery with it. It took a couple of months to rehab the knee and then a couple more to get some fitness back. The recovery process was slow but it worked out to be back on the bike for the start of race season. It was good to learn some lessons about recovery and also injury prevention for the future, which is a positive takeaway.

How have you and/or your coach been able to use the power data post-race or post-season to analyze where things are at, where changes might need to be made, etc?

At the beginning of the season, I set some power goals so it’s good to look back to see if I achieved those at the end of the year. If I was short on a couple of those goals or had a specific power range that I struggled in throughout different races, that’s also helpful to know and I work on those over the off-season. Every race is different and requires a certain type of power, so if I have any key races I want to target it’s always a good idea to determine what power zones I need to work on specifically for the event.

When you’re racing, are you referencing your power numbers at certain points within the race (if so when?), or is it just a matter of following the wheels and riding on feel?

When I’m racing I don’t look at power much unless it’s a time trial and I have a set power to push for the event. In a road race, it’s more about following wheels and using energy efficiently. Sometimes in a breakaway or solo effort, it can be helpful to glance at power and see how hard you’re pushing and know how long you can manage the effort.

Are there any particular workouts that you look forward to? Any that you fear a bit lol?

Some of my favourite workouts would be race simulations or fatigue resistance sessions. I don’t do them too often but sometimes if I have a key event my coach will make a longer workout with specific intervals that are required for the upcoming race. These are quite difficult but always a great boost for the confidence and get the body ready for a goal event.

What advice or tips would you share with any young Canadian cyclists aspiring to get to the pro ranks and chase the cycling dream?

The advice I would give to younger riders would be to have fun with the experience and race as much as possible!