Introducing Dot Comms - the audio home of ultra-distance cycling coverage brought to you by @dotwatcher.cc .
Presented by Samuel Thompson of @acier.cc , each month we will be bringing you all the latest racing news and goings-on from the ultra-distance world, and a Roundtable discussion where prominent characters from the community will share their opinions on pressing issues in the sport.
DotWatcher has for years been the go-to platform of ultra-distance cycling coverage and we want to bring the community the best of DotWatcher’s coverage in audio form - being a place where racers and fans can keep up with the action alongside DotWatcher’s online content, making it easier to follow races and for newcomers to discover the sport.
The community is such an important asset of the ultra-distance scene and we want you, as part of that community, to get involved through interactive features and opportunities to share and celebrate your experiences (mostly positive, but there may be the occasional mishaps!)
🫶We are here to bring you what you want to hear🫶
Episode 001 is now live on all major podcast platforms (link in bio to Spotify). Our first Roundtable concentrates on ultra-distance racing in the winter with esteemed guests Miron Golfman (@miron_golfman ), winner of Iditarod Trail Invitational 2023 & 2024; Nina Gässler (@nina_geiloaktiv ) organiser of the Fat Viking race; and Graeme Raeburn (@graeme_raeburn ), lead product designer at @albion.cycling .
Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss future episodes, which will be released monthly.
Acier – C’est Quoi ?!
Acier is a fresh coaching & consulting enterprise, conceived by me, @samuel88thompson , specifically focused on cyclists participating in ultra-distance events.
The genesis of Acier was formed through a combination of my boundless enthusiasm for cycling ultra-distances & the incredible community surrounding this sport, a deep interest in employing sports science to go further, faster and a desire to offer a service tailored to the multi-faceted requirements of ultra-distance events.
Acier has been designed to offer an alternative to the ‘traditional’ approach to coaching & training methods, with founding principles of providing a service that is flexible, individual and specific. Acier strives to propose something to athletes in all circumstances, with services tailored to athlete-led demands.
Acier will also actively promote the practice of ultra-distance cycling in a sustainable, responsible manner. An enduring enjoyment of this sport relies on incorporating these practices in our day-to-day lives and appreciating how our actions impact upon the wider environment.
I, @samuel88thompson , am an ABCC Level 3 Cycling Coach and experienced long-distance cyclist & racer. More about me, my sporting background and vision for Acier is coming this week. There will also follow plenty of ultra-interesting content and I’m on the lookout for volunteers to participate in what will become a regular feature. Please message me if interested.
The world of ultra-distance cycling has given me so much. I now want to give something back to the community. I hope that this enterprise can help others to achieve their personal goals and share the incredible experiences and emotions this sport can offer.
In the meantime, check out Acier.cc for more info and contact details.
#cyclingcoach #ultracycling #bikepacking #ultracyclist #selfsupportedcycling #ultracyclingrace #ultradistance #ultraendurance #adventurecycling #ultradistancecycling #cyclingtraining #coaching #ultracyclisme #longdistancecycling #ultracyclingcoach #cyclingcoaching
"Just move like a ninja in the dark and leave no trace."
That's my roommate's translation of Sam's (@acier.cc ) advice on wild camping, and honestly, once I said the fear out loud, it shrank.
Sleeping outside alone has been the scariest part of Tor Divide prep for me. But breaking it down with @acier.cc helped: it's not one big terrifying thing, it's a series of small, learnable skills.
Having someone with experience makes a huge difference. If they've done it, maybe I can too.
Next step: first night camping in the Peaks 🏕️
@thetordivide
#bikepackinguk #wildcamping #peakdistrict #womenwhocycle #tordividetraining
More Sleep = Higher Race Ranking…?
or
Snooze You Lose…?
We all know how important sleep is. Especially so in ultra-cycling, where striking the optimal balance between shut eye and the ability to keep moving at a strong pace is a key factor in race outcomes.
However, despite the growing popularity of ultra-cycling, there has been very little research carried out on the role of sleep management and sleep strategies within races.
The authors of a recent study carried out during the Race Across France in 2024 recognised this yawning gap, noting that inadequate sleep management may not only impair performance but also endanger athletes’ physical and psychological well-being.
On the @dotwatcher.cc Substack, you can read Samuel Thompson’s review of this study (currently free to read) where the key findings and takeaways are neatly summarised. The insights from this study are eye-opening and can help us all when planning and executing sleep strategies during ultra-distance events.
The lead author of the study, Rémy Hurdiel, was also recently on Episode 013 of @dotcommspod where he speaks more about this study and the research he and his team are doing in this important area. The episode is available to listen to on all podcast platforms.
Who doesn't want a short-cut to high performance without needing to spend as much time and energy on training? Maybe supplements are the solution...
The UCI recently commissioned a Sports Nutrition Project, comprising a series of research articles on various nutrition-related topics. One of these was on the use of sports foods and supplements to improve performance in cycling.
I was subsequently intrigued to investigate how relevant using supplements could be to enhance ultra-distance cycling performance and what evidence there is to support them. What I found was quite astonishing and breathtakingly earth-shattering*.
But I can't reveal all here so you will have to go to the Acier.cc website and read the article I wrote: 'Supplements: Ultra-Useful?' within the Savoir-Faire section.
As always, this article relies heavily on anecdote, guesswork and subjective opinion so fans of evidenced research may be disappointed**.
*this may or may not be exaggerating
**this may be a joke
Are you a sipper or a guzzler? A nibbler or a gorger?
You have probably heard a lot about how much you should be feeding per hour (and no, you probably don’t need 120g/hr), but does it make a difference how you dose that intake - all at once, or drip-feeding at regular intervals?
As usual, I use wild speculation, received wisdom and n=1 case studies to answer this question.
Just kidding, there is enough of that elsewhere on Instagram if oversimplified clickbaity bro science is your thing. This article is a reasoned and evidenced review of the scientific literature on the subject.
Head to the Acier.cc website and the ‘Savoir-Faire’ section to read the full article. There is also a link in the bio. You can down it in one or nibble away gradually, the choice is yours.
Following a couple of weeks of festive feasting, the next article in Acier’s series on ‘Fat: the Ultra-Distance Fuel?’ comes at a timely moment.
Titled ‘Chewing the Fat’, this piece asks whether you should be fuelling on fat during your training rides. Maybe you are fed up with sickly sweet carbohydrate-based sources of fuel, or you have a kitchen full of fatty foods left over from the festivities that need consuming. The answer is both simple and not so simple all at the same time.
As usual, there is an ultra-specific element to the considerations and plenty of takeaways which can be put into practice both in week-to-week training sessions and ultra-distance events.
The full article can be found in the Savoir-Faire section of the Acier.cc website or via the link in the bio.
Bon appétit!
TOR DIVIDE BURSARY 2026
Applications are now open for the Tor Divide Bursary 2026! Designed for riders who are curious about self-supported bikepacking but feel it might be out of reach (physically, financially, or just confidence-wise).
We believe Tor Divide can be the perfect first step: a proper challenge, a supportive atmosphere, and a stepping stone to bigger adventures.
Applications open now until 16 January 2026
Bursary rider announced by 31 January 2026
What you’ll receive
✅ Free Tor Divide 2026 entry
✅ Tailored bikepacking + training advice in the lead-up
✅ Bike fit support
✅ Support from bursary partners including tyres, kit and bags — plus heavily discounted wheels
Head to the Bursary page via our website or the link in our stories, and apply!
If this isn’t you, tag or share with someone who’s been thinking “maybe one day”.
@schwalbetyresuk@tailfincycling@ciovita@beespokewheels_uk@acier.cc@peak_bikefitting
#tordivide #bikepacking #peakdistrict #peakdistrictdivide #gravel #mtb #allterrainbike
CueMeUp: No more spreadsheets.
How many hours do you spend creating spreadsheets before your adventures, multi-day rides and races? If it is more than zero, then CueMeUp is for you.
With CueMeUp, pre-ride planning and on-the-go decision making is simplified and optimised so you can make the most of your time outdoors.
We help you seamlessly create, customize, and download elevation cue cards for your adventures.
We believe that technology should make outdoor adventures more accessible, not more complex. Our mission is to create intuitive tools that help adventurers of all levels plan, navigate, and enjoy their journeys to the fullest.
CueMeUp integrates with your preferred route planning software, ensuring no work is duplicated and allowing you to access the key information about your adventure effortlessly.
Whilst in Beta, CueMeUp is free to use. Head to Cuemeup.com to give it a try (link in bio).
It’s been a hot summer, but should it be an even hotter winter for you?
Heat training is a good thing for performing in the heat. There is no questioning that. Much of the talk now is whether the beneficial adaptations acquired from this process apply to all conditions. Wearing too many clothes with the fans off whilst on the indoor trainer or sweating away in the sauna are now very cool no matter the season.
In the latest Knowledge article on the Acier.cc website (see bio for link), I take a detailed dive into this subject, dissecting the relevant evidence and giving my reasoned hot takeaways.
So is heat training a scorching path to big gains, or just a load of hot air?
How do you ride 4,750km around France and set a world record without falling into the trap of needless suffering? This week’s guest Samuel Thompson shares his experiences of doing just that.
🎧 Listen if: You’re curious about ultra-cycling, want smarter strategies for big goals, or just love a good pastry-fueled adventure.
🔑 Key takeaways:
🕰️ Routine beats heroics: Consistency in sleep, riding hours, and food is more sustainable than “one more push”
🗺️ Prep trumps panic: Plan your route, resupply, and logistics ahead so you can actually enjoy the ride
🙏🏼 Gratitude shifts the game: Remembering you get to do this makes even the hard moments lighter
🍦 Food is strategy: Sometimes 19 ice creams and 4 croissants in a day is exactly the fuel you need.
Tune into the full episode now - tap up the link in bio or check it out on Seek Travel Ride in all pod players.
Be sure to follow Samuel via his instagram - @touriste.routier and @acier.cc
You can also check out his coaching services via - Acier.cc
