Do you think Freddie will be up to the challenge? Let us know in the comments!

If Freddie is a beginner, there needs to be a new word for whatever I am 😭

Never mind sportives I'm convinced this guy is made for sprinting. Let's test his max watts and get him on the track!

Freddie did 200km(more than I ever tried to do), he already knows that he needs to pace it. With his determination, some training, proper nutrition and pacing, he can do it!

Freddie seems a right nice chap and I wish him all the best! You can do it, Freddie!!

312km is one level of challenge, but the 5000 metres climbing is the killer

105 Freddie. Freddie is for the people.

He went from Freddie to, “damn is that Freddie???” Hanging around all of those noodle boys.

Good luck to Freddie! It would be great to see similar videos with a girl beginner cyclist too.

@11:02 We’re gonna have to start calling him Freddie Triceps, 250 ftp with his legs 400 ftp on the hand bike 🤣

All the comments saying Freddy is not a beginner ..... He is. There's more to cycling than just thrashing the cranks on an a FTP test. A F1 driver isn't an F1 Lewis Hamilton just because they can floor the accelerator....... You have to know how to take corners, climb effectively, spring, pace , fuel and confidence in groups/peloton rides, descending at speed, managing weather effects.... The list goes on. Good effort Freddy and crack it 💪👍

Freddie is back! Amazing

Absolutely like Freddie and think he ought to do well, but no way is this a real beginner as most people would think of it.

Going beside the bed and saying "This is where the magic happens" and the look on Ollie's face...priceless!

I'm currently training to compete in the 312 in 2023.... So watching Freddie training will be a great help.

If Freddie is a beginner, then what does that make me???? a proto-noob?

Looking forward to this series, just started the Zwift Academy having cycled for 3 months. My FTP is 208 @ 107kg so hopefully get closer to Freddie over winter

When I was starting out, I wish I had done structured training early on, preformance gains are awesome with a solid training plan. Im at a point now where 100+ mile rides are no big deal.

"Beginner"? Not anymore by any stretch. lol! I would love to see an actual beginner (like me who hasn't been on a bike since childhood.) But I love Freddie and I can't wait to see how he gets along. He can do it!

It's great to see another vic.. er volunteer to show off what GCN can do. Kudos to getting Neal Henderson (aka Sir Neal) involved. Lots of knowledge behind what SYSTM is. Freddie is on great hands.

Ah yes, the 300 watts of ftp "beginner". I mean, thumbs up for Freddie, but a real beginner is more likely to be near 200 watts

"Freddie is basically GCN's C-3PO" 🤣🤣🤣 Does that make Ollie GCN's R2-D2? Data driven and the infomaniac.

This is the "How Fit Can You Get" that we've all been waiting for! For me, back in 2019, I went from about 225W FTP to about 270W in 8 weeks and I'd be willing to bet Freddie can beat that.

Finally, an amateur mini-series! Really good to see one of these on the channel

I've gone from *complete* novice, starting in May 2020 on a Carerra hybrid to completing NC500 Aug 2021 (We did NC600 😉) in 5 days and now ride at a semi-decent level. Not sure it'll be entirely doable in 7 weeks for an absolute beginner, but ya man is starting from a decent level so if he can fit the training in and get the nutrition spot on, why not!? Combination of some targeted resistance training, cardio and a lot of time on the bike, hills, flats, distance and speed. Repetition and specificity is key. These crazy endurance rides are as much about nutrition, hydration and mental stamina as they are fitness. 196 miles and 18k feet at above 14mph, in the balearic sunshine is gonna be tough! Keen to see how it goes. This has given me some inspiration for my next challenge! 👍

Looking forward to this series but still think you need a real novice who is 48 and 117kg 🤔

Newbie here, this is exactly the series ive been waiting for

Good luck Freddie. Hope to see you at the 312. I'll be asking for a push.

Go Freddie Go! We are behind you. You can do it. I will iterate the couch, don't push beyond you level in training. I did this as a power lifter and crush my lower spine. Now I just bike and stay within my limits (most of the time).

I think compared to when we've previously followed riders on structured programs (former pros and a serious amateur), we'll see spectacular results with Freddie.

I'm really impressed by his enthusiasm.

Brilliant Freddie! Thanks for sharing your journey. Great see both Lloydy and Freddie training and completing an intensive workout regime for and end result! It’s super helpful to have both ex-pro and ex-beginner showcasing at the same time. Also Freddie needs to get on the presenting side of things! He’s a natural!

Is anyone else curious about Freddie's desktop pc setup? That looked bangin 🤟🔥

Bought my first road bike February 2014.. and waited two long winter months to get it on the road (Finland). Last sunday of August on the line of Ötztaler with 238km and 5500 climbing meters and got finisher jersey. Comparing me and Freddie as being ”beginners” it’s easy to say he will finish without mechanical problem or injury. It’ll be tough ride with several toughts (mental crashing) giving up and cramps/pain, but he’ll survive it!

Freddie! Good luck, bubba. Can't wait to see how you do.

Come on GCN, it's been 10 days and we're all eagerly waiting for the next update on Freddie's journey.....

Nice setup... I am speaking about the PC. 😁 /PC-masterrace

Awesome series idea, especially with Fall and Winter approaching..gives me some incentive to ride hard in the off season!

Yesssss, Freddie is back!

This is great - audience loves Freddy since his first appearance

Freddie is young and clearly an athlete so this should be something he can handle.

Can we get an actual beginner that trains with basic equipment next time? Most of your "beginners"have extensive sporting backgrounds with top end gear reaching 300ftp while being coached by professionals. I want to see some poor 110kg, 35 year old sod following the standard training on basic equipment and see how they progress over the year.

How the heck is that a beginner cyclist ?! 300w, 200k ride, that massive saddle to bars drop... come on GCN. That's a shame it would have been a great series

This is great stuff. Looking forward to see the entire series.

We have been watching Freddie for almost a year. NOT a beginner anymore.

FairPlay to Freddie!! Looking forward to seeing how this goes for him!!! I wonder has the 312 been on……. Coz tough going through this indoor training into the winter!!

Freddie! You can do it! Thats for sure! Keep up the hard work!

Freddie comes to this challenge fairly fit. I understand the challenge is significant but Freddie isn’t an average bloke off the street - I think he’ll deliver the goods.

Great- love these series things you do!

Freddy is a great inspiration! Ride on Freddy 💪🏻👍🏻

I got into cycling the same way. By commuting to work. That progressed into getting a road bike. Then dabbled in racing. For some reason I like to suffer and feel lots of pain. But I also have the most fun riding with my friends on those hard painful rides.

Freddie is back! Hallelujah!

Nice "wheel chairs" in the interviews part. 😃

What a great series concept. You can do it Freddie. I’m sure everything is rooting for you

Can we crowdfund a proper microphone for Neal?

Love Freddy, look forward to following the mini series

Hell yeah man! All in for Freddie! He is virtually unrecognisable from his first videos. Good luck fella. 312km and 4700m is going to be insane. Such a good series idea. This is what we want to see.

Whoop a Freddie series!

Great series, amazing guy, amazing team! Really well done!!!

Best of luck to the lad, will be interesting to see how he manages and how/if his body composition changes. Also as a polyglot he'll be ready to hit the ground in Mallorca speaking the language!

Budget version of MTV's Cribz: GCN's Cavez

From other comments, I assume a lot of people would consider as beginner just people shifting from sedentary to cycling. He is a beginner at cycling. One can start strong in a discipline, based in his background, etc

This is absolutely great I'm built very very similar I'm coming in right at 94 kilos now and restarting cycling after a hernia I can't wait to see how this gets along.

Best of luck Freddie! You can do this. Your power numbers will come back in no time and keep building fron there. You can achieve a lot in seven weeks👍

Getting Freddie ready

Pretty soon Freddie can drop Olie Can’t wait to see that, next season I bet

The point is Freddie is an amateur like most of us not a racer or a pro. Someone who got into biking because he liked it. His power is redundant to me. The interest lies in what will he achieve from now with expert coaching. The value is in the process not his starting fitness. I find that inspiring and no I’m not in the vicinity of 300 W

Freddie is my favourite presenter

As opposed to many of the comments, I do think Freddie is a beginner. I think people have the misconception that when you guys say "beginner", they think of a person who ABSOLUTELY has not exercised in 20+ years of living. That's just a person who doesn't exercise, not even remotely close to being classified as a beginner. When they say beginner, they mean a person who just picked up cycling. Which Freddie is ABSOLUTELY classified as.| You can be a marathon runner that picked up cycling today, and be classified as a beginner. It's not a question about fitness, because you can LOSE fitness, it's a question of experience and knowledge. But I can sense that most comments are just looking for excuses. When Freddie climbed that hill, I'm sure 100%, every inch of his body is SCREAMING for him to stop. It's not a question of skill and experience, it's a question of WILL AND PERSEVERANCE whether he would finish it. And you just can't teach that. If you're looking for an excuse / someone to relate to that DOES NOT want to push themselves, then you won't find that person in Freddie.

Was looking for a motivational video for my husband, as I want to convince him to start training for a bicycle tour next year. And thought that might be the one, but it only demotivated him. As Freddie definitely above an average cyclist. I've been cycling most of my life and never cycled more than 120 kilometres a day and my husband felt very tired after just 35 kilometres. Would have been nice to see an actual beginner (with an average fitness level) to be trained in your video

Love from the east coast, love the cylcling videos just what I need to get it going the blood I love it. I always watch these before I go out and get my body moving. I always watch one of these, and then put up my heavy playlist like Delta Parole, Three Days Grace, System and then I just go haaaaard!!!! Tactic hasnt let me down yet.

I’m sure you will make it seeing that you have got your hands on the yellow GCN bottles to make you go faster!

Can't wait to see how Freddie does! However would love to see something similar with a beginner cyclist, like me, with a bit of pudge and who doesn't really know what she's doing!😅

Ah yeah one of those smashing out 200km beginners…..

Also Freddie seems to have a lot of muscles, a lot of them on the upper body. I think that will pose a challenge considering the steep climbs in the sportive. Will be interesting to follow his FTP and relative FTP (W/kg) development over time. Are there a lot of aid stations on a Sportive or are you required to carry a lot of water yourself?

Will he drop ollie?

Sorry guys anyone who has done 200km is not a beginner cyclist. Freddie has done well but I would love you to do a video series over say a year with someone is say 20stone and badly overweight. I love watching all the challenges and stories of you incredibly fit people but most of the stuff is just impossible for me and want some actual advice which is possible.

I think Freddie is a beginner but only experience and perhaps skills wise. When talking about fitness level he is pretty decent!

Just a brilliant Video. Well done Freddie.

This is going to be a good series 🤙🏻

A star is born

Best of luck Freddie! You'll smash it mate.

We wanna know more about Ollie too! We're missing his meet the presenter

Feels like this video is GCN trolling all the real 'beginners' 😛

Ready, Freddie, go!

Cmon Freddie you can do it.

There’s a young lad called Remco who hasn’t been cycling very long. Maybe do a beginner video with him?. Go Freddie, hope he smashes it, but he’s a bit good for a beginner.

Little disappointed you didn't do the 4DP test. Would've been cool to see all of his numbers.

What a gain! Power and biceps! ;)

Best of luck Freddie let’s gooooooo

Well done Freddie! GCN, if you want to meet a beginner, I can arrange a meeting with one at my local KFC.

i love Freddie

"Starting from zero" when I had an FTP of 300W at 80kg and I've cycled 200km before. 3.75W/kg is a strong cat B racer on Zwiftpower. You'll get it back much quicker than a true beginner could gain that! I'm sure it'll be a fun video, but the starting premise feels a little off!

Don't care if Freddie's a 'beginner'. Go back to his first videos for the real start if you want. This is a series I'm really looking forward to, just because I want to see how Freddie does!

For any beginner it is so very importaint to take it easy and to be patient. Rome wasn't build in one day. I started as a potato sack at the age of 31. It took me some months to get past the constant pain in my body, from where I could not do more than just the daily 13 km each way commuting in a controlled pace, to where I could increase the power and range. Also for the sake of the mental being.

Bit more emphasis needed on the 4.700m elevation...

Fun challenge, but Freddie is not a beginner at all. In this case, even Neal Henderson said that his numbers were better than average. The fact that Freddie has done a 200km ride and has a power to weight rato of over 3 watts per kilo tells you that he is not a beginner. I would argue that a true couch potato beginner would not even get to 2 watts per kilo. An average, fairly athletic person would be perhaps around 2 to 2.5 watts per kilo. Once again, fun challenge, but this won't really be representative of what an actual beginner could achieve in 7 weeks.

I think the people need to see the Legend Freddie in a Crit race.

This is quality content

Freddie is going to absolutely smash it. Guaranteed. The end.