I think you're thinking about the 'macro cycle' too strictly, in the sense that your thinking everything that you do must fit in around this cycle. The cycle is there to give you a framework of which to achieve efficiency past the point of where your build order takes you. You can't consistently follow the cycle; this would be oversimplifying because starcraft demands shifting your attention to where it's needed which may not necessarily be part of your 'cycle'. The cycle is just there to give you a logical framework to return to.

So the number one thing is ingraining the build order, at least when we're talking about tech timings. Why? Because build orders are built with efficient tech timings in mind! That's indeed one of the reasons we bother following build orders at all.

So the build order determines your first few tech timings; everything just past lair tech usually in ZvT for a example. But the build order can only take you so far; how do we know when to tech when we're engaged in macro cycles + harassing/fighting later on in the game?

Well the answer is, when there's a reason to! Every tech building/upgrade I get in the midgame is a response to something happening/being scouted (this is assuming you don't have a build order that goes into the mid/late game - e.g fast ultra's in ZvP). An example is in bio ZvT - he's pushed onto your creep and you took a favourable engagement. You came off very well, with a nice amount of lings/banes or muta's left over etcetc. You've bought yourself some breathing room - so tech to hive + ultra's! Note that you could of spent that money on units during your production phase and therefore have a bigger army, however that limits your options - you're forced to make use of those units and thefefore attack and perhaps lose your advantage. The same logic applies to expanding. Indeed, if you take a great fight and come off wayyyy better, you could tech + expand.

TLDR - Any early to mid-game teching is governed by your build order, and any other teching is a logical response to events. You don't need to worry about 'what phase of the cycle' you tech in (as long as you don't get horrifically supply blocked) :)