These tips will help you to become a faster, fitter cyclist. They include everything from how to climb to motivating yourself to preparing mentally.
1. Climb higher
We says that strength and endurance exercises are a great way to become stronger on hills. This is when you sit down and ride up a hill in a higher gear than normal, at around 50-60rpm. You can do this for anywhere between 5 and 20 minutes. “Make sure to give yourself enough recovery time by riding in a lower gear afterward.”
We suggests mixing up your hill-training, and focusing on both long and short steep climbs. “I do a session where I push myself to the max for one minute on a steep climb.”
2. Faster descent
When descending always cover your breaks and don’t go in too strongly with the front brake.”
“Keep your eyes in front of you and brake before the corner, not in it. Plan your line well before you hit the corner. Use the entire width of the road if the road is closed. Then, cut the corner on the inside and then go wide again. When you are out of the car, push the pedals and stand up to get your speed back.
Use the right gear. Not too heavy or you will lose your balance and waste energy, but not so hard that you can’t sprint out of corners. You should always balance yourself when you are in corners. Your outside foot should be on the ground and your weight should be placed there while the bike and your body is leaning towards the corner.
3. Every ride counts
“Look at your time frame,” advises Wiggle High5’s Nettie Edmondson. If you can ride a road bike for a few hours, say until noon, then do so. These rides are called ‘base kilometers’ or base miles’ and they help you improve your fitness. Why not make the most of your 30 minutes between work and home by making a quality effort? “Allow yourself five minutes of cooling down after you’ve worked hard.”
Every ride should have a goal, whether it’s for intensity, endurance, or simply enjoyment.
We says that you should ensure every ride has a goal, whether it’s for intensity, endurance, or simply enjoyment. If you have a purpose for your ride, it will help you to stay focused and get the most out of your time on the bicycle.
4. Ride harder for longer
“Build up your endurance for long rides gradually.” If you are able to handle the distance, gradually increase it by 30 minutes. You can add intensity to your rides once you are comfortable with a distance. You could go out with some stronger riders, and try to ride for an hour-and-a half with them. You can then increase this to two hours, and two-and-a half hours.
We says that if you want to be able to ride longer, it’s important to learn to pace yourself and to fuel regularly. Start slowly and eat more than you believe you need to. You can do small loops near your home if you are worried about not being able to complete the distance. When I know I can go home if I need to, I don’t often do it. But the comfort of knowing I can gives me the confidence to try new things.
5. Improve your bike handling
We believes that cyclocross offers the best opportunity to improve bike handling. In cyclocross, you must learn to feel your bike move underneath you – in sand or mud, wet or dry. You’ll find it easier to ride a road bike if you can handle a cyclocross race without crashing.
6. Ride safely with a group
“Know what your limits are.” “Ride as close as you are comfortable to the wheel ahead. Many riders have crashed in training because they got carried away. “Riding with experienced riders can help you learn good technique and etiquette.”
We insists that you must pay attention to the road at all times. Accidents occur when people are distracted. So, focus on the wheel ahead, even if you’re talking to someone beside you. It’s not necessary to keep eye contact with the person beside you while riding a bike. If you can, look ahead in front of your group. You will be able to see obstacles coming from a distance. “Be vocal. Make sure to yell out or point out any obstacles or hazards that may affect the group.”
7. Stay Motivated
Lucy Shaw, from Drops Cycling Team, advises: “Have a realistic training plan and make it interesting and different each week. Know why you are doing each session.” “Organize rides with others — you’ll be pushed more, and it will make longer rides more enjoyable.”
We believes that you need to buy into and believe in your training. This is what motivates you, knowing that the efforts you make are resulting in improvements.
8. Prepare yourself mentally
“I mentally prepare by planning my route. This gives me a good idea of the terrain I will be riding on.” “I also make a large breakfast. It helps me a lot. I always know that I’m going to have a busy day when I have an enormous breakfast. I also make my ride food the evening before. This gives me something exciting to look forward to during the ride.”
We says to not fixate on the time while you are out for a long ride. “I never consider the time before I leave, so it’s much easier to start out.” You can ride to a town or landmark that is not accessible in a shorter time.
Focus on the time, not the distance when it comes to mental toughness on a long climb
We suggests that it is better to concentrate on the time than on the distance when it comes to battling mental battles on long climbs. Break it down into 5- or 10-minute segments. If I focus on the distance too much, I can find that it takes a long time to cover a climb of 10, 20, 30km.
9. Fuel efficiently
“I usually have cereal or porridge before I train. Then I’ll have eggs or beans with toast.” “I have a jam sandwich and a few gels on the bike. I try to eat small amounts often. Around two to three items per hour. “I try to drink a pint as soon as I walk through the door. I then follow that with lunch.”
We says that she eats and drinks while riding her bike. My coach told me to not be afraid to eat a gel or a snack within the first half hour, and to drink a full bottle every hour. After your stores have been depleted, even a small amount dehydration can reduce your performance by 10%. The more dehydrated you are, the worse it gets.
10. Recover your data properly
“People often forget the importance of rest.” “Rest days are just as important as training sessions. I rest for the majority of the day. You need to be ready and fresh for the training session on the following day. You should also not forget to eat properly. “It’s important to keep eating, but make sure that you eat the right foods.”
We explains that recovery days do not mean you have to stop riding your bike. To keep my muscles fresh, I go for a mountain bike ride. I stretch regularly, wear compression clothing, and have regular massages. All of these things help my muscles to recover.”