Cycling advice

straps

Hey all

I like to cycle but I'm looking for a few tips to help me make it easier and cycle faster. I know there is more skill to it than just pushing pedals!

Any advise welcome
Thanks in advance

Scrappy600

Pedal harder and just when you think you're going too quick........pedal harder. You're question is far too vague and raises more questions than answers. Find a specific part of your cycling you want to work on and try asking questions about that particular aspect of it.

bambergbike

1. A bike that fits you properly makes you faster. Especially if you can comfortably get into a fairly aero position without losing too much power.

2. A lighter bike makes you faster. Being a lighter rider usually makes you faster, too. Upgrades to the rider are cheaper but slower.

What kind of training you do depends on what kind of cycling you want to get faster at. Short, flat track events/time trials or long days in big mountains?

If the former, push big gears and work in the gym.
If the latter, work on souplesse. Don't turn the pedals with too much force, just keep them spinning.

You'll find most of the training science you need for the time being on the forum. Fact: Using the search function in the cycling forum makes you faster. Or even just having a trawl through recent threads...

For starters, read:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057156382
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057155762
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057152320
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057133350&page=1#post88655637

You'll get bike advice on the forum, too, or in your local bike shop.

Once you have a plan and a bike, you just need to get out the door and train. Or lock yourself up in the shed with your turbo.

07Lapierre

straps wrote: »

Hey all

I like to cycle but I'm looking for a few tips to help me make it easier and cycle faster. I know there is more skill to it than just pushing pedals!

Any advise welcome
Thanks in advance

Join a cycling club.

Carpenter

Pain

wirelessdude01

straps wrote: »

Hey all

I like to cycle but I'm looking for a few tips to help me make it easier and cycle faster. I know there is more skill to it than just pushing pedals!

Any advise welcome
Thanks in advance

Plan what you want from each session. Also lower the gearing that you are using and make sure that your cadence goes up.

straps

Thanks lads. I know my question is pretty vague. Basically I was just looking for a few tips like on cadence. And also for hill climbing(when to get out of the saddle or when u stay in it) I'm also not a massive fan of cycling into the wind. Any tips for that?

Rambling Man

straps wrote: »

Thanks lads. I know my question is pretty vague. Basically I was just looking for a few tips like on cadence. And also for hill climbing(when to get out of the saddle or when u stay in it) I'm also not a massive fan of cycling into the wind. Any tips for that?

Go the other way.

Sorry just joking. Wind is similar to climbing, a lot of the tips above also apply.

shaka

Top tip for cycling into the wind = Join a club and wheel hugg

Carawaystick

For cycling into the wind:
start your cycle into the wind, so you end it with the wind behind you.

And and others have said, pedal easier and faster: in a shorter gear than you would have before.

straps

Thanks lads appreciate the advice.

One last question

Before I started back cycling my legs were tip top n injury free. Last couple of days I feel a pain in my knee. I'm putting it down to being in too hard a gear. Could this be the reason? Like pushing too hard in a gear would strain the tendon/ ligaments in the knee wouldn't it? Feels like a tendinitis pain I had years ago? And on that, how do I know if I'm in the correct gear? Is there a number out of 10 I should be exerting myself? Is there an app to calculate my cadence or do I just need a stop watch n count??

straps

Not asking medical advise here just a general question if it could be gear related

Type 17

Knee pain: check your seat height - a saddle that's just a few mm (or more) too low will make your knees sore - there are loads of ways to check your seat height - google it, or someone on here will probably mention their favourite method shortly.

Correct gear: get yourself used to (through training) a fast cadence (80-90 rpm is a good target). The aim is that your legs are fit (muscles toned) and they never feel sore and, while exerting yourself (sprinting, climbing fast) leads to breathlessness etc, it doesn't mean leg/knee pain.

straps

Type 17 wrote: »

Knee pain: check your seat height - a saddle that's just a few mm (or more) too low will make your knees sore - there are loads of ways to check your seat height - google it, or someone on here will probably mention their favourite method shortly.

Correct gear: get yourself used to (through training) a fast cadence (80-90 rpm is a good target). The aim is that your legs are fit (muscles toned) and they never feel sore and, while exerting yourself (sprinting, climbing fast) leads to breathlessness etc, it doesn't mean leg/knee pain.

Top man thanks

quozl

Type 17 is right, saddle height is the obvious culprit for that. Specifically a low saddle.

bambergbike

The definition of "saddle is too high" is that somebody cycling behind you will see your hips rocking from side to side as you reach down to one pedal and then to the other. You could try raising it until you hit that point and then dropping it minimally from there.

wirelessdude01

If your using cleats then the position of them could also cause some pain/discomfort but I would assume that cleats aren't as issue as your a newbie.

straps

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

If your using cleats then the position of them could also cause some pain/discomfort but I would assume that cleats aren't as issue as your a newbie.

I'm not using cleats. Should I get a set?

quozl

straps wrote: »

I'm not using cleats. Should I get a set?

Yes. They're fantastic. Don't be nervous of them - I learnt how to use them last year as a 35 year old.

You will probably have one or two 0kph falling-overs when you stop and tip over without taking your foot out but apart from the whole improved effeciency thing they make me feel a whole lot safer as my feet aren't randomly bouncing off the pedals every time I hit one of the many pot-holes at speed on our wonderous roads

Type 17

Cleats: The keyword is TWIST - repeat it loads of times to get it into your head, and when you get that overbalanced feeling, remember it, and do it (rather than panicking and desperately pulling up or backwards).

No Pants

Spin, spin, spin. Makes the gears do the work.

straps

Lads looking for advise on getting up hills

When do I stay in the saddle n when do I get up?
When I get out of the saddle should I change to harder gears?

NeedMoreGears

My preference for hills is low gears and spinning in a seated position. It doesn't put too much stress on my joints and I seem to be able to maintain pace for longer that way. I usually only get out of the saddle if it has become very steep or my back starts to get tired/sore and I need to give it a quick rest by standing. I don't change gears when I stand up (i'm usually too knackered to push a bigger gear).

Apart from that I find hill repeats and simply more climbing helps me.

straps

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

My preference for hills is low gears and spinning in a seated position. It doesn't put too much stress on my joints and I seem to be able to maintain pace for longer that way. I usually only get out of the saddle if it has become very steep or my back starts to get tired/sore and I need to give it a quick rest by standing. I don't change gears when I stand up (i'm usually too knackered to push a bigger gear).

Apart from that I find hill repeats and simply more climbing helps me.

Great stuff thanks. I try stay in the saddle as long as possible but I wasn't sure if I was just burning my legs out where if I was up off the saddle is have bodyweight pushing down with the legs

thejaguar

Join a cycling club or join a casual group that cycle regularly. You'll learn tons from the other riders in the group as you cycle.
Nothing beats advice that you can practice as you go and get feedback.