One of the skills I’ve never fully mastered is the uphill start on a road bike. I get it right some of the time, but I find when I have other riders who aren’t so skilful around me, I tend to stuff it up. I was on an organised ride on the weekend and we had to stop a couple of times at traffic lights on an uphill slope. This meant that when the light went green we all had to start riding on an incline and most people in the group handled it poorly, including me. So here’s a
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I must admit that when I first started riding I found the idea of riding in a bunch to be particularly intimidating. Over time my confidence increased on the bike and I took the plunge and joined a local bunch ride. It was then that I learnt the great benefits of riding in a bunch, like drafting, safety in numbers and the social aspects. So here’s a few tips from me on riding in a bunch: Communicate One of the great benefits of riding in a group is that you’ve got a collective of people all with two eyes keeping
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When I first took up road cycling a bit over 10 years ago I thought that there wasn’t a great deal to learn about pedal technique on a road bike, but I was wrong. There are plenty of skills to learn and central amongst them is the art of pedalling. I’m no authority on this subject so I’ve borrowed some expert words that appear below. The key principle behind the technique is to pedal in nice smooth circles. Sounds easy, but there’s a little more to it. This article was originally published on the now defunct women’s cycling website Women’s
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I always like to hear about entrepreneurs starting a business based on cycling so I was pleased to hear from Lee Hardy in the UK who has started a business called The Complete Cyclist. Lee’s main focus is on working with communities in particular cycling and triathlon clubs delivering tailored Technical Training Courses nationwide. But I also like his focus on what he called the three main pillars for creating a complete cyclist: The Bike – riding skills, technical knowledge and ability to maintain and repair The Body – our diet and nutrition, strength and conditioning and physical preparation The Mind– the
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For me a really fundamental part of riding is to master changing gears on your road bike. It took me a few years to really feel comfortable with all those gears on my bike, but over time I learnt about them and it really transformed my riding. And I, like so many other new riders used to ride in a ‘big’ gear when I first started riding a road bike. It seems that when we start out we expect it to be hard to turn over the pedals so we tend to use a gear that challenges our legs. What
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When I first started riding a road bike, nearly ten years ago, I thought you just jumped on and away you went, but it didn’t take me long to realise that there was more skills involved than I had first thought, and for me one of the hardest to master has been to descend safely on a road bike. And there’s definitely still room for improvement – part of lifelong learning program! Here’s a few tips to hone your own skills: Familiarise The first step is to familiarise yourself with the condition of the road surface by riding up the
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I often call my bike a mechanical horse because riding a bike reminds me of riding a horse, except I feel much more in control. I also think there are parallels between the devotion many cyclists pay to their favourite pastime, and the passion that others display for their equine companions. I do confess that I’m rather scared of riding a horse. I feel totally out of control and at the whim of a very powerful creature. I feel that it is fitting to write about the ‘mechanical horse’ on Melbourne Cup Day. For those who dwell overseas the Melbourne
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A few weeks ago I talked about riding in the rain, so I felt it would be good to cover off the other inclement weather condition, and deal with the issue of cycling in the wind. I avoid riding in really high wind, but there are occasions when you won’t have a choice so it’s good to know how to handle it. Here’s a few tips: Get low Being aerodynamic makes you go faster in good conditions, and the same theory applies when you ride in windy weather. So get down on the drops on your road bike and tuck
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I must admit that I’m a fair weather rider and avoid riding my road bike in the rain. However, while I never go out for a ride if it’s already pouring, I have on occasion been caught in a downpour and had to continue riding. So whether you are keen to keep riding no matter the conditions, or like me you occasionally get caught, here’s a few tips for riding in the rain: Increase visibility Possibility the worst part about riding in the rain is a major decrease in visibility. It is hard for other people to see you, particularly
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When I first started riding a road bike I must admit that I was a little bamboozled by all those gears, but trust me efficient gear changing on your road bike will really make a difference to your speed. I was somewhat overwhelmed to find my first road bike had 20 gears, and wondered how I was ever going to utilise them all. And believe it or not you will use most of them on a regular basis. And I, like so many other new riders used to ride in a ‘big’ gear when I first started riding a road
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