Bike skills Archives - Page 2 of 7 -

Improve your skills and learn to how to descend safely on a road bike

August 7, 2018 Nicola Bike skills, Women cycling

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

Ride your mechanical horse on Melbourne Cup Day

November 7, 2017 Nicola Bike skills, Women cycling

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

A women’s guide to cycling in the wind

June 20, 2017 Nicola Bike skills, Women cycling

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

I avoid riding my road bike in the rain. How about you?

May 30, 2017 Nicola Bike skills, Women cycling

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

Efficient gear changing on your road bike will transform your riding

May 16, 2017 Nicola Bike skills, Women cycling

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

Why can’t I ride any faster on my bike?

January 25, 2017 Nicola Bike skills, training, Women cycling

Why can’t I ride any faster on my bike? A question I’ve often pondered. Why are some people able to ride so much faster than me, even when they are relatively new to cycling. After doing a bit of reading it seems the answers are fairly obvious – genetics, attitude and environment. If you’ve read my story you’d know that I’m a non-sporty person who has spent most of her life believing she couldn’t be involved in physical activities without being embarrassed. That was until I found cycling, which has changed my life and my attitude. But that hasn’t stopped

The art of drafting on a road bike: a great advantage

November 1, 2016 Nicola Bike skills, Cycle groups, training, Women cycling

If you think that drafting on a road bike is just for the pros then think again. When I first started riding I had no idea that you could gain so much advantage by riding closely behind another rider. Drafting is an important skills that is well worth learning if you want to maximise your enjoyment of riding out on the road. It’s actually quite exhilarating to be whisked along in a group and to feel like you are part of a ‘team’. The benefit Being able to draft or closely follow another rider is one of the key differences

All female riders can benefit from a cycling coach

October 4, 2016 Nicola Bike skills, training, Women cycling

If you think that a cycling coach is just for elite riders, then think again. Any rider can benefit from working with a cycling coach – you just need to set yourself a goal. And the good news is that female cyclists can benefit even more than men, from working with the right coach. Sydney-based coach Matt Lucas says that he enjoys coaching women because they are more dedicated to ‘hitting the numbers’. He finds that women are good at juggling lots of things, and therefore can also find time for training once they make a commitment. “Women in general are

You need to work on the art of pedalling a road bike

September 27, 2016 Nicola Bike skills, training, Women cycling

When I first took up road bike riding I thought that there wasn’t a great deal to learn about technique or skills, but I was wrong – there are plenty of skills to learn and central amongst them is the art of pedalling a road bike. I’m no authority on this subject so I’ve borrowed some expert words that appear below. The key principle behind the technique, and featured in just about every article I’ve read on the subject, is the need to pedal in nice smooth circles. Sounds easy, but there’s a little more to it. This article was originally

Every woman’s guide to descending on a road bike

August 30, 2016 Nicola Bike skills, training, Women cycling

When I first started riding a road bike, nearly eight 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 descending on a road bike. And there’s definitely still room for improvement. So when putting these descending tips together I’m paying lots of attention, because everyone can do with a refresher every now and then. Familiarise To start, familiarise yourself with the condition of the road surface by