TRAINING TIPS:
Below you will find tips to help you train for your bike ride as follows:
The correct cycling position
We all have different sized arms, legs and torsos, which means a position that is comfortable for one person may not be so for the next.
The advantages of maintaining the correct cycling position are varied, leading to:
• Greater cycling comfort
• More efficient cycling
• Improved bike handling
Ensure your bike is the correct size for you.
Things to check are; saddle height, knee position, reach, hand position, and foot position. A look at each of these in turn will help determine the final size of the bike best suited to you.
The bicycle saddle height
is measured from the top of the bicycle seat to the pedal when it is at the bottom of its turning circle. When the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke, your legs should not be fully stretched out, but there should be a slight bend of around 25 degrees from a straight line.
Less than this means the rider doesn’t allow their leg muscles to operate near maximum extension where they are most efficient, while more bend disrupts your pedalling stroke and can affect the knees. Similarly, if you rock back and forth in the saddle, then the saddle is too high.
Stretching
Warm up before a ride - Shoulder rolls, arm rotations and jogging on the spot for 6/7 minutes before each ride helps to increase the blood flow through your body - this elevates body temperature, circulation and generally prepares the body for exertion.
Stretching after a ride - Muscle soreness and stiffness is relieved by “warming down” and a good routine of “stretching exercises” should be carried out during cycling stops and after a ride. Each stretching position should be held for about 15 seconds.
Check with a gym instructor or personal trainer for further advice to ensure that the stretching exercises are right for you.
Your cycling plan
A cycling plan is essential to keep you motivated from now until you complete your Challenge. A plan will give you short, medium and long term targets that you can tick off as you achieve them.
Build up cycling fitness slowly.
Don’t be tempted to do too much cycling too soon. Even though you might feel that you just want to get into your cycling in a big way from day one, make sure that you stick to your plan and start slowly. If you don’t then you may pick up an injury.
If you have not cycled for a while, start off with a couple of 20-30 minute rides per week. After two weeks, add a third ride of about 45 minutes. After four weeks the two shorter rides should not be less than 30 minutes and the third should be about an hour.
Once you feel reasonably fit, we strongly recommend that you try to fit in as much regular weekly cycling as possible.
As your training programme gets closer to your bike ride, plan a number of longer rides of around four hours duration (more if time permits). a regular weekly programme of long distance rides between now and your bike ride will minimise if not eliminate muscle fatigue, cramps and stiffness in the legs, shoulders, forearms, neck, wrists and buttocks.
One of your targets should be our Capital to Coast Bike Ride which is a 60 mile ride from Esher to Hove. To find out more information or to register just go to www.capitaltocoast.org.uk
Hill work is essential in your weekly cycling programme. Practice on long moderately steep hills, it is better to find longer hills than short really steep ones. Once you start to conquer hills you will enjoy their challenge and the inevitable downhill reward.
Indoor Training
A regular routine of press-ups or pull-ups, sit-ups and leg raises, the use of an indoor cycling machine and a step machine are strongly recommended. Do sufficient exercise to make you breathe hard - most benefit comes from the frequency of training as compared to one long session.
Use of the gym is very strongly recommended and can be substituted for the shorter rides. Instructors can tailor make special programmes for you and will also give you excellent advice.
Off-road Cycling
Please ensure that your training programme includes “off-road” cycling. The importance of cycling on “off-road” paths cannot be over emphasised. Cycling “off-road” is very difficult compared with normal riding on a tarmac surface - particularly the use of gears and cycling downhill.
Cycling in a group
There is no more effective way to become a motivated cyclist than finding a good group ride or having a regular training partner. Why not join the Norwood Cycle Club which meets on the 1st Sunday of each month? Riding with others has several other benefits including improved safety and efficiency from slipstreaming, for more information click here
Slipstreaming (also know as drafting or pacing) is riding or sheltering behind fellow riders (peloton), to save energy. It allows the cyclist to keep up with far faster riders and travel at speeds they wouldn’t normally reach as individuals. Riders take turns at the front of the group, and after doing their stint, move to the rear to take advantage of the shelter being provided by the group.
Above all you should enjoy your training and if we can do anything to help you just contact us!
The correct cycling position
We all have different sized arms, legs and torsos, which means a position that is comfortable for one person may not be so for the next.
The advantages of maintaining the correct cycling position are varied, leading to:
• Greater cycling comfort
• More efficient cycling
• Improved bike handling
Ensure your bike is the correct size for you.
Things to check are; saddle height, knee position, reach, hand position, and foot position. A look at each of these in turn will help determine the final size of the bike best suited to you.
The bicycle saddle height
is measured from the top of the bicycle seat to the pedal when it is at the bottom of its turning circle. When the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke, your legs should not be fully stretched out, but there should be a slight bend of around 25 degrees from a straight line.
Less than this means the rider doesn’t allow their leg muscles to operate near maximum extension where they are most efficient, while more bend disrupts your pedalling stroke and can affect the knees. Similarly, if you rock back and forth in the saddle, then the saddle is too high.
Stretching
Warm up before a ride - Shoulder rolls, arm rotations and jogging on the spot for 6/7 minutes before each ride helps to increase the blood flow through your body - this elevates body temperature, circulation and generally prepares the body for exertion.
Stretching after a ride - Muscle soreness and stiffness is relieved by “warming down” and a good routine of “stretching exercises” should be carried out during cycling stops and after a ride. Each stretching position should be held for about 15 seconds.
Check with a gym instructor or personal trainer for further advice to ensure that the stretching exercises are right for you.
Your cycling plan
A cycling plan is essential to keep you motivated from now until you complete your Challenge. A plan will give you short, medium and long term targets that you can tick off as you achieve them.
Build up cycling fitness slowly.
Don’t be tempted to do too much cycling too soon. Even though you might feel that you just want to get into your cycling in a big way from day one, make sure that you stick to your plan and start slowly. If you don’t then you may pick up an injury.
If you have not cycled for a while, start off with a couple of 20-30 minute rides per week. After two weeks, add a third ride of about 45 minutes. After four weeks the two shorter rides should not be less than 30 minutes and the third should be about an hour.
Once you feel reasonably fit, we strongly recommend that you try to fit in as much regular weekly cycling as possible.
As your training programme gets closer to your bike ride, plan a number of longer rides of around four hours duration (more if time permits). a regular weekly programme of long distance rides between now and your bike ride will minimise if not eliminate muscle fatigue, cramps and stiffness in the legs, shoulders, forearms, neck, wrists and buttocks.
One of your targets should be our Capital to Coast Bike Ride which is a 60 mile ride from Esher to Hove. To find out more information or to register just go to www.capitaltocoast.org.uk
Hill work is essential in your weekly cycling programme. Practice on long moderately steep hills, it is better to find longer hills than short really steep ones. Once you start to conquer hills you will enjoy their challenge and the inevitable downhill reward.
Indoor Training
A regular routine of press-ups or pull-ups, sit-ups and leg raises, the use of an indoor cycling machine and a step machine are strongly recommended. Do sufficient exercise to make you breathe hard - most benefit comes from the frequency of training as compared to one long session.
Use of the gym is very strongly recommended and can be substituted for the shorter rides. Instructors can tailor make special programmes for you and will also give you excellent advice.
Off-road Cycling
Please ensure that your training programme includes “off-road” cycling. The importance of cycling on “off-road” paths cannot be over emphasised. Cycling “off-road” is very difficult compared with normal riding on a tarmac surface - particularly the use of gears and cycling downhill.
Cycling in a group
There is no more effective way to become a motivated cyclist than finding a good group ride or having a regular training partner. Why not join the Norwood Cycle Club which meets on the 1st Sunday of each month? Riding with others has several other benefits including improved safety and efficiency from slipstreaming, for more information click here
Slipstreaming (also know as drafting or pacing) is riding or sheltering behind fellow riders (peloton), to save energy. It allows the cyclist to keep up with far faster riders and travel at speeds they wouldn’t normally reach as individuals. Riders take turns at the front of the group, and after doing their stint, move to the rear to take advantage of the shelter being provided by the group.
Above all you should enjoy your training and if we can do anything to help you just contact us!