So, here are our top bike riding tips on how to get the best out
of your bicycle and yourself – the rider.
1. Fuel
Whether you are on a cycling holiday, on your daily commute or a long distance
training ride, one of the biggest road cycling tips to remember is that your
bike is a vehicle and you are its engine. You need to take on enough food and
fluid to keep the engine running. Keep a close eye on what eating and drinking
patterns work for you before your bike ride and during it. Make sure you don’t
eat anything new before a significant cycling trip – just in case it upsets you
or your system. Stick with what you know on these occasions.
2. Sleep
Sleep is restorative. Your body needs the right amount of sleep –
particularly if you are doing a lot of physical activity, like long distance
cycling or a cycling holiday. Sleep is how your body restores your muscular and
cardio-vascular systems. One of the most important bike riding tips we have
learned at Europe Active is to work out
how much sleep you need to help your body recover from your cycling trip.
3. Rest
As well as sleep, you should also build in rest days and/or easy
days into your training programme or your cycle holiday.
4. Physical
fitness
At Europe Active, we know that clocking up the miles and kilometres is the best
way to develop as a cyclist. But we also know that cycling is not an all round
physical activity - it specifically
works the muscles in your lower body.
And since you need balance as a cyclist – you will need to work on your
upper body too. Think about how you can work on your upper body.
5. Pace
Pace yourself. Don’t go too fast at the start
of your cycle or at the start of a hill. Set yourself up for success. If you
start off fast then your body will move into a sugar burning mode when you want
it to be in a fat reserve burning mode. It is better to burn fat reserves as
these last longer and make you perform better over the longer term.
6. Gears
Make sure you are managing your gears
effectively. As a rule, you should always be cycling at 90-100rpm – an
efficient ratio that will ensure your gear ratio is neither too high nor too
low.
And, when it comes to changing gear, change
before you need. Try to anticipate what’s ahead and what power you will need.
This will ensure you don’t put too much pressure on your pedals and will keep
your rpms at the right rate.
7. Check your bike
Before you head out on a cycle, check your
wheels and ensure they spin straight and are unobstructed. Then check the
wheels are inflated and have a good level of tread.
Then check that the chain is in good
condition. And finally, check that your handlebars are secure and do not move
back and forth and that your saddle is comfortable and at the right height.
8. Get mechanically competent
Be able to deal with the challenges you might
have on the road. Make sure you know how to deal with a puncture or to adjust
your saddle. Bike shops will sometimes run courses, or you can always pick up
some tips on YouTube.
9. And remember your cycling manners!
When it comes to road cycling tips, high up
on the list is the need to take your turn at the front of the pack when you are
cycling in a group. Don’t let someone else do the work and don’t always sit at
the back.
So if you are new to the sport – or even if
you cycle regularly – we hope this set of Europe Active bike riding tips has given you something useful to use on your
next cycling holiday or long
distance cycling trip.
If you would like to find out more about Europe
Active’s adventure cycling holidays in Europe, visit europe-active.co.uk
You can also visit our blog which is full of cycling tips from our cycling experts on
everything from the best locations to visit for a
cycling holiday through to what to pack and how to train prepare before you set
off. We are a font of knowledge of bikes and holidays!
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