Top 10 Cycling Success Secrets
Cycling is healthy, cycling is fun and can pave the way for a more active lifestyle amongst people starting it. Many people start this off as leisure and something that they pick while watching their friends or family do the same. But what if you wish to take this a notch further and beyond? Well, the truth is, you won’t be the only one thinking so and many people before you have gone on to ensure success in their daily or regular rides. This can either be a training, ride, a sportive event that you have taken part in or a triathlon. In this, we will tell you about the top 10 cycling success secret and how you too can pave your way to success:
- Get to know your optimum cadence:
You will need to figure out your optimum rhythm if you are to ride at your full potential. Cadence is nothing but the speed you pedal at. Knowing this and figuring it out is essential if you wish to improve your performance. Knowing your rhythm, you can then make tweaks and changes to ensure that you ride more efficiently and get the most out of every pedal.
- Important to overcome “Bonk”:
Again, not a fancy term but a simple one. Hitting a bonk is the moment when your body starts making use of its glycogen store in the body and burns fat to keep going. This happens when your body has tired out and is now in need of rest. So what do you do to counter such a thing and still rise on? The answer is simple, and its called carrying snacks. Gears are an integral part of our bikes and if you are looking for a significant range of bike glasses, head to bike tart and get €20.99 on the Endura Deluge Cycling Gloves.
- Group cycling sessions:
Riding in a group will always help you ease and improve your performance effectively. If you have been hitting it solo until now, ensure that you take part and participate in local events. Ensure that you ride as a group and keep the pace without braking or accelerating too much. Group riding is all about effective communication and staying in sync with the group. As a group rider, aim to be part of the herd and look for changes affecting you on the road.
- Make use of the rule of thirds:
If you are feeling the burn of a ride or are seemingly feeling the need to quit, then ensure to make the use of the rule of thirds. This means dividing your distance into three more or less equal segments and range. Ensure that you keep the first segment secure going and just being one with the flow. During the next phase, begin working your leg group muscles and during the third and final phase, ensure to give it your best. Staying safe is integral while riding a bike. Get yourself €10 on the special classic Electroluminescent cycling belt on Voucherbin.
- Be prepared always:
And we mean contingencies. With long rides, there is always the possibility that something or the other could go wrong. Ensure that you carry your spares, keep a mini tool maybe and also your ID, wallet and some cash.
- Keep a tab on the winds:
The wind can be a spoilsport or your good friend, depending on the direction you are heading towards. If you have started on a tailwind, then go easy with it because you are bound to have a headwind on your way back. If you are riding out as a group, make sure to stick together with the headwind stretches.
- Tackle aches and pain:
Aches and depression are a common sight amongst riders, and there are different ways you can tackle this without having to stop. For instance, relieving your neck and shoulders can be done within 5-10 seconds with a simple shrug. If you are out on a clear stretch of roads, you should consider reaching one hand up between your shoulders for a few seconds and swapping sides.
- Eat and drink a lot:
Nutrition and hydration are of the utmost importance while riding long distances. When it comes to food, you can have something every 15 minutes or so. What’s more, needed for your body is the need to hydrate. Ensure you do that on frequent intervals.
- Keep SMART goals:
SMART means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-specific. This is pretty self-explanatory and ensuring you know your goal inside out; you can prep yourself for the same. If you wish to make notes then. Dividing your goals in chunks and recording your performance is a good thing.
- Get to the hills:
A true testament of any rider is riding up the mountain. The hills have a bad rep amongst bike riders, but this is what will make you fit and surging forward to achieving your goals. Your legs will burn and hurt but will also build your strength.
So, there we have a list of the top 10 cycling success secrets that you can incorporate in your daily life. Good luck out there.