Cycle Faster – It is one of the well-known facts that average cycling speed is part of an interesting subject to discuss, especially around the Roadist—the speed lover. You might insist that your road bike is the main contributing factor to achieving the speed, but what else do we need to gain to move faster? Here we have several tips on how to become a faster cyclist for you to try.
1. Go Aero
One of the keys to conquering the speed is to be as aero as possible, so you can reduce the wind resistance. When you cycle above 10mph/16kph, the resistance will play a big role in slowing you down. To improve your aerodynamic performance, you can move your body closer to the handlebar by bending your elbow, so you can be more aggressive while riding.
Using a tight jersey, shorts, and helmet designed for a road bike also helps you to go more aero. Using suitable apparel can benefit to cool your body and keep it dry while riding. The lighter material and certain geometry to construct the road bike frame, such as carbon can also help you to be more aero.
2. Pedal More and Practice Your Cadence
Pedaling more and faster obviously can affect your speed. However, if your body is not used to this, you won’t be able to do it effectively. You can use cycling shoes and cleats to help your feet stick on the pedal, so they can help you achieve pedal efficiency. Knowing the right time to pedal will also benefit you while pedaling.
You can also try to practice your cadence (number of times you turn the pedals per minute) to optimize your cycling performance. Usually, the starter’s cadence will be around 80-90rpm. To make it easier to measure your practice, you will need a reliable cyclo comp to measure your current speed and average speed.
3. Be Consistent
To maximize your practice, make sure you’re consistent with it. Ideally, you have to cycle every two or three days, so your stamina will be maintained. You can combine these two practices to build your speed and stamina:
- Endurance training in 60 minutes, focused to maintain your cadence.
- Uphill training using larger gear or using high resistance turbo trainer in 30-60 minutes. Indoor training can also be a good option to stay fit while at home. You can also connect your rides to any third-party applications to bring more fun.
4. Ride in A Group
If you’re an avid fan of Tour de France, you might be familiar with the riders riding in a group together when kickstarting the challenge. Why? Because riding with others can affect your average speed. There’s a drafting effect that helps while riding in a group. The estimated effort that can be saved if a rider is tucked in behind the group is up to 40 percent, resulting in more ease while riding. The sprinter can keep the pace until the end of the race and conserve the energy for the final shot. You can join cycling clubs to find fellow cyclists that ride at a similar speed to start with.
Looking forward to completing your road cycling routines? You can check the road bike necessities only at Rodalink! Stay fit and #RidewithRodalink!
