Complete Guide to Road Cycling

Welcome to The Complete Guide To Road Cycling, and congratulations, your timing is perfect! There really couldn’t be a better time to start this amazing new pastime, for so many reasons. Not least because the warmer months are nigh, and there are adventures in the sun to be had. From all-day escapes beyond the horizon to half-hour local jaunts on balmy evenings, there are few better ways to enjoy the summer than from the saddle of a road bike. But it’s not a fair-weather-only deal. With the right kit you can enjoy exploring lanes and routes you never knew existed and find previously untapped levels of fitness and health, all year round. And a road bike is such a brilliant transport tool, the perfect salve for concerns about rising petrol…

During the Olympic Games there was much talk of ‘marginal gains’. This meticulous approach to performance has become British Cycling’s secret weapon. While it’s safe to say that professional athletes are finely tuned and hunting for that final edge, it’s probably fair to assume that we mere mortals have a lot of things to try before we can say we’ve covered all bases. Lazy when it comes to pumping up your tyres? Skipped breakfast this morning? Forget marginal gains, these are magical gains, and they can be achieved with little effort. Here are 22 ways you can make a small change to reap massive benefits. 1 LEARN TO CORNER Skilful cornering will significantly increase your average speed. What’s more, this is an area where you’re most likely to lose or…

It’s far too easy to think we haven’t got enough time to train but, if we’re honest, that’s just an obstacle we tend to put in the way when we’re not committed enough. Well, it was for me. I’d steadily become less fit–and fatter–over the last few years, but I recently moved home back to where I started cycling as an enthusiastic schoolboy, which got me wanting to ride again–and ride better than I had been. So I set about doing some training. I didn’t have additional free time; I just wanted to ride, so somehow the time appeared. I’ve averaged about five hours a week for three months now. I’ve lost weight, slowly climbed the local Strava rankings, and I’ve held my own on the few group rides I’ve…

1 TEST YOUR STABILITY This may look very simple but it requires you to activate muscles in your back and shoulders, abdomen, and your inner and outer thighs. It’s a good test of your posture and stability. If you find yourself wobbling, unable to hold contact with the wall or you drop the prop from between your knees then you know you have work to do! If your core muscles are working to stabilise your position and you are able to hold a good posture you will feel more comfortable and expend less energy. Start with your heels against the wall, with your lower back and shoulders touching it. Walk your feet forward by 30cm. Hold a cushion or foam pad between your knees using your inner thighs, knees and…

When Liz Matthews, 48, saw a holiday snap of herself in 2011, she decided enough was enough. Fed up of feeling overweight and uncomfortable next to her “slim friends” at parties and finding excuses not to leave the house, she picked up her bike, changed her nutrition and never looked back. Now, not only is she more than three stone lighter, but thanks to a major lifestyle overhaul, she finally feels like she’s found the real Liz Matthews again. It was at a New Year’s Eve party in 2011 that Liz decided to make some changes to her lifestyle. Her self-esteem was at an all-time low and she had lost sight of the active girl she was in her 20s. “Being a mum, my focus is on my kids. You…

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