Riding in a bunch is great fun: time seems to go much faster and there are plenty of other riders to chat to about the pitfalls of the beginner cyclist.

Riding in a bunch however can be a harrowing experience for the beginner cyclist so here are some tips which should make your transition into the peleton (bunch) a smooth one…

• Don’t slam on the brakes! Try and look ahead as much as possible (just like in a car) and predict when you’ll have to slow down and apply the brakes gradually. Also look and listen for cyclists ahead who have stopped pedalling. This is your cue to do the same – often the rolling resistance is enough to slow you down without needing to apply the brakes. There are no brake lights on bikes and we don’t follow the 2 second rule so you have to help each other out.
• Ride directly behind the wheel in front. Try not to overlap the wheel in front or ride too far to one side. If the rider in front has to swerve and your front wheel is over their rear wheel it could be interesting.
• Keep a close following distance. Start by sitting 60 cm (2 feet) behind the wheel in front and gradually lessen that distance. An experienced rider will be able to sit a few cm (an inch or two) behind the rider in front without too many problems.
• Ride consistently. Try and avoid making any sudden movements. When getting out of the seat to climb a hill, try not to throw the rear wheel backwards into the rider behind you.
• Point out the pot holes, sticks, gravel, wombats etc. When you see a pot hole, broken glass, or other hazard, warn the cyclists behind you by moving round it and pointing to it. Using your voice alone is not enough.

Tags: training tips

Spinning. You’ll notice cyclists talk about cadence and spinning. This refers to the number of pedal revolutions per minute, or cadence. Try and maintain a cadence of 90-100 rpm on flat terrain and don’t let it drop below 75 rpm on hills A cadence monitor makes this very easy or count for 15 seconds and multiply by four.

Try and focus on pedalling as smoothly as possible. To do this concentrate on a few things:

• Don’t stamp on the pedals; rather push the downward leg through the entire movement and pull with the upward leg. Concentrate on eliminating the dead spots of the pedal stroke at
• 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock by imagine your leg kicking outwards at 12 o’clock and wiping your foot at 6 o’clock . Hold your upper body firm with your core (abdominal muscles) so as your legs have something to push against.

Build your training up slowly. Increase your distance incrementally by about 10-15% per week. Doing it this way will enable your body to recover and adapt from each training session and thus harness the gains you have attempted to make.

If you miss a session then don’t go out and do double tomorrow or think that it’s time to throw in the towel. The best procedure is to take it as an extra rest day and resume the programme the following day. It happens to all of us, sometimes schedules don’t dictate that training will be done that day, the weather’s abysmal, or you’re just too tired. Relax, and make the most of a bonus day!

Tags: training tips

The normal pedal is just flat without any straps or anything else on it.  Some pedals have a toe-clip which holds your foot in place on the pedal. It can either be just a simple clip which your foot fits in to, or it may also have straps which go round your foot and the pedal. When the strap is tightened up, you cannot get your foot off the pedal until you loosen the strap. Clipless pedals have a mechanism in the pedal which locks into a special plate or cleat fitted into the underside of a cycling shoe and to get out you merely rotate your foot to the side (push your heel outwards).
So why use a pedal like this?

It is because more of your effort gets transferred into making the bike move. It may seem strange, but you will not only use the pedal by pushing, but you will learn to also pull the pedal as you lift your foot up! It sounds hard to do, but is something that you will eventually do without thinking.

Must you use clipless pedals? – No , but if you start to do quite a lot of cycling, will it be a good thing to try? – Yes .

Tags: equipment, training tips