How to become a faster cyclist / road biker??

Question

I love road biking / cycling, but i want to get better at it. i would like to be faster and improve my speed. I average around 16 MPH right now but i would like to increase that. any tips???

Answer 1

Get a heart monitor and a good book on cycling. One excellent book is "Cycling Past 50," Joel Friel, Human Kinetics. You can get it through varous on-line sources. It has excellent programs to build endurance, speed and strength. I've seen about a 25% improvement in the few months I've followed it and I only cycle three times/week.

Answer 2

Firstly I fitted a set of aerobars to my roadbike which in themselves will marginally increase your speed, and secondly I found a cycle track where I could focus solely on sprinting over short distances in order to improve the condition of my quadruceps- the thigh muscles that provide the driving force. You become a better cyclist by having better conditioned thigh muscles- professionals achieve that solely through cycling but beginners can benefit from doing squats and leg presses etc. in the gym to increase muscle condition.

Answer 3

first is to develop a fluid spin.  you need to work on pedalling in circles and on riding with RPM's instead of pushing on the pedals hard.  using light gears that you have to spin will help.  at first it winds you, but as your fitness catches up you'll notice you can take changes in grade and such without any effort at all.

work on your form.  shoulders back, back as straight as possible, head up.  these things enable you to breathe better.

practice riding fast.  using drafting behind a car, intervals and sprints, work on riding faster.  in cycling it is easy to fall into a rutt where you can do like 16-17 avg and not really improve.  to ride faster, you must force yourself to go faster.  pick a stretch and just lay the coals to it, and slowly build on that.

finally, weight management.  body weight is very important in cycling.  it is important that what weight you do have is productive, lean mass, not fat.  if you can improve your body composition it helps a ton.  you will not believe what 10lbs off does for your riding, flexibility and strength.

Answer 4

Practice, practice, practice.

Answer 5

Ride

Ride

Ride

There is no substitute.