nevergivin's group (Closed) (Page 10)

• going 3 times a week,
• warming up, do two drills (for maybe 50m each)
• then do my workout and increase distance each week.
•  Closer to the race I planned on adding the master classes (twice a week for an hour each night).

Cycling Technique and drills.

When I first started doing triathlons I thought Biking was easy to learn, I was wrong and did not really get into the dynamics of cycling until this past year, I thought just pedaling was enough, I was wrong!

Much of what I have been practicing over the past year is the same stuff, all of which I have picked up from my cycling team. There are several things that go beyond just pedaling and are very important:

Fit,technique,skills,fitness,weight,equipment.

Fit-you should be able to ride your bike without any pain in your lower back,shoulders etc, a good fit should allow you to ride comfortably and relaxed. If this is a concern, have someone check your fit or do a refit, It can make a huge difference in comfort and power.Riding relaxed is key to going faster and further.

Technique-pedaling efficiently is a science, you want to extend the area that you are pushing the pedals as opposed to dead spots or pulling, try to focus on smooth pedaling and dipping your heel slightly at 10 o’clock position, this will allow for pushing at 11-1 o’clock positions, just a slight dip is all it takes.  As your pedaling you want to be steady in the seat and not bouncing, I have pedaled up to 135rpm without bouncing, I know others that can go much higher. Keep your knees as close to the frame as possible, letting your knees go out takes away power.

Skills-try practicing cornering to get comfortable on your bike, know its turn limits! Try doing figure eights, high speed cornering, one arm cornering. Cornering is skill that can help you during a race, most people slow during turns, use them to accelerate. I practice turns with one hand behind my back, it forces me to use my hips and leaning into turning as opposed to relying on my bars. I have also learned to ride my bike no handed, balance plays a big part in riding efficiently, start with riding one handed and progress, let your hips do the stearing, It’s not easy. Basically the better you are able to handle your bike the less likely you are to end up on the ground, its very common for someone to drop a water bottle during a race, it helps to have good skills that are reactional. Climbing is another skill that I have improved, to me it doesn’t matter if you do it seated or standing, both get the job done, doing more hills gets you stronger at climbing, its not fun but its that simple. People that are good at climbing do lots of it.

Fitness-most of the riding for triathlons is slow and steady, the tempo rides(holding a certain speed for a set distance) will come in the closer you get to your race. Fitness is typically determined by how much you ride and how often. I have gotten faster this year by going further each ride and riding 4-5 days a week instead of 2-3 I did my first couple of years. Ride as much as your schedule will allow.

Weight-There is a reason why I am always one of the last up hills with my team, I weigh 185 and most guys on my team weigh under 160 with 145 the average. It helps!

Equipment-get familiar with changing tires, spend one day and do it 10 times, you will be a pro and will help others from now on, also practice using co2, buy a few and use them. Know what to look for when you flat to see what caused it, nothing worse than changing a flat and having it go flat. I always change tires for others, they just don’t want to learn, I love the practice. Know how to properly clean and oil your bike, it will extend the life of its parts. Always do a precheck before you ride, check cleat screws, check if tires rub brakes, make sure skewers are tight, make sure no grinding or rubbing noises.

Hope this helps!