Long distance cycling for beginners: Tips That Make Riding More Fun
Although exciting, road cycling can sometimes be intimidating,
especially to newbies and amateur cyclists. Luckily, regardless of your
cycling experience, there are tips to make your ride more fun and
worthwhile. In this post, we will focus on tips that make long distance
cycling for beginners more fun. You can try out the tips when in solo
training or even when riding in groups.
- Adjust Your Seat Height
Pain in the front of the knee? Your seat may be too low, causing you to be insufficiently stretched when pedaling. This is a common mistake for beginners since most people feel more confident and comfortable when their feet touch the ground. But the wrong saddle height may cause the risk of injury. To solve this problem, raise the saddle. At the correct seat height, the knee should bend slightly at the bottom of the pedal stroke without shaking the pelvis. - Ride in a Group
In long distance cycling training, team rides have their own etiquette and protocol. And this is for a reason. If the ride cannot be predicted, then it can easily lead to a crash. If you are riding with a new member for the first time, hang out behind, observe and ask for help when needed. There is rarely a dumb question whenever your safety and that of your team are threatened. - Remember to Refuel
If you plan to ride for an hour only, ensure that you drink water, but you don’t need to eat. On the other hand, if you are planning to ride for more than two hours, bring snacks and eat something 45 minutes to an hour before starting your ride. Continue to eat minimum amounts every 15 to 20 minutes. Forgetting to refuel will put your body in a state of deficit and cause it to become weak or enter a low blood sugar state. - Shifting
Before you go for the back gear, please select the front gear first. If you are cycling on flat ground and downhill, you will need to wear larger gear. Contrastingly, when climbing, you will want to be in a smaller ring. When moving the gear in the back, you will want to find a gear that can rotate 80 revolutions per minute on a level road. This makes it feel comfortable, smooth, and light.
When you are approaching the starting point of the climb, first shift from the large ring in the front to the smaller ring before adjusting the gears at the rear to prepare for the climb. You neither want to transition to smooth gear and lose momentum prematurely. Similarly, you don’t want to be in a hard gear at the beginning of the climb, thus making things hard too soon.
Conclusion
One of the primary sources of injury
during long-distance cycling training occurs when trying to surpass the
mileage limit before you are fully ready. Instead, you should build up
slowly and allow your body some time to adjust to different distances.
As a rule of thumb for trainees, do not start too fast since you will
risk fatigue and burnout in the second half. Instead, take the first
third of your ride to warm up before settling for a rhythm and finally
giving it your all.
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