There are many basic cycling tips and skills that you have to learn in order to be a good cyclist. Here are some of them below:

Get A Bike that Fits You – Getting your bike well setup to your body can make the difference between riding in comfort and riding in pain. For those who are chasing after performance, it could be the cornerstone to reaching your full potential. Get your saddle height, your saddle’s forward and backward position, and your handlebar reach fitted specifically to your body. If you are not sure about this, make sure you get this straightened out before you get the  bike.

Learn Proper Braking – Just like how landing a plane is the most important part of flying, learning how to break is the most important skill in cycling. Using the front and rear brakes evenly is the most important rule in breaking, especially if you need to stop the bike in order not to hit a pedestrian or another vehicle. Do not, under any circumstances, abruptly pull on the front break during high speeds. Doing so would launch you over the handlebars and might cause you to hit the pavement face first.

Learn Proper Pedaling – Pedaling is what transfers power from your legs to the drivetrain of your bike. When pedaling, make sure that you push down on the pedals with the ball of your foot instead of your heels. Doing this allows you to transfer power from your legs and feet to the bike’s drive train more efficiently.

Learn Proper Shifting – Proper shifting makes sure that you’re never putting unnecessary stress on your chain. Improper shifting usually causes your chains to snap during a bike ride; and we all know how troublesome it is when this happens. Watch the road ahead carefully and plan your gear changes. When coming up on a steep hill, make sure to shift to the appropriate gear in advance.

These are some of the basic cycling tips and skills that are crucial in becoming a good cyclist

(Source : https://www.muscleandfitness.com)

You make or break your workout before it starts: before you grab that barbell and before you pile on the plates, you need to warm up your body to perform your best every time. But is your warm-up helping you reach your full potential? Better still, is it “bulletproofing” your body to resist aches and injuries?

“The biggest mistake is to gloss over the warm-up,” says Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, co-founder of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts. “That does nothing to increase body temperature, increase neural activation, warm up the joints, or get the nerves ready to go.”

Instead, a great warm-up helps you perform better in the weight room. “It’s not uncommon to see immediate improvements in the deadlift or squat,” says Gentilcore. “There’s a strong performance incentive to do a good warm-up, not to mention stacking the odds in your favor that you won’t get injured.”

Avoid the pitfalls of poor warmups and take a few minutes before every workout to prepare yourself, build more strength, and prevent injuries. You’ll be glad you did.

WHY MOST WARM-UPS FAIL

Most guys wander into the gym, do a few stretches they learned in Phys. Ed., and jog on the treadmill for a few minutes to sweat. Then, they stroll to the weights and start lifting.

But walking in and faking a few stretches never prepares you for the tenacity of an intense workout — a quick jog and a few arm swings before a 225-pound bench press is a recipe for a lousy workout and shoulder surgery.

Bad warm-ups leave strength on the table because you never train at your highest potential; those stretches you learned in high school actually relax your muscles, relax your central nervous system, and diminish your power output.

Also, they neglect your problem areas. “Most people have poor glute activation, poor thoracic spine mobility, weak hips, and a weak anterior core,” says Gentilcore. “Even the guys who are lifting a lot of weight.”

If you ignore those issues, you’ll expose yourself to injuries: weak glutes, for example, can lead to knee pain, lower back pain, and hamstring pulls while a tight thoracic spine can cause shoulder pain.

Instead, use the warm-up to bulletproof your body.

THE KEYS TO A GOOD WARM-UP

A great warm-up readies your body and nervous system for a hard workout, eliminates your weak links, and improves your movement quality. The result? More muscle; less injuries.

At Cressey Performance, athletes lift heavy weights and pile on strength. But during the first few minutes of every session, the coaches orchestrate a careful collection of activation drills, dynamic stretches, and movement preparation designed for optimal performance.

This gets the blood flowing, clears waste from your muscles, brings fluids to your joints, and opens your body — often, athletes who feel drained beforehand find relief with a good warm-up. Research also shows that warming up with dynamic stretches, which actively move your joints through a full range of motion, enhances muscular performance.

Also, think of the warm-up like getting your car aligned — the right blend of drills will improve your posture, set your muscles and joints in the right position, and keep you safe. “Don’t stop with just getting your heart rate up,” says Gentilcore. “Correct things like posture or imbalances and address what you want to improve in the weight room.”

(Source : https://scoobysworkshop.com/)

This is a 3-minute ab workout that will give you a strong core for better sports performance and also protect your lower back from injury in everyday life.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as spot fat removal. If you a big belly, you can’t get washboard abs by doing this ab workout, or any other ab workout. It breaks my heart when I see overweight people at the gym doing 30 minute ab workouts, what they really should be doing is 27 minutes of jogging and this 3 minute ab workout. This 3-minute ab workout will make your abs strong, losing weight with good nutrition and cardio will make your abs visible by removing the fat covering them.

This workout is for those wanting flat, tight abs like a marathon runner. If you want big, powerful abs with big ridges and deep valleys like a pro bodybuilder then my killer ab workout is what you should be doing instead of this 3 minute ab workout. If you are not sure which workout you should be doing, then please watch this video “Big Abs, Flat Abs” where I explain the difference.

The 3 Minute Ab Workout

For best results, do this every day or every other day. Set a timer for 3 minutes and stop when it goes off. This workout consists of three exercises: crunches, planks and bicycles.

Crunch  Start off by doing as many crunches with good form as you can. Use slow controlled crunches lifting your shoulders up toward the ceiling. Don’t flap your arms or nod your head. To see proper form for crunches, watch this crunch video. When you cant do any more with good form …

Do a plank on your left side. Put your left forearm on the floor and then straighten your body as straight and rigid as an I-Beam. Hold this as long as you can without sagging. When you start to sag …

Do bicycles. These are great because they do your obliques and abs at the same time. Lift your shoulder to your opposite knee while keeping the opposing shoulder on the floor, then alternate. To see the proper form of the bicycle for obliques, watch this video. When you cant do any more with good form …

Do a plank on your right side. Put your right forearm on the floor and again, hold your body straight and rigid as an I-Beam. Hold this as long as you can without sagging. When you start to sag …

Source : https://www.wellfitinc.com

As triathletes, our athletes must master three different sports, each with unique fundamentals. Fortunately, the triathlon culture is one that is always seeking the latest training methods and striving for improvement. We are well aware of the need to develop better swim technique and running mechanics; however, due to the nature of the bike segment in triathlon, which is usually non-draft, we are a bit behind on cycling. We are often blamed by pure cyclists for being average riders or even unsafe riding partners. Regretfully, I tend to agree with them. Strong triathletes are often unable to ride in a pace line or in a group because they feel uncomfortable.  It is not their strength which limits them. It’s their technical ability and riding skills that hold them back. No matter what level of cyclist your athletes are, consistent and progressive training will help them develop their cycling ability.

In order for your athlete to be an efficient rider you must train them in two major elements: pedaling mechanics and riding skills. Pedaling mechanics refers to the efficiency of your athlete’s power distribution throughout his pedal stroke, including what muscle fiber groups he is using to deliver power to the bike. Riding skills refers to your athlete’s bike handling skills. Development of pedaling mechanics is an important factor in achieving riding skills and a core component for these abilities. 

Power production throughout the pedal stroke involves a smooth application of power on the pedal in four different directions. Starting from the top, at 12 o’clock, have your athlete first push the pedal down and forward, at 3 o’clock she shifts to a downward and back press, at 6 o’clock she shifts power application upward and back and at 9 o’clock to an upward and forward force. Both legs must work together, as one leg pushes down and the other lifts. Unfortunately, this application of power does not come naturally. We have to have our athletes practice this movement in order to achieve it. 

Single leg drill (SLD) is the one drill that can help your athletes improve their power distribution. This drill should first be done on a stationary trainer. To perform SLD, have your athlete unclip one leg and rest it back on the trainer and keep pedaling with the other leg. Make sure the resistance is low and keep normal cadence. Have him focus on keeping his legs relaxed, and smoothing the transition between the upward and downward strokes. Alternate legs every 10-20 seconds at first and gradually increase the duration from workout to workout. Your athlete will instantly notice how much work it is to pull through the bottom of the pedal stroke and lift the pedal back up and over the top. Have her try to eliminate the dead spots at the bottom and top of the pedaling circle. Keep the pedaling motion as even and smooth as possible. This drill will seem difficult at first, but he should begin to see some improvement after a few short weeks. Below is an example for a trainer workout that you can easily modify to create a progressive program for pedal stroke efficiency. 

15 min easy warm-up 
5 x 20 sec SLD 40 sec both 
2 x 3 min at HR zone 2 keeping 85+ rpm’s 1 min easy between sets 
4 x 30 sec SLD, 30 sec both legs
2 x 2 min at HR zone 2 keeping 85+ rpm’s 2 min easy between sets 
3 x 40 sec. SLD, 20 sec both 
10-15 min easy cool-down

Cadence is the number of revolutions per minute that you turn your pedals when you ride. Cadence is the second factor affecting pedaling mechanics. Voluntary cadence typically ranges between 70 and 80 revolution per minute (rpm) however it is well documented that 90 to 100 rpm is a preferable cadence for cyclists and more so for triathletes. Cycling at a lower cadence for any speed involves using a bigger gear combination and putting more force into each pedal stroke. This action will force the use of fast twitch muscle fibers and can produce greater force. However, fast twitch muscles tend to fatigue quickly. While cycling at a faster cadence we mostly use slow twitch fibers which, when trained, can work longer with minimal fatigue. At first your athlete may feel that high cadence requires more work but after practicing for a few weeks a higher cadence will feel more natural, improve economy and ultimately improve his results. Triathletes pedaling at a higher cadence will benefit by starting the run on significantly fresherlegs. 

The fast spin drill is the most efficient drill for improving cadence. Have your athlete use light to moderate resistance, and gradually increase her rpm's until she begins to bounce on the saddle. Have her back off to the point where her stroke is smooth and hold that cadence for about 20 seconds. At the end, gradually have him bring his rpm's back down to about 90. The focus should be on keeping the muscles relaxed and the spin smooth. You're looking for a smooth, fast, yet relatively effortless motion. Below is an example of a workout that your athlete can perform on a trainer or on the road to improve leg turnover: 

10 min easy warm-up
3 x 30 sec fast spin, 30 sec easy 
3 x 40 sec fast spin, 20 sec easy 
3 x 20 sec fast spin, 40 sec easy 
3 x 30 sec fast spin, 30 sec easy 
4 x 2 min at HR zone 2, keep cadence at 90 rpm’s or higher, 2 min easy between each set  
8 min at HR zone 2, keep cadence at 90 rpm’s or higher
10 min cool-down

I  highly recommend incorporating SLD and fast spin drills in every workout. During the off season phase you might want to prescribe them as the main set of your athlete’s key workout in order to build solid technique prior to the heavy base training. Continue incorporating them during the pre-competitive and competitive phases during the warm-up and cool-down, as it is always important to touch on technique. Make use of a trainer and do not shy away from rollers.  These are great tools for the development of cycling efficiency.

Similar to cycling efficiency, riding skills require knowledge and practice. Once your athlete has developed the ability to ride smoothly at higher cadence, the next most important skills you need to master are braking and cornering. 

Although we rarely stop during a race, the skill of braking is fundamentally important. Teaching your athlete how to break properly will keep him safe and ultimately help him brake less. The braking action requires applying pressure on both breaks, mostly using the rear brake, and shifting his body weight towards the back wheel. Maximum braking effectiveness happens just before locking the wheel; however, locking the wheels will reduce your athlete’s ability to steer and may cause skidding, which in turn reduces braking effectiveness.

In order to master braking, you can teach your athletes three basic skills; develop a feel for the breaks, learn how to “feather” the breaks and know where to place her body’s center of gravity. Every bike has a different feel and will respond differently to pressure. Therefore, have your athletes develop this feel every time they get a new bike, service their breaks or get new wheels. “Feathering the brakes” is the skill of having your hands over the brakes and knowing how much pressure is needed on each break in order to slow down or make a stop at any speed, situation or weather condition. Shifting your weight towards the back of the bike will provide more traction to the rear wheel and make it more effective.  The faster you go or the faster you need to break, the more weight you need to shift.

Acceleration and deceleration always requires more energy than maintaining the same speed. Skillful cornering will reduce the need to slow down, which will allow your athlete to preserve energy and maintain his position at the front of the pack. In order to go through a wide or sharp corner, teach your athlete to lean the bike into the turn, keep the inside pedal up and shift his weight to the outside by pressing his outside leg hard on the pedal. Have him keep his head up and focus on his traveling path. If he needs to slow down, he should always break before the turn and accelerate on the way out of the turn. On some occasions it is advantageous to down shift before a sharp turn so that you can accelerate more quickly out of the turn. For 180⁰ turns that are so popular in triathlons, your athletes need to master the balanced play between braking, pedaling and steering. As in other skills, practice makes perfect and experienced riders can sprint into the turn, break just before, steer around the lonely cone and accelerate out of it, leaving everyone behind.

Use the following progression to practice these braking and cornering skills. Begin with a 30 min ride and finish in a large, deserted parking lot.

-       First ride around freely and try braking, using the technique at different speeds.

-       Next, use cones to designate a “braking zone”. Try to properly brake within the zone without skidding or losing balance. Progression for this drill includes increasing the speed or decreasing the braking zone.

Make sure you are equipped with long sleeve shirts and long pants in order to minimize bruises during a fall. 

Next, move to cornering using the lean and press technique. The progression for this skill training is as follows:

-       First practice turns without steering on your own

-       Second, ride in wide circles around a cone, progressing to faster and narrower circles

-       Finally, practice figure eight circles around two cones. Again, the progression is faster and narrower circles.

Next, practice 180⁰ turns using both braking and turning skills.

-       First, try the stopping and pedaling dance while you maintain your balance.

-       Second, practice 180⁰ turns on your own without any barriers.

-       Finally, create a 180⁰ turn with cones. Again, the progression of this drill is increasing speed and narrowing the turns.

Cycling fitness takes time to develop and requires proper planning. Similar to swimming and running, proper technique will increase efficiency, economy and safety, ultimately making you a faster rider. When planning your athletes program, make sure that you incorporate both pedaling mechanics and riding skills drills into your training routine. It is most beneficial to work on pedaling mechanics early in the season and keep touching on it throughout the season. Practice braking and cornering as soon as it is nice enough to ride outside. Plan ahead, start early and you will see great results as the season progresses.