How to improve your cycling technique
Are you looking to improve your pedalling? These tips will help you pedal like a pro.
In order to perform at your best on your bike, it is essential that you pay attention to your pedalling technique. This article will tell you everything you need to keep in mind to boost your technique and maximise every ride you make on your bike.
The importance of cadence
Cadence is a fundamental aspect of your pedalling technique. As we told you in our detailed post concerning the most effective pedalling cadence, the optimal cadence will vary depending on the cyclist's physical condition.
In this post, you can find all necessary details if you would like more information. To summarise, however, we could say that if you are starting out in this world, the best thing to do is to ride at a comfortable cadence. Slowly, and as you get more experience, you can gradually increase it up to approximately 90 - 100 rpm.
Properly adjust your bike
An essential aspect when improving your technique is to have an optimal posture on the bike. To achieve this, you must correctly adjust the cycle to your body.
This will not only help you increasingly enjoy your rides, whether short or long, but it will also be the way to make your muscles perform at their best, therefore preventing possible injuries.
Distribute your strength
Good technique requires you to equally distribute the effort of your pedalling between both legs. This is crucial, both to increase your speed and to improve your efficiency.
If you want to learn more about how to properly distribute your strength, we have a specific article on how to prepare for a cycling event.
Exercise your upper body
A strong and stable torso will help you maintain a correct posture on the bike and improve your pedalling technique. If you want to improve your design, we recommend that you do specific exercises for cyclists.
We recommend doing planks, squats, and push-ups as they are some of the most effective exercises for strengthening your upper body.
Avoid pedalling in circles
Barney Wainright, a renowned doctor and sports scientist, suggests avoiding pedalling in circles. According to his research, it is much more efficient and effective to pedal in semicircles.
Instead of just pushing the pedals with each leg, Wainright says it's better to go with one leg whilst the other leg pulls on the other pedal. By doing this, you generate a semi-circle on the left, followed by a semi-circle on the right.
Train, train, and train
If you practice following the tips we have given you and train whenever you can, we are sure that you will be able to improve your pedalling technique step by step.
From time to time, it is good to stop and do a self-examination. It is important to analyse your weak points, to work on them and improve. Only then will you be able to offer the best version of yourself on the bike.