around the circle of the cranks. Keep your ankles still. Avoid toeing down at the front of the pedal stroke and pulling up with the heel. Pedaling in circles lessens the “dead spot” – where there is no power being transferred – in one’s pedal stoke.
Also, one leg is almost always stronger than the other. When riding, work to push the pedals evenly with each leg. Your weak leg will gain strength and ultimately work better with your dominant leg. Keep your knees in line with your hips on the down stroke, and straight, or inside, as your drive upward on the back end of the pedal stroke. Lastly, engage your core. Don’t pedal lazily. Feel your abs when you ride, keep your spine straight and lessen the tension in the upper shoulders, upper back and neck. This opens your hip angle for a stronger and more balanced pedal stroke.
CYCLING FAST
There are a three key ways to train and get better or faster on the bike. You can ride more often, go farther or ride faster. Most of you are riding as much as you can during a training week, and depending on the racing you are training for, riding farther doesn’t always equate to better results. With the time you have to train, it is essential to get in quality rides.
You have some options. Join a faster group ride. Be sure to warm up before departing with this new group, stay toward the back of the group and hold on as long as you can. Second, find a spin class led by a local cyclist. The workouts will better resemble real road riding and you may fi nd yourself riding harder than you would on the road alone. Finally, determine your maximum heart rate, and do interval training at 85 percent of that max heart rate. Allow for equal rest or two times the rest compared to the interval duration. Be sure to consult a coach or more experienced rider when beginning an interval training program.
Add these three elements to your cycling, and you will find a new and improved bike split. Your bike may not turn any heads in transition, but you will definitely get a few double-takes on the bike course when you go flying by all that “bling.”
Matthew Clancy is a USAT Level II certified coach with a master’s degree in sport psychology. He is the founder and head coach for Compass Elite, LLC based in Greensboro, N.C. For more information on Coach Matt and Compass Elite, please visit
www.compasselite.com or at coachmatt @
compasselite.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108