Training - cycling

Preparing yourself for a cycling challenge should be a lot fun. The good news is that bicycles are very good at taking a little of your effort and changing that into forward movement. With very little exertion you can cover lots of ground.

Even people who do no or very little exercise should be able to cycle 5km without too much trouble. Most adults will be able to go further than that, but they may find it hard work and that they don’t really enjoy it so much. They may also ache like hell the next day.

The knack, then, is to get yourself ready so that you can enjoy the event, rather than struggling over every mile. You want to be able to whiz along, enjoying the scenery, the culture, the group camaraderie – knowing that you’re raising thousands of pounds for Mind.

So how do you it? The first step is to read the Getting physical – general principles, and then read the following:

• Taking stock, before starting
• Your target
• You and your bike
• Training techniques
• Don’t hurt yourself
• A training plan to suit you
• Fitting it all in

Taking stock

Before starting to exercise – or starting a new form of exercise – stop and take a good look at yourself. This is not about beating yourself up, but about starting from a realistic point. So first things first:

How healthy are you?

Do you have any medical conditions – in particular heart problems, stroke, diabetes, joint problems, asthma, high or low blood pressure? Are you pregnant? Or do you take any medicines (don’t forget any herbs or alternative treatments)? If you do, you should talk to your GP, right now. Talk to her or him about what you’re planning and work out if there are any medical issues you need to think about.

How fit are you?

Come on be honest now. What state are you in? You don’t need to tell anyone else (apart from, perhaps, your doctor) but you need to be honest with yourself so you can get ready for your bike ride safely and enjoyably. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re Chris Newton or Bradley Wiggins – take a moment right now to think about the last time you did any exercise and answer these questions:

• When was the last time you did any exercise for 30 minutes or more – without a break?
• When was the last time you were on a bike?
• In the past month, what is the furthest you’ve cycled in one go?
• The last time you did any exercise, however gentle, how did you feel?

What do you want to be able to do?

As you’re reading this, you’re probably aiming to be able to cycle in comfort between six and eight hours a day, for between three to six days back to back. You’re going to be covering around 55 to 114km (34 to 71miles) in a day.

Don’t be put off – these are big distances, but even if you find cycling to the local corner store a drag, it’s quite possible. As long as you take time, read on and make a realistic plan for yourself (see our training programmes).

Even if you only feel comfortable cycling 5km (about 3miles) today then you could still be fit and ready in six and half months. But you’ve got to start training now, taking it steadily and slowly.

You and your bike

More than most sports, as well as getting your body in shape, the secret to successful and enjoyable cycling is getting your kit ready.

Comfort

The first thing to think about is making sure you’re comfortable on your bike. When cycling your body meets a lot of pressure from the bike itself, obvious pressure points include:

• backside
• hands/wrists
• knees.

Secondary pressure points can include:

• shoulders
• neck
• back.

Take time to check the Kit list for cycling equipment (including cycling shorts and a helmet), but also get down to your local bike shop or cycling group and talk to them about different ways of getting your bike ready for you.

In the end, you’ll need to get on your bike and try it out until you’re comfortable. Remember what feels comfortable after an hour may feel decidedly less so after five hours in the saddle – make sure you try out your bike and kit for the time you’re planning to ride in your chosen event.

Some tips on making your bike ready for you include:

1. Is your saddle comfortable?
2. Make sure your saddle is horizontal and not tipped.
3. Get your saddle at the right height. Get someone to hold the bike and with the shoes you’re going to cycle in, sit on the saddle as if ready to cycle and put your foot on the lowest pedal (as low as it will go) – ideally your knee shouldn’t be bent when your heel is on the pedal.
4. Now check your handlebar. Try and ensure all your weight is not on your hands. You may need to experiment for a while.
5. Try out different handlebars – uprights or racing – until you are comfortable. Remember you don’t want to be sitting too high otherwise your body will act as a windbreak and hold you back. 
6. Also try bar ends.  These enable you to change your position on the bike and grip, important when cycling for long distances.

Technique

It may sound odd to be told, but pedal, don’t push.

A common mistake is to believe that you’ve got to have the gears at high resistance. It may feel odd at first, but try and reduce your gear – you may feel that you’re pedalling too fast, but give it a go. Remember that if you’re over-geared (too much resistance) you’re effectively weight training and eating up huge amounts of energy.

If you haven’t already, it is probably worth investing in proper cycle shoes that clip into the pedal. They’ll give your feet more support and make your cycling more efficient.

If you don’t like the idea of cycling shoes, buy some toe clips – you’ll be amazed how much more bang you get for your pedalling buck.

Confident on your bike

If you’re going to be on your bike for five to eight hours you want to be confident and comfortable. Take time to make sure you’re happy with how your bike works – the gears and the brakes. Also make sure you’re happy with where your kit is – do you have enough water bottles and do you feel confident drinking from them while on the go? It is useful to practice drinking from bottles now as it not only improves you cycling but also gets you into the habit of drinking fluids regularly, which is vital when in a hot country.

Training technique

Now that you’re on the way to a happy harmony with your bike and other kit, you need to think about preparing your body. Unlike running, cycling is a low impact sport, which means you’re unlikely to do yourself an injury. But you’re still danger of wearing yourself out.

The best way to get ready for a trek is to cycle – and to do so in your cycling shorts, helmet and shoes.

Interval training: while cycling, why not try changing your pace for set periods. For example, on a 1-hour ride try the following:

• First 10 minutes – quite gentle.
• Next 20 minutes, pick up your pace to your usual speed.
• Next 12 minutes – alternate between two minutes of fast cycling – push yourself – and two minutes at your normal pace or a bit gentler.
• Next 10 minutes – ride normally.
• Last four minutes – slow down to gentle pace.

Other types of training include:

Gym work: treadmills and other ‘cardiovascular’ machines in gyms are a good way of getting your overall fitness up (aerobic conditioning), but can never beat cycling outside up and down hills. Depending on what you’re cycling for, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get off the tarmac.

Cross training: simply means doing another type of exercise from the one you’re training for – like swimming, walking or skiing, for example. This:

• helps build up your overall fitness
• gives your ‘cycling muscles’ a rest
• can help stave off boredom of doing one exercise again and again
• but remember this is not a substitute for cycling.

Weights: Using weights are a good way of strengthening your ‘cycling power’ as well working out your other muscles. For cycling you focus on the following:

• strengthen your abdomen (stomach), back and shoulder muscles
• work on your quadriceps and gluteal muscles – the powerhouse of cycling. Either do weighted squats – keeping your feet pedal width apart, or pedal up some big hills, perhaps over-geared while seated in your saddle.

Don’t hurt yourself – prevent injuries

Clean cycling shorts everyday If on a trek or cycle tour abroad, pay close attention to personal hygiene – wash your hands regularly, especially after going to the loo – this way you’ll cut down the chance of getting some nasty tummy bug.

• You are ready – have trained enough – for the ride you’re planning on doing.
• You don’t too much training (over training), or try to do too much without building up gently, and exhaust your body.
• You warm up before starting to cycle.
• You listen to you body – if it hurts, stop.
• You have the right kit, especially helmet and gloves (which protect your hands in a fall).
• You eat and drink enough of the right things – before, during and after training or the event.
• You cool down and stretch after each session.

Your training plan

Whatever your level of fitness, your training plan should include at least one ‘dress rehearsal’ a month before your cycle trek. Try and spend a whole weekend cycling – covering the distances you’re going to be doing on the event on both days.

Remember that to keep fit – or get fitter – you need to be exercising at least three times a week. And you’re aiming to make each session 30 minutes or longer. (If you’re not comfortable doing 30 minutes of continuous exercise, before starting out, talk to your GP.)

For more information see our training programmes, but in general, you can build up to:

• Cycle three to four hours of cycling during the week – this can be made up half hour slots, commuting to work (or the station) every day.
• At least one weekend every month do a longer, three to four hour cycle ride in one go.

Remember, cycling is incredibly healthy – if you can start to bring it into your day-to-day life, whether cycling to the station or down to the shops, not only will you be getting fitter you’ll be reducing your risk of heart disease and strokes. Not to mention saving the planet by cutting down on petrol and saving money on bus fares.

Fitting it all in

How the devil do you fit in up to 90km (60 miles) of cycling in a week? Not to mention getting generally fitter. Actually, you may be surprised how easy it is. Take a bit of time to look at your weekly habits and see where you may be able to squeeze in a bit of exercise. Also think about the following:

• Cycle to/back from work – or the station everyday.
• Ignore the lift and escalators and walk up the stairs.
• Get panniers for your bike, leave the car at home and cycle to the shops.
• Get the rest of the family to cycle with you.
• Get the rest of the family to meet you at your favourite pub, while you cycle there (make sure they take warm kit for you to change into).

Now read kitting out.