How fast road cycling

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Over the years cyclists accumulate a greater proportion of 'slow twitch' muscle fibres in their legs. Heart and lungs will often be strong and efficient. But age counts against all of us! Older riders will usually be less strong at fast sprints or bursts up short hills, but very good at maintaining steady speed over longer distances. There are lots of year old cyclists who can hold their own in rides with 25 year olds. Cycling in a group - paceline riding - has very significant benefits.

For much of the time you will be 'drafting' the person in front ie experiencing limited wind resistance yourself. So it is very unlikely your average solo speed will be comparable with the local cycling group. Average Cobblestone Speed: mph In every Tour de France, there is at least one section of cobblestone that the cyclists must ride through -- sometimes, though, this is replaced with a stretch of gravel pavement. Average Speed Climbing: Fastest Recorded Speed: Tags: Feature Story. Related Content.

Nov 11, Nov 10, Check the side-wall of your tyre for the recommended pressure. Invest in a track pump so that you can easily get the pressure you need, a mini-pump is best kept only for emergencies out on the road.

Try braking less. Braking slows you down and requires you to pedal harder to accelerate back up to speed. Unnecessary braking is a waste of energy and momentum. So how do you improve? This occurs when you are rolling along a fast road or downhill and you start to go a little bit quicker than you are used to.

Braking to get your speed down to a level you feel comfortable with is fine but take a good look around first, if the road surface is good, clear of obstructions and relatively straight there is no reason to slow down so let the bike roll and enjoy some free speed.

The next place to improve confidence is during cornering. Braking later will help you hold your speed for longer.

Remember to always brake in a straight line so you are at a comfortable cornering speed before you start to turn. If you are riding a drop-handled bar sports bike how often do you use the drops?

Chances are not that much but getting down lower improves your bike handling, reduces your aerodynamic drag and will help you corner and descend with confidence. Riding on the drops lowers wind resistance by 20 per cent compared with riding on the tops. Two main things stop people riding in the drops — not being able to reach the brakes and not feeling comfortable.

Both of these things can be addressed with bike set-up. If your bike fits you properly you should be able to ride in the drop position for large parts of your ride. You may also need to do some stretching as tight hamstrings and an inflexible lower back makes it harder.

You may have spotted other commuters and bike couriers balancing, seemingly effortlessly, at traffic lights and thought that they were just showing off their superhuman bike skills.

Track standing does require practice and this is not best done in front of a van driver during the Monday morning rush hour. When you stop for food or are hanging around waiting for your mates, start playing around with the technique.

To learn this find a slight incline, the gradient helps find your balance point. If you normally ride clipped in switch to trainers for confidence. Start by riding really slowly in tight circles. This will help you get a sense of how to balance your weight. Go as slow and tight as you can and try to use smooth movements.

When you are comfortable, come to a slow stop with your wheel pointing uphill. Keep your head up rather than looking at the front hub. Pick a spot and focus your eyes on that spot. Using the same ratcheting technique you employed to ride in circles, relax the pressure slightly so the wheel will roll back, apply it again and it will roll forward. With that slight rocking back and forth motion, you can maintain balance. Initially, you can always cheat by grabbing hold of a lamp post or railing when you are stopped.