You probably have a decent bike.
You probably even spend a fair amount of time riding and training
So why doesn’t your riding improve?
What is improvement in the first place? what do you want to actually improve ? numbers or physical wellbeing.
1. Don’t ride enough
Ok this is pretty obvious. If you don’t spend time riding you will not improve. If you want to become a better cyclist the one thing that you have to do is ride. You need to spend quality time on your bike out on the road. (no a trainer is not a substitute) Without this basic ingredient you will have a hard time improving your overall experience. Now this does not mean you should just ride hard every day, your body needs time to recover.
2. No Recovery
You train hard every day and yet the results are not coming in the way you want. The reason you are not improving may be that you are not giving enough time for your body to recover.
In fact this is probably the most important part of training. No matter what type of riding you do. When you workout you break your body down, your body needs adequate time to rebuild. Eating the right foods, staying hydrated, and lots of rest will help your body recover faster.
3 Eating Correctly
Your body needs its balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats in the correct balance. If you are not eating a balanced diet then your muscles will take longer to repair themselves. Not only that you could start to suffer from fatigue as well
4 Hydration
Dehydration not only effects your physical performance, it also reduces your mental performance and your ability to make clear decisions. Your heart rate increase along with your body temperature. This intern effects your perception of how difficult the physical activity actual is, further reducing performance. Dehydrate to far and then it becomes difficult to rehydrate, if you do not hydrate often enough trying to catch up many leave you feeling bloated and sick.
What liquid is best for hydration, actually water has everything you need. There is no need to spend money on expensive sports drinks or powders to mix with water.
5 Wrong equipment
Having a bike that is appropriate for the type of riding you are doing can really improve your experience. Making sure that you have the appropriate clothing, wheels, and even tires can make a big difference in your cycling. Read what is the typical cost of cycling today.
6 Tyre Pressure
Yes it may seem a simple point but if your tyres are under inflated all that effort and energy will be wasted. It will feel like you are trying to cycle through treacle or sand.
7 Poor technique
If you are riding to the coffee shop technique doesn’t matter too much as long as you can get there for your caffeine fix. But performance riding is completely different. Many cyclists just ride hard or far and don’t give a second thought to proper pedaling technique, cadence, or even body position. This is an area where huge improvements come with just a little focused effort and time. It partially depends if you are a pusher or a spinner (try both is you’re not sure) – probably worth checking your saddle position first, as mentioned up thread. I know some who are spinners, some who are pushers. (pusher, high gear low revs/ Spinner, low gears higher revs)
8 Poor bike fit
If you have spent any amount of time riding you know how important it is to have your bike adjusted to fit your body. If you are not comfortable you will not be fast or go very far. While riding a bike it doesn’t have to hurt. When your position is adjusted properly there should not be any thought of the bike. You should not be thinking the saddle hurts, or the shoulders seems haunched or whatever. Some adjustments can be made on your own, so do try different setups. However if you you really want to improve you should see a professional.9 Are You Actually Pushing Yourself
The improvement is not just about speed and comparing yourself to someone else. We are all built differently so its about how much you are pushing your own body. Buy a heart monitor to ensure that you are actually increasing that heart rate. You will not improve if you casually just cycle around and no matter how far you actually ride. It is quite easy to get into a habit of not pushing it into the hurt zone, the safe comfy zone effects us all at times.
9 Change The Route Move The Comfort Zone
The comfort zone is easy to fall into, same route all the time and you just measure success or failure by the amount of time it takes. Complacencies come into play because you probably do thee exact same routine without realising it. Big hill coming up in half a mile, you just might be slowing down to conserve some energy for the big push. Once you reach the top of the hill you take it steady to recover a little and thats how it happens. The comfort zone, you are out there doing it but your not really dong it.
Change your route on a regular basis an do go back to some regular routes. Once you have spent enough time away from a particular route you are more likely to attack it in an entirely different way. Thus having a completely different experience and outcome.
10 Join A Cycling Club
In times of Covid 19 it isn’t that simple so check what tier of lockdown you’re in and the local restrictions before riding. Life after covid joining a bike club can renew your enthusiasm for the sport and give you a burst of energy. The great part of being in a club is the mix of abilities and the feeling of belonging. Cycling in a group and wanting to belong with them always pushes you psychologically and you will try harder without even thinking about it. Make sure you are aware of the cycling clubs etiquette before your first ride with them.
