Contents of this page:

• Brakes
• Frame
• Lubrication
• Transmission
• Tyres
• Wheels
• Riding position
• Personal fitness
• Diet

Riding position

• Too low a seat position causes a knee angle of less than 90degrees when the pedal is at the top of it's power stroke. This will cause knee strain as well as straining your thigh muscles.
• Too high a seat position will cause over-reaching when the pedal is at the bottom. This makes the rider 'rock' from side to side and makes riding uncomfortable.
• A correctly positioned seat means that your leg should be straight when you place your instep on the pedal at it's lowest position and your knee should be directly above the pedal spindle when your foot is at the top of its downward stroke(pedal at 1 o'clock).
• To get both of the above right, you need the right-sized frame with the correct height and the correct reach from saddle to handlebars.
• You should also have the right length cranks for your leg length - 165mm for short legs, 170mm for average and 172.5mm or 175mm for long legs.
• Handlebar positioning is a personal preference but while an upright riding posture is easier on the back, it increases wind resistance. A lower riding position might not be too comfortable but makes it easier to ride into the wind as well as letting you descend faster! This is where drop handlebars score because you can ride in either position. Set the angle of the bars so that your wrists are comfortable when holding the brake hoods and also when holding the drop section. Ideally, when you have your hands in the drop position and your first fingers on the brake levers, your forearms should be near horizontal.
• If you have straight handlebars, you may find bar-end extensions very handy as it allows you to change your grip and reduce numbness(padded or gel mitts are also a good idea to reduce numbness). The extensions also allow you to put more effort into climbing when pulling on them.

Personal fitness

Back - Unfortunately, it is difficult to avoid backache when cycling as the most efficient cycling position is with the back arched so as to present a low profile to the wind. A more comfortable position is upright but that produces a lot of drag. The best compromise is with the use of drop handlebars as per racing bikes or straight bars with either bar-end or triathlon extensions both of which permit you to adopt an upright as well as a lower, arms-forward position whenever you choose. Note: You can still get backache in a Recumbent!
Head - This is easy to look after as it simply requires a helmet! Anything or anyone can cause you to fall off your bike and 90% of the time you will be OK but occasionally, you could hit your head on something very hard, e.g., kerb, rock, lamp-post, etc. It is also very desirable to wear glasses, even clear ones, in order to prevent dust, grit and flies from getting into your eyes.
Heart - A lot of cyclists don't bother to monitor their heart rate but they should for two reasons.
a) to optimise the benefit of cycling. If you don't cycle for at least an hour at 80% of your max. heart rate, then there isn't much point in cycling at all except for taking in the views of our beautiful countryside.
Note: Maximum heart rate is roughly 220 minus your age.
b) to avoid over-stressing it. You may not realise it but climbing hills will raise your heart rate and if you are not particularly fit, you could be risking heart problems.
Get yourself a heart rate monitor(they are not too expensive nowadays) and use it!
Legs - These are crucial to cycling as both muscles and joints are subject to a great amount of use. You must look after them to avoid injuries like muscles strains or joint problems. To do this, you must make sure your riding position is set correctly and then you must do some alternative exercises to counter-balance those you get from the action of cycling. With regard to joints, I, like a few others I know, take Glucosamine & Chondroitin tablets which re-inforce the cartilage and helps with the lubrication of joints(it also helps with back problems). I also take Cod Liver Oil capsules for suppleness.

Weight - this consists of your own body weight plus the weight of your bike. The last bit is easy, the lighter the bike, the less weight you have to push up the hill. However, costs may be an important factor for some, but the general idea is to get the lightest bike you can afford. Lightweight wheels and tyres play a very important role as they are the rotational mass that you have to accelerate and push round.
The best body weight is generally speaking that set down in most charts, e.g., as in my case, I am 6ft 3inches (1.9metres) and my weight is 175lbs(79.5Kgs) which is very close to the optimum(I was 224lbs or 101.8Kgs some years ago before I started cycling again). However, it is not a good idea to go on a crash diet because you will lose muscle volume and energy as well as your weight. The best way is to stop snacking between meals and eat slightly less, but more intelligently, i.e., avoid fatty junk food like crisps, chips, burgers, pizzas, croissants, etc, while exercising regularly. This way, you should lose about 2-3lbs per week whilst maintaining or even increasing your strength and muscle power.
Gears - you need a low enough gear that will allow you to maintain a fairly high cadence rate(rpm of the pedals). If you are serious about cycling, as well as a heart rate monitor, you will have a cadence sensor on your cyclo-computer. When your cadence drops below 75, you will be struggling and a lower gear will be required. Conversely, anything above 100 is pretty fast pedal-spinning and you may need a higher gear.
Depending on your level of fitness, a good start would be a 30-tooth chainring and a 34 or a 32 tooth rear sprocket which will give a very good low gear. As you become fitter, lighter and stronger, you will find that you use the bottom gear less and less, then when you need a new cassette, you can get a closer ratio set.
Also the best way to climb hills is to stay seated most of time and spin the legs but standing on the pedals(honking) occasionally will cause different muscles to be used when climbing hills and should reduce the chances of muscle damage or cramp. It also allows the blood flow to return to parts that tend to go numb!

Diet

Breakfast
A bowl of Muesli or two Weetabix.
One round of toast & marmalade or honey.
Mug of half-caff coffee or de-caff tea.

Elevenses
Another round of toast & marmalade
or 2 gingerbread biscuits
or 2 wholemeal Plain chocolate digestive biscuits.
Apple or grapefruit juice.

Lunch
Three sandwiches with a choice of cheese, sliced ham, sliced turkey, and/or tuna filling.
or a portion of macaroni with a chopped slice of ham or turkey.
One toasted teacake.
Mug of half-caff or de-caff tea.

Mid-afternoon break
2 wholemeal Plain chocolate digestive biscuits.
Mug of de-caff tea.

Dinner
Starter - A quarter slice of honeydew melon or grapefruit juice.

Main course - suggestions to be varied during the week.
• Chilli beef(diced beef, not minced) on basmati rice.
• Sweet & Sour chicken(chopped skinless breast only) on basmati rice.
• Two 'new' potatoes and a portion of vegetables(mixed peas/carrots/sweetcorn, broccoli & cauliflower, runner or broad beans) with :-
  Chicken pie(don't eat all the pastry!).
  or salmon fillet.
  or peppered mackerel.
  or one third portion of a quiche.
  Note: The last three can be served with a salad as an alternative.

Dessert - Sliced mango or banana with yoghurt

Drink - Apple juice.

Mid-evening break
1 or 2 gingerbread biscuits.
Mug of de-caff tea.
Note: Do not eat anything after 9pm and certainly avoid alcohol!

• Back to Top of page
• Back to the Arun-Adur Home page