Bicycle Training - Easier Than You Think
Exercising by cycling is one of the most gentle ways to exercise. You can combine it with commuting to work, cycling longer distances with friends, or exploring new paths in the forest. But how do you get started? What equipment do you need, and what should you keep in mind when you want to take the step from regular exercising to practicing on your bike? We collected some tips, both for those who have never ridden a bike but want to start. And for those eager to start bike training.
Shortcut To Work
The classic mistake is to go too far, both mentally and physically. One of the easiest ways to get started with your bike training is to commute to and from work. But if you have not cycled before, it can be stupid to bicycle every day. Start with every other day or add a rest day in the middle of the week, so your body gets a chance to recover. That will make it more fun to bicycle and keep your motivation up. Do not despair. If you get pain in the buttocks, in the beginning, it will get used to it after a week or two. If it does not, we recommend that you get help to see how you sit on the bike, and only after that can you know if you need to change the saddle. A common mistake is that people have the wrong angle on the saddle must cause the butt to be loaded incorrectly.
Once you have started, you will notice that development goes pretty fast in the beginning. The condition quickly improves, and you will feel that it is easier biking uphill slopes. But as mentioned earlier, remember not to get overconfident and give yourself time to get to know your bike and yourself. Give it 2-3 weeks, and you will notice that it will be easier and more fun. Furthermore, if you have previously been tired, you will get an increased energy level during the day.
What Equipment Do You Need to Start Cycling Back and Forth to Work?
No matter how long or short your cycle, a good hybrid is recommended. That comes complete with screens and a single blade. With a hybrid bike, you get a bike with screens, package holders, and support, making the bike very practical. Many of these bikes also have a mount frame lock spot. Even if frame locks are approved, we also recommend that you buy a bicycle lock that you can physically lock onto a fixed object.
Read our guide about bike locks.
Helmets
Last but certainly not least is the choice of helmet. Today there is a large selection of helmets in different types. For those of you who do not want a traditional helmet, there is today Hovding's bicycle helmet as an alternative. You should be choosing a helmet that you feel comfortable wearing. A recommendation is that you also choose a helmet with some form of rotation protection such as MIPS or SPIN. Safety first!
Read our guide about bicycle helmets.
New Roads And Paths
Are you tired of biking back and forth from your job? For you who want to do more than that, you want to try bicycling as a sport. It is just as easy to get started. If you want to, you can also combine this with cycling to and from work. The thing to keep in mind then is to look at a bike that can have fenders and possibly support if you want it. Many bikes done to train more seriously cannot mount screens and support. However, alternatives for this are starting to appear on the market today.
How Should One Think About the Training Itself and the Structure Around it?
Fitness and endurance you can train on your own, but cycling is so much more than that. Whether it is a country road or a mountain bike that you want to test, you will learn a lot from seeing how others ride. On the road, you will learn how to ride in a group with others and general tips to become a better cyclist. Another part of your cycling training. As a beginner in mountain biking, it is very educational to cycle with others in the forest. You see which tracks they choose, get tips on when to change, etc. The most common mistake new mountain bike cyclists make is that they put far too little focus on the technical aspect of mountain biking. At competitions, you usually notice that people bike hard on flat roads or uphills and then in technical games and lose a lot of speed and time. So make this a recurring feature of your cycling training!
Step it to the Next Level.
In addition to perhaps replacing their equipment, upgrading to a new and lighter bike, there are two things you can do to speed up your cycling. To take the step and invest in power meters for your bike. As well as a better trainer and then structure your training based on your watts.
In recent years, effect-based training has taken off. The prices of trainers and power meters have fallen, and more people train in this way. What then makes effect training so effective. Well, it is that you base your training on what power you produce, not on how hard your heart rate beats. And especially in cycling, this is extra effective. Your heart rate can vary from day to day depending on how stressed you are, if you had a rough night of sleep, drank a lot of coffee, etc.
How much watts you produce shows how much you take in. That number is the same no matter how good or bad your day is. Meaning, when you bike intervals, it works more efficiently to train within them. You can work just as hard throughout the entire session. It is proven that if you do your intervals based on heart rate. Usually, you go out too hard and then do not have enough strength for all the intervals, and that you do not take in as much as the heart rate gets higher and higher as your training progresses. Watt is simply a more honest way of measuring how hard you ride.
However, you may need help knowing how to set up your intervals and what type of intervals to do. It can also be good to plan before so that you do not top the form too early in the season, which is more common than you think among exercisers and people who invest in their cycling. Do not forget to feel what suits you and that recovery is of much importance. Today there are good programs that can help one with planning, and many today also get a coach. When training with a power meter and a good trainer. It is easy to send your values online to a coach who verifies that you are where you should be in your training, and makes sure that you maintain a top shape.
A Few Words Along The Way.
Many people never realize or forget along the way that cycling is a very social sport. Cycling in a cluster and lying on a roll is magical. Exploring new paths with friends in the woods is fantastic fun, and cycling to that new café with your family no matter how cozy. No matter what your training looks like or with whom you train, cycling is a gentle and fun way to get started training or take your training to the next level!