As you start road cycling there will be challenges but you must overcome them to improve your knowledge and riding skills. If you're new, you want to focus on the basics and if you want to keep improving your skills, keep checking back in and read more posts on how to improve your road cycling skills.
The great thing about starting road biking is that it is terrific exercise—and something you can do on multiple levels. You can go out for a slow, scenic ride, or step up the pace for a cardio workout. A bike seamlessly makes the transition from recreation to transportation, plus it’s an environmentally friendly activity. To get started, here is the 101 you should know.
Choosing a Road Bike
Road bikes are typically light and fast and designed to be ridden on paved surfaces. They usually feature drop-bar handlebars (though some have a flat bar like a mountain bike) and skinny 700c wheels. Most road bikes are made of steel, aluminum, titanium or carbon fiber (or a blend).
When buying a bike, make sure it fits you properly. Bikes are sold in a variety of frame sizes that, at the very basic level, correspond to your height and inseam length. When you straddle the top tube of your bike, you want about one inch of clearance between your body and the top tube (if the bike is equipped with a traditional straight top tube that is parallel to the ground).
There are several considerations that will affect your choice of bike including how you intend to ride it (recreationally, competitively or for commuting) and your budget, which will inform the quality of components of your bike.
Road Bike Accessories
Last week I covered Cycling Gear Essentials and covered all you need to for your ride. To start, you'll need bike water bottles and cages to stay hydrated while you ride ad you'll need easy access to them. Bottle cages hold your water bottles securely and attaches to your bike frame using bolts that screw into threaded fittings on the seat tube or down tube. If your bike doesn’t have threaded fittings, look for a bottle cage that installs with straps or a clamp.
Bike Lights - Headlights and taillights are essential for use at night and in bad weather. Headlights range from basic safety models that help motorists see you in dim light, to high-end, high-output lighting systems that light up the trail or road ahead.
Tool Kit: You never know when you’ll need to tighten a loose bolt, fix a flat or a busted chain. Be prepared and carry a multi-tool, bike tire patch kit and spare tube on every ride. Think about carrying tire levers, too. They are helpful when removing your tire from the rim while fixing a flat.
Bike Reflectors and Bells - Bike reflectors, mirrors and bells are simple, low-cost additions with valuable payoffs. Reflectors improve your visibility to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, while a bell is an easy way to alert cyclists and pedestrians to your presence before you pass.
Fenders: Bolted fenders add weight to your ride but are a must for rainy, muddy and wintery weather. They keep the spray that comes off your wheel from coating your entire backside and leaving you looking like a skunk. Clip-on fenders are nice for quick installation before the rainy season and easy removal when you need to lighten your bike up for a long ride or race. Clip-on fenders are the easiest option for bikes that don’t have threaded fittings for bolts, but they typically don’t provide the same protection as bolt-on fenders.
Cycling cadence: As the terrain changes on your ride, you need to shift gears in order to maintain a steady cadence. Under most conditions, it's usually most efficient to pedal between 80–100 revolutions per minute (rpm). When you turn the pedals at a faster or slower cadence, you can fatigue quickly. If you find it hard to pedal at an average cadence, then you're probably riding in too high of a gear–simply shift to a lower gear. The same goes for when you are pedaling too fast or meeting no resistance—it’s time to shift up to a harder gear.
Pedaling efficiency: Instead of just pushing down on your pedals on the downstroke and pulling up on the upstroke, follow this tip from three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond: When you pull your foot through the bottom of the stroke, imagine you’re scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe.
Shifting Gears on a Road Bike
There are five main parts of the standard bicycle that let you shift gears and change how easy it is to pedal your bike. They are comprised of the following:
front chainringsrear cassette
chain
derailleurs
shifters
The left shifters control the front chainrings while the right shifters control the rear cassette. Using your left shifter will result in a large jump in the resistance of the pedals, while using your right shifter will fine-tune the resistance. Ideally, you want to feel some resistance but not so much that it is difficult to pedal smoothly.
Only shift when you’re pedaling and use only one shifter at a time, or you may mis-shift, jam the chain or drop the chain off the chainrings or cassette. Also, don’t pick a gear that will put your chain on opposite extremes of the front cogs and rear cassette at the same time. Called cross-chaining, this is where you’re most likely to drop or break your chain.
Try to anticipate the terrain and shift just before you need to. When you approach a stop, it is prudent to shift down, so you can easily get started again from a fully stopped position.
Road Bike Braking Technique
Typically, the front brake is operated by the left brake lever and the rear brake is operated by the right brake lever. For beginner cyclists, it’s best to feather both brakes at the same time.
Where to Look When Riding
Keep your eyes focused 20–30 feet ahead so you can anticipate turns and obstacles in your path. Don't look down at the front wheel; instead, look where you want to head. Avoid staring at obstacles you want to avoid as focusing your eyes on an obstacle makes you track to it.
How to Descend on Your Road Bike
When getting ready to descend, move toward the back of the saddle and place your feet level. This will keep your center of gravity over the bike, protect your pedals from hitting the pavement on sharp turns and allow you to shift your weight side to side as needed to help you handle tighter curves.
How to Turn on Your Road Bike
When getting ready to turn, brake and slow your speed before entering the turn. Head for the outside corner of the turn then lean the bike into the turn (not your body) by gently pushing on the handlebar and pedal on the inside of the turn. As you come out of the turn, start pedaling again.
Using this technique of leaning will allow you to navigate the turn more easily, with only a nominal adjustment in the actual handlebar; only the tightest of turns require dramatic adjustments in the direction of the front wheel.
Road Bike Rules and Etiquette
As a cyclist, you have the right to co-exist on the road, but this also means you have to follow the rules like everyone else. In other words, don’t blow through red lights and stop signs. And always use hand signals to alert drivers and fellow riders of your intentions.
Never ride your bike against traffic as you would when walking or running. Always move with traffic and stay as far right as is practical to avoid hazards such as car doors, potholes or curbs. Move into the left-hand lane when making a left turn.
If riding with a friend, ride single file instead of two abreast to make it easier for cars to pass safely.
These are just basic principles to road cycle gear set up and safety made up of predictable signals. Once you get to know the basics, it makes riding in traffic or with a group a lot easier once you know how to communicate verbally or with gestures affectively. Always assume someone is behind you and never rely on others to communicate for you. If you're not comfortable taking your hands off the handle bars, calling "right turn" 'slowing" "stopping" "hole left" "on your wheel" "passing left" "car back" is helpful too. Being able to loudly communicate and control your movement will help everyone. Once you get a hang of these basics you'll be ready to move on to advancing other road skills.
Images: Rapha/Active
As a cyclist, you have the right to co-exist on the road, but this also means you have to follow the rules like everyone else. In other words, don’t blow through red lights and stop signs. And always use hand signals to alert drivers and fellow riders of your intentions.
Never ride your bike against traffic as you would when walking or running. Always move with traffic and stay as far right as is practical to avoid hazards such as car doors, potholes or curbs. Move into the left-hand lane when making a left turn.
If riding with a friend, ride single file instead of two abreast to make it easier for cars to pass safely.
These are just basic principles to road cycle gear set up and safety made up of predictable signals. Once you get to know the basics, it makes riding in traffic or with a group a lot easier once you know how to communicate verbally or with gestures affectively. Always assume someone is behind you and never rely on others to communicate for you. If you're not comfortable taking your hands off the handle bars, calling "right turn" 'slowing" "stopping" "hole left" "on your wheel" "passing left" "car back" is helpful too. Being able to loudly communicate and control your movement will help everyone. Once you get a hang of these basics you'll be ready to move on to advancing other road skills.
Images: Rapha/Active
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