Multi-Tri Training with Michele--Cycling basics for triathletes

It’s no secret that I’m not a big fan of cycling. I find that cycling is far too technical and dangerous for my liking. However, the bike portion of a triathlon is the longest portion, both in distance and time, so I’ve forced myself to become as comfortable and efficient on the bike as possible.

Trying to find any concrete information on cycling is like sticking your hand in a bowl of Jell-O—it’s gushy, slimy, and grabbing anything solid is near impossible. In order to eliminate the relentless chatter, advice, and chaos that go along with cycling, I’ve tried to simplify things. Below is some basic cycling skills, which are the foundation to being a successful and powerful cyclist.

Cadence

Maintaining a quality cadence is important; especially as a triathlete, since you have to bounce off the bike and run. For this reason, it isn’t a good idea to grind through a course in a really hard gear. Rather, you should train your body (and your brain) to be at around 70-90 rotations per minute. You can determine your cadence by counting how many times your right foot does a complete pedal circle within 10 seconds, then multiply by 6 for total rotations per minute. This is equivalent to 12-15 pedal rotations of your right foot in 10 seconds.

Shifting

Shifting can be a little intimidating because it involves so many pieces of equipment moving around while you are in motion. Still, you should put your shifting fear aside and get comfortable doing it because you need to do it often. In fact, most people don’t shift enough, which leads to premature wear on the bike’s drive train and worn out legs. In order to maintain a cadence that is between 70-90 revolutions per minute, you need to be constantly shifting to maintain this speed. On a rolling course, you should be shifting almost constantly to maintain that steady cadence.

How do you know what gear to select? First, don’t get confused by the many choices, and don’t worry about harming the bike by shifting it “wrong” — you can’t hurt it as long as you slightly ease the pedal pressure when shifting (you must pedal to shift). And understand that the correct gear is any gear that allows you to pedal comfortably at the moment. There’s no right or wrong gear and there’s no proper sequence to follow. You just shift when your body tells you it’s time for a change.

Pedaling

Efficient pedaling is HUGE! Most beginning cyclists spend most of their energy pushing down on the pedals, with very little energy spent pulling up through the back of the pedal stroke. Ideally, you should relax and let your feet and ankles assume a natural position while pedaling. But, there is one tip that may help smooth your pedal stroke and provide a power boost on climbs: If you can learn to pull straight back on the pedals when each reaches the 3 o’clock point on the stroke, you’ll discover that you can generate more power. The motion is similar to scraping mud off from the bottom of your shoe… pull back, up, and over. Focus on this and, with practice, it will come naturally.

Holding on

Believe it or not, your hands and arms do a lot of work while you’re riding. You are constantly gripping, leaning, or pulling on your handle bars. There are two things that you can, and should do to save energy and alleviate upper body fatigue. First, you should try and change positions every ten minutes. Even if the change is minor, it helps to alleviate pressure on your nerves so that you can avoid tingling and numbness. Second, it is important to make a conscious effort to try and relax your upper body. When possible, try to reduce any side to side or up and down motion. This allows more oxygen to be used by your working leg muscles.

Climbing

When climbing, try not to remain bent over in the aero position. When you’re bent over that low, the diaphragm is compressed, making it difficult to breathe deeply. The best position is to be up, with your hands at the far ends of your handlebars so that your torso up and your lungs are able to fully expand.

When you stand to climb, relax! There’s no need to choke the handlebars with a vise-like grip. Doing so will only tense the upper body, make it more difficult for you to react to surprises, and tire you out faster. Instead, use a loose grip and let your legs and body weight do the work as you rock the bike slightly side to side.

Cornering

In the cycling world, they say that you should never look where you don’t want to go, i.e., the more you stare at an obstacle, the more likely it is that you’ll run right over it. However, this can be a dangerous problem on corners. If you fixate on the line you’ve picked on a corner, you may ride right out of the turn and off the road. For this reason, it is recommended that you focus on the inside of the turn. Do this by not only focusing your eyes, but also by rotating your head slightly so you’re looking just to the inside of the line you want to follow. Be sure to stay safe by practicing cornering techniques at slow speeds until you’re comfortable.

Descending

A bicycle pointed downhill can accelerate frighteningly fast. There are two types of riders: those who tuck in and let gravity launch them down, and those who veer to the right while doing everything possible to maintain control (I’m definitely one of the latter). To maintain control, you can constantly ride your breaks. However, this might lead to skidding, worn down brake pads, and pissed off trailing riders. A sensible alternative is changing body position to slow down. By sitting taller and spreading your legs a bit, your body will catch much more air, which will slow you down parachute style. Of course, if you really need to slow down significantly, use your brakes. 

And there you have it: the cycling basics for triathletes.  The good news is that the cycling learning curve is much less daunting that the swimming learning curve. Swimming technique can take years to master, while biking technique may only take a few months. Just continue to focus on proper technique and keep your eye on the prize.  You’ll get there!

Michele Wallace Michele has been a competitive runner since she was eight. She was the California state cross-country champion in 1992 at Escondido High School. Michele attended the University of San Diego where she placed top three in the West Coast Conference championship from 1993 – 1996. After college, Michele began competing in triathlons in 1999 and continues to focus on triathlons and duathlons. Michele is also a full-time working mom.