The two components of pedalling are technique and cadence. Despite the expression ‘it’s like riding a bike’, correct pedalling technique and cadence often do not come naturally and require long practice to cultivate. The three characteristics of good pedalling technique are immobility above the hips (except when out of the saddle), no lateral movement of the legs or feet and a relatively even application of force throughout the pedal stroke. The three most common errors in pedalling technique are body rocking, wide knees and pedal stomping.

Rocking in the saddle is a waste of energy. It’s most common causes are having the saddle positioned too high or riding in too high a gear. However, other causes could be lack of sufficient flexibility in the hamstrings and hip flexors, s well as weak gluteal muscles. If you find that you tend to rock in the saddle, first of all check your seat height and your pedalling cadence.

Failure to maintain a pedalling cadence of at least 70 rpm on all terrain, except steep climbs and descents, is an indication that your gear selection is poor. However, if you can eliminate these causes you should concentrate on correcting muscular imbalances in your lower body with some functional strength training and thorough stretching. You can also complement these measures by paying attention to your form when you ride and consciously not rocking in the saddle.

The problem of wide knees is typically also caused by the above muscular imbalances and is often exacerbated by setting the saddle height too low, which many cyclists do because of their tight hamstrings. To correct wide knees check the set-up of your bike, if it seems right or you cannot comfortably pedal in the correct position then begin work improving the flexibility of your hamstrings. As your flexibility improves you should find that you can adjust your bike set-up. Like before, also pay attention to your form and force those knees in when you catch them creeping wide.

Pedal stomping (also called mashing) is a descriptive term for failing to apply force evenly throughout the pedal stroke. In particular it entails concentrating force on the downward gravity assisted portion of the pedal stroke and allowing momentum to carry the pedal back around to the top. Beyond the gravity factor, the reason this problem is so common is that the muscles that serve as the prime movers for the upward portion of the pedal stroke (gluteals and hamstrings) are relatively weak and under-developed in the average person because of all the sitting we do. Continuing to ‘stomp’ will only make the muscular imbalance more pronounced because of the repeated ‘stomping’ taking place.

In order to overcome pedal stomping it may be worth while working on your ‘pedal stroke cycle’, which means analysing which muscles of your lower body should be invoked at certain points throughout the full 360 degrees of the pedal turn. To describe this with only words would make for a hard read, so next time I blog about bike training I’ll get together a drawing to assist with the explanation. As well as this pedal pattern there are also a few good indoor cycling drills that can help develop this feel. Again we’ll discuss these next time.

In the mean time whilst out cycling try to be more aware of your cadence and cycling form. At this stage of training (base) try to keep your rpm relatively high (approx 90rpm), keep the knees tucked in and if you do ‘pedal stomp’, just try to be more aware of the full pedal stroke through out the full pedal turn.

Happy training!!

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It’s back to that time of year again when we’re base biking! I really enjoy this particular phase of the training cycle as you really don’t need to think too hard about it, just helmet on and steady away. Great time for the long social group rides in the great outdoors.

Your primary goal during the base phase is to lay a broad foundation of aerobic capacity and raw endurance. Secondary emphases are improving technique and increasing cadence and pedalling power. Your seasons racing goals and fitness levels will determine the length of this base period of your training, but typically can last between eight to twelve weeks (three lots of four week training blocks). Figure 1.0 shows a typical twelve week base period with three, four week training cycles. Notice the reduced training in week four of each block. This cut back will allow your body to absorb the training that you’ve already completed and prepare you for the next specific block.

Provided you’ve had a reasonable phase of general preparation, start the phase with low volume and low intensity and gradually increase both. At first, most workouts should take place at the lower end of the endurance intensity range. By the end of the phase, most workouts should take place in the middle and upper parts of this range, as in hard group rides. Throughout the phase, the majority of your endurance rides should entail spinning at a slightly higher than optimal pedalling cadence. Also in the first several weeks of the base phase, do one or two technique drills each week and a set of power intervals or jumps in one of your weekly endurance rides.

After the first couple of weeks of base building, begin doing one weekly or biweekly long ride and increase the duration of the ride slightly every other week. About the same time, begin performing a weekly brick workout.

Towards the end of the base phase, mix in some more high-intensity training in an informal way. One way to do this is to begin attacking the hills you encounter in your endurance rides. Another way is by participating in indoor cycling workout classes. Speaking of which, if your winter training can’t be done outdoors you may need to resort to indoor cycling or turbo sessions. Don’t be too scared of the weather, just be sensible out on the roads and be prepared.

Over the next fortnight we’ll have a look at some typical base sessions, as well as some cycling efficiency drills. In the mean time there’s no harm to just go ride your bike, make the most of the remaining daylight!!

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Clever cycling isn’t all about long, slow rides at a high cadence. The key to clever cycling is to build power by adding intensity with the correct training sessions and clever use of gears. Runners looking to make the transition to triathlon often have a head start, mostly because of the light build and quick turnover of legs, both of which can be a great advantage in a triathlon. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that if your coming to triathlon from a running background, you might find that you don’t yet have classic cycling strength in your quads.

The bike leg is the longest and most strategic part of any triathlon, so it’s crucial to make the most of it. Your bike training should always include a long ride at a slower pace and lower heart rate, just like your long weekend run. Try to also include one shorter ride per week, similar to a tempo run. Then if you have time, you could also include a turbo session, hill session or spin class to work on your intervals.

Don’t forget that cycling will shorten your hamstrings and calves so you’ll need to stretch them thoroughly after each bike session to keep yourself in good condition.

By boosting the power to your legs you’ll be able to overtake on hills and find a second wind on the flats when you competitors are flagging.

High Cadence
Choose one short ride per week where you ride in a higher gear than usual. This will build muscle strength and power in the leg muscles and teach your body to cope with the stress of being tired.

Grind It Out
Climb a hill without changing gear. This will probably be a killer workout but you’ll see fast results. From time to time, make the effort not to drop down into an easier gear while you’re heading up a hill. After a few sessions you’ll find that you’re able to make it up the same hill in the harder gear with less effort. Try to avoid hills with heavy traffic though.

Hill Repeats
Just like running try a hill rep session on your bike. Choose a long, fairly steep hill that’s free of traffic. Power up it, turn around and coast down, using the downhill as an active recovery. Do this 8-12 times per session and you’ll be able to tackle hills in races better than most.

Windy Days
Annoying, frustrating and energy sapping, riding into the wind is no fun at all, but you can turn a negative into a positive by using, not hating, a headwind. Put your head down a purposefully ride harder. The added effort will mean you’ll motor along on less windy days.

Work Out
If you have time and resources, gym work can compliment your bike training by helping to build strength in your leg muscles. Once we get into the winter months I intend to introduce video based exercises to compliment both bike and run training.

Spin Time
As a qualified spin instructor I can vouch that these classes will have you melting into a puddle of your own sweat. A good spin class can make a real difference to your training, but make sure you choose a class with a good instructor that factors in hill climbs, sprints and intervals. Avoid the classes where you do push ups on the handle bars!

Turbo Power
Cycling on a turbo trainer is useful hen it’s too dark, or weather beaten to cycle outside, but you should also consider turbo training as an integral part of any cycling programme.

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A fast bike leg is crucial to a good triathlon performance. The bike is the longest leg of any race, so the winner is likely to be the person who can produce the most power, or at least the most power relative to their weight, while on two wheels.

Top triathletes now base a lot of their cycle training and racing on power. Power is the rate of work being completed. The work is the effort it takes you to move from one point to another and overcome friction and drag. How fast you do that work is referred to as power and is measured in watts.
Remember, the purpose of improving fitness is to produce more power for a given level of exertion, in other words more watts for the same effort. Power on the bike involves speed . If you want to ride quicker on the bike leg you need to produce more watts at your race pace. The concept is the same regardless of race distance.

Before you hang up your cycle shoes after a long season give the following bike power test a go. This will give you a good idea of the shape you are in now and will give you something to work towards throughout the winter months.

Even without power measuring tools you can still perform a meaningful self test by riding a specific route over a known distance. Make sure this is circular or out and back to ensure that you are riding through even weather conditions, and try to do the test on a calm day. After a thorough warm up, ride the route to the best of your ability and record your time, average speed and average heart rate. Alternatively you could do a 15 min time trial on an indoor trainer. Aim to ride flat out but try to pace your effort over the full 15 mins.

As you get fitter your average speed will increase, which means your sustainable power output rises. Along side this, your average heart rate shouldn’t be significantly higher, meaning you’re producing power/speed for the same effort. While you’ll notice improvements in your average heart rates and speed, you won’t be able to put a figure on your increased power output without a specific power-measuring device.

Doing this test once a month during the off season will help you monitor your training and also provide a quality effort session. During the season, race times will provide a platform to monitor your improvements. However it is a good idea to repeat this session every now and then to keep an eye on your progress.

Happy training!!

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What with the good old British weather and the fact training time is of a premium, it can be quite difficult to fit in those all important bike sessions. Worry not, get on the turbo. Cycling on a turbo trainer is very useful and should be considered an integral part of any triathlon cycling programme regardless of the time of year.

Next time you can’t get outdoors to cycle, try this short but effective turbo power session.

1. In an easy gear, warm up for 10 minutes.
2. Increase the gears until you feel as if your struggling, then cycle for 45 seconds all out in this gear(which should feel very hard). Your cadence shouldn’t drop below 70 rpm. If you don’t have a fancy turbo with onboard computer you can check your cadence by dropping one elbow to knee height and count how many times your knee hits your elbow as you cycle. Time this for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
3. Find an easy gear and do an active recovery for 45 seconds. Your cadence should be around 90 rpm.
4. Repeat this a further 8 times.
5. Do a 15 minute warm down in an easy gear and focus on cycling in circles, i.e. pushing your feet forward and backwards as well as up and down.

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