Cycling Skills and Training

You’ll be surprised by how well your body can adapt to new physical challenges. But unless you adequately prepare, riding may be unpleasant. This site has a lot of information designed to help you get ready for a Hazon multi-day ride. Don’t get overwhelmed! We’ve broken it into sections to make it a little more manageable. Read a little at a time, don’t try to master it all at once. Start training early enough in the season to give yourself time to get comfortable on your bike, and get ready to have a great time!

We recommend that everyone consult a physician before embarking on a serious training program to address any current or potential physical problems, and to make sure you’re ready to start riding.

Planning Your Training Program | Improving Cycling Skills | Gear and Clothing
Eating and Drinking | Cycling Safety

The Hazon ride was a profoundly moving experiece for me. Riding over 100 miles that weekend is one of my greatest accomplishments. At the end of my ride I broke out in spontaneous and unexpected tears.

Falynn, 2011 NY Ride

Eli’s Training Tips: Feigning Training

Feigning Training: Introduction to Preparing for the Cross-USA Ride
 
You are only a handful of short weeks away from participating in Hazon’s Cross-USA bicycle ride. In a little under 2 months, you will be pedaling, exploring, tasting, and discovering a treasure trove of new experience and possibility. 

 
For the many of you whom I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting, I’ll quickly introduce myself: I began cycling, in earnest, after I participated in Hazon’s NY ride, in 2007. Soon after, I watched a bicycle race around Grant’s Tomb, in New York City, and later that year, competed in my first bicycle race. Since then, I have spent most of my weekends piling into cars stuffed with wheels and bicycles, and driving to forlorn towns across the Northeast to compete in bicycle races. Now, 19, I have achieved success in some important races and competed against some of the world’s best riders, but more significantly, I have become engaged with my surroundings in a way only possible through riding a bicycle. 

 
With that in mind, I cordially invite you (albeit, a bit passive-agressively, as these emails will land in your inbox automatically) to partake in this weekly email series, Feigning Training. 
 
During the next 8 weeks, I will offer tips and suggestions to guide your training and preparations for the X-USA ride. I’ve decided to call this series “Feigning Training,” because, not only does the phrase chime off your tongue, but it represents a major component of what I plan to discuss in the coming weeks. Feigning, to fake something, is the core of what you’ll need to do to prepare for the X-USA ride. If this sounds counterintuitive, well, it is. Most of us lack the time and energy to dedicate ourselves entirely to bicycling. That said, the main goal of my training tips is to help you achieve more, with less. “Feigning” your training means you will, ideally, incorporate as many tricks and tips into your X-USA preparations so you can ride like a pro, without training like a pro. 
 
Why Train? 
 
1. You will have more fun: Bicycling is a rewarding and challenging sport. While bicycling can be physically demanding at times, the warm sensations that revolve around your body after a long ride make it all worth it. If you are comfortable riding your bike each day on the X-USA ride, you will be less stressed, and less physically fatigued. You’ll feel great, and your head will be blissfully clear as you enjoy the full extent of each day’s discoveries. 
 
2. You will find yourself in excellent physical fitness: Imagine this ride as a carrot, dangling under your temple. You’ve signed up, marked your calendars, and warned your significant others (“why, yes, I did purchase $100 dollars worth of mustard colored electrolyte powder and neon lycra,” you tell your beleaguered spouse as s/he glares hopelessly into the distance). This ride is a New Year’s Resolution with a deadline — June 13th — and your best bet is to saddle up and maximize your mental and physical preparedness with each day that flies by. Written goals are excellent motivation.
 
3. You will eliminate potential problems before they arrive unannounced: By riding your bicycle, you will become familiar with your body riding a bicycle. Riding a bicycle should not be an uncomfortable experience, and riding your bike will indicate if any aspects of your “set-up” (i.e. seat height, your reach on the handlebars, etc.) are amiss. In addition, being aware of the unique quirks of your body (i.e. which breakfast foods sit best in my stomach, etc.) will prove indispensable to you this summer, as you glance longingly at the diverse breakfast spread placed in front of you, and wonder if a Nutella-challah sandwich is optimal fuel for riding up the pesky little hills dotting the day’s cue-sheet. (Stay tuned for a segment on nutrition!)
 
My goal in this email series is to direct your training and preparations in the right direction, and to ensure you are as prepared as you would like to be for the X-USA ride. While the ride guide contains some general guidelines and suggestions to direct your training and preparations, cycling is a very nuanced discipline, and one which is unique to your own body and mind. That said, I invite you to email me with any individual questions and concerns you may have during these weeks leading up to the ride. In the coming weeks, I will offer more detailed emails with information specific to various components of the ride, such as nutrition, equipment selection, riding gear, and more. 
 

 

This week’s training tip will be about pedaling skills, namely, cadence. Pedaling seems pretty self-explanatory, but there are some key pointers to keep in mind while you continue to train for the X-USA ride.
Cadence – Cadence refers to your pedaling rotations per minute. Ideally, you should be pedaling at 80-95 RPMs on flats and 65-80 up hills.
How do you calculate this?
Some bike computers/speedometers calculate your cadence, but, if you don’t have a bike computer, you can calculate your cadence yourself. While you are riding your bike normally at your typical pedaling speed, time yourself for 15 seconds, and count how many times one of your legs (doesn’t matter which one) pushes down on the pedals. Multiply that number by 4, and you will then know the cadence which you were pedaling.
Cadence is most important from an efficiency standpoint, as a fast cadence keeps your legs fresh and flushes out the lactic acid from your muscles. Pushing (commonly referred to as “mashing”) a heavy gear places additional strain on your muscles and cardiovascular system. While pedaling large gears can be an effective form of on-the-bike strength training, it is not necessarily for your X-USA preparations.
Most importantly, a high cadence is OPTIMAL FOR BURNING FAT. When you pedal a high cadence, your body relies much less on glycogen (your body’s carbohydrate bank), and instead, uses energy from your body’s supply of fat. In summation, by pedaling a fast cadence, you will save more energy and burn more fat. The best of both worlds!
As you continue your training into this week, try and remember the above pointers while you ride. If you have a cycling computer with cadence, great! This should help you maintain your target cadence over the course of your training rides. If you do not own a cycling computer, but are considering purchasing one, perhaps you should find a model that tracks cadence. These do not cost much more than regular cycling computers. For those who do not own or intend to purchase a cycling computer, you can use the DIY cadence formula above.
Your questions and feedback are more than welcome, and I am happy to field any questions that you may have concerning your training and X-USA ride preparations. Feel free to email me: elimernit@gmail.com
 
 
Feigning Training: Food
Often overlooked and more often misunderstood, food is almost as essential to your riding as training itself. An automobile cannot operate without gasoline, and your body cannot pedal a bicycle without food. Let’s go over some general guidelines for your riding nutrition:
Carbohydrates are the single most important fuel for endurance activities. Carbs are your body’s primary source of energy, and you should focus on filling your body with carbs up to 2 nights before a long ride. Essentially, the more carbs you can fit into your body before your ride, the less you will need to eat while on the bike or on rest-stops during your ride.
For breakfast, try to eat oatmeal, pancakes (without maple syrup), bagels, whole-grain cereal, etc. and for dinner, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc (notice the theme here?)
Carbs, carbs, carbs.
So what happens when you don’t have enough carbs? You bonk. “Bonking” is when your glycogen stores are depleted, and your body is unable to adequately deliver the fuel to your brain. You start to feel your brain shutting down, and bonking symptoms generally include light-headedness, dizziness, and a decline in your cognitive sharpness. Some riders have described it as a warm, tingly feeling. It’s not fun. Most people have enough carbs stored in their body to ride unfed for 1.5-2 hours. With training, you can increase this number, but carbs still are essential. When you bonk, you need fuel, fast. Sugar and caffeine have the potential to work absolute wonders. At the 100 mile mark of a 130 mile ride in New Hampshire last year, a teammate of mine was dead tired and pedaling squares. We stopped at a general store and grabbed a Snickers bar and Starbucks Frappuchino drink (the glass bottles sold at convenience stores) and less than 30 minutes later, he was riding as fast as he was when we started.
Try and avoid fiber. Fiber takes longer to digest and slows down your metabolism, and your goal is to find food that is carb rich yet easy to digest. While breads, energy bars and fig newtons are easy to digest, multi-grain breads, nuts and vegetables aren’t.
Protein should be eaten within 30-45 minutes of completing your ride. During this window, your body is 2x as absorbent to protein than any other time during the day. So, make sure you eat protein immediately after you ride, and you will feel stronger and better recovered for the next day of riding. Protein is also good for mixing up your carb-rich dinner, so try adding some fish or chicken to your spaghetti.
 
Eat well this week, and try and apply your personal food preferences to the guidelines above. Happy riding!

Basic Training Tips

  • Eat well. Don’t go riding on an empty stomach, as your body needs energy to keep moving. Eat a hearty breakfast before going on a long ride.
  • Check the weather report. If cool and rainy conditions are expected, take leg warmers, arm warmers, and a rain jacket. This is better than wearing tights and a long-sleeve jersey because you can peel the accessories off if the day warms up.
  • Tune up your bike. Make sure your bike is in good mechanical shape and is properly geared for the course. Plan for a tune-up about a week before a major multi-day ride.
  • Warm up. Let your muscles and the rest of your body get warmed up as you start your ride. Stretch, do an easy lap first, or a slow jog for at least 3 minutes before a ride. This will enhance your circulation and prepare your body for physical exertion.
  • Take it slow. It is important to build up your ability over time. Start off with a few 20-30 minutes of exercise per week and add 30 minutes to your exercise regime each week.
  • Be consistent. Ride regularly, several days a week, even if it’s only a short ride. If you can’t get out on your bike, try indoor spinning classes, a great simulation of cycling.
  • Stretch as needed. Every 30 minutes stand on the pedals, arch your back, and stretch your legs. Vary your riding position by moving your hands from atop the handlebar to the brake lever hoods or drops. This helps prevent muscle fatigue.
  • Eat – and drink. You should be eating something every hour – even if its just a few bites of a power bar. You should drink a bottle each hour – more on hot days. Watch your salt intake to maintain your electrolyte levels.
  • Pace. The good news – it does not matter! Go at your own pace and don’t worry about anyone else’s speed. Your speed will tend to improve as you ride regularly. Depending on the route, most Hazon rides require you to ride between 10 and 15 mph.
  • Time In The Saddle. Cross training is great, but don’t shortchange yourself on time in the saddle. It’s important to get used to sitting on your bike seat for hours at a time.
  • Watch your nutrition. Be sure to keep eating and drinking once you are done riding.
  • Stretch again. Before, during, and after each ride. If you keep your muscles warmed-up and flexible, you’re much less likely to feel sore the next day.
  • Rest. Don’t overdo it! Giving your body sufficient time to rest iss important as building strength and endurance.