Top Tips From Our Head Coaches!

POSITIONING

Positioning in a race is crucial. You can be the best rider in the peloton but if you ride at the back, you are having to work more than everyone else when playing catch up out of corners. Not only will you have to put in more effort, but if the race splits you will more likely end up on the wrong side of it, resulting in you having to expend more energy to close the gap, ultimately fatiguing you more for the end of the race. I know it is easier said than done to stay in the top 30 of the peloton, and sometimes it feels like you are constantly using more energy to stay there. However, it will do you more benefit as the race progresses and gaps start to open, you will be at the sharp end of the race!

MARGINAL GAINS ADD UP

Don't be that person that says "it's only a two watt saving”. Marginal gains add up! I could rattle off at least five things to change on your bike tomorrow which would save you two watts each. All of a sudden you have a 10-watt saving. For most trained athletes, it takes at least a winter to put 10 Watts on your FTP, if not longer. You can buy this gain today. Something as simple as using some shrink tape to wrap your cables can save you at least a couple of watts.

Marginal gains aren't just made on the bike. You can do things off the bike to make yourself go faster. Big one is diet. There are many fad diets out there that claim big weight loss in short amounts of time. Don't get caught up in that! The principle of weight loss is simple burn more calories than you consume. Think about the food you are eating. I am an advocate of a wholefood plant-based diet, this diet has allowed me to maintain a consistent weight throughout the year, even in the off-season and winter I don't put on more than a kilo. But please note: Before starting a plant based diet, or any diet in that matter, you need to learn about the recipes and new style to cooking, you also need to learn about what each food delivers so you you get all your daily requirements.

BE VOCAL

Don't be scared to let other riders know where you are in relation to them. Tell them what you are going to do and even tap them on the hip to make sure they know where you are. It is better to tell a rider that you are passing on their right or left than just hope for the best and go through the gap. There is nothing wrong with giving a rider a gentle push out the way to pass through a gap, as long as it is safe to do so. Personally I have noticed that this is frowned upon in English racing however if you race on the continent you'll see this happen in every competition. Remember, you have the same rights as everyone else to be at the front of the race, so make sure you are there!

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE A BIKE FIT

A good bike fitter will assess your peddling efficiency and help you improve it. Allowing you to use all the muscles in your legs effectively and not riding with them restricted.

Bike fits are crucial for injury prevention. If you find yourself prone to numb hands, sore knees or an achy lower back you are in need of a bike fit!

Tips for recognising when your position is too extreme:

• Handling will become twitchy

• Numb hands are a sign there’s too much weight over the bike’s front end

• Penile numbness, if you’re rolling too far forwards

• Back of the leg pain if the saddle is too high

• Neck pain. Holding a low front end can be like painting the ceiling if you’re having to look up to see the road ahead.

• Stubborn pain. If it’s lasting once you get off the bike, you either need to look at the bike, or you. This may progress the rider to work on strength and flexibility, and then gradually change the position over time.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE TIME

I've seen many riders start a race with pockets full of gels and come the end of the race they still have the same amount. There is no point in dragging an extra couple of hundred grams around if you're not going to take them! Keep an eye on the time, so you don't forget when you need to eat or drink. Personally I like to eat gels in a race, I have a gel every 30 minutes and one solid bar halfway through. It is easy to forget to drink enough, I have made this mistake many times. I aim to drink one bottle per hour, this way I remain hydrated. However I am small and don't sweat a lot. If you are a tall rider and have a tendency to perspiration, you would need more fluids.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO

Despite all of our top tips this has to be the biggest one. Cycling is a tough sport, even tougher when you are not enjoying it!

At LPC our coaches have been through those tough tough days on and off the bike. We have been hit with Injuries that set you back months, Illness, Crashes, burnout and so much more. We can relate to you which is one of the biggest things a coaching relationship needs.

Its so important to have a balance of tough days on the bike and days where you just enjoy riding with no efforts, just fun and riding with friends.

Mental health is bigger than ever and our positive approach to coaching and keeping you not just physically healthy but also looking after your mental health is so important to us all at LPC!

#HAPPYHEADHAPPYLEGS