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The Secret To Getting Faster On The Bike

3,924 views · Published 12 May 2017 · 3:19 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: leonardmlee · 2017 · Sports

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We ride bikes for lots of reasons; to keep fit, for transport, because we have an unhealthy obsession with lycra but the one thing we all have in common is the desire to ride faster.

No matter how fast we currently are, we always want to ride just that little bit quicker but how do you do it? Its actually very, very simple. If you want to be faster on the bike, you need to ride your bike faster. Thanks for watching!

This rather glib answer aside, it really is the key getting more speed out of the bike.  It sounds simple and it kind of is, if you know how to do it.

If you have the inner strength you can simply up your average speed on your regular solo rides. This will work fine but, as I say, you need to have a fair bit of inner strength. If you are anything like me, you will ease off once it starts to get a bit difficult. What you need is a little more encouragement.

This can be found when you ride with others, particularly if they are faster than you are. By trying to keep up you will give yourself a first class push and while it is still pretty hard, focusing on the rider in front will take you mind off the pain a little. This also has the advantagege of being able to sit on their wheel once you have caught up and have a bit of a breather. It is a delicate balance, though. if they are too fast, you’ll lose contact with the group and it won’t be any fun at all.

But what if you don’t have any chums to ride with? No problem! Many Garmin cycling computers have virtual partners that you can chase down. The speed of these cyber cyclists can even be varied to suit your current level of fitness. The best setting will be at a pace that you will have to put in a fair bit of effort to keep up but not so high that they will pull away and you never see them again. The main disadvantage, though is that it is relentless. If you don’t vary their speed, your virtual partner will be a bit like a steam roller riding at a constant pace, regardless of weather you are climbing, descending or on the flat.

Then, of course, there is Zwift, the on-line turbo training app that connects you to hundreds of virtual cyclists all from all over the world. In my opinion, this is as close as you can get to actually riding in a group without actually going out on the road. Just like the real thing, you can chase riders down and sit on wheels. Unlike the real riders, you can’t plead with them to slow down a bit of the pace is too high. You just have to let them go and carry on until you find a group that is better suited to your pace and this can be a little tricky.

If you would like to follow my efforts on the bike you can follow me on Strava. My profile is here: http://www.strava.com/athletes/515946

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