I Love Bicycling

I Love Bicycling is a website that is geared towards cycling for beginners with road cycling tips, training articles, nutrition tips, weight loss, how to’s and bike repair articles.

Will Cycling Make Your Legs Bigger?

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Will Cycling Make Your Legs Bigger?

Will Cycling Make Your Legs Bigger?

Despite this photo, it is unlikely that cycling will make your legs larger unless you really focus on it. For the women cyclists in the crowd that do not want to bulk up, don’t worry. Cyclists legs are directly correlated with the type of cycling each cyclist does. You are able to receive nice toned legs or you can build some monster quads.

You will not receive the monster quads that you see in this photo unless you start doing some serious weight training though!

How To Build Leg Muscle for Cycling

Cyclists thighs can be strengthened on and off the bike with a few simple exercises.

On the bike exercises:

  1. Low RPM “Grinding” – Get in the big gear and keep the cadence below 65rpm for 3 sets of 5 to 10 minute intervals.
  2. Stand Up Climbing – Find a hill that takes 5 to 10 minutes to summit and climb it out of the saddle 2 or 3 times.
  3. Single Leg Drills – Really focus on the upstroke as the hip flexor is likely your limitor. Do 3 sets of 1 minute per leg.

Off the bike exercise:

  1. Leg Press or Weighted Squat – If you do not have experience in weight lifting then do a leg press as it is much safer. Do 3 sets of 10 to build leg muscle.

How To Keep Toned Legs For Cycling

If you are looking for a more lean look then focus on endurance and sustained efforts. The average bikers legs are perfectly toned and it is a very sexy look. No real extra work required other than biking around as much as you are able to.

Male vs Female Cyclist Legs

Men have a unfair natural advantage over women and that is they produce more testosterone, in fact, male adults produce about 7 to 8 times as much testosterone as adult females.

It is no wonder that when you look at Victoria Pendleton (a serious female track sprinter) and compare her legs to someone like Chris Hoy (a serious male track sprinter) they look slender in comparison.

Cyclist Legs - Victoria PendletonCycling Legs - Chris Hoy

Muscle Burns More Calories Than Fat

Muscle burns nearly 3 times more calories than fat does, so you need to eat more calories (especially protein) if you are trying to bulk up. If you are trying to lose weight the benefit of building muscle is that it will work as a natural furnace burning off calories at an expedited rate.

Genetics

Genetics play a huge role in your body composition, some body types will be more suitable to building large amounts of muscle mass quickly while other body types will be more prone to keep on unwanted excess fat stores while another will stay lean and mean no matter how many weighted squats they do.

No matter what your goal is cycling is a great way to tone your body!

Best Exercise Bike to Lose Weight

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Honestly, the best exercise bike to lose weight is the one you will spend the most time in. Make sure you select the exercise bike that is the most comfortable. There are two styles of exercise bike: the upright seated position bike or the recumbent bike that has the reclined seat and you can settle back in to.

best exercise bike to lose weight

Upright Exercise Bike

The upright exercise bike more closely mimics the road bike and truthfully, if you are a cyclist, this is going to have you in a more beneficial position to build the required muscles.

Recumbent Exercise Bike

The recumbent exercise bike is more of a sit back comfort bike that has more back support. It is generally easier to spend longer durations on this style.

Best Exercise Bike to Lose Weight

Comfort is everything when you are looking to lose weight. It is easier to sit in a recumbent exercise bike and watch a movie or a TV show while pedaling sitting back comfortably. Intensities may not be as high on recumbent bikes but the average duration is 1.5 times longer, a fair trade off when you are looking to burn calories.

Convenience is another huge contributing factor to determining the best best exercise bikes for losing weight. Factors such as sticking the bike up in the attic or finding one that can fit in your TV room are important. Recumbent exercise bikes generally take up more room, do not sacrifice convenience for comfort unless you are a very disciplined individual.

So What is the Best Stationary Bike for Weight Loss?

Any exercise bike you select is going to burn a significant amount of calories, but if you are a stats person, make sure you select a bike with a display that tracks the amazing features that are going to drive you to work hard such as: a calorie counter, heart rate monitor, distance travelled, time spent spinning or difficulty of workout.

There are a plethora of exercise bikes designed to help you lose weight click here to view them: Best Exercise Bike to Lose Weight.

 

Average Bike Speed – How Do You Compare?

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Aerobic vs AnaeAverage Bike Speedrobic

The average bike speed varies immensely depending upon total distance/duration, grade, and level of cyclist. The table below represents the average road bike speed taking each variable in to account. How do you compare to the pro cyclist? How about the average cyclist?

Average Cyclist Pro Cyclist
Average Bike Speed on Flat Terrain 18 mph 26 mph
Average Bike Speed up an 5% hill 9.5 mph 15 mph
Average Bike Speed up an 8% hill 7 mph 12 mph
Fastest Downhill Bike Speeds 47 – 57 mph 69 – 81 mph
Average sustainable watts for 1 hour (FTP) 200 watts 415 watts
5 second Sprint 33mph/700 watts 40mph/1250 watts
Tour De France Average Speed N/A 25mph (average of the 3 weeks)
Average Time of a Gran Fondo/Century (100 miles) 5.5 hours Under 4 hours

Average Bike Speed on Flat Terrain

The number one key to being fast on flat terrain is pure power. Generally larger riders will do quite well on the flats as their pure power will outweigh the larger frontal area they have to push through the air.

Average Bike Speed Uphill

This is where the smaller riders will have an unfair advantage as the secret to climbing uphill is the power to weight ratio. The less you weigh the less power you have to generate to get up the hill within the same amount of time.

Example:

A 150 pound rider pushing 200 watts will go 10 miles per hour up a 5% grade.

A 200 pound rider pushing 200 watts will go 8 miles per hour up a 5% grade.

In order for the 200 pound rider to go as fast as the 150 pound rider up a 5% grade the 200 pound rider will have to push 255 watts.

It is true that the larger riders generally have more muscle mass and can generate more power, but the advantage is the smaller riders. This is why pure climbers generally weigh less.

Road Bike Top Speed

Generally the top speed of a road bike is in direct correlation with how much risk the rider is comfortable taking on. On straight, slight downhill grades the heavier cyclist should outpace the lighter cyclist; however, on steep descents with sharp corners, it comes down to bike handling skills and comfort with risk.

Tour De France Average Speed

Since the year 2000 the Tour De France average speed for the winning time has been around 25 miles per hour (40 km/hr) over the 3 week stage race. The fastest was in 2005 by Lance Armstrong (if you count that) with an average bike speed of 25.88 miles per hour (41.65km/h).

Photo Credit: wikipedia.org
Photo Credit: wikipedia.org

Average Speed of a Gran Fondo or Century (100 miles)

The average speed of a Gran Fondo or a Century is very dependant on how hilly the terrain is. Assuming there is a moderate amount of climbing (1500 meters) and drafting is an option then for an average amateur cyclist it will take 5.5 – 6.5 hours to complete the 100 mile long journey.

What is your average cycling speed? How long does it take you to complete these feats?

Preparing Yourself for a Century

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Glyn cycling in Sturminster Newton

Cyclists of all calibers aspire to take part in centuries and avid riders will understand just how intensive the events can be. Whether you’re taking part in a local century or if you’re traveling a little further afield, preparing yourself for a century can make a big to your performance at the event. There are a few specific techniques that even the most experienced veterans practice before their big event. Now there’s no guarantee that these techniques will reward you with a first place finish – but they will definitely help you to improve your performance on the day!

Preparing your Body

Centuries are often very physically-intense. It’s less about sprinting from the start to the finish line and more about pacing yourself and moderating your energy usage. The best way to prepare for a century is to practice it unofficially.

If you’re concerned about being able to ride in a safe environment, then consider driving to an area that is safer to ride. Many people opt to travel to remote locations to prepare for a century. Back country roads with low populations are a good alternative to the busycity streets – but this depends on how comfortable you are with traffic.

Grab a Stopwatch

Is there any better feeling than beating your personal best time? If you already know that you can complete the distance, set yourself the target of at least matching your personal best. If you beat it, then evaluate what you did differently so that you can replicate the results! A century is about pacing – making sure you start out slow enough to have enough in the tank to finish strong.

There’s no need to tackle all of your training in the same evening – in fact, if you prepare a training schedule that runs over the length of 4 to 6 weeks, you’ll be able to measure your progress as the weeks go by. As the century approaches, you should have beaten your personal best several times over and you can enter the race pretty confident of your pending performance!

Adjust Your Diet

It’s a little known fact that toxins stay in your body for weeks on end if they aren’t tackled head on. That fast food that you enjoyed last week could still be taking its toll on your metabolism right now and most professionals will undertake a detox period before an event. High energy foods are a better alternative than non-organic carbohydrates, and be sure to stock up on the former before a ride, to train your metabolism to make the most of the energy potential.

If you can spend a few weeks teaching your metabolism to utilize the energy that it has as its disposal, you will soon find that your body maintains its energy levels for extended periods of time. In terms of event-performance, this means that your body will be able to rely on your metabolism for a consistent influx of energy while you race.

Enhancing Your Endurance

There’s no shame in admitting that your endurance levels sometimes decrease during the off-season. Picking the pace back up again can take time and that’s where endurance training comes in handy. Casual bicycle rides that focus on duration over speed are ideal as is cardiovascular exercise to remind your heart what it feels like to pump at an increased rate again. A week before the event isn’t always enough and a better idea is to start your endurance training at least a month or two in advance.

Aim to surpass your performance each day, even minimally, and by the time four weeks have passed, you’ll be able to witness the improvements in your endurance for yourself. If you find yourself struggling at any point, avoid pushing your body to its breaking point. An injured you is an event no-show, so take it easy for an evening if you need it and pick the pace back up the next day.

The Tools of the Trade

Whilst training for a century, it’s easy to overlook the impact that your bicycle can have on the race itself! A week before the event, consider having your bicycle serviced by a professional, and make sure that the tire pressure, brakes, and shifters are all functioning as they should – after all, a cyclist is nothing without a bike!

A Detailed Training Plan To Walk You Through Your Preparation

A great option to ensure that you are fully prepared when preparing yourself for a century event is to start a training plan. For a particular even however you can’t just start any training plan but rather need a plan catered toward your ride goals. The I Love Bicycling’s 12 Week Training Plan For Your Gran Fondo or Century Ride not only prepares you physically but also gives you weekly skills practices, advice on nutrition, recovery, and good tips of things to know on the bike such as dressing properly for the weather. It also includes core workouts to strengthen your core so you don’t have any back pain or other issues during your long rides. Check it out by clicking the image below which will take you to a complete breakdown of the plan.

training plan for grand fondo or century1

Strength Training For Cyclists -The Best Approach

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strength training for cyclists

Almost everyone is in search of more power on a bicycle. Power is velocity times force at the pedals. Velocity is how quickly the pedals turns over while force is the amount of energy put into each pedal stroke. Developing a fluid and fast pedal stroke happens almost exclusively on the bike, but developing more force can be done both on and off the bike with the proper strength training for cyclists.

Strength Training For Cyclists – Why Get Stronger Off the Bike?

There is a limit of how much force you can generate on the bike. With strength training you can go beyond that force by moving weight, be it body mass or weights, which will translate into greater on-the-bike force. It is important to keep similar body positions and ranges of motion to your riding position when strength training so your new-found strength will adapt well to the bike. You must make sure during even your heaviest lifting phases that you are also riding so you can put that strength to good use.

Strength training for cyclists is also important because cycling is a low impact exercises. Cyclists’ bone density is lower if they do not engage in some sort of load bearing activity off the bike to complement their on-the-bike training; strength training can fill that need. This is especially important for women.

Hit the Gym

When most people think of getting stronger, they think of going to a gym with free weights and machines. It is a great place to start strength training for cyclists. If it is a good gym, all of the equipment that you could want is there. There are also people that can help you with proper form and progression in a gym training plan, but be aware that the needs of a cyclist are different than most people who are at a gym.

Free Weights versus Machines

There are a lot of options at the gym of what to lift. If you have the option, always choose the free weight option for a given exercise. On the bike, you are not guided by a machine and must stabilize your movement on your own. A weight machine takes away from the development of some of those stabilizing muscles that would otherwise benefit you while riding.

Additionally, choose exercises that use more than one joint. There are very few activities in life that require movement from one joint. You want your weight room experience to simulate life as much as possible.

Periodization

Just like a cycling training plan should be periodized, so should strength training for cyclists. The base periods should mirror the on-the-bike training; building good form towards increasingly high volume while working up to moderate intensities. The build periods will bring down the volume a bit but will also increase intensity. Think higher weights, towards maximal efforts. Remember to include rest weeks too otherwise the strength training will be for naught.

As big events approach, it is important to dial back lifting and focus on maintenance. It is like the recovery ride of strength training.

Keeping Perspective

The goal of strength training for cyclists is build strength to use on the bike. It is not to build mass or look great at the beach. It is especially important to remember if you are training in a setting with other people. It does not matter what they are doing or what they think about your regimen; stick to the plan and focus on your goals.

Body Weight Exercises

No access to the gym or there is not enough time in the day to get there? Body weight exercises are easy to do at home and you can get most of the benefits of a gym. You may not be able to push tremendous weight as you could at the gym at the end of the build period but you can get in a lot of repetitions quickly and cheaply. Important exercises are lunges and squats, especially one-legged squats, which really build up your stabilizing muscles.

On the Bike

For very specific strength training, you can do it on the bike. The motion is exactly what you need and you are already out riding. Again, you are limited by how much force you can produce, but you will be able to build more strength than you had before. These workouts involve putting the bike into a gear that lets you ride at 60 rpm or less. While you are doing it, it should feel like you are pushing incredibly hard. Again, not as hard as lifting weights, but far harder than your average ride. You will be able to get in a lot of repetitions very quickly. One thing to note on this is that you should ease into it week by week as it can put a lot of stress on your knees which can injure them if they’re not ready.

Masters

As people age, their ability to maintain strength decreases. It is especially important for masters to engage in some sort of strength training for cyclists to maximize their ability on the bike. It will provide a dramatic competitive edge over their counterparts that do not strength train and also stave off some of the negative results of aging.

Women

Female cyclists will benefit a great degree more than male cyclists from strength training because of the bone density issues cyclists face. Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men and a strength training will help fight off its onset.

Core

A popular current trend is core strengthening. It is very time efficient, can be done every day, and is very important to stabilize your body during riding, especially sprinting. Keeping a steady and calm upper body allows your legs to do all the work more efficiently. Core work is easy to do at home with little or no equipment.

A core muscle is anything that originates or inserts in the spine or pelvis. It covers a lot of muscles, but the important ones for cyclists are between the hips and armpits.

Try It Out

If you are looking for another way to boost your power, strength training for cyclists is it. You will be able to turn over a gear higher at a given cadence after dedicating to a program for a bit. Who doesn’t want that? Also, strength training for cyclists further develops tendons and supporting muscles which can help to avoid overuse injuries as they are strong enough to handle the stress in which you put them under.

Cycling Field Test – Why and How

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cycling field test

Cycling field tests are a great way to track progress. Power numbers are great in a race but there are a lot of external factors that can influence how much the rider puts into the pedals. A cycling field test removes those factors; it is only the rider versus the road. The data that results is easily comparable with later tests with similar conditions.

Replicate the Situation

The most important component of a field test is that it is the same situation each time – the same road, the same terrain, the same time of day and weather (if you can control it), the same bike, and the same warm up. This way the only data points that change from the cycling field test are time, power, and heart rate. What you will use depends on the equipment available to you.

Setting Your Zones

Besides tracking the progress of your fitness, cycling field tests will give you data to adjust your training zones. If your zones are too low, training is too easy and you will not get stronger. If they are too hard, you will not achieve your training goals and have the potential for discouragement and burnout from pushing too hard. Appropriate zones will challenge you enough that it is hard but achievable.

Where to Test

The most important part of the location you choose is that you have at least twenty minutes of uninterrupted riding at high speed. It would be easy to do it indoors on the trainer, but then you may end up with zones that may not be a true reflection of what you are doing outdoors. Keep this in mind if you do decide to use a trainer.

The second most important factor of location is that you can keep up a consistent effort. A big descent in the middle of an effort does not make for consistent power numbers. If you are lucky enough to live near a long climb, use it. It’s the best way to control external factors such as wind and it’s easier to maintain a maximal effort.

Warm Up!

Get in a good warm up. Starting a test on cold muscles and an un-primed cardiovascular system will only lead to misery and poor data from your cycling field test. Find a good warm up routine and stick to it before each test. It should be hard enough that you feel like you are working during the warm up but have plenty of energy left to tackle the test.

The Simple Test

The first of three cycling field tests is the easiest. All you need is that stretch of road, your warmed-up body, your bi,e and a stopwatch. Pick a favorite stretch of road and attack it, timing yourself each effort. Track your progress over time and see if your training is paying off.

The Heart Rate Test

If you have a heart rate monitor, this is the cycling field test for you. The only caveat is that you will need thirty minutes of open road, not twenty. Warm up well. At the start of the test, go into time trial mode. Do not go full gas from the start, but ease into the effort. After the first ten minutes, you should have reached your target pace and effort, which should be blindingly hard, but not so hard that you cannot finish off the twenty minutes.

The data collection comes from the last twenty minutes; you want your average heart rate only for that section of the test. That number is a very, very close approximation of your lactate threshold heart rate without getting blood drawn. Put it into a calculator and you will get your training zones.

The Power Test

The cycling field test with power is the most involved but it gives very interesting and comprehensive data. You must do each of the following efforts at full gas, with ten minutes rest in between: five minutes, 5 seconds, twenty minutes and one minute. The test will give you a normalized power that you can expect from a race effort. It will also show you where your strengths and weakness lie, especially when you track the data on this chart.

Keep in mind that the one minute power might be a bit lower than if you went out fresh and cracked off a huge one minute effort. In this order it simulates the finish of the race – you put in your time in the breakaway, now it is time to attack for the win. You will not set any power records in that situation, but you do need to do the best that you can.

To really get into the data, use a program like Golden Cheetah for analysis. It will also give you your zones, anaerobic capacity and whole host of other useful data. If you manage to track every ride with a power meter, Golden Cheetah or another similar program will be indispensable.

Putting the Cycling Field Test to Use

Try to test every six weeks or so during the training season. Your training zones will stay up to date and you will get the most out of your time on the bike. Track your progress and watch as you make big gains with more precise training!

What is Periodization In Cycling

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what is periodization

Every competitive cyclist is always pushing for the best fitness at important points in the season. The key to achieving that fitness is a training plan based on periodization. What is periodization? How can you use it to become as strong and as fast as possible for the most important events?

Old School versus New School

Eddy Merckx was able to race whenever, wherever, and still win. Race into shape, get behind the derny (moto) and will your body into fitness. Those days are long gone. Today’s cyclists choose their races and build up peak fitness to targeted times in the season. Now it is rare to see the superstars of the sport very much before their key events. They race a few carefully selected races that fit in with their periodized program. What are they doing between the infrequent races? Training meticulously to the demands of their chosen races.

What is Periodization?

Periodization in cycling is a series of micro and mesocycles that allow the body to build fitness and then recover from the workload that it went through. Without that recovery, training is useless. Recovery is when the body overcompensates for the training stress and makes the body stronger. Without a high enough workload that over-stresses the body, it does not need to compensate for the work that the rider has done. Periodization strikes a balance of work and recovery in a systematic plan throughout the season to make the body stronger.

Throughout the periodized training plan, the rider will build upon work done in previous cycles. There is no plateauing because of the differing training from week to week. Every few weeks, there are higher levels of intensity and/or volume included.

There are different approaches to periodization. All methods aim to achieve peak fitness at key points in the season. This article will cover the most common form, put forth by Joe Friel, one of the leaders in methodical training.

Planning Your Calendar – The Macrocycle

Take a look at your season’s calendar. Fill in every race you would like to do. Now assign a priority to them; 3 for low priority races that you will train through, 2 for medium priority races that you will come to with a bit of freshness, and 1 for highest priority races that you will be fresh and super-fit for. You should have a lot of 3’s, some 2’s and a few 1’s. Ideally the priority 1 races are within a few weeks of one another. This will allow you to have peak fitness without all of your hopes for the season riding on one race. If you have an inopportune flat or mechanical, you will still have a few races where you have great fitness.

Mesocycles

Now that you have the key 3 or 4 weeks of the season that you want to be super fit for, you can work backwards to fill in your mesocycles. The week before your first priority 1 race will be a PEAK period and so will the next 2 or 3 weeks after with the next few priority 1 races. Your goal in the PEAK period is to maintain your sharp fitness with a few very hard intervals with plenty of recovery.

Now block off the 22 weeks leading up to your first PEAK week. That first week is the beginning of your training block. Each of the next five cycles is four weeks long, with building volume and/or intensity until you get to the final week, which is a rest week. In that week you knock down the volume and intensity and allow your body to recover. Each one of these weeks are your microcycles.

BASE 1

In BASE 1 you lay the foundation for the whole season. You should do a lot of cadence work, both low rpm’s to build strength, and high rpm’s to build muscle memory, along with a bit of max rpm work. The max rpm work will lay the foundation for a good sprint later in the season. You also do a lot of work at endurance pace to rebuild the capillaries for good oxygen transport to the muscles.

BASE 2

You will continue working on everything you did in BASE 1 and add in some tempo work. Additionally you will start to do some sprinting beyond the max rpm workouts to really develop that snap that many, many cyclists lack. Volume also goes up if you can fit it into your schedule.

BASE 3

This is when you start to get some intensity with work at threshold. The highest training volume of the season happens during these three weeks of work. Generally racing starts around this time too, but that also depends when your PEAK is. Be sure to plan your training accordingly and account for the training load of whatever races you may have.

BUILD 1

The BUILD 1 period is when you start focusing in on your high-intensity limiters as a cyclist. Could your sprint use a lot more work? Do you get dropped from breakaways? Are your time trials weak? Work hard on your weaknesses here while building up your high intensity zones.

BUILD 2

Continue with the work you have done in BUILD 1 with higher intensity and more interval volume. These last two blocks are very demanding. Make sure you get enough recovery.

PEAK

The last mesocycle of the macrocyle is the PEAK. You transition from working on your weaknesses to working on your strengths at a very high intensity. This will be your final preparation before you hit your key events and your RACE period.

Putting it Together

There are a lot of different workouts to do in each mesocycle. Knowing “what is periodization” in cycling gives a great outline to get started and not plateau during the season, helping you to achieve optimal fitness at the right time for your key events.

Average Speed — The Three Mile Test

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Average Speed -- The Three Mile TestEveryone is different. It’s never a good idea to compare yourself to other cyclists. Genetics, gender, bike, personal health, lifestyle — most of us have to work for a living and can’t take the time to train everyday —  are all good reasons to compete only with yourself. But if you’re curious, a simple unofficial time trial allows you to access your fitness across the demographic. The 3-mile test will do it for you.

Variables and Distance

Anything under 3 miles can be sprinted relatively easy, with no real assessment of fitness. Anything over three miles, and variables such as gradient, wind, traffic, and route come into play.

Where You Stack Up

To find out where you stack up, ride three miles and compare your time to a simple scale: Anything over 12-minutes is below average, 8-12 minutes is moderate —  and where most cyclist fit in. If you finish in under 8 minutes, consider yourself extremely fit. You can see where your average speed stacks up in this article.

The Average

Shoot for 9-minutes. Nine minutes over three miles breaks down to about 20 mph, and that seems easy enough, but holding it for 3 miles is probably harder than you think.

The Route

Find a flat, straight, 3-mile stretch of country road if possible, and remember, you can’t stop at a stop sign, so it should be a clear shot to the end of the route. It’s a plus if your chosen route is a few miles from home, it gives you the chance to warm up just getting there.  If you have a water bottle, keep it full so that the weight is the same for future references.

Ride in the drops if you're accustomed to using them. Average Speed -- The Three Mile Test
Ride in the drops if you’re accustomed to using them.

Prepare Yourself

Gear can make a difference, but you don’t need the futuristic time-trial helmet, composite wheels or aero-bars. A good quality road bike is fine to accomplish the nine-minute average. If the wind is blowing either direction, tail or head, forfeit the test and try again on a different day.

fancy helmet Average Speed -- The Three Mile Test

Nutrition and Water

Don’t eat for 2 hours before doing the test. Don’t chug water, but go into the test hydrated. And it’s always a good idea to pee before the test. Warm up and stretch for at least 10-15 minutes or longer, depending on your own body’s needs. Warm ups are personal, you should know by now how much you might need. If you feel that you didn’t warm up enough, or maybe too much, take note and try the test again after readjusting your routine.

Ways to Improve

You can strap on heart monitors, add power taps, or an endless supply of electronic gadgets designed to gauge fitness and help you improve, but seriously, leave them at home. Keep it simple. Set a base time, and when you have the opportunity to run the test again, you’ve got someone to beat — yourself.

Fun and Fitness

Don’t go out and torture yourself trying to chase higher averages if you’re cycling for fun and fitness. You’ll burn out and lose interest.

Average Speed -- The Three Mile Test

The best ways to improve your average is to increase power and lose weight. By now, you’re probably sick and tired of hearing all about the power-to-weight ratio, but it’s viable. Almost nothing has a more dramatic effect to make you faster. Have fun.

Does Cycling Build Leg Muscle?

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Does Cycling Build Leg Muscles?
Does Cycling Build Legs Muscles? You Tell Me…

For a lot of avid cyclists, building leg muscle is one of the key ingredients in their game, particularly if they like to ride competitively. The logic goes that stronger leg muscles allow for faster and harder pedaling, upping your speed and allowing you to power through difficult parts of a course a little more easily.

Cycling alone will primarily build muscle endurance so it is always recommended that you get down to the gym and use other exercises to build that all important power. Squats and leg presses will help you to build muscles. However, that isn’t to say that it is impossible to use cycling to build leg muscle.

What Muscles Does Cycling Build?

The two largest muscles that riding a bike targets is your quadriceps and your hamstrings. These muscles contract in a sequence that creates the pedaling action. The quadriceps and hamstrings do most of the work when you ride a bicycle.

Does Cycling Build Calf Muscle?

Yes, after the quads and hamstrings the calf muscle is the next beneficiary, specifically the gastrocnemius and soleus in the calf.

How Do I Build Big Leg Muscles?

Different types of riding does different things, for instance, sprinting all the time and riding short hard efforts will give you larger legs muscles. Endurance rides may lean you up and make your legs stronger, but the mass of the muscle will not be as evident. If you really want to supersize your legs then you are going to have to hit up the gym. High weight and low reps is the way to build your leg muscles, but at the end of the day you have to ask yourself – what kind of riding you want to be good at.

If you want to beat everyone to the next stop sign, then by all means, grab some weights and do short hard efforts to build that leg muscle. But, if you want to be fast on the 40+ km rides, then really focusing on endurance rides, mixed with some weight training and sprinting is going to be your best bet.

So How Can I Build Leg Muscle During a Ride?

Try any of the following techniques to start developing and building your leg muscles through cycling alone.

Standing While Riding

If you only sit when riding you will find that you are doing very little to foster muscle growth. After all, you are offering little resistance for your legs to power through, so they will simply tone up and build some level of endurance.

By standing you use your own body weight to add resistance, thus providing an excellent workout for your calf muscles in particular. Try riding slowly and raising your heels, all in the standing position, and you will find you apply more weight on your down-stroke, while also creating resistance using your body for the upstroke.

Ride Uphill

If cycling on a flat surface offers too little resistance for muscle building, it stands to reason that going uphill will remedy the issue. Gravity alone will force you to make more use of your leg muscles, taking them out of their comfort zone and forcing them to battle against resistance for the desired effect.

By riding uphill you are forcing both your bike and body against some resistance, allowing you to work on building your quadriceps and hamstrings. Do it enough and you will find that your muscles build up fairly quickly, allowing you to exhibit more power when you are riding on a flat surface.

Monitor Your Cadence

Your cadence plays a surprisingly important role in developing leg muscles, as knowledge of your peak cadence can allow you to adjust your cycling workouts to achieve peak levels of power. Your first step should be to discover your natural cadence for your current fitness level. In other words, this is the cadence that you ride at where you are at peak power and cycling smoothly. A lot of people will find that this is often in the 90-100 rpm range.

Once you know what you’re comfortable with, you can do various workouts around that level. To train pedal speed you can try dropping down a gear and going at a faster cadence, but if you really want to build muscle you should try popping up a gear and riding a little bit below your natural cadence. This will mean that you are still riding at a decent rate and you’re building your strength up as you do, due to the extra resistance offered by the higher gear.

So, you tell us! Does Cycling Build Leg Muscle?

Your First Cyclocross Race

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Your First Cyclocross RaceShowing up for your first cyclocross race can be daunting. Where do you register, where do you start, how do you pin your numbers, what are the “pits”? These all are some important questions that having an idea of their answers ahead of time will give you a bit more comfort and less stress going into an already crazy race. Ideally you want to arrive at the race venue two hours before the start of your race. This will give you enough time to prepare for your race without rushing as well as to enjoy the other races and make friends. If you have more time, by all means show up even earlier.

Parking

‘Cross races are normally held in a park type setting that can have a regular paved parking lot but be prepared for having to park in the grass or a field. Also be prepared for mud. Don’t back into a spot. You want plenty of room to be able to unload your bike as well as to change and get ready for your race. Since races a lot of the time can be muddy, a good pair of boots is a wise choice. If you know it’s going to rain and you have a pop-up tent, bring it. Getting ready in the rain is a pain so avoid it if you can.

Registering

Once you’re parked you should find where registration is. If it’s far, get your bike ready and ride, otherwise walk to registration. Make sure you have your wallet so you don’t have to make the trip twice. As you’re heading to registration, scout out the lay of the land. You may have to ask around but find where the start is as well as the finish. They are never the same location. Also, you will want to see where the pits are. If you don’t see them on your way to registration, ask when you get there. Once you’re registered, make sure you have enough pins to pin your numbers before you head back to your car. If you didn’t hit up the bathroom already, find it and make sure you know where it is to visit right before your start.

Pinning Your Number

Depending upon the race organizer, you can have one to four numbers. At registration, they will show you where to place your numbers. The main numbers on your back are fairly straight forward. Make sure the bottom of the number goes down your side and not squarely on your back. In bigger races smaller shoulder numbers will be given. These are a bit tricky to pin. Look around to see how other people have pinned theirs and follow suit.

Remember that your jersey is going to stretch so place the pins slightly closer together on the jersey so when the jersey stretches it doesn’t rip. Once you’re pinned, get dressed and ready to ride. Set out the water bottles and food you need for right before your race as well as what you are going to need after. If it’s cold, and/or wet, make sure you have warm clothes laid out ready to put on.

Warming Up and Pre-Riding the Course.

Both warming up for ‘cross as well as pre-riding the course is imperative. The race will designate times between races where the course will be open for pre-riding. Make sure you know when these are as to not miss them. Typically you will want to ride the course before the race immediately ahead of your race. Once you’re on the course, don’t ride it hard. You want to see it and know the good lines. If you can, follow a few riders who seem like they know what they’re doing to see where they ride and how they get through different sections. See where you can go hard and where you can relax a little throughout the course.

After you have ridden a lap, which is probably all you will have time for, go back to your car and top off on food and water. Now you will want to do an actual warm up where you ride hard to get your legs ready to go full gas. If you have a trainer or rollers, they can be a great warm-up option. Otherwise go find a good stretch of road to ride. Make sure to do a few short max efforts. Also make sure you don’t go too far as to miss your start time. Depending upon your set-up with a spare bike or spare wheels, place them in the pit before your warm-up. Don’t wait until right before your race to try and put them in.

The Start

The start of a ‘cross race is crazy as well as one of the most important elements to placing well. The start is organized into lanes that are normally marked. Riders are called by name or number into their starting spot. Being your first race, you will be one of the last called. The more you race and the better you do the better starting spot you will get.

Make sure you are in a good gear that’s not too big or too small so you can clip in and get up to speed quickly without having to shift straight away. The official will give the final instructions and will then call out “thirty seconds”. At any time in the following thirty seconds the official will blow their whistle indicating the start of the race. The start is super critical as this is the time where you can pass the most amount of riders in the shortest amount of time. Navigating your line through all the riders will come with practice.

Afterwards

Once you finish your race you will want to spin around for a little bit to warm-down your legs from the effort. Before you do this however, go back to your vehicle and grab something to eat and drink as well as to put on any clothes if it’s cold. Then go for a short spin. After, go back to your vehicle, change, and then go check out the results and to collect any prizes as enough time should have passed that they are ready. After and during the above, drink beer, eat sausage and Belgian Waffles, and have a good time. You’re at a ‘cross race after all.  It’s what you’re supposed to do from the time you get there until you leave.

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