1001 Road Bike Tips

Inside this special edition, you’ll find every page packed with cycling tips (OK, apart from this one), covering everything from nabbing a biking bargain to competing in your first time trial. We’ve got tips on just about every aspect of owning and enjoying your road bike, with our aim being to equip you with everything you need to know to become a fitter, faster and better prepared rider. Much of the advice in this issue comes from Cycling Plus, Britain’s biggest-selling bike magazine, providing you with guidance from leading experts in their fields, as well the most knowledgeable and experienced writers in the business. Here’s to 2019 being your fittest and fastest year yet!…

Nowhere is this more thrilling than on a daredevil descent, and few are more exciting and effective at turning the hair-raising downhill plummet into a place up on the podium than Vincenzo Nibali, as at Milan-Sanremo recently. Over the years La Squalo (the shark), now riding for Bahrain Merida, has perfected his positioning, technique and timing to seize some spectacular stage wins during the downhill dash. While his approach may seem brave to the point of thoughtless, the reality is much more calculated. Nibali optimises the tightest turns, maximises his aerodynamic advantage by reducing his frontal area to the barest minimum and almost always finds the fastest line. These key components coupled with a seemingly fearless approach contribute to a skill many envy and few can emulate. By breaking down…

Improving recovery time will give you the long-term adaptions you need to progress. In the short term it will allow you to hit those next sessions hard or, if you’re on multi-day ride, prepare you for that next day. THE BENEFITS The main nutrients needed for recovery are protein and carbohydrate, but sometimes you need an extra boost. Turmeric, with its main active ingredient curcumin, has been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress [an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to counteract their negative effects] through curcumin’s anti-oxidant properties. Studies have shown that taking turmeric/curcumin supplements – 200mg twice a day for two days pre-event and then one day after – saw an increase in the speed of muscle recovery. Include black pepper (more…

We all know alcohol and peak sporting performance don’t mix, but why? Well it’s something a team in New Zealand recently looked at, but be warned – it’s not easy reading! ‘Highlights’ from the meta-analysis include impaired muscle repair and growth due to alcohol inhibiting protein synthesis, with fast-twitch fibres (associated with power) particularly susceptible. The team also showed that alcohol detrimentally impacts hormonal balance so that a range of factors, including sleep quality, mood, metabolism and cardiovascular function, are all affected. As if that wasn’t enough, it also impacts the immune system by interrupting what the team terms ‘a complex inflammatory response, typically characterised by alterations in hormone levels’. So, all bad? Not necessarily, as a low dose of alcohol (under 0.5g/kg bodyweight) ‘is unlikely to be detrimental’. One…

SNACK WISELY Snacks can help to maintain blood sugar levels, but keep them healthy (e.g, fruit, raw nuts) and eat small portions. DON’T SKIP Avoid skipping meals. The inevitable hunger pangs can see you eating badly and you can be left lacking in energy. EAT GREEN Fill up on low-energy foods such as green leafy veg, which is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. GO LOW-GI You’ll feel less hungry if you ensure that your carbs are low-GI, e.g. quinoa, sweet potato and basmati rice. PRO PROTEIN It’s very important to maintain your protein intake to help protect your lean tissue and muscle mass.…

1 Don’t order when you’ve just finished training and you’re starving, as you’ll order the highest calorie foods and order too much. Plan ahead instead and decide what you’re going to have beforehand. 2 Keep clear of fried rice, which will have absorbed hundreds of extra calories that you just don’t need. Choose boiled instead or – if they have it – brown or wild rice. 3 Don’t double up on the sides! Pick either bread or rice, but not both. 4 Choose thin and crispy pizza and keep away from the high fat toppings. Pile your pizza high with lean protein and veggies. 5 Watch the sauces – these can add a lot of fat and sugar and you don’t really know what’s in them. As a rule, choose…