Secretly, we all want it: to cycle faster. As we all know, good legs do not come out of the blue and the fastest cyclists are often those who have been cycling for years. But how can you best increase your average speed on the bike? We have listed no less than 10 tips to help you get from A to B faster!
1. What is fast? And how important is speed?
Data from Strava shows that the average speed in the Netherlands is the highest in the world. On average, Dutch men cycle 26.92 kilometres per hour and women 21.36 kilometres per hour. By comparison; The second-fastest country in the world is England where men cycle an average of 25.61 kilometres per hour and women an average of 20.74 kilometres per hour. So in the Netherlands, the average speed is already quite high. This of course has to do with our flat country, I mention these figures to show that average speed by no means always says everything about how strong you are as a cyclist. External factors such as wind, rain, hills and so on have a lot of influence on average speed. So the first tip is not to focus too much on average speed.
2. Make yourself as small as possible
The thing that slows you down the most while cycling is air resistance. The simplest tip is to reduce the surface area that catches wind as much as possible. Instead of sitting upright and catching a lot of wind, try lowering your body lower by bending your elbows inwards and tilting your pelvis. Wrists inwards and drill! You'll feel an immediate difference.
3. Listen to music
This is a tricky one, as we at Cyclingreview.co.uk think it's important that you cycle safely. Yet there are several studies showing that music on your ears can cause you to reduce your perceived level of exertion.
Dr Costas Karageorghis, a researcher in sports psychology, says this is because "music blocks fatigue-related symptoms such as burning lungs and lactic acid in muscles." Music on the ears can reduce the perception of exertion by as much as 10 per cent.
So you can pedal harder without noticing it yourself. You might want to adjust your cadence to the rhythm. If, for safety reasons, you don't want to cycle outside with music on your ears, you can take this advantage when on the indoor trainer. The only option would be a Shokz, a bone conducting headphone, but that too is a risk. The preferred option is no music on the bike. But yes, it does help!
4. Cycle with others
You could call this cheating, but cycling in a group increases your average speed in several ways. If you take turns riding in front and sharing the work, you will go faster as a group than on your own. And if you now also cycle in a group with riders who are stronger than you, you will build up fitness for the next rides. And of course, riding in a group is also fun. So lots of advantages!
Want to know all about cycling in a group? Then read our 24 tips for cycling in a group!
5. Tyre pressure
With the right tyre pressure, you cycle faster. Check the number of bar before every ride, as your tyres naturally deflate a little without necessarily being flat. On the side of your tyre is the recommended pressure, make sure you always stay within that margin. Think carefully about your tyre pressure, a harder-inflated tyre is not necessarily faster.
A rule of thumb we use for people between 65 and 85 kilos is the number of kilos divided by ten is the number of bar in the tyres. Extra tip: Make sure you have a good stand-up pump so you can easily find the perfect tyre pressure. A mini pump is best kept only for emergencies on the road.
6. Less braking
This sounds like the most logical tip from the list, but for many it is trickier than you think. Braking not only causes you to slow down, but it also causes you to have to pedal harder to accelerate after every corner. Unnecessary braking is a waste of energy and momentum.
How do you become a better brakeman? First, try reducing 'comfort' braking. By this we mean that you brake later and later the moment you go out of your comfort zone. For example, on descents that go a bit faster than you are used to. That way you get a better and better feel for how hard you can go with a bike.
In addition, there is a lot of speed to be gained in corners. This requires some practice, however, we see that mountain bikers and cyclo-cross riders are more likely to have more control over their bikes on road bikes. Simply because they have pushed the limits more often and therefore possess excellent cornering technique. Important tips here: Always brake before the corner, not in the corner
7. Make sure there is a tailwind on the way back
Cyclists look at wind direction and wind speed on a daily basis. To increase your average speed, a smart tip is to do so. Before setting your route, see where the wind is coming from. That way, you can make sure you start with the toughest part: wind against. That way, you cycle against the wind with fresh legs and the moment you are tired you turn around and blow back home at high speed. Your average speed will be higher than the other way around.
8. Interval training
Swap your leisurely bike ride for a short session of high-intensity intervals (HIIT). A series of studies show that a few short, full-body sprints improve your endurance as much as cycling longer rides. Your metabolic system is stimulated on two fronts. One: Endurance rides tend to only boost your slow-twitch muscle fibres hit, while HIIT workouts also add to your high-speed fibres work, so you develop a bigger engine. Two: your body probes deeper into fat reserves, so you become a more efficient fat burner.
9. Sports drink
If you drink a sports drink with carbohydrates instead of plain water at the beginning of a long ride, you can save your precious glycogen stores by about 50% in the first hour, according to a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. This means you will have more long-term energy.
10. Vitamin B
Recent research shows that active people with low levels of B vitamins have difficulty building muscle mass and producing oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Therefore, make sure you are well supplied with Vitamins D, which are essential for converting proteins and carbohydrates into energy and for repairing cells. Vitamin B is found in whole grains, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Take multivitamins daily or start the day with extra cereal for extra power.
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