SIR CHRIS’S 10 TOP TIPS

HOW TO SIT ON A BIKE

The correct saddle height is when your leg is dead straight at the bottom of each pedal revolution, with the heel still on the pedal. If your kneecap is in front of the pedal axle, move the saddle backward. If your kneecap is behind the axle, move it forward.

HOW TO STAY COMFORTABLE

Riding on the brake lever hoods helps with comfort, but when you are sprinting or taking on corners, riding on the drops, the lower part of the handlebars, is always preferable, allowing for better control and greater leverage.

HOW TO PEDAL EFFICIENTLY

It helps you apply force earlier in the down phase if you begin to drop your heel as soon as your foot passes through top dead centre. Doing that lets your legs push the pedal forward then down. Also, when you drop your heel in the first part of the down phase, your knee joint opens up, allowing greater torque production.

HOW TO RIDE SAFELY IN TRAFFIC

The safest position when riding, whether on a road bike, mountain bike or hybrid, is to make sure you can access the brake levers. This will give you greater stability and reduce reaction time should you need to stop suddenly. Never turn inside another turning vehicle. Turning into a street on the opposite side of the carriageway is done in two stages. First, well before the turn, look behind you and, if there is space, signal your intention to move out to the offside of the carriageway, and then move.

HOW TO CLIMB AND DESCEND

The best general climbing position is sitting in the saddle, pedalling a gear you can keep on top of, with your upper body raised to help you breathe deeply. Holding the tops of dropped handlebars and sticking your elbows out, nothing too exaggerated, assists deep breathing, too.

When descending, hold the bottom of your drop handlebars and bend your elbows to get your upper body as low as possible. Tuck your elbows into your sides and, if you are freewheeling, do the same with your knees, keeping your cranks level and parallel with the floor. Stay loose – if the descent is very bumpy, reduce your speed and raise your bottom out of the saddle slightly. This lets your legs get involved in absorbing shocks. Keep your weight back over the saddle when you do this.

HOW TO BE MORE AERODYNAMIC

Baggy clothes create drag, which is why cycling jerseys and shorts are made from stretchy materials and are cut to fit close. It’s a good idea to pull zips down when you’re going uphill to help regulate temperature, but when your speed picks up, such as on the flat and especially when going downhill, doing up open zips stops your jersey acting like a parachute. Never tilt your head down to improve aerodynamics. It’s dangerous because it reduces your vision.

HOW TO BUILD A STRONG CORE

You need a strong core otherwise pushing down on the pedals with your legs would lift and twist your body, which wastes energy. To get all your power into the pedals your core must provide a solid platform for your legs to push against. Planks engage your core as one. For the front plank, lie face down, supported on your toes and elbows. You should have your forearms

in front of you, shoulderwidth apart. Raise your hips off the floor and hold, with your head, hips and feet in one line. Start counting 101, 102, 103… and see how long you can hold this position. Let your middle sink slowly when you can’t hold it any longer, and record your count. You’ve got a number to beat next time.

HOW TO STAY HYDRATED

Water is the key to good hydration because many other drinks, tea and coffee, for example, have a diuretic effect, so you pass more urine than you need to. Other drinks, like fruit juices, have calories, so be careful with how much of them you consume. A combination of minerals – called electrolytes – and water is necessary for maintaining fluid balance within the body, especially around training. However, too heavy an emphasis on water can cause health issues, namely a condition called hyponatremia, which can be dangerous.

HOW TO RECOVER AFTER A RIDE

Stretching aids recovery by helping to reduce postexercise soreness, which promotes good sleep, and sleep is when maximum muscle repair takes place. Also, good sleep leaves you fresher and able to take on an increased training load. Stretching should become a near daily ritual, ideally performed immediately following training. It’s also worth stretching whenever you feel a bit of tightness.

HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF

Make your goals performance – and not outcome – oriented. That’s one of the keys to good goal setting. If your goal is winning a race, don’t focus on winning. Winning might be what you want, but it is an outcome.

The first thing to do in a performance review is make three lists under the following headings:

1. What are you doing now that’s helping you move towards your goal?

2. What are you doing now that’s working against your progress towards that goal? 3. What are you not doing now that could help you accelerate your progress towards that goal?