How to Start Biking
For most beginner triathletes, biking can be the least daunting of all three disciplines. How hard can it be, go ride a bike! However, pretty quickly you can go down many rabbit holes looking for the perfect bike, the perfect fit, the perfect wheels, the perfect posture etc. Soon, it turns into paralysis by analysis. Like many things, the best way to start is just start biking! Here are 6 tips to start biking.
- Choose a bike that fits your goal. Are you new to triathlon and don’t know whether your will continue in this sport after your goal race? An entry level road bike is probably for you. Are you competing in your first long course (half or full ironman) but have completed many Olympic distance event, it might be time to upgrade into a TT geometry.
- Bike Long. Nothing improves your biking like, biking. Make sure that you choose terrain similar to your goal race. Is your goal to complete a hilly triathlon? Then spend much of your training time in the hills! Just go bike.
- Improve your Cadence. Cadence the measure of how fast your feet can spin the pedals. Focus on using a high cadence. In order to monitor this, a basic cadence sensor such as this will do. This reduces training load per revolution and has been proven to reduce risk of injury. Let’s go baby!
- Use an indoor trainer and training software. Recently, technology has enabled athletes to have highly tailored training in the convenience of their home. Zwift, The Sufferfest, Trainer Road are examples of this software that allows for triathlon training indoors. For these, you will need an indoor trainer. This will cost some money (~$200-$300). However, the convenience and quality of work you put in is worth the cost. To supercharge your workouts, choose a smart trainer or bike sensors to get power readings. This will tailor your workouts even more. Don’t analyze the choice of software too much, just pick one and go for it! The Sufferfest is Heili Recommended for competitive athletes and Zwift is Heili Recommended for social athletes. Get ridin’!
- Buy road shoes/pedal. Your legs are your machine. Nothing is worse than producing power that doesn’t make you go faster. Clipless road pedals and road shoes allow you to use more of the power you are producing to keep your bike moving forward. There are many options, but the simple Shimano SPD Pedal along with these shoes will give you the best start at efficient power. Feel the power.
- Buy a bib or tri short. Nothing is more uncomfortable than the feel of the saddle if you have the wrong shorts. It will take some time to adjust to hours on the bike, but a good cycling short will go a long way. You can see an example of an entry level short on this here. You will thank us later.
There are many other elements of biking to consider. When you first start biking, it is not wise to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment and gear. The man wins the race, not the machine! Think of it this way, if Lance Armstrong rode a mountain bike with deflated wheels, he would still beat you on a 25 mile bike!
Here is an example of a 3 day/week – 6 week plan to a ride 25 miles.
Week 1
Workout 1 – Three times in week one. Ride 30 minutes. On this ride, you should focus on high cadence (90 RPM).
Week 2
Workout 1 –Do this twice. Ride 35 minutes. Focus on high cadence (>90 RPM).
Workout 2 – Do this once. 5 minute warm up. Then ride for 14 miles alternating 5 minutes at a comfortable pace with 45 seconds at your highest possible cadence (>100 RPM). Make sure you keep your butt on the saddle (seat) without bouncing. Then cool down for 5 minutes.
Week 3 –
Workout 1 – 35 minutes easy. Keep a high cadence (>90 RPM).
Workout 2 – Find a flat course. 5 minutes warm up. 40 minutes alternating 5 minutes at a comfortable/moderate pace followed 1 minute at a low cadence (65-70 RPM) producing lots of power. Then a 5 minute cooldown.
Workout 3 – Do this once. 5 minute warm up. Then ride for 16 miles alternating 5 minutes at a comfortable pace with 45 seconds at your highest possible cadence (>100 RPM). Make sure you keep your butt on the saddle (seat) without bouncing. Then cool down for 5 minutes.
Week 4 –
Workout 1 – 35 minutes easy. Keep a high cadence (>90 RPM).
Workout 2 – Find a flat course. 5 minutes warm up. 40 minutes alternating 3 minutes at a comfortable/moderate pace followed by pedaling as hard as you can maxing out your speed (power). Once you get to top speed, hold for a count of 5 seconds. Then a 5 minute cooldown.
Workout 3 – Do this once. 5 minute warm up. Then ride for 18 miles alternating 5 minutes at a comfortable pace with 45 seconds at your highest possible cadence (>100 RPM). Make sure you keep your butt on the saddle (seat) without bouncing. Then cool down for 5 minutes.
Week 5 –
Workout 1 – 35 minutes easy. Keep a high cadence (>90 RPM).
Workout 2 – Find a flat course. 5 minutes warm up. 40 minutes alternating 3 minutes at a comfortable/moderate pace followed by 5 minutes holding a constant, fast pace. Then a 5 minute cooldown.
Workout 3 – Do this once. 5 minute warm up. Then ride for 18 miles alternating 5 minutes at a comfortable pace with 45 seconds at your highest possible cadence (>100 RPM). Make sure you keep your butt on the saddle (seat) without bouncing. Then cool down for 5 minutes.
Week 6
25 Mile Bike Ride
Disclaimer: It is strongly advised that each athlete consult his or her family doctor to assure that they are in good physical health, capable of performing the activities involved in strenuous training. As a new triathlete, pay attention to where you train and how you train. Train in low risk areas (low or no traffic outside). Always let someone know where you are going and how long you might be gone. If something were to happen, you want someone to be able to call in help if necessary. If you are concerned, please check out packages and submit your contact information for a free consultation.