Good bike handling is one of those things that only comes with practice, which requires a set of learned skills, but if you want to ride on the road, alone or in a group, you will need to have the balance and confidence to:
Safely manoeuvre your bike to avoid objects in the road (pot holes, stones or glass)
"'Watching my children on their bikes doing bunny hops and balancing makes me realise the importance of bike handling skills, in a race it's all about having the confidence in yourself and other riders, put this into practice and this should improve saftey on the roads.
Tracey Fletcher"
For all of these, there is no substitute for practice and we would suggest you do that in traffic free conditions, a park or private road. Typically mountain bike riders develop good bike handling skills more quickly than pure road riders, because they are thrown into a world where anticipation and balance are fundamental from the get go. On the other hand, roadies tend to develop bunch riding skills more quickly, at least that is true of those that ride in groups for training and especially so of those who ride in road races, who quickly learn the advantages of drafting.
Whatever your aspiration or background you must be sure you are confident of your bike handling before riding in traffic. If you need help with riding in traffic the CTC offer courses and training and can even find you a riding buddy to get you started.
Through and Off technique
Through and off is how cyclists describe the rotation of riders in a group so that they take turns to ride or 'work' on the front and also 'slipstream' or 'draft' behind another rider, where they will be recuperating.
It is how a pair or group of cyclists share the work load, so that they can go for longer at a given speed than they could on their own.
It is an essential skill to master if you are ever likely to join a club training run, ride a road race, or perhaps take part in a team time trial.
Slipstreaming, or drafting as it is more commonly referred to in cycling, allows a rider to use around 30 percent less energy than those on the front. The benefit is greater depending upon how close you are riding to the person in front and how many riders there are in the group. Being protected from the wind makes a huge saving on your energy output as the front riders cut through the wind and provide shelter for the following riders.
How do I ride through and off?
In it's most basic form there would be just one line of riders, known as a paceline. The rider on the front will take a turn and then move over (usually to the side where the wind is coming from), ease the pace fractionally to drop back down the paceline. There will then be a new rider on the front who has gone through, who will continue to ride at the original pace.
Once the rider who is dropping back has cleared the rider on the front, that rider will in turn move over, or go off, to expose a new rider to the wind.
If this continues smoothly, it will result in a line of riders moving forwards and going through and a line of riders who have gone off and who are dropping back.
The amount of time spent on the front will depend on the circumstances; in a team time trial or race breakaway, it might only be 20 or 30 seconds, whilst on a club run it might be several minutes. If in doubt, watch what other riders are doing and do the same.
"'It took time to learn this skill at a slower pace and then gradually built up to riding with more experienced and faster groups. Once you've got the hang of it you can really cover some miles quickly working together with a group like this'Lizzy Goodband"
It is important to take your turn on the front if you feel confident enough, even if you are only there for a short time it is a good way of practicing. When you're fitter or more experienced you'll be expected to pull your weight - it is easy to lose friends in training and racing if you are not seen to be doing your share of the work!
It is also important to keep the speed as smooth as you come through, do not accelerate as you hit the front of the group. It is equally important not to slow down too much as you come off, because you will find the group goes past you quickly and you will struggle to get back on the group as the last rider comes past you.
When riding in a group like this riders tend not to brake, or if they need to slow down the rider in front should shout to warn the group. If you find yourself riding into the wheel in front you can ease off the pedals, but keep spinning, or sit up slightly to create a little drag. Avoid jabbing the brakes - it's a matter or trust on every rider's part! After a few goes in a tight group you'll find you ride with 'the force' and stop worrying about 'what if…?'
Gears selection and cadence
Whatever the terrain, your choice of gear will determine your cadence (the speed with which you turn the cranks, measured in revolutions per minute). A good choice of gears (the newest road bikes have 10 gears on the rear cassette and a choice of two or three chain rings on the front) allows you to pedal efficiently whether you are climbing, on the flat or descending.
The gearing that works best for you will be a matter of some trial and error, but if you are riding with a group of experienced cyclists, look at their cadence and select a gear that allows you to spin your legs at about the same speed as them, whilst maintaining the same speed.
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There are personal differences of course and it will depend on your leg strength, experience, rider weight and gearing set-up. The most stark example of that was seen when Armstrong and Ullrich hit the mountains in the Tour de France. Armstrong would select a small gear and climb, predominantly out often out of the saddle, with a very high cadence, while Ullrich would choose a big gear, which he would grind away at whilst remaining in the saddle.
Armstrong's style proved the most effective and you will find that seasoned cyclists will have learned to spin their legs faster than someone who is new to the sport. It is a learned skill and the only way to learn is to practice. A good smooth pedal action can take months and years to develop and only then will you get the most power out of your pedal stroke, an extra inch each revolution of the crank soon adds up. If you really want to develop a good smooth pedalling style, work on an indoor (turbo) trainer can be a great help, or you could try riding track with a fixed wheel and just one gear.
Whatever your style, you need to be aware of your gears as you approach a climb and also as you crest a rise, if you want to ride efficiently within a group. Learning h
The key things to remember for good pedalling form are:
