Improve your race-day bike skills
Use this skills-focussed bike session to get you dialled into your race set-up for next season, says Nik Cook
As we slide into the off-season, it’s time to take advantage of that spare time and focus on some key skill work. Here, Nik Cook introduces a useful bike session that’ll help you do just that.
For this session, you’ll need a loop that should take about 10mins to ride, include steep climbs, plenty of corners and challenging descents.
If you’re not 100% relaxed and comfortable on your race set-up and your bike handling isn’t up to scratch, you’ll be haemorrhaging minutes on every leg and wasting precious energy for the run. By challenging yourself on your race bike on an intentionally technical loop, you can develop those key skills and ensure that riding fast in your race position becomes second nature. By riding these efforts at or just below threshold intensity, you’ll be testing those skills and your position under duress.
Top 3 tips for the session
Climbing
When out of the saddle, avoid excessive rocking. Anticipate gear choice as, unless you have satellite shifters, shifting on a TT set-up will require sitting back down.
- Improve your cycling technique for standing uphill climbs
- What should your body position be when cycling uphill?
- Cycling up hills: when you should sit and when you should stand
Descending
Experiment staying down on your extensions when safe, as the free speed gains are significant. Build up your confidence and learn to feather your rear brake while staying aero.
Cornering
The basics of cornering still apply on a TT bike. Brake before turning, push down through the outside pedal and
look where you want to go as you make the manoeuvre.
The session
Warm-up
5-10mins building from easy to moderate
•
3-5mins easy
•
Your warm-up should take you to the start of your skills loop
Main Set
10mins vigorous ride over your skills loop
•
5mins easy
•
Repeat the above for a total of 3-4 loops. Try to go faster, not by upping your effort but by riding smoother and more skillfully.
Cool-down
5-10mins easy
How to adapt the session for beginners
Skills are crucial for novices. See if you can find a more experienced rider to shadow as, by following them, you’ll
learn loads.
How to adapt the session for Ironman
Include a technical loop into your longer endurance rides and really push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Nik Cook
Freelance bike writer 
