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172 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR FITNESS AND SKILLS
FITNESS
Riding, recovery and motivational advice that can benefit you
MAINTENANCE
Workshop tips for smooth shifting and swift stopping NUTRITION
EAT LENTILS, RIDE FASTER 10 ways going meat-free can improve your performance
YOUR BEST SUMMER EVER EXPERT ADVICE ON RIDING FASTER AND FURTHER
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2 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
Thanks for picking up 1001 Road Bike Tips. This special edition is crammed from cover to cover with expert advice. Here, you’ll find fitness, training and riding techniques for beginners and experienced riders alike. We’ve also got a dedicated nutrition section which will help ensure you put the right fuel in your body before you ride and maximise your recovery. Almost as vital as looking after yourself is taking care of your bike, so in the latter pages we show you how to keep your trusted steed running smoothly and efficiently Together with Cycling Plus, the UK’s bestselling cycling mag, and a host of pro riders, coaches and experts, we’ve brought you the best and most up to date advice around. Our aim is that 1001 Road Bike Tips will help take your riding to the next level. See you out on the road.
FEATURES
CHAMPION ADVICE 14 Tips from British Grand Tour champions
BURN FAT FAST 28 Training that targets your body fat
GIRL POWER 44 Female focused fitness knowhow
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN 64 Expert advice to perfect your climbing techique
POWER PLANTS 74 The performance benefits of going vegan and how to achieve them
REFUELLING SECRETS 86 10 ways to a rapid postride recovery
THE CYCLING CHEF 96 Recipes and nutritional advice from Alan Murchinson
GOOD,BAD AND UGLY 106 Post-ride treat eats that are more than mere guilty pleasures
CONTENTS TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
4 Improve your average speed 6 Riding safely on busy roads 7 Focus on hours or miles? 8 Make more time to ride 10 Make big climbs easier 11 Essential core training 12 How to plan ahead like Chris Froome 20 Sleep better before a race 22 How to make race weight 23 Multi-day event tips 24 How to pack your pockets 26 Should I wear a helmet? 27 Taking your bike abroad 34 Chase down a breakaway like Steve Cummings 36 Off-road benefits 38 Do I need a bike fit?
39 How to protect and strengthen your bones 40 Master multi-tasking like Marianne Vos 42 How to push through the pain barrier 43 Riding your first century 50 How to conserve energy 52 Foul weather riding 54 Do I need clipless pedals? 55 Riding to work 56 Recover as you ride 58 Boost your motivation 60 Banish saddle soreness 61 How best to eat on rides 62 Train to perfection like Ben King
FOOD & NUTRITION
70 Linguine with fresh puttanesca sauce 72 Chickpea, squash and coconut curry 80 Tray-baked chicken thighs with romesco 82 Broccoli and roasted red pepper frittata 84 Kale, ricotta and leek lasagne 92 Thai green curry 94 Sriracha and lime marinated chicken skewers 102 Omlette Arnold Bennett 104 Salmon with pesto crust
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE
112 Get smooth running gears 114 How to go tubeless 115 Clean your chain 116 How to go tubeless 117 Where to best use oil 118 Service your rim brakes 119 How to bleed your disc brakes 120 Sort out your headset 121 Cure squeaky disc brakes 122 Fit perfect bar tape 123 Bed in new brake pads 124 Replace your chain and cassette 125 Service your wheel hubs 126 Fix your bottom bracket 127 How to pack your bike 128 Replace your chainrings 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 3
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE EXPERT ADVICE FROM TOP COACHES AND PROS ON RIDING AT Y O U R B E S T
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MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching
LIKE A PRO...
Improve your average speed From structured sessions to tweaks to your kit, raising your speed relies on many factors “Average speed is one of those metrics everyone likes to brag about to their friends,” says Liam Holohan. “If you want to travel further in your allotted training time, there are a series of factors to consider and apply to your training routine.” Making those improvements through drills and structured sessions, tweaks to
your kit and riding style, along with routine ride-outs needn’t detract from the enjoyment of the ride, and when training alongside other riders can ensure every ride has a purpose. You can work on raising your speed out on the road or indoors on a trainer, reducing your body weight if needs be. Other useful ploys to engage include...
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
A RIDER ‘IN THE CORE’ OF THE PELOTON CAN REDUCE THEIR DRAG SIGNIFICANTLY
01 ROUTE PLANNING “The less elevation, the more ground you’ll cover. Use route planning apps, such as Strava or Komoot, to plan a route, minimising the elevation. Also, look out for the number of junctions and small roads as having to stop all the time will ruin your average.” 02 WIND DIRECTION “Check the wind speed and direction. In the morning the wind could be easterly at 15kph, this could then be set to change to 10kph part way through your ride. This would mean you’d want to head out with a tail wind, so you’ve less headwind to contend with on the return leg.” 03 JOIN THE PACK “At a speed of 30kph, the average rider is going to be using 70 per cent of their energy to cut through the air. One of the best ways to reduce this is to ride with others. Research shows that a rider ‘in the core’ of the peloton can reduce their drag
significantly. You can use that extra energy to ride faster at the front, before recovering in the slipstream of the group.” 04 SUITS YOU “You can reduce your drag, thus improving average speed, by making some upgrades to your bike and kit. Start with clothing. It’s the cheapest thing to upgrade and will have a measurable effect. Tight-fitting clothing, such as a skin suit, is a good starting point. A filled-in, aero road helmet is going to bump up that average speed slightly, too.” 05 BUY UPGRADES “You’ve got to drop a lot more money to reduce drag from here on in. Think of deep section aero wheels, aero road bikes or a TT bike. A study found that full mudguards were more aerodynamic than the same bike without.” 06 PLAN AHEAD “Having a structured training plan is by
far the best way to improve your average speed. I find that most amateur cyclists will do the same training year-round, leading to fitness plateaus. Make sure you’re taking on plenty of carbohydrate before, during and after your ride, and stay hydrated with a mix of electrolytes and water.” 07 GO AERO “Keep an aerodynamic position on the drops as much as possible. Pacing will also go a long way to ensuring you don’t ‘blow’. Aim for a negative split, meaning that the first half is slightly slower than the second half, a tried and trusted tactic for most time-trialists.” 08 SOUND OUT “When training at home listen to up tempo music. Research shows that music helps block out feelings of fatigue and reduces the perceived amount of effort a rider is putting into a training session.”
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ROOKIE RIDERS
How can I have greater presence on busy roads? CHRIS BENNETT, HEAD OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE AT SUSTRANS “First things first, get out of the gutter. Riding too close to the kerb can give drivers the green light to overtake when it’s not safe. While it may seem like a sensible option, riding in a more assertive position – about an arm’s length away from the kerb – is much better practice. This means you’re more visible and, if someone does overtake, you have more space to move into on the left. “Eye contact’s invaluable, too. You’re looking for the driver’s recognition – it cuts through the barrier or ‘bubble’ some road users have. So when approaching a junction, a roundabout or turning onto a different road, making eye contact with drivers can help you work out if they’ve seen you or not, giving you a better indication of whether you should move off. In general, you’ll do that best by cycling
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where drivers are looking – centrally, away from the kerb and ahead of them. “Also ensure you indicate. It’s arguably better to exaggerate signals so that vehicles behind and in front know when you’re about to turn off a road. If you’re nervous about seeming overly assertive, Loffi sell cycling gloves with a smiley face on the palm so you can send positive vibes to passers-by!” MATT WOODCOCK , CYCLING UK TRAINING MANAGER “The common type of car/ cyclist collision usually involves the line, ‘Sorry, mate, I didn’t see you.’ Making other road users aware of your presence begins with building confidence. For instance, if you’re using a new route regularly for your commute, firstly ride it at a quieter time of the day, just to familiarise yourself with things like the junctions and traffic light
sequences. It’ll make things less daunting during rush hour. “And never take risks. If you’re entering roads from an obscured location, wait until there’s a sizeable gap in the traffic. As you roll away from the junction, ease into a position so that you’re not hugging the kerb and can be seen clearly. “This visibility’s even more important at ‘pinch-points’ in the road, so ride even more centrally so that you register in a driver’s field of vision. This means riding where the car would have to cross the central white lines to drive past you. Lessassertive cyclists worry that being further out may put them in the way of traffic. It won’t – you are the traffic. “Finally, have a greater visible nighttime presence. I’m as guilty as many cyclists in that a lot of my kit is black and if I signal with gloves on then it can just be black on black. Wearing brighter, reflective kit and even having additional lighting – I have a light on my helmet just to increase visibility – will guarantee that you’ll have that greater presence on the road.”
“WEARING BRIGHTER, REFLECTIVE KIT WILL GUARANTEE THAT YOU’LL HAVE MORE PRESENCE”
IMAGE GETTY
We ask the questions that beginners are dealing with and get answers from the experts
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
ROB WAKEFIELD, LEVEL 3 COACH, PROPELLO.NET “For a newbie cyclist the most important thing is just getting out on the bike frequently, having fun, exploring routes, getting to know your bike and understanding how your body feels when you put in certain levels of effort. Three rides a week is a good place from which you can make progress, gradually increasing the duration of your longest ride each week. Don’t worry about mileage as this will be very dependent on topography. Start with say three times 60-minute rides in a week and build up to two times 90-minutes with one long weekend ride of three hours. Once you have progressed the volume of your riding to four to five hours a week you can then think about increasing intensity by including some hard efforts into your rides. For example, aim to keep your speed up on an undulating route by pushing
harder on the up slopes and recovering on the downhill sections. Do this on a 60-minute ride and you will have a purposeful, unstructured interval session. Don’t try and PB every ride, wait until your legs feel fresh after a few days of rest. Now you will have progressed both volume and intensity to a level where following a training plan or engaging with a coach will be worth the expenditure.” PAUL MILL , OWNER AND CYCLING COACH AT ELITECYCLING LTD “There are major benefits to both aerobic and anaerobic training sessions, but the key element in building a working training plan is to be honest with yourself and prescribe the right amount of training based on your life. Many coaches will identify this very early by asking for you to fill out a lifestyle audit form which includes your working hours, family commitments and any social or learning
WORKING TO GOALS IS CRUCIAL AS A COACH CAN PERIODISE THE TRAINING AND WORK
IMAGE JOSEPH BRANSTON
Is it better to focus on building hours or miles?
activities or regular meetings plus your time available for training and sleep. When it comes to miles or intensity my opinion is you need to include both – starting with a general aerobic-based plan for 12-14 weeks. The duration of hours would generally be prescribed at weekends but working closely with time available so not to disrupt the individual’s life. During the week there will be more emphasis based on slightly higher intensity but less volume and added workload for strength and flexibility. As the new year starts and we reach 6-8 weeks before events start the switch to the pre competition phase can start with volume now decreasing and intensity picking up. Working to specific goals is crucial – having these in place means a coach can periodise the training and work to help you achieve your perceived level and above for your major event. Mix your training up and to freshen things up work on different blocks of training.”
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 7
THE GOLDEN RULE
LIKE A PRO...
Make more time to ride...
KEEP CONSISTENT Pick a periodisation model that fits with your lifestyle and objectives, then stick to it and stay consistent
Periodisation is the answer to getting more miles in when you’re busy, says Liam Holohan “In many ways, working with professional athletes is easier when it comes to the prescription of training. Each week they have a blank slate from which to work from,” says Liam Holohan. “All day, every day, is available to them for training.” The challenge comes for the ‘time-crunched cyclist’, who must also fit in family life and a normal job to their week. “When it comes to training, you can only control two things; volume and intensity; or, how much and how hard. For a lot of amateur cyclists, this ratio never changes. They do the same training in November as they do in July. The key to being on form on the day of your target event is periodisation. Essentially, this is how you organise your season, or macro-cycle.” 01 CLASSICAL PERIOD There are many types of periodisation. Classic, or linear periodisation, is what most cyclists have heard of: that’s long, steady miles in the winter, intervals in the spring, race in the summer. This is a great way to train, as long as you have the time. An athlete who only has 10 hours a week will find that they’re not progressing with such low volume and intensity. 02 REVERSE GEAR Reverse periodisation works the other way around; low volume, high intensity in the winter, more volume, less intensity in the summer. On those dark evenings, you could utilise the turbo to do some higher intensity work. When summer and the lighter nights roll round you could up the volume and get out on the road mid-week. The only trouble with this is that the specificity principle states that the training has to replicate the demands of the event. So, if you’re road racing, the training gets
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less like a road race as you get closer to the season. But for a gran fondo, or sportive rider, the training gets increasingly like the event. Reverse periodisation is great for that type of rider. 03 USE WEEKS EFFECTIVELY One method I would recommend is undulating periodisation. This means that during each mesocycle of training the volume and intensity take turns in priority, week on week. You’d use the weeks where you’ve more time available to focus on the volume; then, when you’re time crunched, focus on intensity. This also keeps the training varied. 04 DUMP THE JUNK A term I have heard a lot is ‘junk miles’. It means different things to different people. Here’s my definition: Ask yourself, ‘How is this session helping me achieve my goal?’ If you can’t answer this with conviction then it’s junk and that time could be put to a much better use. 05 MISS THE TRAIN You can cut out dead time on a commute. If you can work training into this time, it will put less of a drain on family and work time. Don’t just use this tip for your work commute. If you’ve a family trip planned, why not ride there? 06 CATCH THE COACH Commit to working with a cycling coach – even remotely as it will help you prioritise your time more effectively, they’ll examine your lifestyle, work and family commitments to timetable sessions for you, and identify windows of opportunity for you to train. A good coach will ensure that you’re continuing to improve, looking for the point of diminishing returns with each training stimulus.
MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
CLASSIC OR LINEAR PERIODISATION IS A GREAT WAY TO TRAIN AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE TIME
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 9
ROOKIE RIDERS
How do I make big climbs easier? ROB BROWN SPECIALIST CYCLING PHYSIOTHERAPIST, CENTRE FOR HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE , “The secret to making big climbs easier comes down to your power to weight ratio – being able to produce as much power as possible, while remaining as light as possible. Along with the input of a nutritionist to help identify the right diet to manage your weight, one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve power off the bike is by performing weighted leg exercises at the gym. “Choose simple leg exercises such as leg presses, squats and trap-bar deadlifts. The goal is to keep the weight as heavy as possible and the number of repetitions (each single exercise) low, for
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example three to four sets of two to four reps. See a qualified trainer to get your exercise form correct to avoid injury. You can also perform strength efforts on a turbo trainer or Wattbike. The idea is to perform low rpm (revolutions of the pedal per minute) in a heavy gear (high resistance) while keeping your intensity at around 75-85 per cent of your maximum heart rate. Begin with three sets of three-minute intervals with about two/three minutes rest in between. The heavy resistance improves strength but the slower pedalling speed increases activation of the glutes, quads and calf muscles.” ROB WAKEFIELD, LEVEL 3 COACH, PROPELLO.NET “Away from the gym and
Wattbike you can improve your climbing technique by riding up hills. If you’re starting out, riding at least three times per week will start to build fitness. Start at an hour and build your long weekend ride to about four hours within a few months. Supplementing this with two shorter weekly rides or indoor trainer sessions will pay dividends. “Once you feel comfortable riding on flat and undulating roads tackle some short local climbs. Think about pacing a nice controlled effort, riding your strongest at the end of the climb. Think about your leg speed or cadence on the climbs and aim for no lower than 80rpm if you can. If you are pedalling at much lower leg speeds than this, find an easier hill! Once you’ve mastered short climbs find a long one that you know well. Keep a check on how you feel – your breathing, your legs. Climbing well is about being able to sustain a long effort, having sound pedalling technique and not wasting energy.”
“THE SLOWER PEDALLING SPEED INCREASES ACTIVATION OF THE GLUTES, QUADS AND CALF MUSCLES”
IMAGE RUSSELL BURTON
We put the burning question that beginners ask climbing to our experts…
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE EXPERT ADVICE
What sort of core training should I do? Forget standard sit-ups – for peak cycling performance, it’s all about asymmetrical exercises Whether you love core workouts or loathe them, strong abdominal and lower back muscles are essential if you want to maintain a comfortable position on your bike and maximise the power output of your pedal stroke. But many standard core exercises suggested by personal trainers, such as sit-ups, aren’t the best choice for road cyclists. That’s because riding a bike involves some major body imbalances (each pedal stroke sees one leg extended
SPECIFIC CORE EXERCISES HELP TO MAINTAIN AN AERODYNAMIC POSITION ON THE BIKE
downwards while the other is bent and raised upwards) and some unique challenges (such as maintaining a still upper body on climbs while your legs are pedalling frantically), so you need much more functional core exercises. “It is much better to focus on asymmetrical exercises, which mirror the challenges of riding a bike,” insists Robby Ketchell, a former sports scientist for Team Sky (now Team Ineos). Sample exercises include towel crunches (place a towel under each foot, adopt a plank position, then slide your right knee towards the left side of your chest, return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg); swimmer sets (lie on your front, then raise your right arm and left leg for 10 seconds, and repeat with the opposite limbs); and twist crunches (lie on your back in a crunch position,
Elinor Barker (at the 2016 Rio Olympics, above) says core exercise should relate directly to cycling
then raise your left knee and right elbow to meet together and repeat with the opposite limbs). Elinor Barker, team pursuit gold medal winner at the 2016 Rio Olympics, agrees that core exercises should always relate back to cycling. “I don’t do a lot of twisting exercises because I have back problems, but I do focus on very specific core exercises that help me maintain an aerodynamic position on the bike,” she explains. “The plank is very good for cyclists because, again, it is so specific to holding your position on the bike. “I do body saws, too – it’s a variation of the plank but you put your feet on little mats or towels and extend the plank stretch by gliding both your legs backwards and forwards. Really, it’s just like when you’re riding a bike, but extra- challenging.”
MEET THE AUTHOR IMAGES GETTY
MARK BAILEY A sports writer and fourtime Haute Route finisher, Mark regularly interviews pro cyclists and experts to explore the latest health insights
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 11
THE GOLDEN RULE PLAN FLEXIBLY “Any training plan will have to be adaptable as a season will never go perfectly to plan. You might pick up a virus and miss a block of training, or have a huge project at work or at home that suddenly takes up a lot of training availability. Be dynamic and work your way back through the principles I’ve talked about, modifying the plan to suit.”
“IF YOU BLOW WELL BEFORE THE FINISH LINE THEN YOU WON’T MEET YOUR GOAL”
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TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
LIKE A PRO...
How to plan ahead like Chris froome Planning a season – be it for racing, or training for specific events or goals – is integral to success at all levels of cycling
MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching
“One of the greatest examples of a rider whose meticulous approach to forward planning has paid off with the most success on the professional circuit is Chris Froome,” says coach and former pro Liam Holohan. “His planning, and that of the people behind him at Team Sky, has ensured that Froome has never turned up to a Grand Tour without being in the physical and mental shape required to win it.” Not everyone has perfected the art – even at the top of the sport. “Great rivals, such as Nairo Quintana, sometimes get it wrong, showing just what a challenge proper planning and the execution of a season plan can be. Before you plan your season, you need to think about your goals. When you look back at the end of your season, what do you want to have achieved?” 01 OWN YOUR GOALS “Don’t clutter your season with too many goals, however, as this can lead to mediocre performances as you spread yourself too thinly. I would aim to have one or two big goals for a season, with smaller intermediate goals along the way. These smaller goals should be part of the bigger picture. You should set achievable goals, as discussed, but a good example for me would be: Priority goal: Complete the Haute Route Dolomites in June and finish in the top 10 on the GC. Intermediate goal: Climb a 20-minute hill at 5.5w/kg by May.” 02 WORK BACKWARDS “Your goals are your destination, but your season plan is your map. I always work backwards from the athlete’s
targeted goals and divide the year into phases of training. This is called periodisation. You will need to decide which periodisation model works best for you and your training availability.” 03 PERIODISATION SECTIONS Preparation: “Preparing the body for the work to come. The training now is quite general, focusing on strength and endurance, which are the core of any endurance athlete’s fitness.” Pre-Competition: “This is where the specifics of the event come in to play. This will be the focus of this period, along with maintaining the gains made in the preparation phase.” Competition: “The focus here is on maintaining the adaptations from the previous two phases, while shedding fatigue for your goal event.” Recovery: “After you’ve ticked off a season goal, it’s vitally important that you give your body and mind time to recuperate before beginning training for that next goal.” 04 EVENT PLANNING “Once you’ve got a good idea of what your training cycle will look like, you can work out where to focus the training with specific sessions. Research the target event and work out what the demands are. For example, for a long sportive it’s very important to have a solid endurance foundation. It’s all well and good working on FTP efforts, but if you blow well before the finish line then you won’t meet your goal. Prioritise each element of your event, comparing it to where you’re strong and weak. From this you’ll get a good idea of where the focus of each period should lie.”
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CHAMPIO WORDS SAM DANSIE IMAGES GET T Y
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CHAMPION ADVICE
ADVICE We asked some of the UK’s most recent grand tour winners Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome and Simon Yates for their tips for racing, training and life
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“Being able to block off time for whatever session you’ve planned is hugely important. Maybe it’s waking up an hour earlier to go on the turbo trainer before going to work, but if you make the time to do something, you’ll get there” Chris Froome
JOIN A GROUP “You need to find a good group to go out with. If it’s raining and you know you’re meeting at 10am and we’re going to this coffee shop, a group really helps to get out the door. The hardest part about cycling isn’t the actual riding but getting out the door. Once you’re out, it’s fine.” Simon Yates Few things are more demotivating than opening the curtains on a miserable day that promises damp gear, sketchy roads and a
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muddy bike, but committing to join a group at a specific time is an incredibly powerful motivator. The banter helps take the edge off the weather. “It depends how motivated you are, but if you know you are going to be finding it difficult at times, then joining a group is a brilliant way to get going,” says Julia Shaw, a multiple national time trial champion, and now a coach. She also points out joining a club or group has another benefit as it’s a good source of information and experience. “Most clubs have a range of ages and genders… by just going along you get to learn a lot,” she says.
DISCOVER WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT “Going through the British Cycling Academy, we just raced and it happened naturally that we found what we’re good at. You race for a traffic light, you sprint up a climb, and you get to know where you excel.” Simon Yates
CHAMPION ADVICE
Newsflash: we enjoy something more if we’re good at it. Hardly the most earthshattering insight, but with so many styles of riding around – road-racing, gravel, criteriums, hill climbs, sportives, timetrialling and track-riding to name a few – knowing where you’ll excel and what you’ll enjoy is probably going to be a stab in the dark to begin with. Shaw’s advice is to have a go at as many different events as you can. “Go and try a few races, or if you’re new to racing, a sportive. It’s a start, and then you can progress to trying road racing.” Even if you’re a beginner there can be an entry point into a new world. “If it’s on a closed circuit, a Cat 4 race, women’s only race, or a club 10, it’s all good. Club 10s are fantastic, there are a lot of them and they are accessible.”
WORK TOWARDS A GOAL “Pick a goal that motivates you and is not something somebody’s just said, ‘Why don’t you go for this or that’. If you commit to something and really want to do it, you go out and do what’s necessary. And if you understand why you’re doing something, you can commit to it more.” Geraint Thomas
On those days when training’s a struggle having a fixed target will give you that extra boost to step out of the front door. “When we get new riders in, the first thing we do is try to find a nice target or goal that’s exciting to them,” Julia Shaw explains. “It should also be realistic but a bit of a challenge. A nice compromise between those three so it’s achievable. The key to improving is doing something you enjoy and enjoying the actual process of going from where you are now to where you need to be to achieve the target,” Shaw says.
“By going onto the track you can replicate interval training. On the track you’ve got the heart rate a lot higher than the zone 3 that you tend to find most club runs and average training rides will fall into” James Roberts, coach
GET ON THE TRACK “If you can get to a track it really helps. All that time on the track riding team pursuit certainly helped me stay in position in a time trial. It also really helps your skills of riding in the bunch, and leg speed. Another big one is that it helps you deal with stress – there was nothing more pressurised than a World’s final or the Olympics in London.” Geraint Thomas
James Roberts explains that riding on a velodrome can also help you maintain a good level of fitness, particularly in winter. “A good solid winter base on the track will give you your top-end speed for spring and summer,” he says. “By going onto the track you can replicate interval training... you’ve got the heart rate a lot higher than the zone 3 that you find most club runs and average training rides fall into.”
EVEN IF YOU’RE HECTIC, BLOCK OFF TIME FOR TRAINING “Being able to block off time for whatever session you’ve planned is hugely important. Maybe it’s waking up an hour earlier to go on the turbo trainer before going to work, but if you make the time to do something, you’ll get there.” Chris Froome
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As the saying goes, ‘If you fail to plan, plan to fail’ and, according to James McCallum, founder and head coach at What’s Your META, organisation is crucial to freeing up time to get on the bike or hit the gym regularly. “It’s not usually the training that’s the difficult part, it’s the organisation of everyday life that you’ve got to work with,” he says. Try simple things like doing
“Understand that all functional threshold power is, is a baseline number for you to work on different intensities... and understand that different intensities relate to the various energy systems your body needs to get better at working at in competition” James McCallum, coach
food preparation ahead of time, laying your kit out the night before, making sure your bike is ready and checking what the weather’s doing, and having a plan B if it’s raining cats and dogs. It all helps claw back and maximise quality training time. “Chris has to ride seven or eight hours a day sometimes. Most amateur riders are on the bike one maybe two hours a day, but it’s amazing what you can achieve in that time.”
LEARN TO USE A POWER METER “I identified using a power meter would really help when I was in my teens. When I started training properly, I started to learn a lot about power training and numbers. Naturally, it takes time to know what the numbers mean and what you’re seeing.” Chris Froome Do you know the difference between your FTP and your IF and how the latter differs from your TSS? Or do you see those acronyms and think, WTF? “You can deep dive into these things and suddenly it feels like you’re looking at the stock exchange,” says McCallum. Almost all
his clients train to power. He advises them to keep things simple. “Understand that all functional threshold power is, is a baseline number for you to work on different intensities... and understand that different intensities relate to the various energy systems your body needs to get better at working at in competition.” He says he hears a lot of riders say they need to improve their FTP, but certain events like hill climbs, criteriums or circuit racing bear little relation to the FTP number. If you’re starting out using a power meter, “Speak to a coach to really break it down,” he advises, “Or, worst case scenario, read Hunter Allen’s book, Training and Racing with a Power Meter.”
WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESSES “For me, it’s about being consistent with my weight. Understanding my body more and knowing what I need to eat and my ideal weight. That all comes from trial and error. Another one was climbing, which is obviously to do with weight but also being able to put out that power for a sustained amount of time.” Geraint Thomas
For McCallum mitigating a rider’s weaknesses can be done in several ways. For a start, pick events that play to your strengths. Not a climber? Target the Tour of Cambridgeshire, not the Fred Whitton Challenge. And if there is a piece of road coming up that’s going to expose a weakness, deploy some race craft. “If you’re in a race or training situation where it’s hilly, and you know you’re not great at hills, put things in place, like go to the front to give yourself some sliding room. That works both ways, so if you’re not good on the flat, you have to learn to hide. Knowing what you’re good at is just as important because then you can start planning.” And, finally, McCallum, a crit specialist, suggests some old-fashioned stoicism goes a long way. “I used to get sent to hilly road races and I was like, ‘Here we go!’ I just knuckled down and suffered through it.”
GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY “Make sure you understand your own body and when you feel good and bad. If you don’t know how you feel and you’re just looking at a number it’s probably not great. Your coach can’t tell you during a race that you feel good – just go off feel.” Simon Yates Don’t be a slave to the numbers, agrees McCallum. “You have to listen to your body. Ninety per cent of pros don’t race to power unless they’re in a break or
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CHAMPION ADVICE
specifically targeting a stage.” McCallum also points out riders often think they are one type of rider when they may actually be another. “Most people don’t know what their strengths and weaknesses are, but give them a little bit of training on something they’re not comfortable with and they go, ‘Actually, I’m quite good at that.’ Maybe it’s just because they haven’t done that on the bike or in the gym. “You’ve also got to have an honest conversation with yourself. ‘I might like the way a certain race looks on television, but am I really that kind of rider? Have I got that kind of muscle make-up?’” In the long run, it pays to really know who you are.
VISUALISE THE PERFECT PERFORMANCE, NOT THE END RESULT “I’ve never really visualised the end product, like standing on the podium; it’s more just visualising the perfect ride. Every turn, every corner. Same with the Tour. I visualised being in the race and getting that little extra out of things. The first time I thought about being on the podium was when I actually was.” Geraint Thomas
“You have to listen to your body. Ninety per cent of pros don’t race to power unless they’re in a break or specifically targeting a stage” James McCallum
Former pro and co-founder of international training consultancy Dig Deep Coaching, Stephen Gallagher, says visualisation becomes second nature to elite athletes. Further down cycling’s hierarchy, visualisation is not automatic but just as beneficial. “Take time to look at the road on a map. Just looking at Google Maps or a video of the descent will help. And whenever you’re on your bike going down your local climb, use visualisation to build your confidence, so if you do it right on your local climb, you can say, ‘I did it right there, I can do it right here in the event as well.’”
FUEL FOR THE SESSION YOU’RE DOING “When I was younger I used to race on the track and I would get 20 chicken nuggets after every training session. As a young guy, eat whatever you want. Make sure you feel good, make sure you enjoy it. Maybe when you get older and you want to improve, you’ve really just got to fuel for the session. If you’re doing a lot of high-intensity stuff, you need a lot of carbs. If you’re just riding easy, rather more fats and proteins.” Simon Yates There is no one-size-fits-all eating and drinking strategy for different riders doing different rides at different intensities.
“Know yourself, know your fuelling and know what the food is going to do for you,” says James Roberts. “And experiment. Don’t leave it until the day of the event to then start eating some gels. There are very few toilets on a sportive!” The consequences of not getting your fuelling right are straightforward. Eat too much of the wrong thing and your body won’t enjoy it, or don’t eat enough and you’re going to struggle to keep riding.
EAT AND DRINK ACCORDING TO CONDITIONS “Knowing what conditions are like and tailoring a fuelling and hydration strategy that works for you is important. I’m still tweaking mine and it changes so much depending on what conditions I’m riding in.” Chris Froome
When Froome won the 2018 Giro with an 80km attack on stage 19, it was hot. His nutritionist and coach worked out he needed to drink every 10 minutes or he would blow. To save bottle weight, Froome was handed a new one at appropriate intervals all the way up the Colle delle Finestre. Drinking according to conditions is vital. “You just assume that because I drank
one bottle on my training ride last week, I’ll drink one bottle this week, regardless of conditions,” says Gallagher. He points to a common mistake. Cool temperatures and a high volume of low to moderate intensity work associated with winter training lulls riders into not drinking enough. Appraise your wee, he suggests. “If you’ve just done a five-hour ride, you drank four bottles of electrolyte and you’ve still got a dark urine, that means actually after four hours you’re pretty dehydrated. You’ll need to look at that before doing six hours in the Alps.”
SMASH THE TURBO “Now it’s so much easier with Zwift around. Meet your friends on there, do intervals, you can do an hour. You’ll keep very fit, you won’t lose much if you stay inside. If you commit to intervals it’s hard, and also it’s a short session, so you have time for other things like family and friends.” Simon Yates
Indoor training in the days of yore used to mean solitary confinement in the shed enduring excruciating boredom. Smart trainers and Zwift racing have turned turbo sessions into something fun, something to relish. “The arrival of Zwift has been overwhelmingly positive,” agrees Gallagher. But he did have a note of caution for riders with an outdoor goal. “It is almost too easy to do lots of intensity,” he said. “What we’ve found is that people in winter do intensity consistently and potentially at times they shouldn’t be doing it. If you’re doing full-on intervals four days a week you’re building your anaerobic systems and it can actually take quite a long time to recover.” As a general rule of thumb, for riders who are moderately fit, a 36-hour gap between high-intensity sessions is sensible.
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THE W IN N IN G T IP !
EXPERT ADVICE
How can I sleep better before my next sportive? How to prevent jittery nerves the night before affecting your performance After months of dedicated training, there is nothing worse than a night of broken sleep before your big sportive. Anxiety, everyday stress or a poor sleep set up in your bedroom can leave you struggling to drift off so you wake up feeling exhausted. “Bad sleep can affect performance, energy, mental focus and concentration, whereas quality sleep can bring more consistent performances, faster recovery times, higher motivation levels and better decision making,” explains sleep coach Nick Littlehales (sportsleepcoach.com). “But the first time many athletes think about it is when their head hits the pillow.”
Sir Bradley Wiggins benefitted from sleep coaching from sleep expert Nick Littlehales
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Littlehales, who has helped elite athletes such as footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and cyclist Bradley Wiggins to improve their sleep quality, stresses the importance of developing a relaxing presleep routine to calm your mind – not just the night before a race, but every night: “You need to make your pre-bed routine exactly that – a routine – so your body learns all the signals that it’s time to switch off.” Put away your phone or tablet a few hours before bed, move from bright ceiling lights to softer yellow lamp light and remove electronics with red standby lights from your bedroom. “During the first hour of sleep all that light is like a laser into your pineal gland so you don’t create the right balance between sleep hormones and wake hormones and you spend most of the night in a light sleep state.” Reading a book, taking a warm bath or using a meditation app will also help condition your mind for sleep. And, contrary to misconceptions, one of the most natural triggers for sleep is a cooler bedroom and a cooler bed. Littlehales recommends setting a bedroom temperature of 16-18C and using a lightweight microfibre duvet, rather than a heavy one stuffed with natural filling, because they adapt better to temperature fluctuations to help you maintain a steady body temperature during the night. Armed with your own tailor-made presleep routine, you’ll feel refreshed and race-ready by the time you tuck into your morning porridge.
PACK IT UP “Get your kit organised and your race-day itinerary planned early to calm your mind before bed,” says pro cyclist Mark Cavendish: “I lay my clothes out the night before and get organised so I know everything is sorted and I won’t be messing around in the morning.”
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
MEET THE EXPERT MARK BAILEY A sports writer and fourtime Haute Route finisher, Mark regularly interviews pro cyclists and experts to explore the latest health insights
IMAGE GETTY (BERNARD PAPON)
QUALITY SLEEP CAN BRING MORE CONSISTENT PERFORMANCES AND FASTER RECOVERY TIMES
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LIKE A PRO...
MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN
Make race weight
Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching.
The power to weight equation is everything, says Liam Holohan
01 WEIGHTING GAME Crash dieting and major calorie restriction is certainly not the way to go. It’s not healthy, sustainable and will lead to a drop in power. 02 PICK PROTEIN Focus on unprocessed foods, which are rich in nutrients. When not exercising, try to eat lower GI (Glycaemic Index) foods and raise your protein intake. Protein-rich foods are high on the satiety scale, which means that you’ll feel fuller for longer. Aim to get protein at regular intervals throughout the day. 03 STRIP SEARCH If you’ve hit race weight, then you can also look at stripping out excess from your bike and components. If you’re on
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IMAGES GETTY
“When the gradient pitches up, power to weight is king,” explains Liam Holohan. “We’re going to look at the second part of this equation. The vast amount of the mass isn’t the bike, but you, so this should be the first port of call when looking to improve power to weight.” According to Holohan the aim among elite cyclists isn’t to just drop weight, but to improve body composition. “That means reducing fat mass, while preserving muscle mass – this is best done in the base period of training, rather than in the few weeks before (the build period).” This is because during that build period riders are looking at increasing power, for which it’s critical to fuel. “Burning the candle at both ends rarely works and can lead to limited adaptation. The key to healthy weight loss is to create a small energy deficit each day.”
a budget, look at rotational weight first. By this I mean things like wheels, pedals and shoes; rather than helmet, frame... 04 SPORTIVE SPECIFIC Look at a hill-climb bike – everything is stripped back, even to the removing of the bar tape. If you’re riding a six-hour sportive, I wouldn’t recommend you go that far. Otherwise, just enough food and water to get to the first feed stop. I often see riders with bulging pockets and several litres in bottles. This can easily add 2.5kg to your total mass. 05 GO LOW A ‘low-res’ diet in the days leading
up to the event – meaning low residue – requires you to drastically reduce your fibre intake. It isn’t a sustainable practice and even pro riders will only do it leading into a critical mountain stage, before resuming a balanced diet. A great example of someone who can pull all this together is Dylan Van Baarle – not an obvious choice, but look at how he can transform himself from the spring to the summer. He’s a genuine classics contender in the early part of the season, before pulling turns in the high mountains in the Tour, putting riders like Adam Yates and Romain Bardet out of the back.
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
A multi-day sportive can be gruelling prospect, we get answers from the experts on how to prepare
How should I best get ready for a multi-day event? DAN GUILLEMETTE , SPECIALIST CYCLING PERFORMANCE PHYSIOTHERAPIST AT CHHP AND FOR TEAM MITCHELTON-SCOTT Physically, you must know the demands of the event: how many days is it? What and when are the longest stages? How long are they and the estimated amount of climbing? What will the weather be like? This should influence your training plan but a basic approach to training for a multi-day would be to aim for two to three rides during the week of one to two hours at a higher intensity; also plan longer rides at the weekend and ride on consecutive days to adapt. Remember, the biggest barrier to not completing an event is under-fuelling, so practise eating and drinking at regular intervals during your rides to maximise your optimal fuelling and hydration strategies. Try a variety of products so that
you find an energy gel, bar or drink that suits you best. Getting this right off the bike is vital to aid recovery between stages. Also get adequate sleep as this is probably the most important factor to stimulate the recovery process and, where possible, implement a simple stretching routine to complement your training. Finally, when you’ve done all you can to ensure you’re physically up to the job, make sure your bike is in full working order and you have appropriate gearing. Check your clothing is sufficient, you have comfortable shorts and good chamois cream to limit saddle sores. Also ensure you have a correct bike setup to reduce injury risk and ensure comfort.
THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO NOT COMPLETING AN EVENT IS UNDER FUELLING
DR RUTH ANDERSON, SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR OF THE CYCLING MIND (BLOOMSBURY) Prepare to compete in a multi-day event by considering ways to optimise your mindset and you will perform at your best. That means competing with a plan. The greatest challenge in a multi-day event is to stay in charge of your thinking. It is important to keep your focus on one day at a time, and only the process of what you need to do to ride. If you think too far ahead, anxiety, self-doubt, or fatigue will take over your mind. Create a simple plan for each stage that details the key elements of the event. A race plan will keep you focused, prevent you from anticipating fatigue and maximise your ability to execute your skills. Prepare for psychological recovery too. Recovery for your mind is as critical as your body to sustain your performance standards. Debrief at the end of the day to review your performance, and then switch off your mind. Physical relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle relaxation, assist to reduce the cumulative tension experienced when you are under stress, and prepare you for a good night’s sleep. Psychological recovery will enable you to maintain intensity, cope with fatigue, sleep well, and be ready to ride in your optimal mindset every day.
IMAGE LAURENT SALINO, HAUTE ROUTE, ALPE D’HUEZ
ROOKIE RIDERS
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 23
THE GOLDEN RULE
IMAGE GETTY
KEEP IT HANDY “Put your snacks in the pocket you’ll access easiest – if you’re righthanded keep them in the back right pocket.”
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WORK OUT HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO GET YOU TO THE FIRST FEED AND JUST CARRY THAT
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
LIKE A PRO...
Pack your pockets Advice on how to make your food grab handy and nutritionally valuable Not all rides are fuelled the same way, but the chances are if you’re heading out on a four-hour club ride or hitting the road for a full-on race you’re going to want some food to hand. “During a race it’s essential to keep on top of your carbohydrate intake,” says Liam Holohan, ex-pro rider for several UCI teams. While the demands of the ride will determine your nutritional strategy, what you take – in terms of amounts of energygiving carbs – and how you pack it into your pockets is a skill in itself. “When racing I will often divide each pocket up so that it contains 60g of carbohydrate,” explains Holohan. “When the race is on, sticking to 20g every 20 minutes might not be practical – for example, if it’s an aggressive start or a series of climbs. In which case you may lose track of how much you’ve taken on. This simple approach will ensure that you stick to your fuelling schedule.”
PACK DRILLS When training, most of the time pro riders won’t have the luxury of a following car, in which case they need to be self-sufficient. Here’s what they pack and how.
MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching
01 DON’T OVERFILL This is something that I see all too often in sportives. The jersey pockets are full to bursting with every imaginable sports food on the market. Remember, in most circumstances the gut can only absorb around 60g of carbs per hour. 02 DO THE MATHS Work out how much you need to get
you to the first feed and just carry that. If your pockets are fully laden, you could be carrying an excess kilogram or so, and how much did you spend on that bike to save a few grams? 03 WEIGHT IT UP You always want to pack your pockets so that they are balanced. If you shove all of the heaviest items in one side, the jersey will sag to the side, losing you major style points. I will typically put the heaviest or bulkiest items in the middle pocket to help prevent this. 04 TAKE COVER “This could be a rain cape or gilet depending on the time of year. It’s good practice to carry an extra layer even if the forecast is great. Roll it up, almost like a sleeping bag, and it should perfectly fit in your middle pocket.” 05 SPARE ROOM Tubes, tyre leaver, CO2 and a multi-tool – you could, of course, use a saddle bag but I’m not a fan. Pack them in the middle pocket – wrapping the pump in your rain cape – as you’re least likely to need them. I’ve ridden for over 20 years and have never needed more than the above. 06 PACKED LUNCH Depending on the type of ride, I would usually have a combination of gels for when I am doing training efforts, and rice cakes or little sandwiches for when I am riding more steadily. It’s important that you do use the food that you’ll race with in training so the gut is accustomed to it on race day.
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ROOKIE RIDERS We pose the questions that beginners are asking and get answers from the experts...
When and why should I wear a cycle helmet? ROGER GEFFEN MBE POLICY DIRECTOR, CYCLING UK International competition rules require you to wear a cycle helmet when racing. Otherwise, deciding whether or not to wear one is, and should remain, a matter of personal choice. A helmet is probably advisable for mountain biking, where it’s relatively common to have simple falls that a helmet might withstand. Don’t expect a helmet to protect you from high-speed traffic or heavy lorries. They are (and can only be) designed to withstand forces equivalent to falling from a stationary riding position. Some evidence suggests they could even increase the risk of neck injuries or certain types of serious brain injury. Helmetwearing may also cause both cyclists, or drivers, to act less cautiously – one study suggests that drivers leave less space when overtaking riders with helmets than those without. The evidence surrounding the helmet debate is complex. Countries that have enforced helmet laws have reduced cyclist injury numbers but this seems to be due to reductions in cycle use, rather than safety improvements for the remaining cyclists. Given the lack of clear evidence of overall safety benefits, those who cycle mainly for short day-to-day journeys (eg to work or the shops, rather than long days in the saddle) might understandably feel it’s not worth the hassle of carrying
“IT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CYCLE, THAN TELL THEM TO WEAR HELMETS WHEN DOING SO” 26 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
or storing a helmet wherever you go. The Government wants to make cycling safe and ‘normal’ as in the Netherlands, where helmet-wearing is rare. Given that cycling’s health benefits alone far outweigh the risks involved, it is far more important to encourage people to cycle, than tell them to wear helmets when doing so. In short, feel free to wear a helmet, or not, as you see fit – whichever is more likely to get you cycling! LUKE GRIGGS HEADWAY – THE BRAIN ASSOCIATION The simple answer to this question is every time you get on your bike, just as you would wear a seatbelt even if you were ‘only’ driving your car a
mile down the road. A brain injury can strike anyone, at any time, often without warning. However safe and responsible we are as cyclists, the reality is that we share the tarmac with other – often unpredictable – road users. Our brains control everything we do, think and feel. They are the most powerful computers we’ll ever own. They are not replaceable. When they are injured, the effects can be devastating. It can be surprisingly easy to damage your brain. You just have to look at how many people suffer from sportsrelated concussions (also known as mild traumatic brain injuries). Often, such injuries can be a result of seemingly innocuous, low-speed, unintended collisions. Many people supported by Headway to rebuild their lives sustained their brain injuries as a result of cycling accidents. Some were experienced riders, others novices. Young or old, on a busy main road or a quiet countryside lane, the effects are often devastating, and too often we hear a loved one – or a doctor – say, ‘If only they were wearing a helmet.’ Helmets provide protection from head and brain injuries. They can save lives and prevent disability. A pothole, a car pulling out, a misjudgement, it only takes a moment.
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
I want to take my bike to France this summer what do I need to know? luggage and can cost either £30 or £40. An alternative is Eurotunnel (FolkestoneCalais). It goes twice daily and each way costs £20 for you and your bike.” (For more info see: cyclinguk.org/Eurostar) RICHARD PEACE AUTHOR VELOSCENIC AND CYCLING FRANCE (EXCELLENT BOOKS WWW.BIKERIDEMAPS.CO.UK) “Familiarise yourself with some of the nuances of cycling in France before you go so you are prepared for them once you arrive for the first time. For example, traffic lights. Unlike in the UK, in France the lights go directly from red to green – but go amber between green and red. Red plus an amber flashing arrow pointing right means you can turn right but must give way. Green plus a flashing yellow means proceed but give way to crossing traffic/pedestrians. Cycle paths
in France are indicated by a white bicycle on a blue circle – and MUST be used instead of the road. When the sign is on a rectangular background it’s optional. The old rule of the road, priority from the right, may apply in the absence of other signs at junctions. On single-file roads, cyclists should keep a safe distance apart. Cyclists can ride two-abreast during daylight – but single file is obligatory at night. Cyclists are subject to the same alcohol limits as other road users in France – which are lower than those permitted in the UK.”
“CYCLISTS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME ALCOHOL LIMITS AS OTHER ROAD USERS IN FRANCE”
IMAGE GETTY
SAM JONES TRAVEL ADVISOR, CYCLING UK “Last September, Eurostar changed its pricing to help manage the summer rush, meaning if you’re in the habit of booking last minute, you could end up paying £55 each way. If planning in advance (180–121 days), bike bookings are £30 each way when boxed (£25 for Cycling UK members). Eurostar’s supplied boxes are safe and secure, plus there’s a breakdown area with stand and tools in London and Paris. If your tour is ending in Paris but your holiday doesn’t, Eurostar can also store your bike for you. “You don’t have to box your bike as every train can take up to two fully assembled bikes – it’s £35 each way for early bookings, rising to £55. These spaces run out swiftly, so book well in advance. If travelling to Paris, you could use your own bike bag. In this case it’s classified as
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WORDS ROB KEMP IMAGES STEVE BEHR , SEB ROGERS , GET T Y
BURN FAT FAST Converting body fat to energy can benefit endurance cyclists in a multitude of ways – but it’s a skill that requires a combination of training tactics and nutritional know-how...
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BURN FAT
or cyclists, mastering the use of body fat as a fuel is something of a busman’s holiday. That’s because one of the key routes to increasing the muscle’s capacity to store fat (in the form of triglycerides) and use it for energy is to ride… and keep on riding. “Training on your bike in a variety of formats and fine-tuning your nutrition can make you more efficient at using fat as fuel at high intensity to preserve glycogen stores,” explains Nigel Mitchell, Head of Nutrition with Cannondale Pro Cycling. However, to do that properly, he says, you first need to have a clear understanding of some of the concepts involved. To lose weight, you have to create a ‘negative energy balance’ in your body; in other words, expend more calories than you consume. The idea of enhancing
fat burning (to ‘burn fat fast’) simply means to increase the proportion of your expended calories that will come from stored body fat. “Nutritionally you need to bear in mind that although you can ‘burn’ all three types of food calories (fat, carbohydrate and protein) to produce energy, the bulk of what you use to fuel a ride is derived from carbohydrate and fat,” says Mitchell. Protein does contribute to ‘fat burning’ in that it can be used to ‘fool’ the body into thinking it has carbs to call upon during certain types of training. As we’ll see, it can help encourage the use of fat as fuel. It’s equally key to avoid overdosing on high-glycaemic index (high-GI) foods that cause blood sugar levels to spike: “If there’s too much glycogen for the muscles or liver it can lead to the blood being flooded with insulin, which prevents the use of fat for energy.”
1
Doing fasted training sessions two to three times per week can improve your ability to use fat and will enhance the effects of endurance training, as it trains the metabolism so it burns fat more readily.” Carbs don’t just fuel the body; they nourish the mind too. Riding in a fasted state for a relatively short period of time – less than 90 minutes – may help to target your fat stores but that’s no good if you’re unable to keep your wits about you on busy roads. “Fasted training isn’t for everyone,” warns Kennedy. “I find I’m too focused on being hungry for it to work for me.” Also, riding with the carb tank on empty means your levels of nitrogen and amino acids are depleted – which can make post-ride recovery a struggle. To counter this, nutritionists suggest keeping the intensity of fasted training sessions at a comfortable level – in a low heart-rate zone – and even taking a protein drink while riding, which won’t interfere with fat adaptation but will make boost recovery.
F
FASTING BURNS FAT FASTEST ‘Fasted training’ is a wellestablished method of converting fat reserves into fuel. The easiest way of doing it is simply by cycling first thing in the morning after a night spent sleeping – effectively ‘fasting’. “After a long duration without carbs, your blood sugar will be low and the glycogen stored in the liver will have been depleted,” explains Charlotte Kennedy, Sports Nutrition Consultant for Etixx. “Once you start cycling, fat becomes the main fuel source.
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IN THE ZONE… Zone 1 An estimated 4 out of 10 rate of perceived exertion (RPE), or 60 to 65 per cent of your maximum heart rate (MHR).
2 G OING ZONAL
Elite endurance athletes learn how to control the rate at which they’re tapping into fat fuel stores and are able to stave off the depletion of muscle and liver glycogen by exercising in ‘zones’ that can encourage fat conversion. And the theory behind it can be applied to cyclists at any level. “If your goal is to maximise your body’s ability to burn fat as a fuel, then zone 2 is the one to focus on,” explains Hunter Allen, coach with peakscoachinggroup.com. “But you shouldn’t ignore the other zones completely.” Researchers at Birmingham University’s Human Performance Laboratory came to the same conclusion, pinpointing a ‘Fat Max’ zone maximum heart rate (MHR) between 68 and 79 per cent where fat metabolism
was maximised in a study of 18 male endurance cyclists. Additional studies show that at around 69 per cent MHR, fat can provide half of the calories you need to keep going for the first hour or so. Beyond an hour, fat becomes more plentiful as an energy source, providing around 70 per cent of the total energy after two hours and 80 per cent or more if your work duration exceeds three hours. “But to burn fat so that you extend your endurance range, you need to teach your body to use fat first in every session,” says Allen, who combines fasting with zonal work in his coaching of pro riders. “So start off every ride early in a fasted state and cycle for up to two hours at zone 2 and 3 to force fat to burn. Then at the end of two hours start eating some carbs and protein and then finish your ride with intensity and interval sessions.”
Zone 2 A more challenging 65 to 75 per cent MHR, or 5 to 6 out of 10 on the RPE scale. This is the optimal fat-burning zone over longer rides, according to many experts. Zone 3 Around 7 out of 10, or 75 to 82 per cent of MHR – the target zone for developing aerobic capacity. Zone 4 A lungbusting 9 out 10 perceived exertion, or for those of you donning a monitor that’s 82-89 per cent of your MHR.
E AT FAT S T O B U R N FAT E I G H T FAT B U S T I N G F O O D S Y O U S H O U L D B E E AT I N G Go nuts
Water ways
Open with oatmeal
Have avocados
Think pink
Get fruity
“Monounsaturated fats in nuts raise the basal metabolic rate and encourage body fat reduction,” says Kennedy. “Walnuts are a particularly rich source of omega-3s and alpha-linolenic acid that boost metabolism.”
Studies by the German Institute of Human Nutrition are among those that found drinking cold water increased metabolic rate in adults by up to 30 per cent for 60 minutes after consumption.
This very slowdigesting carb keeps blood sugar and insulin levels low, so fat burning can stay high. Athletes who eat slow-digesting carbs in the morning are shown to burn more fat throughout the day.
Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats, and also contain a sugar called mannoheptulose, which has been shown to control insulin release and enhance calcium absorption, which encourages fat loss.
Salmon is one of the richest sources of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which means it’s basically a straight supply of the kind of fats that your body finds easiest to burn and is less likely to store.
US study subjects eating half a grapefruit or drinking 8oz of grapefruit juice three times a day showed improved weight loss results thanks to grapefruit’s ability to reduce insulin levels and prevent fat storage.
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BURN FAT
3 T RAIN LONG Because fat is a slowburning fuel that requires oxygen to convert it into usable energy, it naturally lends itself to fuelling longdistance rides. So why do some exercise experts specifically rule out long rides as a useful contribution to fat burning? It’s simply because long rides also increase appetite afterwards, where high-intensity intervals suppress it. “You may have done the hours and burned the fat but you’re more likely to eat more at the end of the ride,” suggests Kennedy. One option is to use carbs sparingly, as Allen suggests, after you’ve tapped into the fat. “If you were to just delay the intake of your in-saddle
“IF YOU WERE TO JUST DELAY THE INTAKE OF YOUR IN-SADDLE SNACKS, YOU COULD ENCOURAGE FAT ADAPTATION”
Peanut butter
Chilli peppers
Peanut butter is another rich source of monounsaturated fats – but aim for products containing natural peanut butters, with trans fats added. The main benefit is that natural peanut butters contain no added salt.
The capsaicin in chillies has been found to boost calorific burn when you’re resting, as well as reducing hunger.
snacks, you could encourage fat adaptation that helps convert fat stores to tank fuel,” Kennedy says. But converting fat to fuel takes longer than carbs, and requires lots of oxygen, plus cycling is rarely about the long, steady ride. It leaves you with a dilemma: if you increase the intensity then the fat contribution to fuelling your muscles decreases, but if you want to go really fast you need the faster-burning carbohydrate (glycogen) for energy.
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5 R AISE YOUR RESTING METABOLIC RATE
4 GETTING INTENSE Fortunately, with a bit of strategic planning it’s possible to mix ‘fast’ and ‘fat-burning’. While steady cycling in the low-intensity zones can chip away at fat levels, research also highlights how getting the right combination of intensity and duration through interval training sessions can actually be more effective in helping cyclists turn fat into four-star. “Interval sessions have a greater calorie cost than steady rides, especially when
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a ‘fired’ up metabolism and suppressed hunger can be a factored in,” says Kennedy. In one well-documented trial at the Laval University in Quebec, Canada, a group of 17 riders trained on an indoor bike four to five times a week for 20 weeks in steady workouts of between 30 to 45 minutes long, with exercise intensity ranging from 60 to 85 per cent of their maximum heart rate. A second group of 10 riders completed 30-minute workouts at an intensity comparable to the first group, but this second batch conducted a mix of 19 short (10 to 15 intervals of 15 to 30 seconds each) and 16 long (four to five intervals of 60 to 90 seconds) sessions over a 15-week study. While the first group expended twice as much energy during training as the second group – they burned more calories, in other words – the second group (who performed less work in total) recorded a nine-timesgreater loss of body fat. It was also found that going full-pelt for some sessions can trigger a more lasting ‘burn’.
Another way to burn fat faster is to increase your resting metabolic rate – the level at which your body naturally burns fat when not exercising. For many endurance athletes, achieving this is a result of combining aerobic training with resistance work and clever food choices. You don’t need to go to extremes to feel the benefit, though. On the aerobic side of things, riding in those upper MHR zones will see you burn more carbs than fat, but you’ll still get through plenty of fat and the metabolic spike will continue long after you’ve left the saddle. In one study, this ‘afterburn effect’ – also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) – led to riders who’d cycled for 45 minutes at high intensity levels burning an additional 190 calories in the hours after exercise compared to days when they didn’t cycle.
BURN FAT
FAT B U S T E R S P E D A L P O W E R E D FAT L O S S
BEFORE AFTER
6 MAKE FATBURNING MUSCLE Replacing body fat with lean muscle will keep the embers alight, too. “Just two 30-minute sessions of resistance training within your weekly aerobic exercise programme can significantly improve your metabolic rate,” explains Nick Grantham, Olympic coach and author of The Strength & Conditioning Bible. Muscle mass is metabolically far more ‘active’ than adipose (fat) tissue,
so increasing your muscle mass means that the rate at which you burn up energy – even while resting – is raised too. For cyclists, Grantham suggests total body programmes including resistance exercises to engage all the muscles vital to road-handling and power-generation – from the glutes to core, and beyond. “The ideal session comprises 10 to 12 exercises designed to work all the major muscle groups,” says Grantham. “Aim for one to two sets of 10 to 15 reps per exercise, with enough weight set so that the repetitions can only just be completed. This will produce good results if you’re not an experienced resistance trainer.” The overall effects of these fat-burning training methods will impact on your body fat percentage, but only so long as you watch your intake too.
“INCREASING YOUR MUSCLE MASS MEANS THAT THE RATE AT WHICH YOU BURN UP ENERGY IS RAISED TOO”
Steve Konrad, 42, Ashby, Lowestoft
Rob Lee, 28, Tooting, London
“I have dropped from 32 per cent body fat to 18 per cent today. This reduction isn’t the outcome of a fad or yo-yo approach. I was a 100kg rugby player but injuries resulted in seven knee operations, leaving me with screws in both legs. I took up cycling at 36, switched to a diet plan and now race Open 10/25 time trials, criteriums and the odd road race. I still weigh 85kg, but I generate 348W FTP and have a personal best of 21 minutes for 10 miles. “I try hard to maintain a balanced diet that has 40% carbs, 30% fats and 30% protein, but I have a cheat meal every week. Breakfast: “I have a breakfast shake with almond milk, a protein drink mix, a few frozen cherries, flax seeds and a pint of water with Thermo Tea.” Mid-morning: “An apple or pear, cottage cheese and cashews or almonds with a pint of water mixed with Oat Apple Fibre” Lunch: “3-egg omelette with salmon, cream cheese and onions, a pint of water and a Thermo Tea and supplements.” Mid-afternoon: “Hot water, protein drink mix, Whole Earth peanut butter and a teaspoon of coconut oil – blitz and it tastes like Horlicks!” Dinner: Bulgar wheat, vegetables, a salmon fillet, plus supplements.
“When I started cycling I was around 70kg, with body fat at around 13 to 14 per cent. Now I’m 63kg, with 7 per cent body fat – although I did measure it at 5 per cent at the height of my training. At that point I was training for the Dragon Ride and was cycling four to five times a week, with a longer 70- to 120-mile ride on the weekend. I wasn’t specifically trying to lose weight and reduce my body fat percentage – it just happened with the amount of exercise I was doing! “The longer rides would be at a steadier pace with no intervals. However I’d also work on my strength and speed during the week by including a couple of speed/sprint training sessions of about an hour long. These would include maximum output bursts of 30 to 45 seconds, with a recovery time of around two minutes in between. “My diet played a huge part. I wasn’t drinking alcohol at all, went mostly glutenfree – eating a lot of sweet potatoes! – and my diet was generally high in protein and vegetables. I also all but completely gave up eating anything containing refined sugar. I felt very fit; there was a lot of sacrifice involved, but I felt great for it.”
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LIKE A PRO...
Chase down a breakaway like Steve Cummings Find out how to recover lost ground and get back with the pack On a club training ride, competitive event or full-on race meeting the to-and-fro of the riders in the pack, the overlapping flow of the peloton, the change of leadership and the perfectly timed breakaway are all key elements of cycling strategy. But for the rider who’s dropped, that thrill fast turns to fret as they try to get back among the getaway group. On the elite circuit it’s TV gold, the kind of stuff that sends race fans wild – but that’s no consolation for the men or women caught out by an explosive breakaway and suddenly tasked with chasing it down… 01 TIME YOUR RECOVERY “Timing is key to bringing back a breakaway. Delaying the chase too long will leave too big a deficit to bring back and this will result in a huge amount of energy expenditure over a prolonged period of time – if the break is dangerous, don’t allow more than a minute advantage before organising a chase.” 02 SIZE MATTERS “A small group breaking away in the early stages of a long race is rarely a racethreatening move, but a larger group at the end will require a fast reaction from the peloton if it is to be caught.” 03 WATCH THE WIND “Wind can play a huge role in the success of a breakaway. A small group of riders will have to work exceptionally hard riding into a headwind, and a chase at full speed will close a gap far more quickly. Of course, a tailwind gives the breakaway a far easier ride at high speed, and it will be harder to close the gap. Crosswinds play a big part in the chase itself, and will dictate which direction the chase group rotates.”
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THE GOLDEN RULE BE THE BREAKER! “The best way to avoid chasing down the break is to be in it! Not only will you be in the race, but your teammates get a free ride in the peloton. Pick your moment wisely, accelerate hard, and ride smart. Steve Cummings times his movement perfectly and rarely wastes energy chasing multiple breakaways.”
04 TAKE IT IN TURNS “Take short turns on the front, the group should rotate clockwise if the wind is from the right and anticlockwise if the wind if from the left, hence the lead rider should pull off into the wind, providing shelter for the next rider to pull through, and maintain the speed of the chase.” 05 KNOW YOUR LIMITS “Every rider has a limit, and chasing too hard too soon will leave you too fatigued when the break is caught. Take short turns on the front of the group, and aim to maintain the speed of the group, rather than sudden accelerations and changes in speed. This will save energy for later in the race.” 06 PACE THE CHASE “The key to a good chase is for individuals to hold back from indulging in huge turns on the front with big displays of power. Ride smoothly, maintain the pace, and work together. Never sit up immediately after finishing your turn, as this suddenly drops the pace and can be dangerous to those behind, instead join the line smoothly and slowly return to the back of the group.” 07 PRACTICE POWER SURGES “Closing a breakaway is often a sustained effort over a fairly long period, but that is not the full story. The power profile consists of multiple surges in power, often above threshold as you hit the front, and a brief recovery period rotating around the group. However, this recovery period can still require a fairly high workload, and your training should reflect this. “Over-under” training by interspersing short (~20s) efforts above threshold (+110%), with efforts under threshold (85-90% for 40s) simulates this well. Importantly the ‘off’ intervals are not rest, and still require a relatively high workload.”
MEET THE COACH DAVE NICHOLS Dave is programme manager of a new student-athlete highperformance cycling project at Loughborough University.
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
IMAGE GETTY
“EVERY RIDER HAS A LIMIT, AND CHASING TOO HARD TOO SOON WILL LEAVE YOU TOO FATIGUED”
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EXPERT ADVICE
Go off-road to stay on top of your game When the roads are icy, this is the time to start enjoying off-road pursuits, say Jonny Brownlee and Tom Pidcock From speed-chasing road cyclists to mud-soaked mountain bikers, cycling can seem a strangely tribal activity. But if you want to be the best road cyclist you can be, it is worth occasionally swapping your Lycra for a pair of baggy shorts, and your slick road bike for a chunky off-road machine. Whether you try a mountain bike, fat bike, gravel bike or cyclo cross bike, heading off-road will boost your muscle
HEADING OFF ROAD WILL BOOST YOUR MUSCLE STRENGTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS 36 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
strength and cardiovascular fitness and equip you with a range of technical bikehandling skills, which will improve your performance when you get back on the tarmac. And winter – when the roads turn icy – is the perfect time to explore your local trails. “When the weather gets bad, I normally leave my road bike in the garage and jump on my mountain bike,” explains Rio 2016 triathlon silver medallist Jonny Brownlee. “For most of the year I am riding around the Dales on my road bike, doing five-hour long rides and enjoying the speed, but when the roads turn icy, a bit of mountain biking keeps me fit. You also learn about keeping the bike steady in difficult conditions. It’s like a little gym session as you build strength in your leg muscles. I
remember one bad winter about two to three years ago when we had loads of snow and we were mountain biking through temperatures of -15 degrees. It was horrendous but at least we still got a training session in and had fun.” Team Wiggins-Le Col rider Tom Pidcock, a junior cyclo cross and timetrial world champion, says all road riders can benefit from cycling off-road. “That’s because when you are doing cyclo cross you need to be able to put down your power while riding on a technical surface. And you need to do that quickly so you are multi-tasking, learning how to tackle technical sessions at speed and finding the fastest lines. The training goes really well with road cycling: they both require strength and balance and give you a good base of endurance.”
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE THE W IN N IN G T IP ! CLIP OUT If you want to ride offroad, invest in some mountain bike shoes with SPD cleats and pedals. Unlike the bigger Shimano SPDSL or Look cleats often used by road cyclists, mountain bike shoes feature smaller SPD cleats, which are recessed into the soles of the shoes so they don’t get caked in mud and it is easier to clip in and out on the trails.
MEET THE AUTHOR MARK BAILEY
IMAGE RUSSELL BURTON
A sports writer and fourtime Haute Route finisher, Mark regularly interviews pro cyclists and experts to explore the latest health insights
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 37
ROOKIE RIDERS
Do I really need to have a bike fit? ROB WAKEFIELD LEVEL 3 COACH, PROPELLO.BIKE “Would you buy a £1000 plus suit without making sure it fits properly? Getting a professional bike fit from an experienced fitter is one of the most important steps when buying a new bike, or making sure an existing bike is setup perfectly for you. A good bike fit will leave your bike set up in a way that will improve your overall comfort, prevent injuries, reduce riding fatigue and make you more efficient. If you suffer from pain, numbness or sores when riding, it is highly likely that a bike fit will improve irritations that are often avoidable. As a cyclist you will spend many hours riding your bike, sitting in a static position, repeating movements over and over again. A four-hour ride at 90rpm equals 21,600 turns of the pedals. Do this week in week out in a position that does
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not suit you, and you are asking for trouble. Don’t just go for the first fitter that you find in your local area. You need to find someone with experience who can look at you as an individual, and not rely 100 per cent on some bike-fit technology to sell you unnecessary upgrades. Once you have had a bike fit don’t assume that that is it forever. You change as you become a more experienced rider, or become older, so naturally your position on the bike should change too.” MATT BOTTRILL , NATIONAL TT CHAMPION AND COACH, MATTBOTTRILLPERFORMANCECOACHING.COM “The benefits of a professional bike fit are plentiful and include: better pedal efficiency through correct cleat alignment and saddle height, improved glute
THE BODY PRODUCES APPROXIMATELY 80 PER CENT DRAG, SO A BETTER BODY POSITION WILL RELATE TO MORE SPEED activation and back comfort – with saddle set back and angle – and enhanced lower back and shoulder comfort, with stem length and bar height. All of these things will improve your efficiency on the bike and reduce the accompanying risk of injury. Master fitters will also be able to improve your aerodynamics, which translates simply into ‘free speed’. Be it that you ride a road or a TT bike, the body produces approximately 80 per cent drag, so a better body position and the right biomechanical changes will relate to more speed. Other positive results of a good bike fit include the takeaways of specific drills, strength and conditioning exercises and stretching to improve mobility and flexibility. Your body and bike position is always worth re-evaluating so I would always recommend getting your setup checked each season, just to see if there are any key areas you can make improvements on.”
IMAGE RUSSELL BURTON
We get answers from the experts on whether a professional bike fit has any benefits for beginners
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
EXPERT ADVICE
How can I protect and strengthen my bones? While cycling is undoubtedly good for you, riders need to take extra care of their bone health Cycling will keep you lean and boost your heart health but, no matter how much you enjoy riding a bike, it is important to accept that it will not strengthen your bones. A major review published in BMC Medicine confirmed that adult road cyclists tend to have low bone mineral density in areas such as the lumbar spine and hip. That’s because cycling is not weight-bearing, so your bones don’t endure the forces encountered in other sports like running or tennis, which help to stimulate bone growth. And cyclists also tend to take more time off their feet to recover in between training rides, which only exacerbates the problem. With weaker bones, you’re more at risk of conditions like osteoporosis and stress fractures. The good news is that it is easy to fortify your bones with a few simple strength exercises each week. Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research confirmed that adding in some basic weight-training exercises improves the lumbar spine and hip bone density of competitive cyclists.
CYCLING IS NOT WEIGHT BEARING, SO YOUR BONES DON’T ENDURE THE FORCES ENCOUNTERED IN RUNNING
MEET THE AUTHOR MARK BAILEY A sports writer and fourtime Haute Route finisher, Mark regularly interviews pro cyclists and experts to explore the latest health insights
“To improve your bone health, strength exercises need to be done with weights in order to load the muscles sufficiently to create torque on the bone and result in osteogenic (bone-building) stimuli,” explains Nichola Roberts (velophysio.co.uk), who specialises in physiotherapy for cyclists. To strengthen the bones in your hips and back, she recommends doing squats, deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats. “Start with a low weight, work on form, then gradually increase the weight. Twice a week is ideal, but for timecrunched cyclists once a week is sufficient. To have gains in bone health these exercises need to be performed regularly year round.”
She also suggests doing plyometric exercises like box jumps, lateral jumps and jump lunges, and a few gentle weight-bearing jogs. Consuming calcium-rich food like milk, green leafy vegetables, nuts and sardines can also strengthen your bones. “Nutrition plays a large part in bone health, and calcium and vitamin D are important,” explains Roberts. “But also depriving your body of energy is detrimental to bone development. In endurance cycling this can be a tricky balance, particularly with regards to your power-to-weight ratio. But just making sure you are fuelled sufficiently before and during rides will help prevent disruption in bone health.”
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LIKE A PRO...
Master multi tasking like Marianne vos Switching disciplines and benefitting from cross-training has been mastered by the Dutch triple world road race champ If you want to be a rider who can excel across a range of disciplines, you’d be wise to look at Marianne Vos. Vos has won over 300 races across four disciplines – road, track, mountain and cyclo-cross. She’s a three-time world champion on the women’s road race circuit and seven-time world title winner in cyclo-cross. She had one of her more successful road seasons in 2018 – winning the BeNe Ladies Tour and Ladies Tour of Norway, as well as two events in the UCI Women’s World Tour. The 32-year-old CCC Liv rider started out as a junior mountain bike champion, before taking up cyclo-cross in 2004 and road racing a year later. In 2008 she became the first woman to have held world championship titles on the road, track and cyclo-cross circuits. Widely regarded as the finest cyclist of her generation, 2019 saw Vos take bronze at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships and win the Tour de Yorkshire and La Course (to list just some of her palmarès last year). Here’s how she manages the switch between disciplines so smoothly… 01 VARIETY IS THE SPICE Follow Vos’s example and ride as many different disciplines as you can to become a better road racer. Vos has won more than 300 races across four disciplines. Track brings explosive power, cyclo-cross is all about threshold and VO2 max (for an hour), mountain biking gives you handling skills and keeps your legs turning over. Bring all of this to the road and you’ll be leading the way. 02 BUILD BASE MILES Vos is known for doing hour on hour of
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base miles; even skipping recovery days to go and ride her bike. She describes herself as a full-time hobby cyclist and just loves going for a ride. Build the base and the rest will follow. The bigger the base, the bigger foundation you have to pull the fitness from when you start training for races. 03 DO YOUR HOMEWORK One of the reasons Vos can switch from one discipline to another – and the podium – is that she adapts her training to be event specific. Just before a big race or competition, she knows she has the endurance to pull from all of her base miles. So she focuses her training on sprints and attacks. Look at your next race: when might people attack? When can you attack? Is there a hill you can attack on, how long is it? How long will you have to attack for? Then build these strategies into your training. 04 REPLICATE RACE CONDITIONS Don’t forget the sprint finish. If it’s a 60km road race you’re competing in, do your sprint training on tired legs. When asked what she thinks about when racing gets hard, Vos said, “make it worth it, you are going to suffer anyway, so suffer well and get a good result from it”. 05 MAKE TIME TO REFINE Don’t just go for one-rep PBs at the gym. To be a good all-rounder you don’t need big muscles, but a good strength and conditioning session at least once a week will make you stronger and more powerful. When others around you are falling apart you can power on. Learn to squat, as this uses more than just legs.
MEET THE COACH SUE ALLEN Sue is a Level 2 British Cycling coach, Propello coach and Wattbike instructor.
THE GOLDEN RULE RACE FOR YOURSELF Don’t do it for anyone else. Vos is on record acknowledging the fact that her success is down to her work ethic, she skips rest days in favour of more time on the bike, and she clocks up hour upon hour of base miles throughout the off-season
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
IMAGE GETTY
VOS KNOWS SHE HAS THE ENDURANCE TO PULL FROM ALL OF HER BASE MILES
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 41
MEET THE AUTHOR MARK BAILEY A sports writer and fourtime Haute Route finisher, Mark regularly interviews pro cyclists and experts to explore the latest health insights
EXPERT ADVICE
Don’t let the voice in your head stop you from reaching your full potential All cyclists have to endure pain but if you build a mental toolbox of pain-busting techniques, you can learn to push through the suffering and emerge a fitter, tougher rider. Six-time Olympic track cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy insists the secret is to reframe your mental response to pain. “There were days when we were doing interval sessions and you knew it would hurt like hell,” reveals Hoy. “But I told myself that this session would push my threshold and bring me real improvements. Our brains are good at inhibiting anything that they think is
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damaging. It is a survival instinct. But you can teach your brain to ignore those signals and say, ‘Okay, I am not doing damage, this is just part of the exercise process and I can keep going.’” In his book How To Ride a Bike: From Starting Out To Peak Performance , Hoy reveals that when the pain kicked in he would access positive mental imagery. “If you think of your fitness as a table tennis ball and your training as some water, the lower you push the ball underwater, the higher the ball
OUR BRAINS ARE GOOD AT INHIBITING ANYTHING THAT THEY THINK IS DAMAGING. IT’S INSTINCT
IMAGE GETTY
How can I push through the pain barrier?
bounces back,” he explains. Rewiring your response to pain in this way – so you think of it as the natural by-product of increasing your strength and fitness – can help you to fight off the instinctive negativity that floods your mind when your legs start to hurt. Hoy also recommends using visualisation techniques. “If I was doing 30-second efforts in the gym I used to visualise riding around the track, so I would hear the bell, go around the turn, finish down the back straight, then cross the line – basically, using the inspiration of a race to help me suffer through the pain.” Positive thinking is crucial if you’re going to fight through the suffering. “The more you practise these strategies, the
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
ROOKIE RIDERS If you’re planning on taking on your first 100-miler, we ask the experts for their advice
more easily you can apply them. The pain never goes away – but you can learn to deal with it.”
Learn how to go from being a good cyclist to a great cyclist with Olympian, Chris Hoy
DAN GUILLEMETTE SPECIALIST CYCLING PERFORMANCE PHYSIOTHERAPIST AT CHHP AND FOR TEAM MITCHELTON-SCOTT “First off, training. If your goal is just to complete the milestone, aim to ride three to four times per week with a couple of longer rides at the weekend – ideally two to four hours. Your longer rides should be done at a good steady pace that you can sustain with a view to completing one 80-85 mile training ride before you take on the event. Try adding some intensity - especially with your shorter rides during the week - it will help build your fitness and stamina. Pay close attention to nutrition and hydration as the biggest barrier to not completing your ride and avoiding the dreaded ‘bonk’. Start getting used to eating and drinking at regular intervals during your rides so that you can maximise your optimal fuelling and hydration strategies. Try a couple of different products so you find an energy gel or drink that suits you best too. Also make sure you eat, sleep and rest well ahead of your event so you’re fresh and recovered from your training efforts. Try to get your bike position checked over too – especially if you are a novice. A bike fit will ensure comfort and reduce any associated injury risk from poor set up. The more comfortable you are the better you will go.”
ROB WAKEFIELD, LEVEL 3 COACH, PROPELLO.NET “Riding the first 100 miler is a major milestone in a cyclist’s evolution. If you have one planned in the next few months but you’re limited on the time you have to train for it there are ways of making the most of what’s available to you. It always helps to use a calendar or diary to create a training plan, logging the distance, effort and the effects that you feel from every session. Look to build your strength endurance with plenty of tempo intervals. Starting with a total time of 30 minutes, build up to 90 minutes. This will make your legs accustomed to sustained hard efforts. If possible, build two training sessions into one day – do a tempo turbo session in the morning and then a ride in the evening after work for a couple of hours. In the first and second week of a training block aim to do two backto-back hard rides on a Saturday and Sunday – three hours each day if possible - working in all power zones. On the second day your legs will be tired but going again will build resilience, both physical and mental. Build an endurance ride into your plan every third week of up to five hours duration and follow it with a few easy days for recovery.”
IMAGE ANDY SAUNDERS
I’m about to do my first century ride, any tips?
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Girll
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P
WOMEN'S TRAINING WORDS Nicola Smith PHOTOGRAPHY Robert Smith
Power How can women better understand their unique physiology to improve training and maximise performance gains on the bike?
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T Top right Target the gluteus maximus, which gives the downward power on the bike Below GB track cyclist Elinor Barker at the UCI world championships in 2019
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Right Dani Rowe: “I tailor training women with the individual in mind”
he number of case studies where women have trained as men and then burnt out is extreme,” so says Dr Georgie Bruinvels, exercise physiologist and co-creator of the FitrWoman app, which enables women to track their menstrual cycle and access training and nutritional suggestions tailored to their changing hormone levels. “The primary guidelines around training are focused on male athletes — huge importance needs to be placed on training as a woman as opposed to training as a man.” Historically, women are under-researched within sports science because they are more complex. As Elinor Barker GB road and track racing cyclist, says, “The menstrual cycle is the reason that most physiology studies tend to focus on men; the fluctuation of hormones and therefore sensations makes results harder to decipher so it’s easier to leave them out. My female teammates and I find this quite frustrating as we’re aware that a large amount of evidence we rely on may not actually be relevant to us.” From anatomy and muscle activation to the menstrual cycle, females have different needs to their male counterparts. So how can female cyclists optimise their training to suit their gender singularities and capitalise on their strengths?
Firing up the glutes As Bruinvels explains, muscle activation pathways differ between men and women, and one key example of this is that women find it harder to use their gluteal muscles and hamstrings.
Historically, women are underresearched within sports science because they are more complex “For example, when cycling out of the saddle, women are more likely to rely on their quads than men, who will more naturally use their glutes and hamstrings to drive motion.” This is due to anatomical differences, chiefly the Q-angle, or quadriceps angle, which is created between the quadriceps tendon and the patella tendon. Because women tend to have wider hips than men, their Q-angle tends to be larger, which increases risk of knee pain and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury due to lower stability. In fact, women are 3.5 times more likely to sustain a non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than a man, according to US research in 2013. Yet this risk can be reduced with attention to hamstring and gluteal muscles, which helps to stabilise the knee. As well as doing exercises, such as squats and lunges, which target the gluteus maximus – and gives the downward power on the bike – it is also important to strengthen the smaller muscles – the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, which stabilise the hips and thigh bones. Exercises such as stiff leg deadlifts, barbell squats and lateral side steps using a resistance band will target these muscles. Strengthening these muscles can also improve a woman’s performance. “More than 50 per cent of the time, when female cyclists are asked what slows them down, they say their quads are getting heavy and tired, whereas in men I would bet that is significantly lower because they are much better at using the backs of their legs,” says Bruinvels. It is also particularly important for women to warm these muscles up prior to cycling. As Bruinvels says, “Don’t just jump on the bike and start cycling hard. It’s a good idea to do some activation, for example, walking around, doing some lunges and getting the body firing correctly, as well as skips, jumps and hops before getting on the bike.”
WOMEN'S TRAINING
Minimising injury risk The menstrual cycle can affect a woman’s injury risk, too. Research published in 2012 shows that women are at greater risk of a torn ACL in the second week of their cycle, which are the days leading up to and including ovulation. This is because oestrogen increases significantly at this time, causing greater ligament laxity. Ligament laxity is significant in the lower back prior to ovulation too. Katie Flatters, British Cycling sports physiotherapist says: “Anecdotally, female riders tend to get lumbar (back) and pelvis symptoms around [menstruation], which can also impact their training and arguably their performance.”
Bruinvels advises female cyclists to increase stabilisation by activating their gluteals and core at this time. This protects from over rotating, which can cause knockon pain.
Optimising sessions Dr Samuel Impey, adjunct lecturer at Edith Cowan University and former head of nutrition and physiology at Team Wiggins, says the menstrual cycle is also an essential consideration for planning training, given the shifts in metabolism between phases. “There are certain types of sessions that are better suited to specific phases. For example, muscle glycogen use is lower in the ‘luteal’ phase [after ovulation when a
woman’s ovaries release an egg], when oestrogen and progesterone are high, but progesterone predominates – so doing VO2 max efforts and intervals well above threshold could be hampered by not being able to make full use of the glycolytic capacity of the muscle, which is essential to fuel these kinds of sessions.” He advises that it might be more appropriate to focus on lower intensity sessions during the luteal phase and higher intensity during the mid-to-late follicular phase (the time between the first day of a period and ovulation). Females can recover better from high intensity, heavy weights during the follicular phase. This is because oestrogen is low at this time, and this hormone inhibits the body’s use of carbohydrate, making it harder to work intensely when it’s high. Dr Richard Burden, physiology technical lead at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) agrees fluctuations in female hormones could maximise areas of training. “The perception we are trying to change is that the menstrual cycle doesn’t have to be a barrier — it may be possible to utilise the fluctuations to change the training you do, rather than just not training.”
Making it personal Dani Rowe, British former road and track cyclist and Olympic gold medallist, now coaches young women in cycling. She says: “Everyone is individual in terms of how they deal with menstrual cycles so I make sure I tailor training with the individual in mind. Some women don’t experience symptoms that result in training needing to change, and others prefer to have easier days within this period of the month.” As Dr Stacy Sims, a nutrition scientist who has previously worked with USA Cycling says, some women feel flat during this phase, while others feel very robust. “For those who feel bulletproof, hit it hard!
“There are types of sessions that are better suited to specific phases [of ovulation]” Dr Samuel Impey 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 47
Remember, we train for adaptations, so the stronger the stress and better the recovery is in training, the fitter you become. As the hormones start to rise, without specific interventions, we should look to do more technique and maintenance/mobility in the gym and more steady state on the bike.”
Boosting iron intake Females also have differing nutritional needs to men. Two key factors focused on at British Cycling are menstrual function and dietary iron intake. Iron is important because it produces red blood cells and transports oxygen around the body. Lauren Delaney, performance nutritionist for the EIS (working with British Cycling), says fuelling and recovery requirements are advised based on training needs as well as body weight. “As most females will be of a lower body weight than males this means that targets for carbohydrate intake, for example, are usually lower.” She cites a heavy training day for an average endurance rider as an example. “We would advise to consume 6-8g carbohydrate
Above “Don’t exercise fasted, as this will break down bone” advises Dr Georgie Bruinvels
Below Women should have 40g of protein postexercise to aid recovery
per kg body weight. A 50kg female rider might aim for 300-400g carbohydrate where a 70kg male athlete might aim for 420-560g carbohydrate. In terms of fuelling targets on the bike, these would be similar for males and females of all weight sizes at 30-90g carbohydrate per hour.” As a guide, 60g of carbohydrates equates to a bottle of Gatorade or a regular banana. But iron requirements for adult females are higher than males (14.8mg vs 8.7mg respectively) to account for the iron lost in menstruation. “Females with heavy menstrual bleeding are at higher risk of iron deficiency anaemia so menstrual function is an important factor to monitor in females, alongside training load and performance,” says Delaney. It is important to consume plenty of iron to prevent iron deficiency. Dietary sources high in iron include red meat and fish, beans and lentils, green leafy vegetables and chick peas.
Keeping energy levels up Dr Impey adds that it is important for female athletes not to restrict energy intake severely or for extended periods of time as this can cause significant health issues as well as reduced performance. “This is important for female cyclists when the volume of training increases. Doing long rides of three hours and over challenges the energy availability of the body, and it’s really important for female cyclists to fuel these rides with appropriate amounts of carbohydrates, as well as eating a balanced diet around training.” In short, female riders are not advised to ride fasted, as it increases stress on the body
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WOMEN'S TRAINING
and can lead to issues such as slower recovery and poor bone health. This is even more important for women who are postmenopausal. “Don’t exercise fasted, as this will break down bone, and ensure you refuel quickly after cycling,” says Bruinvels. “This will stop the breaking down of other tissues when the body is out of fuel. This is important for everyone, but particularly when bones are already at risk.”
Strengthening bones Indeed, a study in 2018 revealed that competitive cyclists are potentially at risk of sub-optimal bone health because cycling is
Iron boost smoothie (Courtesy of Dr Sophie Killer, elite nutritionist for Olympic, Paralympic and professional athletes) 80g Spinach 80g Kale 350 ml Almond milk 1 Banana 40g Strawberries Iron: 5mg; Vit C: 150mg; protein: 10g; carbs: 30g; fat: 9g Tips for Increasing iron absorption: • Include Vitamin C with an iron-rich meal or supplement
• Drink a glass of orange juice or eat berries/ berry fruit salad after an iron rich meal • Avoid dairy when eating an iron-rich meal or supplement as calcium can inhibit absorption • Avoid tea and coffee when eating an iron-rich meal or supplement • If taking iron tablets, take them on an empty stomach with a glass of orange juice
“Females with heavy bleeding are at a higher risk of iron deficiency anaemia” Lauren Delaney non-weight bearing and does not therefore mechanically stimulate osteogenesis, or bone formation. Women are at greater risk of osteoporosis as they age, and for postmenopausal women who rely on cycling as their main form of exercise, the risks could be increased. “Cycling is great for cardiovascular exercise but you aren’t loading the body in the same way as running or walking,” says Dr Bruinvels. “It is even more important to build in some running or walking and lifting weights to build bone density. There’s no better way to keep the body strong as you get older.”
Focusing on recovery Recovery is important for all women and, again, their needs differ to those of their male counterparts. Sims says the generally accepted requirement for 20g of protein post-exercise is not appropriate for women during every stage of the menstrual cycle, nor for peri or post-menopausal women. “Our protein needs are higher due to oestrogen's influence in the brain, and the reduced amino acid pool [meaning muscle repair is inhibited]; and we need more leucine in the high hormone phase to counter this. Peri-menopausal and postmenopausal women have shown that 40g is what is needed post-exercise to get the repair going.” 40g of protein is roughly equivalent to a large chicken breast, a 6oz steak or a cup (237ml) of firm organic tofu. Much more research is needed into female-specific training and nutrition, but it is moving in the right direction. Technology is also aiding this. As Dr Impey says, “There are a lot of phone applications being developed to help women track menstrual phase and match training with it, and this is an area that can definitely be expanded.” As research into female specific training and diet — and in particular the menstrual cycle — grows, women are being empowered to use their hormones to their advantage. As Dr Stacey Sims says, “Women are not just small men.”
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THE GOLDEN RULE
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Save energy like Dylan Groenewegen Avoiding sprint starts and sudden surges could see ‘steady Eddie’ win the race Viewers tuning in to watch those last few kilometres with the lead-out trains competing for position, trying to drop their sprinter off with 250 meters to go, believe that’s where the sprint is won and lost. “But the battle has started long before then,” says Liam Holohan. “To put out the huge numbers required to win a bunch sprint the sprinters have had to spare that precious, high-octane fuel... they have to be very economical throughout the race.” Training sessions, like those suggested here by Holohan, help to hone the conservation of energy stores. “You can see Dylan Groenewegen put some of these elements to great effect in this year’s ParisNice: using his team to keep him sheltered from the side winds, kitted out in his aero gear.” For the finer details, read on: 01 WHAT’S WATT? “It’s all well and good being able to produce 1500W, but that’s no good if you can’t replicate somewhere near that at the end of your event. The ability to do that is called fatigue resistance. It’s important that your aerobic engine is sufficiently built so that you can cope with the demands of the race before you unleash your sprint. You then need to work on those maximal efforts at the end of your training rides, replicating what you’ll encounter in the race.” 02 BRAVERY BUNCH “A huge part of saving energy in the race comes from the sprinter’s teammates. If done correctly, you won’t see the sprinter for the whole stage – until that last 250m. One way that the sprinters use their teammates would be on the climbs or undulations, before the finish. The sprinters will start the climbs right at the front of the peloton and ride the climb
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slow enough, so that by the top they’re at the back of the bunch. That way, they’ve ridden the climb slower than everyone else, thus saving energy.” 03 FINISHING TOUCH “Sprinters use their teammates to bring them back to the head of the peloton before the next climb or finish. This is much more efficient as the draft benefit on the flat is much greater than on the climbs.” 04 LIGHTER LOAD “It’s unusual to see a sprinter not wearing a skin suit now, as well of a host of other wind cheating garments: aero mitts, aero socks, aero road helmets etc. Then there are the bikes; deep section wheels, aerofoil frames and far more integration with the components to smooth the airflow over the bike and rider. Aero road bikes are barely distinguishable from time trial bikes now.” 05 TEAM WORKS “Most sprinters will also have a road captain and lead out man. Just as a tough day at work can drain your mental energy leaving you feeling drained and lethargic so the demands of a race can induce mental as well as physical fatigue. Having a road captain can remove the burden of helming the ship, leaving the sprinter to concentrate on his job and not worry about positioning. It works if the sprinter has a lead out man and road captain he has total faith in.” 05 WORK THE ROOM “There’s no point using loads of energy to be at the front when there’s nothing to be gained from it. However, in side winds and when coming in to the finish it’s important to move up at the right time, both to save energy and to avoid being swamped by other teams.”
GO STEADY “Where needed always stay sheltered from the wind and maximise your aerodynamics. When racing on the flat almost all of your energy is going in to cutting through the air. Also minimise surges, just like braking and accelerating hard in your car, this will ruin your MPG. It takes a lot more energy to accelerate than it does to maintain your speed.”
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching
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THE DEMANDS OF A RACE CAN INDUCE MENTAL AS WELL AS PHYSICAL FATIGUE
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Foul weather riding If the clouds roll in, it’s no excuse to head to the turbo, says Liam Holohan “Coaching is far more than the prescription of intervals,” explains Liam. “As a coach I have to look at all of the elements that go into a potential race result. This for me was highlighted recently thanks to a number of downpours during race events. It can be all too easy to opt for, ‘I’ll just do an hour on the turbo’, however, facing the elements and the challenges that
MEET THE COACH LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams E Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching.
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come with cycling through the rain are part of the game.” While some adaptations can be made to the bike and accessories to help pros deal with wet conditions, changing one’s approach to training rides can mean you can get more out of even the rainiest of days. Here are a few tips Holohan uses with his clients when the weather turns foul…
THE GOLDEN RULE CLEAN UP “After a ride in the rain you should clean up your bike and pay special attention to the chain along with other vital moving parts, such as the front and rear gear mechanisms and brake callipers. Use a purpose-built degreaser where advised to.”
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
02 TRAIN IN RAIN It pays to train to the demands of your chosen event and, since rain is one of the unpredictable factors, you should take every opportunity to train in it to get to know how the bike handles differently in the wet conditions and what tyre pressure to run. Don’t use your goal race to figure this out. Lowering your tyre
pressure will put more tyre on the road, increasing your grip to the surface. 03 BOOK COVER Keep a training diary and make a note of what you wear on rainy training days and how it performs. Extra layers will increase the moisture you produce – raising the risk of chafing. A hard shell will keep you drier but make you sweat more; a soft shell isn’t so waterproof but is more aero, which the pros prefer. Record your choices in your log and refer to them the next time it’s wet. 04 RAIN DROPS Wet weather conditions can influence your choice of training course. It’s often preferable to ride flat roads in the wet – where breaking is easier, especially as
you need to break earlier. You have more control than you would on wet descents and when you get cold you can ride harder to warm up, which you can’t do on downhill stretches. 05 WATER LEVELS When it’s cold and wet many riders feel that they don’t need to drink, which then puts them at risk of dehydration. You’ll almost certainly still be sweating and losing moisture through respiration. Another area that riders struggle with is eating as it’s harder to get into your pockets and un-wrap things – experiment in training with drinks, gels, rice cakes, little sandwiches. You’ll use more energy to stay warm so it’s critical that you fuel well.
TRAIN IN RAIN... GET TO KNOW HOW THE BIKE HANDLES DIFFERENTLY IN WET CONDITIONS
IMAGE ROBERT SMITH
01 TYRE CHANGE One of the challenges when riding in the rain is an increased risk of puncturing because all that debris at the side of the road has now been washed into the path of your tyre. You can limit your risk by putting on some fresh tyres for your big event. They’re not cheap, but I bet you’d gladly pay £80 when you puncture out of the move you worked so hard for.
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ROOKIE RIDERS We ask the questions that beginners are dealing with and get answers from the experts...
Are clipless pedals right for me? Accidents) advises you practise riding with them somewhere safe, such as a park, until you can confidently clip in and out. Clipless pedals hold your foot in the right place on the pedal, make cycling more efficient and prevent your feet slipping off of the pedals in wet weather. But be aware: incorrectly positioned cleats can cause knee pain – so seek advice from the retailer to get the right set up. There’s a widely held belief that the use of clipless pedals contributing to cyclist injuries through people failing to unclip in time, but research over the last two decades contradicts this.” ROB WAKEFIELD LEVEL 3 COACH, PROPELLO.BIKE “Making the transition
from flat pedals, with traditional toe clips and straps to clipless pedals with cleats is a big step. But is it worth it? I think that for any type of road riding, using cycling shoes with cleats is the best option. For starters, it’s more efficient, as you’ll recruit more of your leg muscles to drive the pedals through the complete pedal revolution. It’s also safer – riding while clipped in to a pedal means you’re more connected to the bike giving you greater control and helping you react quickly to conditions and obstacles. And it’s easier. Setting off from traffic lights trying to get your foot into a toe clip is tricky. With cleats, after a short learning period, you’ll be able to clip in without even looking down.”
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NICK LLOYD ACTING HEAD OF ROAD SAFETY- ROSPA “Cycling cleats – small triangular wedges attached into the sole of a cyclist’s shoe – connect into clipless pedals [so called due to their lack of toeclips]. To release the cleat, you twists your heel outwards (some allow you to unclip in any direction, other than straight up). Most clipless pedals also allow you to adjust the spring tension of the mechanism make to make it easier or harder engage and disengage your feet. Beginners tend to use the lightest setting at first, but once they get used to using their pedals, they’ll gradually increase the tension. Before you go out on to the road with clipless pedals, RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of
“CLIPLESS PEDALS HOLD YOUR FOOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE ON THE PEDAL AND PREVENT THEM SLIPPING OFF IN THE WET”
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TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
JAMES PALSER, CYCLEFRIENDLY EMPLOYER ACCREDITATION PROJECT MANAGER FOR CYCLING UK “Approaching your boss to establish cycling-to-work facilities at your workplace is well worth doing. There are business benefits for firms involved in cycle-to-work schemes and employers are increasingly aware of the positive impact this can have on staff and the business as a whole. First off, identify the right person to approach – HR or those tasked with overseeing the health and wellbeing of employees. Put together a list of what you require – bike racks, lockers, shower facilities etc to enable employees to cycle in all weathers and still be presentable. Also use it as an opportunity to kind of collectively bargain: are there colleagues who are runners and could benefit from facilities, too? The more people you have on board
the more impact. Increasingly, new office spaces are being built with secure cycle stands incorporated. It won’t harm your cause to point out to your bosses that, aside from their cycling staff being healthier (and often more punctual than those relying on public transport for their commute) they can make savings in the long term through tax and National Insurance incentives that will benefit the organisation.” CHRIS BENNETT, HEAD OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE AT SUSTRANS. ORG.UK “Cycling to work can leave you feeling energised, alert and ready to start the day but many people are put off at the thought of arriving all hot and bothered, especially during the summer months. No one enjoys sitting at work feeling sweaty, but rest assured there are a number of ways to prevent this. A little forward planning goes
THERE ARE BUSINESS BENEFITS FOR FIRMS INVOLVED IN CYCLE TO WORK SCHEMES
IMAGE RUSSELL BURTON
How can I ride to work and still be presentable?
a long way. If you’re worried about getting sweaty, try taking it a bit easier, even just for the last five minutes of your journey to allow your body to start cooling down before you arrive. Or, alternatively, leave a little earlier in the morning and cycle at a leisurely pace for the whole journey. Wearing a vest under your work clothes is also a good option as you can remove it once you arrive, leaving your clothes clean and dry, and you ready to start the day. If you’d prefer not to cycle in work attire and your workplace has a shower, try keeping a bag with a towel, shower gel and other essentials at the office. And if you’d prefer to cycle in sportswear and change at your work place, I’d suggest packing clothes that don’t crease easily and rolling them rather than folding in your bag. On a rainy day wear breathable, lightweight waterproofs and take a change of socks and footwear. Keeping day clothes at work, using panniers rather than a backpack and dressing cooler for the commute may all help keep you ‘fresh’ too.
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THE GOLDEN RULE GET ACTIVE Recovery is as bespoke to a rider as cycling itself. Having active recovery days featuring light runs, walks and easy rides can speed up the flow of blood to muscles to repair damage but be careful not to aggravate injury or over-train. Judge what works for you.
IN PROFESSIONAL CIRCLES THE FOCUS IS ON GETTING HIGH QUALITY RECUPERATION
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TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
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Active recovery Maximising recovery time is a vital part of reaching peak performance Regular rides or multi-day sportives can take their toll on the muscles, energy levels and mental sharpness if you don’t devote decent time to proper recovery. In professional circles the focus on getting high-quality recuperation ranges from post-ride recovery shakes and masseurs to ice baths and specially formulated mattresses. The ability to rest effectively so that you can get back on the bike within 12 hours of a day-long effort in the saddle and give the same again and again has become as integral to the success of the top teams as technical advances and physiological sports science. Good, effective recuperation with the correct levels of energy replacement and mental and physical rest can be achieved by riders of all standards who learn lessons from those at the elite level.
MEET THE COACH
01 PRIORITISING SLEEP Blue light emitted by gadgets fools the brain into thinking it’s still daylight, disrupting your circadian rhythm. Much more is made of practising good ‘sleep hygiene’ among athletes. Switch off your gadgets, cool the room, put up a blackout blind if needs be and read a book to naturally induce sleep onset latency.
LIAM HOLOHAN Ex-pro rider for UCI teams Team Wiggins, Rapha Condor and Madison Genesis now coaching in Shrewsbury at Holohan Coaching
02 POST-RIDE NUTRITION Protein is essential for recovery, as we all know, but after a tough session your body will have depleted its glycogen stores too. To replenish them, eat easily digestible carbohydrate – white rice, bananas, cereals. It’s also important that your protein source is rich in leucine, an essential amino acid found in meat and dairy products; however, tofu, beans, seeds and eggs contain it too. 03 REHYDRATION STATION Rehydrating after exercise is essential if you want to perform your best the following day. Even a small amount of
dehydration can result in diminished performance. This is even more critical when the weather is warm and you’ve had a long day in the saddle. It’s not just about replacing fluid, however, when you sweat you also loose electrolytes. Aim to drink 1.5 times more fluid than you’ve lost. This should contain carbs as well as 60 mmol/l of sodium (for non-chemists, check the packaging of your tablets). 04 GRAB GADGETS Some pros will turn to tools that speedup their recovery, including compression socks and pneumatic boots. The evidence for the effectiveness of these is questionable – we’re certainly operating in the marginal gains territory. Cover the big three recovery bases first: rest, replenish and rehydrate – then use these more novel approaches as suits. 05 GET A HAND Teams will have a masseuse travelling with them – while this is not something the average amateur rider can call upon, getting the occasional sports massage during a ride season can help with overall recovery. Ideally, it needs to focus on the large power-house muscles – the rectus femoris, hip flexors and gluteals. Plus those areas that can become taut and troublesome after hours in the saddle, such as the neck and lower back. 06 STRETCH THINGS OUT Stretching is widely debated when referring to recovery. If you are going to use it, then post exercise, after a warm shower is a good time. The data suggests that static stretching pre workout can reduce performance rather than improve it, again, this is widely debated. I would consider a foam roller, which has been shown to reduce muscular soreness (much like massage) and could improve performance the following day.
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EXPERT ADVICE
MEET THE AUTHOR MARK BAILEY
How can I boost my motivation? Pro tips to propel you towards the bike rather than the box-set Everybody loves cycling during the hot days and light evenings of summer but during the cold, dark months of winter it is tempting to skip training rides and hibernate indoors with a box-set instead. The solution starts with honesty: you’re not a robot or a paid professional cyclist so it is entirely normal for your motivation levels to fluctuate. But by learning a simple mind trick used by Team GB cyclists you will find it much easier to keep your training on track. “Motivation is essentially an emotion that comes from a certain part of your brain and no matter how strongly you want to achieve your goals, that motivation will come and go,” explains triple Olympic team pursuit champion Ed Clancy, who competes on the road for Vitus Pro Cycling. “Some days it will be massively strong and you can’t wait to get outside. On other days maybe it’s cold but you have to do a six-hour ride and the last thing you want to do is hack around on tired legs. The secret is to focus on commitment instead.” The distinction between motivation (a desire to do something) and commitment (a dedication to do something) is subtle, but rewiring your brain to focus on the latter is crucial. “Motivation comes and goes but commitment is different: either you commit to a training programme or you
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don’t. It’s as simple as that. So on days when you can’t be arsed, accept that you’re not motivated today and think instead of your commitment. You might not enjoy training that day, but commit to it and in five hours’ time you will feel an amazing sense of satisfaction.” The key to good commitment is good organisation: if you know what you are doing, when you are doing it and how it will make you fitter, stronger or faster, you will find it much easier to commit. “Having a session written down and knowing why it’s good for you will make all the difference,” explains Clancy. “It’s when you think, ‘I haven’t got time’ or, ‘What’s the point?’ that you’ll start to lose interest.”
Ed Clancy races with Bradley Wiggins in the Team Pursuit finals at the 2016 Olympics
A sports writer and fourtime Haute Route finisher, Mark regularly interviews pro cyclists and experts to explore the latest health insights
IMAGE ROBERT SMITH
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
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“IF SOMEONE COMES IN WITH A LEFT SIDED SADDLE SORE, AS A PHYSIO, YOU THINK, ‘IT’S AN ASYMMETRY ISSUE’”
MEET THE EXPERT PHIL BURT Burt spent 12 years as head of physio at British Cycling and five years as consultant physio at Team Ineos. philburtinnovation.co.uk
ROOKIE RIDERS
I keep getting saddle sores, but only ever on one side. Is there anything I can do? Advice from the experts on preventing riding induced posterior pain Human beings are asymmetrical. Bikes, are universally symmetrical… unless you’ve got them set up wrong! Accommodating the asymmetrical rider to their symmetrical machine is a huge part of my job. I’m comfortable with asymmetry, and if it isn’t causing you an issue, I believe in not correcting it as you can cause more problems than you solve. We all have ways of compensating for our asymmetry in our day-to-day lives, but when you transfer yourself to a bike, sometimes those strategies break down. One of the biggest subjects that cyclists talk about is leg length. There are different approaches to cope with actual leg length differences – where bones, such as your femur or tibia are longer in one leg than the other – and, what in my experience, is more typical: functional leg length difference. This has more to do with the pelvis, lumber spine and the hips. Twists in the pelvis occur for a variety of reasons: exposure to one-sided continual
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loading, injury or to accommodate our heads and eyes being level. The pelvis irons out our kinks and bends in the spine to achieve this. The consequence is that one leg may be functionally shorter or longer. When you transfer that to a bike, for some people that functional leg length difference means that one side of the body is sitting further back, or further down, than the other – and that can cause some issues. If someone comes in with a left-sided saddle sore, as a physio and bike fitter you’re already thinking, ‘It’s an asymmetry issue.’ As a physio you would examine them and might discover that they have a back issue on the right-hand side, which has resulted in a twisted pelvis. When sitting on the bike, the only way they can sit is off to the left because the right leg is functionally shorter. There are different ways this can present, but a common one is that if, for example, the right leg is shorter then they
will have to set-up for this leg. The longer leg, in my experience, is not the natural driver for optimal saddle height. This can be seen with the right leg tracking straight up and down, whilst the functionally longer left leg appears to move in and out at the knee a lot more because it has to (the saddle height is effectively too low on the left, so the leg has to move laterally to get through the pedal stroke).Hard correction of this can work by building up the shorter leg under the cleat and raising the saddle height for the longer leg, therefore optimising saddle height for both. Actual leg bone length differences are rarer and the success of intervening with hard correction is knowing where the difference in bone length lies – thigh or shin? Shin requires cleat build up, whereas with thigh, cleat fore/aft has to be considered. Sometimes asymmetry can be driven by position. A small functional leg length difference can be amplified in its relevance if the saddle height, tilt and set back are all wrong. Sitting too far back, too low and with the nose of the saddle up forces the pelvis to rotate back, robbing the body of some of its compensation for dealing with the asymmetry and making the distance to the pedal further. The individual has no choice but to sit asymmetrically. Hard correction of this situation is papering over the cracks and non-essential – optimising the position to an effective one to pedal in comfortably and efficiently often sees asymmetry drop away. If you recognise that you’re struggling to reach the pedals, make it easier to reach them. If you reduce crank length, top dead centre decreases and bottom dead cent decreases, so you haven’t got as far to go down or come up and that’s easier on a system that’s already under strain. These are just rules of thumb, which may help some but not all – you can never beat a one-on-one assessment to deal with individual issues.
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
What should I be eating on rides and when? NIGEL MITCHELL HEAD OF NUTRITION, EF EDUCATION FIRSTDRAPAC PRO TEAM “When you first start out cycling you’ll hear tales of superfit endurance cyclists whose metabolisms are such that they can ride all day having only had a suck on a teabag for sustenance. The reality for newbie riders is that you’re going to need a decent amount of energy – especially if you’re joining a group with more experience than you. The novice is more likely to ride into the wind, to accelerate irregularly, to ride less efficiently. All of which means they need more energy. You can’t go wrong by having a pre-ride breakfast of slow-release energy in the form of porridge, with some fruit. When you’re out on the bike you should be taking on around 40g of carbs per hour – from a banana, or a couple of rice cakes, or a jam sandwich, or a purpose-built 40g
snack bar such as the OTE Duo – if you’re cycling for two hours or more. When you finish the ride, wait until your regular mealtime to eat again. There’s no need to add more meals or have huge recovery meals in your day unless you’re doing long rides back-to-back.” DR ADAM COLLINS HEAD OF NUTRITION, FORMNUTRITION.COM “As with most things involving nutrition, it depends on the goals. If it’s a ride for leisure of less than an hour, there’s really no need to ‘fuel’ if you’ve been eating normally, as you’ll have plenty of glycogen stored to complete the ride without issue, most likely even for up to two hours. If it’s a longer ride, there is some logic to taking on board some high GI carbs to keep blood glucose topped up and eek out your glycogen for longer. But bear in mind you can only really deliver
about 1g/minute into the system from the gut. And don’t forget that includes the slice of cake you might stop for! If you are training with an emphasis on increasing endurance adaption you may want to consider ‘training low’, a strategy favoured by many pro teams, especially if a ride is of low intensity and/or of an hour or less. The concept of ‘training low’ can be defined as training with limited carbohydrate, whether that be training ‘fasted’ (without any food, such as first thing in the morning), or training ‘depleted’ (after a session that has depleted some muscle glycogen). The rationale here is that undertaking exercise with limited fuel amplifies the cell signalling associated with energy depletion, which, in turn, gives rise to greater responsive adaptation – causing changes within muscles that fundamentally improve their oxidative capacity and, therefore, endurance.”
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How to train to perfection like Ben King Strike the right balance between pushing yourself and overexerting yourself to get the best out of your training “There’s a fine line between maximising training stimulus to promote the greatest gains and tipping over into a downward spiral of underperformance,” warns Dave Nichols. With adequate recovery, a deliberate period of intensified training can boost performance to a much higher level. “If you get this wrong, the side effects of over-training can last weeks, months or even wipe out an entire season.” But get it right and you’re destined for success. A great example of a good trainer is Dimension Data’s Ben King. He’s someone who is always right on top of his training and finally made his breakthrough with two stage wins at the 2018 Vuelta a Espana. He went into that race a bit fresher, and reaped the rewards. Of the guys I worked with, he was the stand-out trainer.”
psychological stress and eating a healthy balanced diet. Take probiotics and vitamin D over the winter months.” 03 BREAK IT UP “Avoid monotonous yourself sufficient recovery time between sessions. Your training patterns should ideally follow a series of peaks and troughs, with the general curve shifting upwards over time to build higher peaks.” To achieve this, mix high intensity or sprint interval training sessions with long, steady endurance rides, and always have one or two recovery days per week. “Longer-term, plan your training blocks into two-three weeks of hard training followed by a recovery or taper week, especially if you’re looking to peak for competition.”
01 RATE PROGRESS “Control the rate of progression of your training. Ideally limit any increases in your training load to a maximum of 5–10 per cent per week.” (So if you’re riding 150 miles a week, don’t increase your weekly amount by more than 15 miles at a time.) “Sudden increases in load present a high risk-factor for injury and illness, and may lead to hormonal imbalance, which can disrupt sleep and lead to weight gain.”
04 THINK FUELLING “Maintaining good nutrition will help combat over-training. Start with a healthy balanced diet, before you add any supplements on top – and be sure to increase your carbohydrate intake when you’re in a period of heavy training load. The combination of sustained hard training with negative energy balance to lose any weight you’ve gained during the off-season can raise your risk of overtraining at this key time of the season.”
02 BEAT BUGS “There are two ways to reduce your risk of infection. Firstly, cut down the likelihood of coming into contact with the microbes by maintaining good hand hygiene – use alcohol gels and avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Also maintain your immune system function by avoiding sudden increases in training volume/ intensity, getting good sleep, reducing
05 CRASH OUT “Sleep is one of the most important factors for recovery and performance. Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, have a dark and quiet bedroom environment, avoid physical or psychologically stimulating activities before bed (read rather than watch TV or check your phone), and use a dim light in the two hours before bedtime.”
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MEET THE COACH DAVE NICHOLS Dave is programme manager of a new student-athlete highperformance cycling project at Loughborough University.
TRAINING & TECHNIQUE
MONITOR TRAINING Make good use of the tools available to monitor your training load but don’t just rely on one parameter, such as power or heart rate. Also ask yourself how you feel and adjust your training accordingly – how fresh you feel is important in understanding the ‘true’ training load.
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THE GOLDEN RULE
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POWER-TO-WEIGHT IS KEY ...rather elegantly surmised, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up hills and coast down them.” Hemingway was known for his economical and understated style. French philosopher Roland Barthes wasn’t. “It’s a god of evil to whom sacrifice must be paid,” he said of what many deem the most fearsome climb in cycling, Mont Ventoux. “It is a true Molach, a despot of cyclists. It never pardons the weak and exacts an unjust tribute of suffering.” Whatever your literary wont, there’s a reason sportives like L’Étape du Tour, the Fred Whitton Challenge and La Marmotte sell out each year: the challenge of ascending. Pain and suffering are synonymous with climbing, exposing to many romantic cyclists what it is to be human. That’s all very well but emotions and lyrics won’t help you climb faster – GCSE physics, however, just might…
“ A 1 KG DE CRE A SE IN W EIGH T RE SULT S IN A 1 % I N CRE A SE I N C L IM BI N G SP E E D, S O FO R A 1 0 -M IN UT E C L IM B AT T HRE SHO L D T HE SAV IN G S W O U L D B E ABO U T 6 SE CO N D S ” 66 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
“There are three key forces holding back your cycling,” explains David Bailey, head of performance at professional team BMC Racing. “The first is rolling resistance where the deformation of each tyre results in a loss of up to five watts of power. Then we have air resistance. This takes into account factors like your frontal area, air temperature, air speed and humidity. Finishing off the path of most resistance is gravity, pushing down on you at a force of 9.8m per second.” Air resistance is your dominant barrier, until the road tips upwards. Then, at a gradient between 4-7.5%, gravity becomes the greatest limiter. Weight is key to taming the hills. The heavier the object, the greater the effort to move it. Seen through a cycling lens, this is where power-toweight ratio dictates whether you’re a mountain goat or a sinking boat.
Below Power-to-weight ratios are key as proven by Kittel and Yates’ stats
Right You may not have Sa Calobra on your doorstep, so if your closest climb is short, simply repeat it as often as you need to
MARCEL KITTEL
ADAM YATES
400FTP 82KG 5.49W/KG
350FTP 58KG 6.21W/KG
On the flat, speed is all about absolute power. Take uber-sprinter Marcel Kittel, whose muscular German frame reportedly generates 1900 watts. Only for around 20 seconds, mind you, but enough for victory. Then you have General Classification contender Adam Yates who hits the scales at just 58kg. The Brit rider simply lacks the muscle mass to cling on to Kittel. All that changes as they pedal toward the sky. Why? Say Kittel’s functional threshold power (what you can hold for one hour) is 400 watts and Yates’s is 350. That’s
CLIMBING
HILLS AND FASTING
significant but so is that weight difference, as the more watts you can sustain and the less you weigh, the faster you’ll climb. To calculate each rider’s power-to-weight ratio, divide their threshold power output by their weight. In Kittel’s case (82kg), his theoretical power-to-weight ratio is 5.49w/kg whereas Yates hits a lofty 6.21w/kg. When the gradient rises, Kittel’s extra muscle mass becomes a hindrance rather than an advantage. So, what is a good power-toweight ratio? Typical ratios are around 5.7-6.2w/kg for the pros, 3w/kg for keen recreational riders and less than 2w/kg for leisure riders. What does this mean to you? “A 1kg decrease in weight results in a 1% increase in climbing speed,” explains coach Joe Friel, “so for a 10-minute climb at threshold the savings would be about 6 seconds.” That might not sound a lot but lose 3kg, 4kg… and marginal gains evolve into a maximal advantage. What weight should you aim for to conquer the climbs? We’re not advising you to follow the Bradley Wiggins route, whose racing body fat nestled at around 5%; anything between 10-15% body fat is optimal. “This is complicated because fat loss is often accompanied by a slight loss of muscle mass,” adds Friel. That’s why a muscle-repairing protein intake of around 1.5-2g per kilogram of bodyweight is essential when training hard, which equates to around 120-160g of protein each day from sources like chicken, tuna and nuts. Ensuring a quarter of your plate includes a protein source is a good place to start.
with an average gradient of 7%], Team Sky has become the flag-bearer there are kilometre markers,” says for glycogen-depleted sessions Kerrison. “When the riders reach where you train with low carb stores, each marker, they go hard for 10 forcing your body to rely on burning seconds. They also do a ‘double spike’ fats to help you ride longer and as the gradient sharpens, so 10 stronger. A recent journal in Sports seconds hard, 5 seconds recovery and Medicine, co-authored by Team Sky’s then another 15 seconds hard. It’s nutritionist Dr James Morton, high-intensity so good for speed; recommends completing 30-50% of varies pace for attacks and recovery; rides in this depleted state to plus there’s the overall demand of maximise the benefits. The doctor the 10km effort. For the riders that’s also advises a protein hit on fasted about 25-28 minutes of high aerobic rides to, as Friel mentioned, maintain conditioning work.” muscle mass. Whether in the Balearics or Bolton, This 30-50% figure is unrealistic you can extract takeaways from and arguably dangerous to Kerrison’s session, such as recreational riders but try that fluctuation in speed H IL L S E S SIO N S and intensity, which out a two-hour ride at no A RE A S T A P LE stimulate certain more than 80% of T O MA XI MIS E maximum heart rate physiological adaptations before breakfast, fuelled YO U R CLI MB IN G and acclimatise you to the on water and maybe a A BIL IT Y, IDE A LLY unpredictability of a protein gel. If you feel T W IC E -W E EK LY sportive situation. good, try one a week or You could learn from every 10 days. another Team Sky Sa Hill sessions are a staple if you’re Calobra session. “We have three to maximise your climbing ability. groups and each chooses their The consensus among many coaches leader,” explains Kerrison. “We then is ideally twice-weekly hill sessions, give them guidelines to do the climb. confronting hills that mimic your So, the first 4km in zone 3 [around goal event, especially in the final 12 80% maximum heart rate], the next weeks before your sportive. 3km at high-cadence [over 100rpm] We spoke to Sky’s head of in zone 3 and the last 2.5-3km, well, performance support, Tim Kerrison, it’s just game-on hard. For us, at a Majorcan training camp, who you can see how they work together elaborated on what Chris Froome, as a team…” For you, the recreational Geraint Thomas and crew regularly rider, it would increase competition tackle in the search for more speed. among you and your mates, give “On the ascent of Sa Calobra a session some structure and [famous Majorcan climb, 9.4km long add variety.
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STANDING OR SEATED?
2008 discovered that road cyclists There’s more to climbing than pure were more efficient when remaining fitness. The thinking man’s cyclist seated until the gradient hit 10%. Tip makes the most of riding position. over to 11% and standing became Picture the scene… you hit the more efficient. In fact, during short (less than 30 seconds) all-out bursts, gentle incline in what you perceive peak power output has been as optimum form: hands on the measured at 25% greater when brake hoods or bar tops, sitting standing compared to sitting. Of upright to assist with breathing, course, there is payback. It’s been tilting your pelvis forwards to reported that shallow gradients of lengthen your spine and around 4%, ascending at encourage greater 19kph, requires 10% less contraction of the NATURE oxygen seated than buttocks and core, while maintaining relaxed arms STEEPEN S, YOUR completing the same HEART RATE distance and pace and grip. Then nature steepens, your heart rate RI SES, AND I T’S when standing. While textbooks rises, hand in hand with DECI SI ON TIM E: suggest larger riders lactic acid, and it’s REMAI N S EATED benefit from staying decision time: remain OR STA ND? seated and lighter ones seated or stand? should stand more, that’s “There are no specific too simplistic according to Bailey. guidelines,” says Retül-qualified “Muscle type is more important,” bike-fitter John Dennis, who’s worked with pro team Dimension he says. “A guy who has a prevalence Data. “Fitness, technique, gradient of fast-twitch muscle fibres can – they all have a bearing. Some pros generate high amounts of power in – Alberto Contador was a good short periods of time, so might example – stand out of the saddle perceive the shorter, sharper for relatively greater periods of climbs out-of-saddle as more time, while someone like Froome pleasant. Of course, these fibres rarely stands.” fatigue faster but they’d have The issue of standing or recovery time between climbs. A remaining seated has been rider packed with slow-twitchers investigated by many including might ‘enjoy’ sitting down on Professor Ernst Hansen, who in long, shallower climbs.”
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SPIN AND SHIFT Discovering your exact muscle composition requires a biopsy, which is extreme for even the most committed recreational rider, especially as arguably your most efficient technique is the one you’ve become accustomed to. What’s of greater importance is finding your rhythm in training – whether
CLIMBING
chamois planted in or out of the saddle – which can be achieved via pedalling practices. A popular session to find a good balance of ‘up’ and ‘down’ is to pedal for 20 strokes seated, then change up a gear and stand up for 10 pedal strokes. Sit down and shift down. And so on… Maintaining efficient cadence is the aim. Forums debate whether low gear, high cadence trumps high gear, low cadence. Even the pros can’t make up their minds. Riders like mountain legend Charly Gaul were capable of scorching bursts of pace in a low gear and spinning legs; six-time King of the Mountain Federico Bahamontes used higher gears, out of the saddle and ground those limbs. “A cadence of 80-90rpm should conserve what energy you have left at optimum speed,” says Bailey, “though this will drop on really steep climbs, and that cadence should remain metronomic.” Beyond the physical, there’s the small matter of gear selection. Choosing the exact bike and apparel for your needs is a feature in itself.
Above The best way to improve your climbing technique is to try out some gradient-rich rides
Left All smiles now, but Alberto Contador and Chris Froome have different approaches to tackling climbs
“ A CADE NCE OF 80-90R PM SHO ULD CONSE RV E WHAT E NER GY Y OU HAVE LE FT AT OPTI MUM SPE ED,” SAY S BAILEY, “ THOUGH THIS WI LL D R OP O N RE ALLY ST EE P CLI MBS, AND T HAT CAD EN CE SHOULD RE MAI N MET R ON OM IC ” For now, we’ll hone in on the equipment priority: chainset selection. How can you tell if you have the right gear setup? Simple. If you always climb in your lowest gear and are in your lowest gear on the first climb, you need to revise your selection. “Like technique, it depends on not only your skill level but also the gradient,” says Dennis. “Some riders may be better off with a compact chainset [inner of the double cranks has 34 teeth instead of standard 39]; stronger, more experienced riders may consider moving from a 21/11 cassette to a 25, 26 or 27.” And let’s not forget the
demonised granny ring – aka the triple. This provides 30 teeth and, though more common in mountain biking, could be a lifesaver when the going gets tough. Whether it’s the steepest mountain or the shallowest of hills, mastering climbing will carve minutes off your personal best while sending you flying up that Strava KOM leaderboard. Nothing beats hitting the ascents to improve, well, how you ascend. But playing around with riding position and cadence, tweaking session composition and manipulating your nutrition all elicit minor improvements for a greater advantage.
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FOOD & NUTRITION RECIPES AND E AT I N G A D V I C E FOR OPTIMUM RIDE FUEL AND RECOVERY
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MEET THE EXPERT WILL GIRLING Providing nutritional nutriitional advice to Cycli Cycling ing Plus for over three years, Will iiss a sports nutritionist nutriitioniist to several world-level cycli cyclists ists from the track to the Grand Tours
FOOD & NUTRITION
PE R SE RVING • Kcals 309 • Carbs 59.7g • Protein 11.1g • Fat 4.3g • Saturates 0.6g
Linguine with fresh puttanesca sauce A super-easy meal that ticks a lot of boxes It’s not hard to see why a meal like this is ideal – linguine is quick to cook and perfect for a meal two to four hours prior to training, or a first meal after a hard evening turbo. High in carbohydrate, it aids in filling carb stores prior to exercise and in replenishing them after. The sumptuous serving of olive oil has its benefits too! High in antioxidants it aids the reduction of inflammation and of harmful bacteria in the stomach. It is also shown to increase protection against heart disease and to help lower blood pressure. The recipe also uses garlic, although only half a clove; regular and high intakes of garlic have an array of health benefits, such as the reduction of LDL (bad cholesterol) and help in lowering high blood pressure. What this meal will need, though, as the first feed after a workout, is the addition of some extra protein to aid in the recovery and adaption process to the exercise you’ve recently done. Torn chicken or stir-fried tofu pieces would certainly work.
THE SUMPTUOUS SERVING OF OLIVE OIL WILL AID THE REDUCTION OF INFLAMMATION
THE O L IV E R E C IP E A simple puttanesca sauce is something everyone should be able to make from scratch. This pasta sauce is so fresh and easy you’ll never need to cheat again.
INGREDIENTS • linguine 150g • cherry tomatoes 250g, chopped • garlic half a clove, crushed • flat-leaf parsley a small bunch, chopped • red chilli 1, finely chopped • green olives 12, pitted and chopped • lemon 1, juiced • extra-virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
METHOD Cook the linguine following the pack instructions. Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, season and toss together. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.
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Chickpea & Squash Coconut Curry Nutrient-packed meal that helps shed weight Here’s a vegan meal that’ll add variety to your week whether you’re looking to become vegan or not. Adding more vegetables, pulses and lentils to your diet will crank up your micronutrients and antioxidants, which can only improve your performance. It’s delicious both on its own or alongside a meat curry and rice. With chickpeas the base of this dish, it’s relevant to analyse what a 30g serving provides us… CALORIES 46 CARBS 8g FIBRE 2g PROTEIN 3g FOLATE 12% of the RDI IRON 4% of the RDI PHOSPHORUS 5% of the RDI COPPER 5% of the RDI MANGANESE 14% of the RDI As you can see, chickpeas are high in protein and fibre, which makes them a filling option that will help lower appetite and reduce calorie intake. Chickpeas are also a low GI food and have been shown to positively affect blood-glucose levels. A bonus is also the fact that they are very affordable, costing around 55p a tin.
CHICKPEAS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO POSITIVELY AFFECT BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS 72 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
FOOD & NUTRITION THE O L IV E R E C IP E PER SERVING • Kcals 223 • Fat 9.4g • Saturates 5.9g • Carbs 22.4g • Sugars 2.9g • Fibre 7.2g • Protein 8.8g • Salt 0.7g
50 MINUTES – SERVES 4 – EASY – VEGETARIAN Alpro coconut milk alternative has less saturated fat and fewer calories than regular coconut milk as it’s made with a rice milk base.
INGREDIENTS • 1 onion, chopped • 1 garlic clove, peeled • thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped • 1 red chilli, diced • groundnut oil • turmeric 1/2 tsp • ground coriander 1 tsp • ground cumin 1 tsp • garam masala 1 tsp • gutternut squash 400g, peeled and diced • ghickpeas 400g tin, rinsed and drained • half-fat coconut milk 400g tin or Alpro coconut milk alternative 400ml • vegetable stock 200ml • baby spinach 150g • lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
METHOD • Put the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli into a small food processor and blend to a paste. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pan and fry the paste for a few minutes with a pinch of salt, then add the spices, and fry for another minute before adding the squash and chickpeas. Mix with the spices, then add the coconut milk and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the squash softens and the sauce thickens. Stir in the spinach until wilted, and squeeze in the lime juice to serve.
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PLANT BASED DIET
Giving up meat could boost your health and help save the planet, but can a plant-based diet really fuel a hungry cyclist? We explore the rise of vegetarian and vegan diets, and reveal how they could help to maximise your performance
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If it is true that you can’t reach your full athletic potential on a meat-free diet, it seems nobody bothered telling the best athletes in the world. Four-time UEFA Champions League winning footballer Lionel Messi, six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and 39-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams have all excelled on a plant-based diet. Many successful cyclists are also veggie-powered. Britain’s 2015 world road race champion Lizzie Deignan has been a vegetarian since childhood; Australian Adam Hansen credits his plant-based diet for helping him finish a record 20 back-toback Grand Tours; and vegan Dotsie Bausch of America became the oldest medallist in her discipline when, aged 39, she won silver in the London 2012 team pursuit. Last summer, Abdullah Zeinab, a vegan cyclist from Australia, won the epic 6800km Trans Am Bike Race in a record-breaking time. Driven by ethical, environmental and health concerns, more and more people are becoming flexitarian (following a plantbased diet but eating animal products in moderation), vegetarian (avoiding meat but still eating eggs and dairy) or full vegan (eating no animal products at all). According to the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK has quadrupled since 2006 to 600,000. The Sainsbury’s Future of Food report forecasts that a quarter of Brits will have given up meat by 2025. The number of people committing to ‘Veganuary’ - eating vegan food throughout January - doubled to 250,000 last year. And data from Waitrose suggests one in three Brits have stopped or cut their meat intake.
Greta expectations But many cyclists – rendered sceptical by habit, confusing scientific claims and societal norms - still wonder whether a plant-based diet can meet the athletic demands of cycling. After all, Greta Thunberg, Bill Clinton and other celebrated
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vegans don’t have to power up their muscles to conquer Alpe d’Huez or fuel their body for a 200km sportive. The lingering feeling among many riders is that, somehow, this is all just for other people and not for anyone with a 15 per cent climb to tick off. But if the example of Messi, Deignan and co. is not compelling enough, science now confirms that meat eaters do not enjoy any athletic advantage. “There’s plenty of evidence that a wellplanned and varied plant-based diet does not hinder athletic performance,” explains nutritionist Anita Bean, author of Vegetarian Meals in 30 Minutes. “An Australian study showed that there were no performance differences between athletes on vegetarian-based diets and omnivorous mixed diets. “Arizona State University found that vegetarian athletes had the same aerobic fitness and strength as those who ate meat.
Lizzie Deignan often recovers via a veg and chickpea curry
And a 2019 study of runners in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition showed that there were no differences in power output or lactate levels between vegans and meat eaters.” Hansen of the Lotto-Soudal cycling team believes his plant-based diet is the secret to his record-shattering Grand Tour success. “I’ve been fully vegan for about two years, although I have always had a predominantly plant-based diet,” he says “People are often surprised to hear I am now a fully vegan pro cyclist, but a lot of riders don’t eat enough plant-based food then get sick and end up going home early from Grand Tours. The idea that a professional cyclist can’t be vegan is nonsense.” For an extremely fit individual, Hansen’s still been amazed by the impact on his health. “My good cholesterol went up, my bad cholesterol went down and my white blood cell count – part of the body’s immune system – dropped really low. “My doctor explained that because I was cutting out red meat and dairy I had very little inflammation in my body so my body
PLANT BASED DIET
Veg Edge Anita Bean, author of Vegetarian Meals in 30 Minutes, serves up some of the best veggie dishes for hungry cyclists Before your ride Green Spanish Tortilla Prep time: 10mins Cooking time: 20mins Serves: 4 Ingredients: 300g (10oz) new potatoes, peeled and cut into medium slices 150g (5oz) green beans, halved 200g (7oz) frozen peas 200g (7oz) baby spinach 1 tbsp light olive or rapeseed oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked, or tsp dried thyme 2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, chopped 6 large eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions: Cook the potatoes in a large steamer or pan of boiling water for six minutes or until tender. Add the green beans, peas and spinach for the last three minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and fry for three minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, mix well and cook for a further one minute. Add the potatovegetable mixture plus the parsley. Preheat the grill to medium. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add to the pan. Swirl the pan and cook over a gentle heat for four to five minutes until the mixture starts to set. Transfer to the grill and cook for two to three minutes or until the top of the tortilla is golden and the middle no longer runny. Serve with crusty bread and a tomato salad.
didn’t need to produce as many white blood cells against inflammation.” Gareth Nicholas, Head nutritionist for sports supplement brand Maximuscle, says cyclists should have “no fears whatsoever” exercise. Certainly many riders on plantabout going vegan. “While a vegan diet is based diets claim they feel more energetic often cursed for lacking animal protein, we and recover more quickly. shouldn’t forget that a vegan or vegetarian “It could be that the absence of meat diet is all about nutrient-dense foods, provides these benefits, or it could be that adding antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, the additional nutrients, antioxidants, fibre and phytochemicals. All are excellent phytonutrients and polyphenols found in for health as well as sports performance.” fruit and veg improve energy levels and Although some people on plant-based reduce muscle inflammation,” suggests diets, including Deignan, are inspired by Bean. “Most people have more energy as environmental and ethical issues (it is they are consuming more beans, lentils, estimated that a third of global greenhouse nuts, fruit and vegetables.” gas emissions come from agriculture, and Even giving up meat in the build-up to a 70-billion animals are slaughtered for food race could have some short-term each year), many are driven by health advantages. Team Ineos riders already avoid concerns. As meat-based diets are linked to meat the night before mountain stages heart disease, obesity and cancer, and because it takes longer to digest. And vegan plant-based food has been shown to reduce riders are becoming increasingly sciencethe risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart savvy. “Having breakfast before the Tour de disease, the Oxford Martin Programme on France, I’d often see pro riders eating a big the Future of Food claims that a global move plate of eggs or bread with cheese and ham towards veganism and I’d think: why would avert 8.1are they having fat million deaths per and protein before a year. And active race,” says Hansen? athletes are not “It’s not just that immune from ham is classed as a health issues: a 2017 carcinogen, but its study found that 44 fat content will per cent of middleactually slow the aged and older digestion of the Adam Hansen cyclists or runners carbs you are trying had coronary plaques. The remedy? A to eat for energy. And why suppress your study published in the journal Nutrients appetite with protein? Before a race you suggested that a plant-based diet can should be focusing on carb-loading with help strengthen athletes’ hearts by food like oats and muesli.” reversing plaque and lowering blood So far, so compelling. But if a cyclist is pressure and cholesterol. eager to try a plant-based diet, what is the The same study found that a plant-based best way to start? “Doing it gradually will diet could also boost athletic performance, help to create a change for life you can stick by increasing blood flow and tissue with,” suggests Gareth Nicholas. “Try to go oxygenation during exercise and reducing meat-free for a few days in the week, then oxidative stress and inflammation try reducing dairy. Broaden your meals, afterwards. As plant-based diets are low in experiment with vegan recipes and play fat and cholesterol and high in fibre, they around with ingredients.” could also help a rider achieve the low Bean believes this go-slow approach is power-to-weight ratio they crave. best for physiological reasons, too. “If you “A plant-based diet can be very filling so step up your intake of high-fibre and plantyou are inadvertently restricting your based food, you can experience discomfort calorie intake,” explains Bean. “As the fibre and gas as it takes a few weeks for the gut improves satiety, it could help a cyclist to microbes to adapt.” manage their weight.” Cyclists accustomed to a mid-ride chicken panini and a post-ride steak stir fry might Boost energy levels wonder what a plant-based meal plan Studies suggest lower body fat is also actually looks like. Isn’t it all, well, a bit connected to increased aerobic capacity – bland? Not so, insists vegetarian Deignan. your body’s ability to use oxygen during “For breakfast I have porridge but it’s not
“People are often surprised I am now a fully vegan pro cyclist but a lot of riders don’t eat enough plantbased food”
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boring porridge - it’s full of seeds, blueberries and a dollop of almond butter on top.” For mid-ride snacks she takes homemade date and peanut butter flapjacks or sweet potato brownies. A typical lunch is scrambled eggs with avocado, spinach and tomato quinoa. And dinner might be a risotto with lentils or a hearty vegetable and chickpea curry. On a training day, vegan Hansen eats oat and banana pancakes for breakfast; salad with beans, legumes and avocado for lunch; and tofu with veg and rice noodles for dinner. “After races, while other guys are eating steak and chicken, I’m eating a vegan diet. It’s really not that hard.” To enhance his recovery, Hansen guzzles a vegan-friendly pea and brown rice protein shake. Most shakes are made from whey, which contains dairy, but many supplement brands have launched plant-based alternatives to meet demand, such as Maximuscle’s Plant Max protein powder, which comes in banana fudge and chocolate flavour. “We created it so that it’s similar to whey in terms of the protein level, nutrients and calories but is sourced from pea (73 per cent) and brown rice (12 per cent),” explains Nicholas.
Mass appeal Despite that pea offering, a lingering concern for many cyclists trialling a
Lizzie Deignan (11) was inspired to turn vegetarian by ethical issues
plant-based diet is how to source enough protein, which plays a vital role in repairing muscles and enhancing stamina. As animal protein is the gold standard, with a complete amino acid profile, it’s important to consider how to replace it. “Cyclists don’t want to be built like bodybuilders, but stronger, more efficient muscle equates to promotions in power and a better power-to-weight ratio, so you can go faster, for longer,” explains Nicholas. “Avoiding animal products means a boost is needed from other dietary areas such as beans, pulses, nuts, seeds and meat alternatives such as Quorn, tofu and seitan (wheat protein). Although a vegan diet lacks animal protein, it doesn’t mean a cyclist will see a deficit.” Anita Bean points to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found that there was no difference in the muscle mass of athletes who eat animal protein and those who eat plant protein. “As long as they were eating enough protein, the source of protein - plant or animal – didn’t matter,” she explains. “Some vegetarian proteins like soya, quinoa, chia seeds and hemp seeds are complete proteins and include all nine essential amino acids anyway. But for the others, the key is to combine two or more sources for a more balanced amino-acid profile, like a lentil bolognese pasta, a Thai green curry with tofu and rice, three-bean chili with rice, or falafels and tahini. Just aim for a
Veg edge A recovery vegan recipe from renowned nutritionist Anita Bean, author of Vegetarian Meals in 30 Minutes After your ride Quick Vegetarian Chilli Prep time: 10mins Cooking time: 15mins Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp light olive or rapeseed oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2–3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp chilli powder, or to taste 1 tbsp sweet paprika tsp dried oregano 1 tsp ground cumin 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato purée 2 x 400g (14oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 200g (7oz) can sweetcorn, drained 100g (3 oz) fresh or frozen spinach A handful of fresh parsley, chopped (optional) Salt and freshly ground pepper Instructions: Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, chilli powder, paprika, oregano and cumin and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, kidney beans and sweetcorn and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then stir in the spinach and parsley, if using. Turn off the heat – the spinach will wilt down in the heat of the pan. Serve with cooked brown rice or pitta bread and a sprinkling of grated cheese. To make it vegan, just substitute a non-dairy yoghurt alternative for the grated cheese.
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PLANT BASED DIET
combination of things like chickpeas, hummus, lentils, tempeh, amaranth and nut butters throughout the day.” According to the NHS, vegans should also prioritise foods with iron (for transporting oxygen around the body), vitamin B12 (to support the brain, nervous system and red blood cell production) and calcium (for bone health), which are all abundant in meat and dairy products. But Bean insists: “If you eat a varied diet including pulses, wholegrains, quinoa, lentils, green leafy vegetables, dried apricots, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, you are no more at risk of iron deficiency than a meat eater.” “Vegans do, however, need to consider vitamin B12, as this is harder to obtain without dairy and eggs, so use a supplement or try vitamin B12-fortified non-dairy milk or cereal. Calcium can be trickier but some non-dairy milk and yogurts have added
calcium. Chickpeas, kale, broccoli, sesame seeds, dried figs and almonds are other good sources.” Anyone giving up fish would also benefit from an Omega-3 supplement. Starting any new diet can be motivating; keeping it going is much tougher. But things are getting easier. The shops are full of athlete-friendly recipe books, like Anita Bean’s Vegetarian Meals in 30 Minutes, Matt Frazier’s No Meat Athlete and Joe Wicks’ Veggie Lean in 15. And if you’re on the go, even fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Gregg’s now serve vegan options. Whether you want to cut down your meat intake or go full vegan, you might be surprised where the journey takes you. “I didn’t plan to become vegan,” insists Hansen, “I was just striving for better health and that’s where it led me.”
“I didn’t plan to become vegan,” insists Adam Hansen. “I was just striving for better health and that’s where it led”
Vegetarian Meals in 30 Minutes by Anita Bean is published by Bloomsbury Sport and is out now, priced £16.99
Adam Hansen: “The “ The idea that a pro cyclist can’t be vegan iis s nonsense”
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Tray-baked chicken thighs with romesco A meal to cover all your nutritional needs Finding recipes that are easy to chuck in the oven and leave can be tough when you want something new and exciting, but this recipe allows you to bang it in the oven and crack on with your evening while it cooks; all you need to do is give it the occasional poke. What is quite exciting about this recipe’s potential is that you can chuck a bit more in and take it to work the next day, saving you money, time and the worry of getting something healthy. This meal is well-balanced, providing all the aspects you need to have in the two to four hours before an evening ride, or maybe to have after a ride so that you can help your muscles recover, replenish glycogen stores, potentially aid in the reduction of inflammation and nervous system recovery. A generous serving of parsley is a great source of vitamin K, a nutrient that supports bone and heart health. It’s also essential for blood clotting, which can help prevent excessive bleeding. Just two tablespoons of parsley deliver more vitamin K than you need in a day.
THIS MEAL PROVIDES ALL YOU NEED TO HAVE IN THE TWO TO FOUR HOURS BEFORE AN EVENING RIDE 80 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
FOOD & NUTRITION
PER SERVING • Kcals 533 • Fat 21.6g • Saturates 4.9g • Carbs 52.4g • Sugars 9.6g • Fibre 4.8g • Protein 29.9g • Salt 1.3g
THE O L IV E R E C IP E INGREDIENTS • Whole chicken thighs 4 • Whole small new potatoes 225g • Smoked paprika 2 tsp • Olive oil • Ciabatta 100g chunk • Sherry vinegar 2 tbsp • Honey 2 tsp • Jar of whole roasted red peppers 3 peppers, plus 1 tbsp of juice from the jar • Flat-leaf parsley handful
METHOD • Heat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/Gas 6. Season the chicken thighs and put into a medium roasting tin with the potatoes and roast for 15 minutes • Sprinkle over the paprika and 1 tbsp of olive oil and toss everything together. Roast for 15 mins more • Tear the bread into chunks, stir into the potatoes and chicken and give a final 15 minutes in the oven until the bread is golden and the chicken and spuds are crisp and cooked through • Mix together the vinegar and honey with 1 tbsp juice from the pepper jar. Tear the peppers into bite-sized chunks and roughly chop the parsley. When the tray comes out of the oven, add the dressing, peppers and parsley to the tin, mix everything together and serve
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FOOD & NUTRITION PER SERVING • Kcals 223 • Fat 13.9g • Saturates 3.6g • Carbs 5.5g • Fibre 2.6g • Protein 17.8g • Salt 0.4g
Broccoli & roasted red pepper frittata Tasty and nutritious, this is super-easy to make This frittata contains only 5g of carbs, all of which are sourced from vegetables, so having this pre-training will not stop it being a fasted session. This recipe is high in protein, providing you with all your essential amino acids to help prevent any muscle breakdown over a long endurance ride. Amino acids do provide a small amount of energy over long rides (more so if they’re done completely fasted), which is why having some protein before will keep Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) high. MPS is essentially what you need to stimulate to promote muscle recovery and cell repair, as well as preserve that lean tissue. Interestingly, eggs score the highest when looking at the protein digestibility table. This table looks at foods with the highest amino acid concentration and our ability to digest it, making eggs one of the best sources of protein.
THIS RECIPE IS HIGH IN PROTEIN, PROVIDING YOU WITH ALL YOUR ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
THE OLIVE RECIPE INGREDIENTS • Oil • Chilli flakes a large pinch • Roasted red peppers 4 from a jar, sliced • Long-stem broccoli 300g, halved, blanched for 3 minutes and drained • Eggs 8, beaten • Milk 4 tbsp • Basil a handful of leaves to serve
METHOD • Heat 1 tsp oil in an ovenproof frying pan, and add the chilli flakes, peppers and broccoli for a few minutes. Whisk the eggs and milk together, and season well. Add the egg mix, pulling in the sides with a wooden spoon until the edges start to set. Scatter with the basil and put under a hot grill for five minutes until puffed, golden brown and the egg has set. Serve with a salad and some more chilli flakes.
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Kale, ricotta and leek lasagna A meal that rewards you with several servings Leading a very busy work life means we often find ourselves eating the same things. So, having a meal on standby that can reward you with several servings is a real asset. Here is a recipe that is slightly higher in fat but which provides a well-balanced split of protein, carbohydrate and fat. It isn’t a complete protein source and so having some leucine or additional protein on the side to help you with your total daily intake may be advisable. Leeks are part of the allium family, which also includes onions, garlic and shallots. This makes for a great source of allicin, a sulphur compound that gives garlic its antimicrobial, cholesterollowering and anti-cancer properties. Then kale wades in with its high levels of quercetin, which has been seen in supplement form to reduce inflammation and improve immune function. We can also see kale bringing massive amounts of micro-nutrients; a serving as small as 67g offering daily values (DV) of; VITAMIN A: 206% of the DV (from beta-carotene) VITAMIN K: 684% of the DV VITAMIN C: 134% of the DV Kale and leeks are high in kaempferol, an antioxidant that can reduce inflammation and potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases and cancer.
A WELL BALANCED MEAL THAT CAN HELP STAVE OFF INFLAMMATION AND AID IMMUNE FUNCTION 84 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
FOOD & NUTRITION
THE O L IV E R E C IP E INGREDIENTS • kale 300g, stems removed and leaves chopped • olive oil 1 tbsp • trimmed leeks, 3 halved lengthways • garlic 1 clove, crushed • ricotta 350g • vegetable stock 150ml • fresh pesto 4 tbsp • fresh lasagne 250g, about 8 sheets • parmesan (or veggie alternative) 30g
METHOD
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION • Kcals 491 • Fat 23.8g • Saturates 9.4g • Carbs 43g • Sugars 5.5g • Fibre 4.6g • Protein 23.9g • Salt 0.8g
• Heat the oven to 200C/ fan 180C/gas 6. Drop the kale in boiling salted water, simmer, cook for 5 minutes. Drain really well. • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the leeks with a pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until soft. • Add the garlic to the leeks and cook for 2 minutes. Keep 4 tbsp of the ricotta aside then stir the rest into the leeks with the kale. Mix well then add enough veg stock to make it a little saucy. Take off the heat. • Put 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of an oiled baking dish. • Top with 1 tbsp pesto then 2 sheets of lasagne. Repeat 3 times. • Mix the rest of the ricotta with a splash of veg stock and spread over the top layer. • Scatter over the Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
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WORDS JAMES WIT TS PICTURES GET T Y IMAGES
FUFUELLING SECRETS ES ETS Fuelling your cycling performance doesn’t have to be about tasteless beetroot shakes, laboratory-spawned carbs and questionable supplements. Simply follow these 10 easy feeding tweaks to forge a leaner, stronger you…
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FUELLING SECRETS
1 NATURAL RIDING REMEDY Cyclists pride themselves on managing and defeating pain. And if they don’t, well, there’s always a painkiller such as Ibuprofen. (To all pros out there, not Tramadol, of course, as since March this year it’s been banned in competition.) The problem is, long-term use of drugs such as Ibuprofen can threaten bone health, worsen respiratory conditions and even raise the risk of cardiac issues. That’s why you should turn to a medicinal plant. “When I was working with Katusha, one of my proudest achievements was finishing a Grand Tour with a full pack of riders,” says performance biochemist Dr Rob Child, who’s also worked with Dimension Data. “And that was heavily down to favouring garlic over painkillers. Why is down to its anti-inflammatory nature,
rather than painkillers that, while masking the pain, lengthen a fully healed return to health.” Those anti-inflammatory benefits derive from polyphenols, whose levels rise by as much as 50 per cent when cooked. If you’re looking to thin your blood, however – particularly useful if you’re blood doping, of course! – you’ll have to brave raw bulbs as the sulphur compounds that are believed responsible for thinning blood aren’t ‘heat stable’. This means they’re rendered useless when cooked.
Those antiinflammatory benefits derive from polyphenols, whose levels rise by as much as 50 per cent when cooked 2 SERV SERVICING YOUR NEEDS The service servi station’s a necessity for many of us, provid providing a refuelling pit stop en route to a and back from work wor meetings. The problem prob is, temptation’s rife, be it temptati shelves o of Scotch eggs, piles of p peanuts or pipes of P Pringles. So you have two options. The first, according to Susan Je Jebb, an Oxford University professor Universit and advis advisor to Public Health En England on obesity, iis to always pay at th the pump so you
avoid the cascade of confectionary. The second is to choose Biltong. Biltong (a form of dried meat) is popping up all over the place because of its high-protein content. Take a packet of Ember Biltong, which contains 18.8g protein. That’s textbook post-workout feeding. Carb and fat content, however, are negligible. Just beware of the sodium content of Biltong, even if that can prove fruitful when you’re in the heat. 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 87
3 SLICE AND RECOVER You’ve completed a glorious three-hour Sunday morning ride. The sun’s shining, temperatures are soaring and you’ve an afternoon barbecue lined up with friends and family. That means burgers, baps and beer. It also means the obligatory iceberg lettuce, which is great for hydration as water content’s up to 96 per cent. But there’s an added performance boost if you ‘wound’ your iceberg a day or two before. According to a study out of the University of Pisa, by slicing your lettuce and popping it into a sealed plastic food bag overnight, you can increase polyphenol levels by 50 per cent. Polyphenols are compounds that have antioxidant properties and have been associated with improved oxygen uptake after exercise, meaning a swifter recovery. This increase is down to the leaves generating protective antioxidant compounds at the site of injury – much like blood coagulating into a scab when you suffer road rash!
By slicing lettuce & popping it into a sealed plastic food bag overnight, you can increase polyphenol levels by 50 per cent 4 BOOST HYDRATION LEVELS The NHS advises that you should drink six to eight glasses of water daily to keep hydrated. For active cyclists, it’s arguably greater as cycling in hotter climes can see sweat loss tip over a litre an hour. The problem is, even those who love water might experience flavour fatigue, or lack of it in water’s case. That’s where a burst of pineapple juice comes in. Team Sky (now Ineos) has used it, and it was the idea of their former
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nutritionist Nigel Mitchell. He noted that once the riders had left the hotel dining table, it’d be swimming in half-drunk glasses of water. Cue the introduction of diluted pineapple juice and what Mitchell termed his ‘positive hydration strategy’, the taste of which saw an immediate fluid uplift. But that’s not all. Mitchell had stolen the idea from his days working at the NHS. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain, and even inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Through a cycling lens, the breakdown of protein helps to repair muscle.
FUELLING SECRETS
5 STIR UP A NEW PB There are those who follow a clean-eating diet and graze on mountains of uncooked food. Here at Cycling Plus, while we enjoy the occasional crudités, we’re after something a little more heart-warming, especially in the winter months. Which is an eating philosophy many clean eaters might want to follow after listening to Dr Child. “Many people don’t realise that some foods are more nutritious cooked compared to raw,” he explains. “That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of stir frying your vegetables.” The causes of this are twofold: heat and fat. “Take a carrot. Crank up the heat and it breaks down the carrot’s
Beta-carotene’s an antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A, which gives your immune system a boost
structure. If the heat is applied from oil it acts as a solvent, meaning you’ll absorb more of the beta-carotene you’ve digested than raw.” The oil acts as a carrier from the intestine into the bloodstream, meaning less is lost through urine. And that’s important because betacarotene’s an antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A,
which gives your immune system a boost. The oil choice is key. “I’d recommend avocado oil because it has a high smoking point,” says Child. “The higher the smoking point, the less likely toxins or carcinogen will form.” Avocado oil’s not as uncommon as you might think – you can buy a 250ml bottle from Tesco for £2.70.
6 CHOOSE YOUR PANS WISELY There are materials you should avoid when it comes to cooking, especially aluminium. Aluminium is common in most kitchens due to its low cost and ability to conduct heat
7 SPRIN SPRINKLE N OF SPEED When former Grange Hill starlet Michelle Gayle sang, ‘Your sweetness is my weakness’ she could have been talking about a cyclist’s love for a good slice of cake. A touch naughty but justified (the cake, not Gayle). But there’s a tasty substitute that’ll satiate your sugar cravings and improve performance. Over to Team Ineos chef Jon Cox. “For breakfast, I’ll always serve the riders porridge where
effectively. However, aluminium’s easily leached from the pan into your food, which is less than ideal as it’s toxic, albeit at high levels. Before you bin your new set of pans, however, there are steps you can take to lessen the problem. Avoid cooking acidic foods in your aluminium pans as
the acid reacts with the surface and leaches even more. That means no to low pH foods such as tomato sauce and yes to higher pH foods such as chicken. Teflon and non-stick pans also have a bad rap, while cast iron and stainless steel are deemed the safest to use.
the oats have been soaked in almond milk and yoghurt overnight,” he says. Great but no fuelling fantasy. “I’ll also make them banana pancakes sprinkled with protein powder.” That’s better. Just add a quarter-cup of protein powder to a traditional pancake mix and voilà – a breakfast whose egg and powder content will drive up muscle protein synthesis while the sliced bananas on top deliver a sharp energy hit for your impending ride.
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8 PASTA MASTERCLASS MASTERCLAS
9 DON’T LEACH THE BENEFITS A Sunday roast is food of the gods and, if you go heavy on the veg, is packed with vitamins and minerals. But a simple tweak can impart even more nutritious (and taste) glory. “It’s well known that steaming or stir frying your vegetables is better than boiling because nutrients leach into the water,” says Dr Kevin Currell, head of performance nutrition at the English Institute of Sport. “If you do boil, make gravy with the water to retain the goodness.” The nutrient content of your Sunday roast is also cranked up if you leave your potatoes dressed in their skin. The skin contains more than twice the amount of polyphenols as the flesh and a huge proportion of its vitamins and minerals.
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Carbohydrates might mig be vilified by seden sedentary folk as the root cau cause of their fatty deposits and lethargy – a lack of willpower, you’d counter!? – but the there’s undeniable undeni iable eviden evidence that iit’s t’s nectar to cyclists, especially during high-intens high-intensity segments such as climbs and sprints. It’s why your larder’s packed with pasta pasta… However, your choice of pasta and how you cook it impacts how energised you’ll be on your ride. “Our chef tends to cook al dente
[firm to the bite],” says Katusha doctor Dag Van Elsende. “It breaks down much more slowly than when cooked normally and so releases its energy more gradually.” To fuel longer rides, also consider the size and thickness of your pasta. Research shows that while the chunkiest linguine ribbons has a moderate GI of around 68 (glycaemic index, a measure of how quickly carbs impact bloodglucose levels; a low number is slow release, high number fast), rolling the same dough much thinner cranks it up to 87. For those of you whose Waitrose
If you boil your vegetables, make gravy with the water to retain the goodness usually lost through boiling
trip isn’t complete without a fresh batch of pasta, listen up… The cheaper alternative actually requires a high temperature to dry it out, altering its protein structure, forming a more rigid barrier around the starch grains and so delivering its energy more slowly when broken down. Elsewhere, doctor at Mitchelton Scott Matteo Beltemacchi says, “Your liver can suffer over a long ride so ensure your protein intake is gentle on your body,” he says. “I always recommend a recovery drink that’s mixed with water rather than milk.”
FUELLING SECRETS 10 A FAT ALTERNATIVE A survey by YouGov suggests two-thirds of us eat fish less often than the recommended twice a week. (The over-55s were slightly better pupils, with 45 per cent consuming enough.) And that’s performance-inhibiting due to cyclists missing out on an array of vital vitamins and minerals, particularly the Peter Sagan of the fatty-acid world: omega-3.
“Research shows that omega-3 protects the heart, controls blood pressure and maintains a lean bodyweight,” says celeb cycling chef Hannah Grant, who’s worked with Mitchelton-Scott and the disbanded Tinkoff-Saxo. “It also benefits blood and muscle function by acting as a cleanser, making blood less sticky and more fluid. This allows more oxygen to reach the cyclist’s brain and muscles, ensuring faster riders.”
It’s an anti-inflammatory, too, and helps break down existing fat by activating fat-burning pathways in the liver. Enough to convince you that fishy breath is worth it? No? Okay, here’s an alternative. “Cold-pressed flax seed oil is high in omega-3, which is why I add it to the riders’ smoothies in the morning,” says Grant. “We make sure many of the meals we cook contain foods high in omega-3, such as chia seeds and nuts.”
Research shows that omega-3 protects the heart, controls blood pressure and maintains a lean bodyweight
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PER SERVING Serves 2 Easy to make, just 25 minutes • Kcals 374 • Fat 20g • Carbs 13.4g • Fibre 1.6g • Protein 35.5g • Salt 1.5g
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THE O L IV E R E C IP E MAIN INGREDIENTS
Thai green curry Tasty and nutritious, this is super-easy to make A British favourite, this Thai green curry is ideal for batch cooking to provide yourself with a couple of days’ worth of lunches or dinners. A lot has been said about the potential miracle health benefits of coconut, and while there’s some hyperbole involved, there are still some benefits to be had. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels, for example, have been shown to improve with coconut intake, increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol while reducing its ‘bad’ LDL counterpart. (Although it’s worth mentioning that in a couple of studies, LDL cholesterol also increased alongside HDL, so the jury’s out on that one.) Further studies – only on animals, admittedly – have also shown reductions in the inflammation and severity of stomach ulcers. Back to the recipe! One of the more obvious benefits of this meal – aside from being super-easy to knock up – is the easy addition of protein (chicken), which aids post-exercise recovery and muscle retention. To ring the changes you could, of course, quite easily swap the chicken for your favourite white fish or prawns, just to add a bit of variety – and especially if you find yourself cooking this frequently. Interestingly, eating spicy food has also been shown to reduce hankerings for fatty, salty and sweet foods – all the more reason to get cooking. Enjoy!
ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS RECIPE IS THE PROTEIN (CHICKEN), WHICH AIDS POST EXERCISE RECOVERY
• Coconut milk 200ml • Thai fish sauce 1 tsp • Palm sugar tsp • Vegetable or chicken stock 200ml (if you prefer a creamier sauce, use 400ml coconut milk instead) • Skinless chicken breasts 2, diced • Fine green beans a handful, trimmed • Pea aubergines a handful (optional) • Coriander leaves to serve • Rice to serve • Thai basil leaves or lime wedges to serve (optional)
CURRY PASTE INGREDIENTS • Kaffir lime leaves 4, finely chopped • Coriander large bunch, finely chopped • Ginger peeled and finely chopped to make 1 tbsp • Garlic 2 cloves, finely chopped • Lemongrass 4 stems, outer leaves trimmed and finely chopped • Green Thai chillies 3-4, seeded and finely chopped • Shallots 2, peeled and finely chopped • Shrimp paste 1 tsp
METHOD • Add all the curry paste ingredients, one by one, to a mortar and pestle and pound them into a thick paste (or whizz in a food processor). • Put the coconut milk in a saucepan that’s big enough to take all the ingredients and heat until it begins to simmer. • Add the green curry paste and, stirring gently, continue to heat for five minutes or until the paste is cooked. • Add the fish sauce, sugar and stock. • Bring it all to a simmer, then add the chicken and, a couple of minutes later, the vegetables. • Continue to heat until the chicken and vegetables are cooked. Scatter with coriander leaves and serve with rice, Thai fresh basil and chunks of lime.
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Sriracha and lime marinated chicken skewers Tasty and nutritious, and easy to make The benefits that protein provides are well known, but sometimes in this off/pre-season time we want to head to the gym, do some rehab and build our muscle and strength up a little prior to coming into the new season. A great wealth of research has been coming out over the last three years to show us that, when we want to maximise muscle gains, aiming to eat 3 to 3.4g/kg/ bodyweight of protein improves muscle mass and recovery with negligible fat mass increases if the protein is used to make the calories excess that you need to facilitate improved growth. Another plus point to this recipe is that thyme is high in vitamin C and A. Regular high intakes can support a healthy immune system. Thyme extract has also been linked to reductions in blood pressure, although further research is needed as currently it’s only in animal studies.
AIMING TO EAT 3 TO 3.4G/KG/ BODYWEIGHT OF PROTEIN IMPROVES MUSCLE MASS 94 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
PER SERVING • Kcals 195 • Fat 8g • Saturates 2.9g • Carbs 2.6g • Sugars 2.4g • Fibre 0.2g • Protein 27.9g • Salt 0.5g
FOOD & NUTRITION
THE O L IV E R E C IP E INGREDIENTS • Greek yogurt 4 tbsp • Thyme 5 sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped • Limes 2, zested, 1 juiced • Sriracha 2-3 tbsp, (depending on how hot you like it) • Coriander a small bunch, leaves and stalks finely chopped • Olive oil 2 tbsp • Black peppercorns ground to make 1 tsp • Chicken mini fillets 650g (or chicken breasts cut into 1cm-thick strips)
METHOD • In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, thyme, lime juice and zest, sriracha, coriander, oil, black pepper and lots of salt, and mix well. Add in the mini chicken fillets and coat in the marinade. Cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours but preferably overnight. • Soak 20 wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes or use metal skewers. • Heat a large griddle pan over a medium-high heat or cook over indirect heat on a BBQ. Skewer each mini chicken fillet with 2 skewers and cook, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
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Cycling As a Michelin-starred chef, Alan Murchison knows how to make complicated food. But with his latest book, his focus is on tasty, simple dishes for time-poor cyclists...
I
read a recipe for risotto the other day, which said you needed to stir it anticlockwise. I’ve never heard such a load of bollocks in all my life.”
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A Michelin-starred, sweary fitness fanatic chef from Scotland (no, not that one), Alan Murchison is keen to plug what he sees as a gap in the ever-booming cooking and nutrition book market. The Cycling Chef is a
book for cyclists that not only fuels them, but is enjoyable and fits around their time-poor lifestyles. His aim is tasty, nutritious, simplified food. “This risotto recipe was making things unnecessarily complicated.
INTERVIEW John Whitney PHOTOGRAPHY Grant Pritchard
the
THE CYCLING CHEF
You’re cooking rice with stock, that’s it. I want to get rid of all the nonsense, because it doesn’t matter.” Since stepping out of restaurants several years ago, Murchison has, through his Performance Chef business, been working with athletes of all abilities, from British Cycling’s podium programme (he’s been Team GB’s chef since last year) to amateurs looking to better themselves. He’s a former international runner, 2015 London Duathlon winner with an impressive 19.05 10-mile time-trial PB to his name. He knows how cyclists operate, he knows what they want to eat and he knows how to make it for them. The book is stuffed with recipes that he knows work,
having had time to refine them for the past four years on real people with big goals and busy lives. “With a book,” he says, “most chefs want to do a vanity project, something that shows off all their tricks. I know how to make it complicated but I’m so over that it’s not true. I’m quite happy to do poached eggs with crushed avocado, or an omelette or one-pot dish. So often it’s over-complicated. My benchmark is ‘can you buy it in Tesco?’ and ‘can you do it in under 30 minutes?’ Because that’s what people want.” The book is part what to eat, with the recipes, and part why and how, with guides to the nutrition cyclists’
Chef
“This risotto recipe was making things unnecessarily complicated. You’re cooking rice with stock, that’s it. I want to get rid of all the nonsense”
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need to hit their goals and nutrition plans to plot their roadmap to success. Like the recipes, these sections, peppered throughout the book, are more accessible than the usual. The plans address a common issue, that cyclists are often good at completing their training sessions, but lacking when it comes to sticking to their nutrition plan. “We’ve all done it, come in from a hard ride and inhaled whatever is in the house. Shopping hungry is one of the most dangerous things you can do. I’m a strong believer in the idea that we only ever do two things: the things we enjoy and the things we’re held accountable for. And that applies to food. The accountability comes from having it written down in a plan.” He sees a big difference between how elite cyclists go about their nutrition compared to amateurs. With a few exceptions (not least, Chris Froome who recently said he’s going to try vegan), elite cyclists eat everything, including all things that are popularly excluded from diets these days, for health or ethical reasons. In terms of professional athletes, he “can count the number of vegetarians and vegans I’ve worked with on one hand, and there’s a good
A filling and rich breakfast – the perfect start to the day ahead and a long ride on the bike...
Power porridge with Directions
“We’ve all done it, come in from a hard ride and inhaled whatever is in the house. Shopping hungry is one of the most dangerous things you can do”
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Place the oats, water, chocolate soya milk and cocoa nibs in a medium saucepan. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a touch more water if required. 1.
When cooked, stir in the almond butter and chia seeds. 2.
Serve with the Greek yoghurt, Manuka honey and nuts. 3.
Serves 1 65g (2 oz) oats 120ml ( cup) water 200ml ( cup) chocolate soya milk 1 tsp cocoa nibs (Grué de cacao) 1 tbsp almond butter 2 tsp chia seeds 1 tbsp low-fat Greek yoghurt 1 tsp Manuka honey 2 tbsp mixed nuts (almonds & walnuts are ideal)
Nutrition per serving: Calories 712 | Total carbohydrate 75g | Sugars 25g | Fat 33g Protein 28g | Sodium 0mg
Photography Clare Winfield Food styling Rebecca Woods
chocolate, chia seeds and almond butter
THE CYCLING CHEF An easy-to-cook, one-pan dinner that’s ideal for ride recovery and just as good the next day for lunch
Directions
Start by preheating a large sauté pan. Add the chorizo to the dry pan and cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until some of the fat has rendered down. 1.
Add the peppers and onion to the pan and continue cooking for 3–4 minutes over a medium heat. There should be enough oil from the chorizo, meaning you don’t need to add any extra oil to the pan. 2.
Now, stir in the chicken and turmeric. Cook for a further 3 minutes before adding the risotto rice and stock. Simmer 3.
gently for about 18 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender; depending on the rice and how hard you cook the risotto, you might need to add a touch more liquid, so keep an eye on it. Next, add the diced raw fish or prawns and the peas. Cook gently for a further 2–3 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to sit for a few minutes for the rice to fluff up. Finally, adjust the seasoning with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and smoked paprika and you are there! 4.
Serves 2-3 100g (3 oz) smoked chorizo, diced 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced 1 onion, peeled and diced 200g (7oz) skinless chicken breast, diced 2 tsp dried turmeric 200g (7oz) Arborio (risotto) rice 650ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock (good-quality stock cubes or shop-bought stock) 200g (7oz) diced firm fish (such as salmon, haddock or halibut, or shelled raw prawns) 100g (3 oz) frozen peas, defrosted sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a pinch of smoked paprika Nutrition per serving: Calories 616 | Total carbohydrate 70g | Sugars 6g | Fat 17g Protein 46g | Sodium 397mg
Photography Clare Winfield Food styling Rebecca Woods
‘Scottish’ paella
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reason: it’s a near impossible challenge,” he writes in the book, saying he’s tried excluding meat and dairy himself with poor results. “An elite cyclist has to make many compromises in terms of financial, social and even career choices, and unfortunately, I consider dietary ethics as just one more sacrifice. “If there were any factual performance benefits that says an exclusion diet would improve performance, we’d be doing it,” he tells Cycling Plus. “That’s why the book has all food types in there. People are often looking for a quick fix, to take this or that out, but you don’t need to at all.” The sub-heading for The Cycling Chef is Recipes for Performance and Pleasure and Murchison is keen to emphasise the pleasure.
“World class athletes will have a dirty burger like the rest of us”
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“First and foremost I’m a chef and it’s really important we enjoy food. For 30 years it’s been about making food an enjoyable experience and I very much still do that. You’ll never see a bit of steamed chicken or fish from me. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain weight or maintain weight, food should be enjoyable.” Sure, during a training block dedicated cyclists should align their training load with what they eat, but there should always be time for release, too. “World-class athletes will have a dirty burger like the rest of us. I’m racing this weekend and if I have a good ride, I’m having a beautiful pizza with loads of cheese. Because I deserve that. If I have a bad race, well, I deserve it as well!”
The Cycling Chef: Recipes for Performance and Pleasure, by Alan Murchison, is published by Bloomsbury (£22) and is out now
THE CYCLING CHEF
Courgettes make a great base for cakes or muffins, and this is a fantastic way to get veg in
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. 1.
Simply combine all the wet ingredients together in the bowl of a food mixer using the paddle attachment. Gradually add all the dry ingredients until well incorporated. 2.
Use a 3cm x 32cm x 26cm (1in x 12in x 10in) 12-cup muffin tray. Cook in two batches of eight to ensure even cooking. Either line the muffin 3.
moulds with paper cases or spray with olive oil. Spoon the mixture into muffin moulds and bake in the centre of the oven for 20–30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. These are best consumed within a week.
Ingredients 3 eggs 2 large courgettes, grated 90g (3 oz) butter, melted 75g (3oz) maple syrup 75g (3oz) brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 230g (8oz) ground almonds 140g gluten-free oats 45g (2oz) raisins 45g (2oz) dried mixed peel 60g (2 oz) pecan nuts 1 tbsp flax seeds 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 tsp ground cinnamon pinch of sea salt pinch of freshly ground black pepper grated zest of 2 oranges Nutrition per serving: Calories 238 | Total carbohydrate 18g | Sugars 11g | Fat 15g | Protein 7g | Sodium 35mg
Photography Clare Winfield Food styling Rebecca Woods
Courgette & Orange Muff ins
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Salmon with pesto crust This tasty dish is packed with nutritional benefits Salmon is a solid choice for getting your requirement of Omega-3 essential fatty acid in your diet. It’s packed full of amazing anti-inflammatory benefits that improve HDL (good cholesterol) and blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease. For pregnant women it can improve the brain health of your soon-to-be-born child. Other benefits are reductions in age-related mental decline and Alzheimer’s disease, improvements in eye health and reductions in depression. Salmon is very low in carbohydrate and may prove useful in relation to doing carbohydrate-restricted training. Some studies have shown that continuing carbohydrate restriction after a fasted ride for up to four hours may increase the response to the exercise and improve our adaption to it. But we will still get our essential protein to allow us to adapt. A garnish of pesto and olive oil will increase the mono-unsaturated fat for antioxidants, while a side serving of green beans adds to your daily needs of micronutrients, so this meal is an ideal aid to everyday health.
SALMON IS PACKED FULL OF ANTI INFLAMMATORY BENEFITS THAT IMPROVE HDL AND BLOOD PRESSURE 102 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
FOOD & NUTRITION THE O L IV E R E C IP E SERVES 4 – EASY Check out our crusted salmon with fresh pesto recipe. This super quick and easy recipe takes 15 minutes in the oven and it’s low in calories, a great midweek meal
INGREDIENTS • salmon 4, skinless fillets • fresh pesto 4-6 tbsp • breadcrumbs 3 tbsp • parmesan finely grated to make 3 tbsp • olive oil • green beans 300g
METHOD PER SERVING • Kcals 511 • Fat 33.3g • Saturates 7.4g • Carbs 9.1g • Sugars 2.9g • Fibre 3.3g • Protein 42.2g • Salt 0.8g
• Heat the oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Put the salmon fillets on a non-stick baking tray, skinned-side down. • Spread the pesto over the tops, then mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle over. • Drizzle with a little oil then bake for 10 minutes. • Boil the green beans for 3-4 minutes, then drain and toss with a little olive oil and season well. • Divide the beans between plates, sitting the salmon on top.
For more great recipes visit olivemagazine.com, or subscribe at buysubscriptions. com/print/olive-magazinesubscription
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THE R E C IP E INGREDIENTS • 6 large free range eggs • 3 tbsp whole milk • 25g unsalted butter • 1 tbsp olive oil • 150g cooked smoked haddock, flaked • 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated • Salt and black pepper
METHOD • Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper. • Pre-heat your grill. • Place the olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt until foaming. • Whisk the eggs into the pan and stir frequently for 30-45 seconds. Cook for a further 15 seconds before removing from the heat and sprinkling in the flaked smoked haddock and grated cheese. • Place under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown. The fish should be warmed through. • Serve immediately with your green salad or potatoes.
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FOOD & NUTRITION
MEET THE EXPERT
ALAN MURCHISON Not only is nutritional expert Alan a Michelinstarred and team chef for British Cycling, but he’s also an event winning rider, triathlete and runner
Omelette Arnold Bennett A high protein and nutrient packed dish Named after the writer Arnold Bennett, for whom this dish was created at the Savoy, this meal is very quick to cook, packed with protein and can be used as a light meal with salad or with carb-high new potatoes. Traditionally this dish is made using smoked haddock, but any smoked oily fish can be used – smoked salmon works particularly well. As well as a high protein content, this omelette provides a good source of vitamins B6 and B12, and beneficial minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus and selenium.
A RAW FILLET OF HADDOCK CONTAINS AROUND 30G OF PROTEIN, 1G OF FAT AND ZERO CARBOHYDRATES
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SALT
TURMERIC
BEER
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FOOD FORFOOD FUEL
CURRY
TINNED SALMONN
MAN THINGS GET A BINARY MANY LABEL IN OUR MODERN WORLD, LABE BUT WHEN IT COMES TO FUELLING PEPERFORMANCE, YOU’RE MISSING OOUT ON PLENTY OF GOOD IN THE FOOD THAT’S OFTEN CONSIDERED BAD FOR YOU
PIZZA
WORDS: JAMES WITTS IMAGES: GETTY
R
acking up the miles is part of the performance equation. But not all. You also need to rest and recover sufficiently, plus the big one: eat like e a monk. (Apparently, Martin Luther was partial to a turnip, only consuming ming meat when ill or on special occasions.) ons.) Or so you’d be led to believe if you follow w WorldTour chefs on social media whose admittedly delicious-looking food is reliant iant on the best ingredients, a large budget and a deep insight into nutritional science. In n the real world of the recreational cyclist, st, there’s a balancing act to be made between tween textbook fuelling, ease of purchase and nd ease of consumption. Which is exactly where ere these tantalising training treats come in…
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A SLICE OF STAMINA When Pizza Hut announced back in 2013 that it was launching a double pepperoni pizza enclosed with cheeseburger crust, the company was lambasted by health campaigners over the near-3000 calorie content of its new dish. Despite such criticism, pizzas – which are the ‘junk food of choice’ of EF Education First’s Tejay van Garderen – can contain goodness. Studies have shown that processed tomato products such as passata have higher levels of lycopene, an antioxidant that will sweep up cell-damaging free radicals from intense cycling. And when it comes to cheese, you have a choice. Pecorino cheese has twice the fat of cheddar but is loaded with calcium for healthy bones, plus potassium and magnesium that cyclists lose through sweat. Mozzarella has 12 per cent less fat than cheddar and contains more tryptophan than almost any other cheese. This amino acid boosts your serotonin levels, helping you sleep better and recover faster. The lowest-calorie option is vegetarian pizza. Go for one with courgettes and peppers. These provide plentiful amounts of vitamins A and C, which boost bone health and your immune system. Top your pizza with onion as research from Seoul University linked onions and other alliums to lower levels of post-oxidative stress.
SPRINKLING OF SPEED Salt is viewed by many as a fast-track ticket to the cardiac unit. Eating too much salt over time can increase the risk of high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. Certainly, showering your carb-loading quinoa quiche with half a tub of sodium chloride is not ideal. But sodium is essential, especially for active cyclists. Sodium is one of the body’s key electrolytes, playing an integral role in muscle and nerve function. It also helps to channel water from the bloodstream into working cells. When sweating heavily, exacerbated by exercising in the heat, not only do you lose water but sodium, too. Sodium loss is one explanation for cramps. Lose significant amounts and you’ll become hyponatraemic, a condition where sodium levels are dangerously low and which can even lead to a coma. A study by Utah University examined the effects of pre-exercise sodium loading (ingesting more sodium than normal) on 14 cyclists. The subjects cycled at 70 per cent of maximum, in a 23.3°C lab, for 45mins. Compared to the placebo, they recorded a 7.8 per cent improvement in performance. If you’re a keen roadie, take a ‘sweat test’ to determine your optimal sodium intake.
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Mozzarella has 12% less fat than cheddar and contains more tryptophan than almost any other cheese
If you’re a keen roadie, take a ‘sweat test’ to determine your optimal sodium intake
The award for most nutritious cans are tinned oily fish like omega-3-rich salmon
FOOD FOR FUEL
“IMMUNE BOOSTER WITH RICE, PLEASE” Indian cuisine is a staple up and down the land. It’s delicious and, thanks to kormas and masalas, seen as an unhealthy treat. But replace the heavycream varieties for dishes such as rogan josh, madras or jalfrezi, and you’ll benefit from the performance-boosting effects of the spice rack. It’s been shown that garlic and paprika increase immunity, helping you to fend off the bane of a cyclist’s winter riding – upper respiratory tract infection. Ginger’s also been shown to bolster your off-season defences, as well as reducing inflammation. That’s down to the antioxidant zingerone that, like the lycopene (above), sweeps up free radicals. Turmeric’s another spice that reduces inflammation, as well as raising bone health. It’s good for digestion, too, along with bay leaves and cumin, which is particularly important for the pseudo-pros out there as strenuous exercise can cause gut problems by damaging intestine cells. And don’t forget to go hot, as capsaicin in chilli raises your metabolism, meaning you burn more calories (albeit while sweating profusely and offending anyone near you!).
Turmeric’s another spice that reduces inflammation, as well as raising bone health
TINS PACK A PERFORMANCE PUNCH Jack Monroe’s Tin Can Cook was a best seller, with the British food writer and activist’s tasty, frugal recipes proving a real hit. They created a more stable future for Monroe and her son, but can they forge a leaner, healthier you? Yes… and no. On the positive, the amount of minerals, fatsoluble vitamins, protein and carbohydrates in the food remain relatively unchanged through the process of canning. The main nutrients either lost or diminished are water-soluble vitamins that can’t be stored in the body. The award for most nutritious cans are tinned oily fish such as omega-3-rich salmon, and chickpeas and lentils for a swifter muscle repair and rebuild job. Also, any tinned fruit or vegetables count towards your five-aday. On the downside, fruits tinned in syrup are swimming in sugar, while canned meats overdose on salt. Just note that you should store tin leftovers in a sealed container as opened cans can leach toxic tin into food. And remember that cans don’t last forever – acidic foods like tomatoes, pineapple and pickles survive for 12 to 18 months, while low-acid foods, like potatoes and beans, last two to five years.
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PINT OF RAPID RECOVERY Founding father of the USA, Benjamin Franklin, once slurred, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” He didn’t mention that it also has your head throbbing more than your disc brakes on a burning descent of your local 1-in-4. But it’s not all bad… Let’s start with the malt and hops used in both lager and bitter. These contain flavonoids that counter cell damage, while reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. Beers are also swimming in B-vitamins and the mineral chromium that both help to convert carbohydrates into energy – perfect for high-intensity sprints and ascents. Though not up there with a proteincarbohydrate shake, beer has its recovery benefits, too. Research from Granada University in Spain found that the sugars, salts and even bubbles in a pint can help cyclists to absorb fluids more quickly than rehydrating with water. Just remember though to keep it moderate – no more than a pint post-ride – and preferably pitch for organic beer as it’s produced with far fewer chemical additives. From our experience, we would recommend Avocet from The Exeter Brewery!
FRYING, FATS AND FIBRE A fact: frying food, although upping the caloric content, can be healthy. Professors Fillion and Henry of Oxford Brookes University analysed literature into nutrient losses and gains during frying and concluded that, “Fried foods certainly have a place in our diets.” The dietary duo discovered that frying has little or no impact on the protein or mineral content of food; in fact, the fibre content of potatoes actually increases after frying due to the formation of resistant starch. This has numerous cycling benefits, according to founder of nutrition company Secret Training and former European track cyclist champion, Tim Lawson. “From my research, you can see that fermentation of fibre in the lower gastro-intestinal tract acts as a sort of antiinflammatory and protects your digestive functioning,” says Lawson. “Potentially, it improves absorption of glucose, too.” Which is great for feeding working muscles. Added to that, frying food helps fat-soluble vitamins absorb into the body. These include vitamins A, D, E and K. Immune-strengthening carotenoids, such as beta-carotene (found in carrots and sweet potatoes) and lycopene (found in tomatoes), also assimilate more proficiently with fat present. Just ensure that food is fried in healthy oil, such as olive or coconut oil, or avocado oil.
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Hops contain flavonoids that counter cell damage, while reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease
Frying food helps fat-soluble vitamins absorb into the body, including vitamns A, D, E and K
FOOD FOR FUEL
BAR OF BLOODFLOW BOOST
Epicatechin’s a flavanol found in cocoa beans that’s been linked with triggering the muscles in the arterial walls to relax
Some would (mistakenly) argue that the yolk adds fat and you should go whites only
Mitchelton-Scott’s Brent Bookwalter is forged from sub-10 per cent body fat. The 35-year-old domestique racks up over 70,000km a year and has a VO2 max over 80ml/min/kg. He’s also human. “I really like chocolate,” he confesses. “Cadel [Evans] taught me that it’s okay to eat chocolate. He’d often skip dessert and have a chocolate bar back in his room.” Let’s hope Evans taught Bookwalter to choose dark chocolate, as research by former Lotto-Soudal rider and sports scientist Lieselot Decroix suggests it can make your riding effort feel easier. “There’s clear evidence that consuming as little as 100mg of epicatechin results in higher vasodilation,” says Decroix. Epicatechin is a flavanol found in cocoa beans that has been linked to triggering the muscles in the arterial walls to relax. In turn, bloodflow increases, boosting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all organs. Further research by Rishikesh Kankesh Patel of Kingston University saw nine cyclists undertake 20 minutes moderate-intensity cycling and two-minute time-trials three times, either after ingesting no chocolate, after 14 days of 40g white chocolate and after 14 days of 40g dark chocolate. The results showed that for the same work output, oxygen uptake was significantly higher after dark chocolate ingestion than the other two.
DRIVE BY DIET Whose cycling weekend has been followed by a 5am alarm call and a three-hour drive to a 9am meeting? It’s common. It’s dull and it’s also the perfect way to undo two days of powerful pedalling with a tsunami of service-station snacks. Instead, head to the Golden Arches and order an Egg and Cheese McMuffin. It comes in at less than 300 calories (295, to be precise) and contains 20 per cent of your RDA of iron and 30 per cent of calcium. Critics argue that a McMuffin is high in cholesterol, partly from that slice of egg. But there’s evidence that dietary cholesterol doesn’t translate into higher blood cholesterol levels. Some argue that the yolk simply adds fat and you should go whites only. Not true according to recent research by Dr Nicholas Burd from the University of Illinois, who compared the rate of muscle protein synthesis in 10 males who resistance trained. The men performed maximal leg press and leg extensions, and immediately consumed three whole eggs or an equivalent amount of protein from egg whites. The result? A greater repair and growth response from the whole eggs, meaning greater gains and, in cycling terms, greater strength to build stamina and speed.
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REPAIR & MAINTENANCE HOW TO KEEP YOUR PRIDE AND JOY RUNNING LIKE A DREAM 112 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
FROM THE WORKSHOP
Changing gear Knowing how to set up your gears will save you time and money The ability to change gear has been a big driver in the evolution and expansion of cycling all around the world. How we shift and how many gears we have has refined and developed over time. However, for much of a bike’s existence, its gears have been changed by a derailleur, operated by a cable and pulled by a lever. A good gear system’s like a good referee – you don’t even notice it’s there. The problem is, often you really do notice it’s there, whether that’s a mis-shifting chain or an irritating noise that accompanies every pedal stroke. The causes of gear issues are many. Are the cables corroded? Is your internal cabling correctly routed? Has one of the outers split? Has the cable head become displaced in the shifter? This isn’t a comprehensive list, but they’re all things that can cause your pride and joy to give you a shifting headache. However, if all the components are in good order, the problem could lie with an untuned rear mech. You could take your bike to the local bike shop. Or you could take the more affordable and empowering option of following the steps outlined here… (It’ll help to have the rear wheel lifted off the floor.)
02 Hanging in the balance
Check the alignment of your mech hanger. The chain should run in straight line through whichever cog it’s on down through both jockey wheels. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to take it to your local shop or invest in a hanger alignment gauge.
01 The right route
Make sure the chain is correctly routed through the derailleur. It should run from the cassette, over the top and to the front of the guide pulley (technical name for the top jockey wheel), then down and behind the tension pulley (lower jockey wheel). It should not touch anything else. If not…
03 Aim high
Undo the cable pinch bolt so you can move the derailleur with your left hand while pedalling with your right. The chain should sit in the smallest (highest) gear. The high limit screw dictates how far outboard the derailleur can move.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP HANGER TOOL Don’t wait until the bike’s in the stand to check your hanger alignment. Eyeball it regularly – you’ll be tagging the mech on things frequently without realising. A bent hanger can cause the mech to shift into the spokes, with potentially disastrous consequences. Investing in an alignment tool isn’t for everyone, but it could save you a lot of money in the long term.
04 Go low
While pedalling, manually move the derailleur onto the biggest (lowest) gear. Avoid pushing past the gear and into the wheel. Adjust the lower limit screw – usually the outboard of the two – until the chain can’t move beyond the largest cog.
05 Pull tight
Allow the chain to return to the smallest sprocket and pull the cable ‘guitar-string’ tight, so not so tight as to move the derailleur cage. It might take a couple of tries to nail this. Run through the gears in all chainrings to be sure.
MEET THE EXPERT WILL POOLE Will Poole has over two decades’ experience riding, breaking and fixing bikes. He’s served in some of the busiest workshops, working on everything from catalogue specials to one-off dream builds.
06 Check & adjust
If it needs refining, use the barrel adjuster. Wind it in (clockwise) to loosen the cable; wind out to tension it. You may find it doesn’t behave exactly as it did in the stand when you ride it – don’t be afraid to revisit any of the steps.
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FROM THE WORKSHOP
Bump up the pump These tips for removing and installing tyres will make life easier if you’re feeling deflated We’ve all been there. A pothole, some broken glass, or a disturbance in the force; suddenly, one end of the bike (heaven forbid, both!) starts feeling vague and then horribly harsh as all pressure escapes your tyre. You’ve got your spare tube, you’ve got your preferred inflation device, but disaster! Who did you lend your tyre levers to? All is not lost. It will still be difficult, of course. Would you have confidence in tyres that just flopped on and off the rim? Some tyre/rim combinations will undeniably be less willing to comply than others; keep going with this technique and you’ll get there eventually. It’s one of the exercises that give mechanics a vicelike grip, and does require both practise and experience. Oh, and patience. Tubeless, tubular or good ol’ clincher, the concept is the same. It’s easiest to imagine the tyre as a glorified rubber band. We begin with the wheel already out of the bike…
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01
THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP
Pinch and pull
With the tube flat, begin pinching the tyre bead into the well of the rim. I like to start at the valve and work outward both ways from there. Pull the slack that develops opposite ways around the rim and gather it all into one place.
02 Let it roll
Without letting go of the slack, roll the tyre off the rim. Provided that you’ve gathered enough slack at that point, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Work outward from this point, rolling the tyre bit by bit until it lets go and comes off easily.
PRACTICE MAKE PROFICIENT Do this a few times in a non-pressure situation when you’re not stuck at the side of a busy A road!
03 Find the hole
Pump the tube up to locate the hole. Use the location of the hole to find the problem in the tyre. Go around the tyre visually checking the outside while simultaneously feeling the inside for intrusions.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE ESSENTIAL FIXES
Keep your chain clean 01
Refit the tyre using the same concept as removal. Fit a deflated tube, ensuring it’s sitting within the confines of the rim. Starting at the valve, to ensure the bead is seated ‘below’ the tube, work both ways rolling the bead back onto the rim.
03
Fluid juice
Muck gets everywhere
Well lubricated
To keep your chain running smoothly it is essential to clean it regularly and lubricate it well. Use a specific chain cleaning fluid and a brush or sponge to spread it on.
Don’t forget that you will need to pay just as much attention to your chainrings, pulleys and the cassette as you do to the chain itself.
Once dry, put a good bike lube on the chain system to avoid rust, then shift through all the gears once. After riding in wet conditions, you will need to dry and lube the chain every time.
04
04 Stay deflated
02
05
06
Lengthy process
Tooth decay
Hanging out
To check if your chain is in good shape you need a chain measurement gauge, which you can buy in a bike shop, although a ruler can work. A new chain should measure 12in across 12 links.
Other reasons why your chain may not run smoothly include if the chainrings or cassette are worn out. If the teeth have become sharp, don’t get bitten, replace the part!
If your chain is making noises, check your rear mech hanger, even a slight impact can take it out of alignment. Change to the smallest cog on the back and look to ensure the hanger hangs straight down.
05 Prepare to fight
The last section of tyre is likely to put up a fight. If necessary, go back to the valve and gather the slack from that point again. Once the last remaining piece is tight enough not to come off, use your palms, not your fingers to roll the bead.
06 Get back on track
Inflate the tyre. Keep an eye on how it seats. If the bead appears above the line of the rim, let the tyre down as quickly as you can and start again after checking the tube is not caught under the bead. When the tyre is properly seated, refit the wheel.
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FROM THE WORKSHOP
Ditch the tubes for a smoother ride To go tubeless or not? If you like fixing punctures all power to you... everyone else, read on Much has been made of the pros and cons of tubeless tyres. In my experience, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks considerably. The system works out lighter, the tyre is suppler without the extra material inside it so it’s a comfier ride, and the chance of a puncture is greatly reduced. Yes, it’s a bit of a faff if it does go wrong and it sometimes takes a bit of setting up but I don’t know many people who’ve made the switch and subsequently reverted to tubes. The learning curve for manufacturers has been fairly steep and the common proving ground of WorldTour racing hasn’t been entirely smooth, but tubeless is here to stay. Increasingly, rims and tyres are produced sporting ‘tubeless ready’ graphics and some manufacturers are even supplying complete bikes set up this way. Cars and motorcycles have been tubeless for years, why not our bikes? We ‘ve looked at tyre removal on the preceding pages, so here we’ll just concentrate on the installation itself.
02 A tight fit
Pierce the tape at the valve hole and fit. Ensure the valve collar is tight to create a good seal either side of the rim. Fit the tyre. It may be a little resistant as the tolerances are tighter on tubeless setups to encourage a better seal.
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01 Clean & prep
Remove the rim tape and clean the rim bed thoroughly. Fit the tubeless tape starting a reasonable distance from the valve hole, applying two complete layers and finishing a similar distance past the valve hole. Make sure no air is trapped by keeping the tape tight squeezing any bubbles out as you go.
03 Pump it up
Inflate the tyre dry. A pump with a chargeable chamber or a compressor delivers the volume of air faster. This step will seat the tyre and let you know if there are any major issues without spraying you with sealant.
04 One quick way...
If you have valves with removable cores let the tyre down and remove the core. Use a tube attached to a syringe to insert the sealant, so you don’t need to unseat the newly-fitted tyre. Once the required amount is in, refit the valve core.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP BLOW AND SET Use a hairdryer or a heat gun on a low setting while applying the tape. It’ll warm the adhesive and make the tape more malleable, so you’ll be able to work any trapped air out more easily. Be careful doing this with carbon rims – you only need a little warmth to get the tape to soften.
05 ... and another method
If you don’t have removable valve cores or a syringe kit to hand you’ll need to let the tyre down, unseat one side and pop a short section off the rim. Pour the required amount of sealant into the tyre and refit the tyre as you did before.
06 Job done
Inflate the tyre again. It’s common to have a little sealant escaping as it seals any small holes it finds. Spin the wheel and angle it from side to side to coat the whole of the inside of the tyre. Clean any escaped sealant off and fit the wheel.
ESSENTIAL FIXES
When should I use oil on my bike and where? DARRON COPPIN, FOUNDER AND FIXER WITH SVENCYCLES.COM Keeping your bike properly lubricated is an important part of basic bike maintenance. Firstly, use the right oil for the job, there are lots of options and opinions on what’s best, but my preference is a lighter oil on a more regular basis. As a rule you should lightly lubricate all moving parts on the drivetrain, chain, rear and front mech. The pivot points on the brake levers need a drop every now and then. Quantity will depend on how much you ride your bike. The winter is hard on bikes so more will need to be applied to stop parts wearing out. It’s also important to clean the chain and sprockets to stop a buildup of dirty oil. There’s no point in adding oil to parts that are basically dirty. There are some great cleaners on the market; generally, I like the Muc-Off ceramic lube along with some hydraulic disc brake cleaner from the local car supplier for degreasing small parts and cleaning up the disc brakes. Making sure your drivetrain is clean is also part of the process. If you find that your gears aren’t working as they should be, the chances are that they don’t actually need oiling but might need a tune. Also keep oil away from the braking surface (rims/discs). We often see bikes coming in to us that have had everything oiled – you do need to be selective and sparing. If you hear a squeak try to locate where it’s coming from exactly – adding a drop of oil in the right place will normally do the trick.
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FROM THE WORKSHOP
They’re out there... Rim brakes are still around, so you might as well know how to set them up While they still have a few detractors, disc brakes are becoming increasingly prevalent in the yearly ranges from most brands, with some eschewing rim brakes altogether. Regardless, there are the products of all years ‘before discs’ (BD) still in circulation, not to mention those new bikes still available with rim brakes. Will rim brakes ever disappear completely? Probably not. Those brands unwilling to stoop to sufficiently low-quality callipers to shoe-horn disc brakes into the spec of their most entry-level models will stick with rim brakes for at least those bikes. It’s a widely held opinion that the one component worth upgrading if you want to go faster is the brakes. That might seem contrary, but the more confidence you have in your stoppers, the less worried you’ll be about pushing your speed just about everywhere. Historically, some manufacturers have been guilty of fitting woefully substandard brake callipers to certain models. Setting those, and any other calliper, up as well as possible can eke out as much performance as you can without necessarily needing to spend more money.
01 Tighten fully
Loosen the recess bolt and pull the brake on manually, allowing the mechanism to go through its range of motion without being held in position. Tighten the recess bolt fully – the calliper shouldn’t move under any circumstances.
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02 Centre the wheels
Ensure the wheel is correctly installed. If it’s not centred in the dropouts, the brake won’t operate properly in any case. Undo the quick release, stand the bike up vertically and the wheels should naturally sit square in the dropouts. If they don’t, check your QR springs are the right way around (small end of the cone pointing inwards) and try again.
03 Adjust brake pads
Align the brake pads by checking the order of the washers. Many systems allow two-dimension adjustment, with the bolt as a pivot for adjustment in the third. For best lever feel and power transfer, set the pads flat against the rim.
04 Check cable tension
This is down to personal preference affecting how the brake feels at the lever. Loosen the cable pinch bolt, manually pull the calliper together, and with the pads your preferred distance from the rim, pull the cable tight. Tighten the pinch bolt.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP GET HANDS-ON There is a knack to working on brakes with no extra pair of hands. It involves using one hand to simultaneously hold a brake ‘on’ and pull the cable tight with the same hand, leaving the other hand free to operate the Allen key and tighten the pinch bolt.
05 Align the pads
If the pads aren’t contacting the rim at the same time and giving a good lever feel, don’t start from scratch. Use the balance screw to fine-tune any alignment – it may only need a small adjustment, so spend a short while getting it right.
06 Them’s the brakes
You may have to re-tension front to rear brakes differently to get them feeling similar. For a fine adjustment, use the barrel adjusters. Be aware the rear brake can feel less positive as its longer cable has more opportunity to stretch.
ESSENTIAL FIXES
When should I bleed my brakes? ANDY CARR, FOUNDER OF SPOON CUSTOMS (SPOON CUSTOMS.COM) We see bikes all the time that have problems with their disc brakes, and they’re usually simple to repair. The two main causes of problems are worn or contaminated pads or air in the system. Pads are the easiest to deal with. Make sure they have enough braking material left and are clean and not too glazed. Nail varnish remover works well as a cleaner and using some 120-grit sand paper on a flat surface will take the glaze off the surface of the pad. It’s very important that when you fit new pads, or have cleaned and refinished existing ones, you bed them in on a good long hill descent. Just through normal use it is possible for air to enter the braking system – and bleeding the brakes is the only way to fix this. The procedure is something that is often best done by your local bike shop; it’s straightforward, but the correct tools are needed to do the job properly. We recommend a full bleed every now and then depending on the level of use. Make sure you use the correct oil or fluid for your brake system as using the wrong one will cause them to fail beyond reasonable repair! You should always refer to the brake manufacturer’s instructions and follow them closely when performing a bleed yourself. The best tip we can offer beyond this is to remember that air will naturally rise, so try to have the highest point of each component as the part where air can escape.
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 119
FROM THE WORKSHOP
Turn, baby, turn... A correctly functioning headset can be the key to a better feeling and handling bike A poorly adjusted or badly lookedafter headset can make a bike feel unstable. When loose, a headset can transfer extra vibrations through the whole bike, while a rusted or overtightened headset can require more force than necessary to turn the bars, becoming a potential hazard. There are several different types but the principles of maintenance remain the same – whether a traditional external system with cups pressed into the frame, a less-popular internal cup system (where the bearings sit in a cup still pressed into the frame but sitting within the headtube), or an integrated setup where bearings sit in prepared surfaces in the head-tube itself. There are variations in preload mechanisms – ‘threaded’ headsets use a pair of nuts that thread on to the steerer to lock against each other, whereas ‘threadless’ systems take the preload away from the steerer-tube itself. Whether loose bearings or cartridge style, the service process is also the same.
02 Remove the fork
Undo the bolts holding the stem to the steerer tube. Undo and remove the preload bolt and top cap. Set out the parts in the order they are taken out. Remove the fork from the frame and rest it somewhere secure.
120 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
01 REMOVE THE WHEEL
Put your bike in a workstand and remove the front wheel. Use a toe strap, zip tie, or similar, to prevent the fork dropping out of the frame when you remove the stem. You can use a hand for this, but only having one remaining to do the following steps can be awkward.
03 Clean and reinstall
Remove and inspect the bearings. Clean all components and reinstall in the correct order with a generous amount of grease, using new bearings if needed. Reassemble in the same order you laid the components out in.
04 Tighten the preload bolt
Tighten the preload bolt first (don’t over tighten); rock the front end back and forth with the front brake applied as you tighten; stop as soon as no more play can be felt. The bars should rotate freely when leaned from side to side.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP OVER BEARINGS Most bikes from the last few years have tapered forks – don’t assume your bearings are the same top and bottom if you need to replace them. If you can’t see the markings on the bearings when you remove them, take the bearings to your local bike shop with the make, model and production year of your bike.
05 Align the cockpit
Align the cockpit with the front wheel. It’s easiest to align the leading edge of the bars with some part of the front end, eg, the fork tips or the leading edge of the hub spacers. Ride the bike to confirm this is correctly done.
06 Secure the pinch bolts
Use a torque wrench to secure the pinch bolts. Follow the manufacturer’s recommended torque setting. An undertorqued component can slip; too much torque can crush a component and cause component failure.
ESSENTIAL FIXES
How do I cure squeaky disc brakes? ANDY CARR, FOUNDER OF SPOON CUSTOMS (SPOON CUSTOMS.COM) If your disc brakes make a rubbing noise, or worse, squeal, there are a few things you can do to remedy this, or prevent it happening in the future. Often unwanted contact is caused by poor positioning of the calliper in relation to the disc. To alter this, simply grab a 5mm Allen key (or T25 torx in the case of SRAM) and loosen the calliper bolts until the calliper can move a little on its mounts. Then rotate the wheel towards the calliper and pull on the lever to activate the brake. Hold and re-tighten the bolts and this should square it up nicely. This is often the right solution for a small amount of rubbing or contact, and also should stop a squeaking disc. If the squeaking continues, however, you might have contamination on the disc or pads, which means they might need replacing. You can prevent contamination by never spraying aerosols or lubricant fluids near brakes. If you do have overspray from lube and cleaning agents contaminating the pads, and want to have a go at cleaning them, wash them with a mild soap and water solution to remove oily residues, rinse with fresh water and then wipe clean. It can also be worthwhile deglazing the surface of the rotor disc by roughing it up with fine sandpaper or an emery cloth.
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 121
THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP STRAP IT What do you do if you need to let go of the tape mid wrap? Having some sort of strap handy is a good idea – shop mechanics will have unused toe straps hanging around, so go to your local and ask to swap one for a pack of biscuits.
FROM THE WORKSHOP
That’s a wrap… The basics behind one of cycling’s dark arts Ask any 10 mechanics the best way to wrap bar tape and you’re bound to get at least four different answers. What’s more, it’ll be more hotly debated than almost anything else in cycling. On two things, however, everyone agrees: tape should not be baggy and no gaps should reveal the handlebar. Personally, I’d encourage anyone willing to have a go to stick to those principles and work out their own way. Why bother replacing tape? Whether you’ve had a sit down and it’s got scuffed, you prefer coloured tape, it’s looking a bit used or you’re selling the bike and you want a quick way to make it look fresher, it’s a useful skill to have under your belt. If your steed sees much use on an indoor trainer, it’s worth checking the condition of the bars fairly regularly – stories of bars corroding under a mix of sweat, spilled energy drink and dribble are not just urban myths.
122 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
01 Take it off
Unwrap the old tape. Get as much of it off in one go as you can, but some of it may be too well stuck to the bars. Use a sharp implement to remove stubborn chunks and disc brake cleaner to clean residue left on the bars.
02 Start at the end
Begin at the end of the bar. Overhang the end of the bar with enough tape to tuck into the end when finished. Keeping constant tension on the tape, wrap in your desired direction keeping an overlap at all times.
03 Stay steady
Wrap as evenly as the curve of the bar allows. Most tape has chamfered edges, which allow a given level of overlap without adding thickness, but at the sharpest curves you’ll have to vary the overlap a lot, making the wrap thicker.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE ESSENTIAL FIXES
Bed in your new disc brake pads 01
Work out how best to navigate around the lever. This involves trial and error because you don’t want it too thick, but you don’t want gaps. You’ll probably need to go up or down one side of the shifter body without going around the bars.
03
Clean up
Check new pads
Safe place
One of the biggest mistakes is to put new pads into a system where the rotors are dirty with oils or other contaminants. Use disc brake cleaner and a clean rag to remove any residue.
Use clean, undamaged pads, as anything else won’t bed in. Used pads will have been through braking cycles, and while they will work, you won’t get the full benefit.
With your new pads fitted to your calliper, find a long, gradual descent on a smooth surface. Something that allows a 20mph roll with enough space and safety to perform some hard stops is ideal.
04
04 Mind the gap
02
05
06
Drag and stop
Lever adjustments
Road test
Everyone has their own method of getting new pads to bite. We like to build up speed, drag the brake for five or six seconds to build heat and then increase lever pressure until the bike stops.
You might want to tweak your brake lever so that it adapts to the feel of the newly bedded brake pads. Some brakes adjust automatically, but those with lever bite-point adjusters can also be fettled manually.
Now that you’ve bedded in your new pads, it’s time to hit the road and see whether or not they’re allowing you to hit corners harder and more deeply. Remember, it’s brakes that help racers go faster!
05 Beat the bulge
Continue in a similar manner to step 03. Work out how far from the stem you want the wrap to finish – around where bars bulge to fit the stem is a convenient point. Too close to the stem will cause awkward cable routing.
06 Tuck it up
Cut the tape diagonally so it wraps to a neat end around the bar. Use electrical tape to secure the wrap and, if desired, use the manufacturer’s finishing tape. Tuck the beginning end of the tape into the ends of the bar and install the end plugs.
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 123
FROM THE WORKSHOP
Chain and cassette replacement If this is a task you think you can’t do, think again says our resident mechanic It’s not a case of can’t, it’s more a matter of your tools not being specific to the job, or not having the confidence or knowledge to try. However, if you ride your bike a lot and you don’t clean it as frequently as you ought to, you’ll wear it out faster. Or, if you want to clean your bike more thoroughly, this is a good way to get into the bits you can’t normally reach. Maybe you want to switch to different gearing for a specific event – all of these reasons will necessitate your cassette and chain coming off. It’s worth having a cassette tool, chain whip and chain tool in your collection for all of the above reasons. You don’t need the top-spec tools that can cost more than some bikes. For the amount you’ll use them, it’s just not worth it. Don’t buy the cheapest ones either – you’ll bend them within a handful of uses. Do your research, or ask the mechanics at your local shop. As always, if you go to them for advice, do the right thing and buy it there too.
124 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
01 Remove the cassette Take the wheel out of the bike and remove the cassette. As the lockring unwinds in the same direction the freewheel spins, use the chain whip (in this case a plier type is used) to counter the loosening motion. This will require quite a lot of force – it’s not something you want coming undone mid-ride.
02 Split the link
Use a chaintool to remove the chain. Be aware that some links and pins take material with them when they’re removed and are genuinely unsafe to replace. Check the manufacturer’s specifications and get replacements if necessary.
03 Clean and grease
Clean all the components. Clean and grease the freehub body. Install the cassette. There is a master spline that ensures the shifting ramps on the cassette all line up. If you don’t have a torque wrench, do it up ‘pretty tight’.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP KEEPING SPARES If you’re changing the brand of your drivetrain or the number of gears you have, it’s worth having a couple of spare links. These can live in your home tool kit and on your bike. Most chains have a third-party solution for a split link, and small split-link pliers come on some multi-tools.
ESSENTIAL FIXES
Service cup and cone bearing hubs 01
Put the back wheel in and thread the chain the right way. That’s round the cassette, over the guide pulley (top jockey wheel) and under the tension pulley (lower jockey wheel) with nothing obstructing a straight line between them.
03
Undo locknut
Remove cone
Remove bearings
For rear wheels, first remove the cassette. Undo the lock nut on the nondriveside using a cone spanner. Remove the locking nut and spacer by hand.
Hold the lock nut on the driveside with one spanner, then undo the non-driveside cone with another and wind it off by hand. Now remove the axle from the hub.
Carefully remove the bearings from the race, a magnetic screwdriver will help. Clean the bearings and races using degreaser and some paper cloth. If there are signs of wear in cups and cones they’ll need replacing.
04
04 Thread the chain
02
05
06
Apply grease
Return axle and cone
Final adjustments
Apply a healthy dose of grease to the bearing race in the hub. Place the bearings into the grease to help hold them in place. Once in place you can refit the axle and gently turn it to ensure they are installed correctly.
Return the axle to the freehub side. Press it against the bearings and rotate it to check it’s sealed correctly. Refit the cone to the nondriveside of the axle and tighten until it contacts the bearings, finger-tight will do.
Return the other nuts, spacers and seals to the nondriveside of the axle in the order they were removed. Hold the cone and tighten it against the locking nut with a spanner. Refit the cassette and quick-release skewer.
05 Adjust the length
If it’s a new chain, cassette or both, you’ll need to change the length of the chain. Check the manufacturer’s requirements, but it’s often big ring to big sprocket, plus one/two whole links. If you’re using a split ink, that counts for half a link.
06 Check for stiff links
Clean or new chains shift differently to dirty or worn ones, so run through all your gears. It’ll highlight issues, such as stiff links (flex these perpendicular to the way the chain bends to loosen) and allow you to tune the gears if necessary.
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 125
FROM THE WORKSHOP
Get to the bottom of it! Learn how to fix that loose bottom bracket Bottom brackets are one of those industry pet peeves that have plenty of ‘standards’ but no definitive standard. It’s one of the areas of the bike that people seem most hesitant about working on. That’s understandable, it’s the part of the bike you’re more or less standing on, but with the right tools and some help, it’s pretty straightforward. Here, we show you how to solve a loose Shimano Hollowtech 2 bottom bracket, which can be caused by hasty factory installation or slight under-torquing on replacement. To tell a loose BB apart from a worn one with bearing play, take hold of each crank arm and waggle them from side to side. If a gentle movement offers an easy but slight movement, it’s bearing play and the BB is wearing out. A heftier haul sideways resulting in a single ‘clunk’ shows the BB cups moving in the frame. Either way, you’ll need to have a BB out and put one back in.
02 Axle out
Encourage the crank arm off, then use a rubber mallet to help the axle and driveside arm out of the bottom bracket. Don’t go full Hulk on this. As the axle slides out, drop the chain off the rings so it’s not flexed in the wrong direction.
126 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
01 A LITTLE LIFT
Use a 5mm Allen key to loosen the opposing pinch bolts on the lefthand crank arm. A small screwdriver will help lift the plate in the gap with the retaining pin, it will pivot out of the way on the inside pinch bolt. Use the correct tool (see box out) to remove the plastic preload bolt.
03 In order
Lay parts out in the order they come off and use the bottom bracket spanner to loosen the cups. The driveside is an opposite thread. Both sides undo towards the front of the bike at the top of rotation. One will come out with the sleeve.
04 Clean components
Clean and inspect all components, plus the bottom bracket shell. Ensure no threads are damaged and pay attention to end faces on the end of the shell. If they are painted or unevenly worn, get them faced. Clean everything thoroughly.
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE THE M E C H A N IC ’S T O P T IP BE PREPARED Work out what you’ll need before you start this job. Shimano prints its part numbers somewhere on each product, and armed with that, you should be able to get the correct tools. Several are available, and you’ll notice I was using the BBT-9 with an adaptor for Shimano’s smaller diameter road BBs.
05 Grease is the word
Grease and reinstall the BB. Shimano’s recommended torque is 35-50Nm. If you don’t own a torque wrench with such a range, that equates to pretty darned tight. Grease the axle and reinstall the driveside crank arm and axle.
ESSENTIAL FIXES
Packing your bike for an overseas trip ANDY CARR, FOUNDER OF SPOON CUSTOMS (SPOON CUSTOMS.COM) Pipe lagging from a local DIY shop is handy for protecting the bike and supplements the materials in the bike box. If you’re running discs, it’s vital that the pistons in the caliper can’t move around. Changes in air pressure on the plane, or a nudge of the lever can cause the pads and pistons to push out of position, or worse. A pad retainer, or bleed block should be used to hold them in position, wedging them open. It’s a good idea to take a brake pad spacing tool so you can push them right back before reassembly, but a flat-bladed screwdriver will do the job if you’re careful. If you have a quick link then it’s a good idea to remove the chain – this stops it banging around and scratching your paint. You can easily remove the vulnerable rear mech from its mount too (no need to remove the cable) then tape it inside the stays where it’s protected in transit (5mm allen key or T25 torx in the case of Campagnolo 11-speed). For electronics in flight, in the case of eTap, just take the batteries off the mechs to stop accidental shift operations. If you can get to your Shimano Di2 battery, disconnect it and if you’re running Campag EPS take the magnetic band with you so you can turn the system off during the flight (don’t forget the re-chargers). When you get there you’ll be in a rush to get into the chalet for dinner but be sure to unpack carefully and retain spare zip ties, packaging and tape for repacking for home.”
06 Push the plate
Fit the non-drive arm, ensure it’s the correct position and slide onto the axle. Push the plate with the retaining pin into place, preload the setup with the plastic bolt. Alternate tightening of the two pinch bolts and torque to 14Nm.
1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS 127
ESSENTIAL FIXES
Removing the crankset 01
02
Swapping your chainrings 01
0202
Break the chain
Crank it out
Forward looking
Rear view
To begin with, remove the chain. If you have a master link you can do this easily with a pair of master link pliers, otherwise use a standard chain tool.
With SRAM Red you can loosen the left-hand crank arm with an Allen key. Some cranksets may require you to use a bottom bracket tool to undo a preload cap.
With the crankset off (see last month) you will need an Allen key of the correct size to fit the bolt on the front of your outside chainring, but don’t turn it yet.
You will also need another Allen key, often 1mm larger, to hold the chainring nut in place on the rear of the small ring. Secure the nut and unscrew the bolts anti-clockwise.
03
04
03
04
Ring out
Hammer blow
Desk tidy
Ring the changes
Once you have loosened the left crank arm, pull it off and put it, and any spacers, safely aside. This will expose the bottom bracket spindle, which you will want to remove to get at the chainrings.
If the bottom bracket spindle is at all difficult to remove, sometimes they can be seized, a common trick is to use a rubber mallet to knock the exposed end to push it loose.
Keep everything together and tidy so that when it comes time to put it all back again you will know exactly where the parts are. Give the bits you will be keeping a wipe and lube.
When replacing chainrings, pay attention to their rotational alignment. The outer ring has a small pin sticking out to be installed so it’s behind the crank arm, where it can help avoid a total chain jam.
05
Pull through Once you’ve done that you can move around to the drive side of the bike and pull the chainring spider until the spindle comes free. You can now take the spider away to your workbench to complete the task.
128 1001 ROAD BIKE TIPS
05
06
Inside job
Together again
The inner ring will have a small tab on the inside of the outer part of the ring, which also needs to be fitted behind the crank. The ramped edge of the teeth – which aids shifting – should be visible.
With rings aligned, place each nut into its bolt hole. Secure the nut, then thread each bolt into its nut clockwise until the rings are held in place. Then move from bolt to bolt, a quarter turn each time, until tight.
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