While cycling is a hugely rewarding sport, some of its secrets only reveal themselves after thousands of miles in the saddle.
Mark Bailey has taken a look back at his cycling journey and offers up some golden advice.
While Mark can't turn back the clock, there are plenty of essential tips here to help you learn how to preserve your health, save money and stay motivated for years to come.
1. Don’t overdose on sugary drinks and gels
I had never had any fillings, cavities or extractions, but after a summer spent glugging sugary sports drinks and gels on training rides, one of my wisdom teeth got infected and I found myself sitting in the dentist’s chair, awaiting my first extraction.
Coincidence? I don’t think so. Research in the British Dental Journal found 49.1 per cent of athletes had untreated tooth decay because of their use of sugary drinks, bars and gels.
Since switching to water, electrolyte drinks and home-made rice cakes during training, I’ve had no more dental dramas.
Save the sugary stuff for races and you’ll save yourself a trip to the dentist.
2. Stretch every day
Like many new riders, I read lots of articles about the importance of stretching, yoga and core workouts to prevent muscle strains, and improve your posture and performance on the bike – before completely ignoring all of it.
Years later, I had a Bupa health assessment, which revealed I had an admirable V02 max, but – to quote the doctor – “the flexibility of a brick”.
Over time, I began to suffer back aches and tight hamstrings, which could have been avoided by doing the simple sequence of planks, downward-facing dogs, bridge poses, hamstring stretches and other bodyweight exercises, which I now do (almost) every day.
3. Fast-forward to a carbon bike
Consider this a message from your fitter and wiser future self: road cycling is a gloriously slippery slope and you’ll be addicted in no time, so be bold and invest in a carbon bike straightaway.
Like many new cyclists, when I began riding to work, I opted for a cheaper aluminium bike, unsure how long my enthusiasm would last. But within two years, I was cycling up colossal mountains in Tenerife and enjoying epic rides in the Brecon Beacons, all the while drooling after a lighter and stiffer carbon ride.
When I bit the bullet and upgraded to a carbon bike, it meant I had splurged big sums twice in two years and now had an old bike festering in my hallway.
Future-proof your ride by buying carbon the first time around. Your legs and bank balance will thank you in the long run.
4. Treat yourself to a bike computer
Bike computers give you an amazing stream of motivation-boosting data, including your heart rate, power output (if you have a power meter) and average speed. However, they can also help you find exciting new routes and destinations.
Since I bought my first bike computer, I’ve discovered crumbling castles, climbs and cafés I never knew existed. Simply plot a new route on cycling apps such as Strava or Garmin Connect, then ping the route to your computer so you can follow the directions – all without having to get in a flap with a map.
5. Hunt for the right saddle
Talking about your genitals isn’t exactly polite dinner party conversation, but cyclists need to be open about what goes on in their bib shorts.
Some suffer in silence from saddle sores, pain or chafing. On some climbs, I began to feel numbness caused by pressure on the perineum – the delicate area between your genitals and your backside.
Buying a new saddle with a pressure-relieving cut-out changed that. But I wish I’d been more savvy from the start.
Most bike shops have demo programmes so you can trial different styles, and the best bike fitters use pressure-mapping technology to help you get the right fit.
No saddle will feel like a velvet-lined throne, but don’t put up with pain or numbness either.
6. Sign up for a bike maintenance course
From annual services to component fittings, I’ve given far too much money to mechanics, often for simple tweaks I could have mastered via a few YouTube videos. Most bike stores run classes, so you can learn how to fix your brakes and gears.
A maintenance course will save you money, help you avoid squeaks, creaks and rattles, and prevent you from making an embarrassing call to your partner when you get a mechanical on the top of a windswept peak on Christmas Eve.
7. Learn to cook
One of the joys of cycling is you get to eat lots of grub. But it’s easy to start thinking of meals as fuel, not food. I started out with bland mounds of pasta and joyless bowls of muesli, but – after I discovered books such as The Feed Zone Cookbook by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim, Fuelling the Cycling Revolution by Nigel Mitchell, and The Cycling Chef by Alan Murchison – I realised it’s possible to eat meals that are both healthy and tasty.
These days, I might grab a sweet potato and egg burrito for breakfast, turkey tacos for lunch, and some healthy oat-baked fish and chips for dinner. I’ve lost weight and I enjoy meal times again.
8. Ride consistently
One year, I became a shameless fairweather cyclist, riding every day over the summer but packing my bike away when the winter chill descended. As a result, I turned into Jabba the Hutt over Christmas, missed out on the mood-boosting highs of exercise during the darkest months, and emerged blinking into the spring with some serious catching-up to do.
I now ride more consistently and it’s much healthier. With a quality rain jacket, thermal bib tights and shoe covers to protect against the elements, there’s no reason to fear bad weather.
Indoor platforms such as Zwift offer a fun way to train indoors with friends over the winter months.
- Read more: The complete guide to winter road cycling
9. Start cross-training
When I started doing longer rides and cycling events, something strange happened to my body: I became incredibly lean and fit, and I could ride for hours without pain. But, if I walked to the shops, my legs would ache.
Cycling is a wonderful sport, but it is not weight-bearing, so it’s important to strengthen your bones and supporting muscles with functional cross-training. Mix in a few long hikes, weekday jogs, bodyweight exercises such as lunges and squats, or sports such as tennis and climbing to ensure you stay life-fit.
10. Remember your inner child
Enjoy the thrill of hitting new PBs, push yourself to tackle longer distances and work hard to pump up your power output, but never lose sight of the fact that you ride your bike for fun.
I got so obsessed with cycling that I travelled everywhere from Austria to Australia in search of new challenges. But as the pain soared, my motivation began to wane.
As a result, I put my bike in the shed and didn’t ride for a year. That may be hard for you to imagine right now if you’re still surfing the new-rider high, but cycling is brilliantly addictive and it’s easy to take things too far.
After a long time off the bike, I began riding just for fun again, and I now ride as often as I did before – but without the pressure and brutal self-expectation.
Push your body hard, but never lose that childish thirst for fun and adventure on two wheels
