It's the 99th Tour de France grabbing our sporting interest this month and we’re right on the trail of Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky. Could this be the year Great Britain gets their champion? We hope so!
Even if you’re not planning on joining Le Tour next year we’ve got some tips that can help you get bike fit. What should be doing on the gym floor? How can group cycling classes in your club help? The answers are right here.
Simulate hill training on your stationary bike by either sitting or standing and have the resistance turned right up. If you’re checking your heart rate on a monitor it should be at 7 or 8 on the climb.
For sprint training in a group cycling class that heart monitor should read 8 ½ - 9. Stay seated and lower the resistance.
Make sure for climbing or sprinting that your hands mimick what you do outside on your bike.
On the gym floor, it’s a good idea to strengthen your back. Leaning over the handle bars keeps your trunk in forward flexion for long periods of time, so use the TRX or ViPR to balance that out and extend your spine. Cyclists can also benefit from squats and lunges to strengthen their glutes, core and leg muscles.
To get the edge on your cycling competition the hard truth is you need to put the miles in on the seat. To be a better biker you’ve simply got to get on that bike!
