Catweazle

Improving your riding

With a well chosen bicycle under you and set up to ‘fit’ you well, and some basic riding techniques learnt, there’s not much left other than to ride the thing!
Hours spent in the saddle is the path to improved riding abilities. The more you ride the better you get. It’s as simple as that. Your body gets more attuned to the activity. The muscle structure in your legs develops. Even your blood circulation improves, to get more ‘fuel’ down to where it is being used. But let it all happen at a rate which suits YOU, rather than trying to match what you’ve heard of or read about somebody else doing.

Different people need to develop their abilities at different rates. Some older folk can build up their riding capabilities and endurance really quickly, over a period of weeks. Some take months or even a year or more to build up to the levels they wanted to attain. It’s important not to hurt yourself in the trying, because that’s discouraging. No matter what your reason for taking up cycling might be, it ought to be fun!

You’ll soon know what your initial ‘limits’ are, and have a broad idea of what you want to eventually do with your bike, so use that knowledge to set achievable and relevant goals for yourself. Those can be whatever you want or need them to be. A ‘milestone’ ride of a particular distance, perhaps, or an increase to your average riding speed. Perhaps overcoming a hill which is a challenge for you. Whatever that goal might be, for you, be sure to set one which is a challenge, but a reasonably achievable one. And when you achieve that goal, think about what your next challenge might be.