People said a person who LOOKS like a pro cyclist doesn’t mean he knows how to ride like a pro cyclist.
Do you agree with this? – To me, I kinda agree.
Well, we know a person who knows how to ride a bike really well makes him look like a pro cyclist.
Think about it. A person can also pretend to look like a pro cyclist, despite being terrible at cycling.
Plus, how do you DEFINE a pro cyclist?
Does it mean it refers to a person who rides a road bike or a mountain bike? So, a cyclist who rides other bike, such as touring or cruiser bike, can’t be a pro? – You know the answer.
Regardless of the types of bikes, a pro cyclist has right MINDSET and great KNOWLEDGE in cycling.
The appearance or types of bikes doesn’t define a pro cyclist.
So, I’d like to share with you 11 vital cycling tips that you can look into to ride like a pro cyclist.
1. Get a right helmet
A person can be great at cycling. But, if he doesn’t wear a bike helmet, he is ignorant. – Pardon me for being honest.
The fact that a cyclist doesn’t wear a bike helmet shows how THOUGHTLESS he is. He risks his life and safety.
Perhaps wearing a bike helmet looks dumb. But, this is absurd for not wearing a bike helmet.
Accidents can cause head injuries and concussion. This could be FATAL.
This article, based on several studies, states some relevant facts about the importance of a bike helmet while cycling:
- Helmets reduced the chance of serious head injury by 60 percent
- Cyclists without helmet who had a head injury are 3 times more likely to die than those who are injured while wearing a helmet.
A pro cyclist must know how to protect himself if accident happens.
So, tip No.1 to ride like a pro cyclist. Stop being ignorance. Get a RIGHT bike helmet.
1.1 How to get a right bike helmet
Getting a right bike helmet could be more tedious than you think.
In fact, you should consider a few critical factors:
- Safety standards
- Retention system
- Ventilation
- Colour and visibility
- Type of bike helmet that suits your riding occasion
The bottom line is, get a CERTIFIED bike helmet that fulfills safety requirement.
Depending on your nation, the safety standard differ, such as Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), European Committee for Standardization (CEN), etc. – You can find the sticker that printed the safety standard inside the helmet.
You might even want a bike helmet with advanced safety feature, such as Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (MIPS), Shearing Pads Inside (SPIN), etc.
They help reduce rotational force and the chance of concussion. – The name of the technologies could be printed on the liner of helmet.
Also, never get a second hand bike helmet or borrow from others.
- Reason 1: The size might not be right. And this compromises the safety measures.
- Reason 2: You might get a “damaged” bike helmet. Bike helmets are designed to withstand collision ONCE. And after this, we should replace it even if we can’t spot any damage on the surface.
For more info, you can read this post.
2. Master cycling skills
Many people know how to ride a bike (without falling). Does it make them pro cyclists? – At least, it is still early to conclude.
In contrast, a pro cyclist exactly knows what cycling skills they possess to help them maneuver and ride efficiently. – Of course, ride faster, too.
Let me test you. Can you think of any cycling skills that you learned so far?
Well, you might not recall what you learned. The good news is, you already learned some cycling skills even without noticing.
And the more you ride, the better you are at these.
This isn’t the full picture, though. To master your cycling skills, you should put EFFORT and be MINDFUL when performing these skills.
So, you know exactly what you are doing and the PURPOSE of doing them.
Now, let’s look at some basic (not all) cycling skills you should master to ride like a pro cyclist:
2.1 Braking
You might hear this before: Right for Rear, Left for Front. – Meaning, right brake lever for rear brakes and left brake lever for front brakes.
This might not be always true. Depending on the nation, the arrangement can be SWITCHED.
So, test it out and confirm the arrangement.
Next, make sure you know the PURPOSE of front and rear brakes. Usually, front brakes are for emergency brakes while rear brakes are for slowing down.
When doing an emergency brake, you need to switch your weight back (behind the saddle) to counter with the inertia. – So, it avoids flopping from the bike.
2.2 Gliding
You stop pedaling for a while, and you just let your bike glide. So, you glide most of the time while cycling, even without noticing.
Do you know why you should glide when necessary?
Clearly, you want to save energy and let your leg muscles recover to make you ride longer.
Besides, you glide to control the speed of your bike, especially while descending.
As you see, you know how to control your bike and ride longer.
2.3 Cornering
Gliding is a foundation of cornering. It looks simple, but it can be broken down into few parts:
Firstly, you glide. Next, look to the direction where you want to go. Lastly, lean your bike to the side accordingly.
The faster your cornering is, the more you need to lean.
Wait, won’t it make us fall right away? Sounds anti-science, right? In fact, this is the total opposite.
Leaning lowers the centre of gravity to stay stable. That’s why you need to lean more if your gliding speed is greater.
2.4 Changing gears
This depends on the type of bike. For example, a cruiser bike might have 1 gearing set, such as 1 chainring and 1 rear cogs. – And you don’t have need to change gear at all.
But, if your bike has different sets of chainrings and a cassette (multiple rear cogs), you need to spend some time to master changing gears.
Here comes the rule of thumb: low gear for ascending and high gear for flat or descending.
What makes it even more complicated is CROSS CHAINING. – And it can damage the gear and chain.
Hence, a pro cyclist should know how to change gear properly without cross chaining. – It’ll save tons of energy without damaging your bike.
So, how well are you able to change gear? Have you mastered gear changing?
2.5 Out-of-saddle
Can you ride out-of-saddle? Believe it or not. Some people simply can’t do this. Even if they can, they tend to avoid it because of its “discomfort”.
Regardless of the types of bikes, out-of-saddle riding is crucial for ASCENDING.
Why should you learn this?
Without riding out-of-saddle, pedaling isn’t strong enough. And you literally strain your leg muscles.
Out-of-saddle pedaling makes you pedal with your bodyweight, rather than your leg power. So, this avoids overload of your leg muscles.
Plus, bodyweight pedaling gives your huge power within a short period of time.
Nonetheless, you can refer to this post for more details about cycling skills.
3. Get a right bike
“You can ride any bike you want.” Yes, you can. But, it isn’t a great idea.
Different bikes serve different functions. Some bikes are for RECREATION whereas some could be used for both recreation and PERFORMANCE.
For example, you want to travel long distance with speed. – A road bike or gravel bike is what you need.
Or, you want to travel short distance comfortably. – A cruiser bike is all you need.
It doesn’t mean getting a road bike or mountain bike instantly make you ride like a pro. Instead, a pro knows what bikes SERVE his purpose.
So, set back and think of the PURPOSE of riding a bike. Next, you may need some features to help you get a right bike:
- Materials of bike frame
- Handle bar
- Saddle
- Size
- Resale value of the bike
Remember. Right bike for right riding OCCASION. For instance, you don’t want to ride a road bike on a trail, do you? – This is the best way to damage your road bike.
Besides, I have a detailed post on choosing the right bike. You can click on this post to read further.
4. Know your bike
So, you already know how to get the right bike. But, this is not the end of it.
The next question is: “how well do you use your bike?”
To answer this, you need to know your bike really well.
Look at your bike and its features. Everything gives you a hint. The saddle height, handle bar, braking system, and gearing system.
Right now, you should have doubts:
- “Is the saddle height fit?” – You need to adjust the saddle to the proper height.
- “Is the current handle bar alright?” – You might need to replace the handle bar if necessary.
- “Is front brake necessary?” – If yes, get to know how to brake without flopping.
- “Do I have the right skill to use the gearing system?” – Practice changing gears without causing cross chaining.
A pro cyclist knows how a bike fits him so he can control and maneuver as he wants.
And if you don’t know your bike well, you are more prone to accidents and injuries. And this is not even funny.
5. Observe traffic rules
Cyclists are not drivers. But, that doesn’t exempt them from observing traffic rules.
To be honest, I saw many “pros” with glamorous cycling outfit who break traffic rules. They thought they are invisible. – And yet, they blamed drivers for being hateful on them.
Yeah, they are great at cycling. But, their attitude despises me so much. To be honest, I don’t even consider a jerk like them as a pro cyclist.
Well, I know some countries don’t really have EXPLICIT traffic rules for cyclist. Think about this. Just like the drivers, cyclists also use the roads.
And if road users don’t observe traffic rules, accidents and chaos happen.
Furthermore, if these happen, cyclists suffer worse than drivers. And that’s a fact.
To ride like a pro cyclist, you need to be CONSIDERATE. The safety of road users and you matters.
So, just follow traffic rules. Follow speed limit, traffic light, etc. – Just treat yourself as a driver.
6. Know hand signals
Imagine you are driving on a road at regular speed, right behind a car. Suddenly, the car in front of you brakes right away.
Will this give you a total SHOCK? Ironically, the car turns to the right. No signal, at all.
Don’t you think this is extremely dangerous? That car driver literally drives without giving signals. Other drivers or road users simply don’t have time to react.
Worse still, accidents happen.
As a cyclist, don’t expect other road users know what you’re thinking. Or, don’t think you are insignificant on the road.
So, you need to give signal even when cycling. But, how do cyclists give signal when there is no feature like cars?
That is where you need to know hand signals.
6.1 How to signal by hands?
The good thing is, you should’ve already learned this while having your driving license. The hand signals for motorists are similar to cyclists as well.
Use hand signals for MANEUVERING and showing OBSTACLES.
For maneuvering, get to know the basic:
- Turn left – extend the left hand to the left
- Turn right – extend the right hand to the right. Or, lift the left hand and bend the elbow perpendicularly upwards.
- Slow down – gently flutter the palm (either hand)
- Stop – lift the hand (either hand) and bend the elbow perpendicularly downwards
Remember to look over your shoulder to check when maneuvering.
For showing potholes or obstacles, simply point to the direction of the obstacles.
FYI, a cyclist without knowing hand signal is just like a reckless driver.
7. Plan your route
It doesn’t matter if you want bike commuting or having a long distance ride. After all, you need to plan your route.
Let’s take bike commuting as an example. Do you want to reach the destination the fastest way?
You notice there are a few routes you can take. The traffic of each route varies. You need to consider and try out a few times to find out the “best” route.
As time goes by, this saves your time and effort greatly. And you won’t find bike commuting dreadful.
Or, you want to ride 50km with your friends this weekend. What road / trail should you consider? Do you want a flat or undulating route? How far away is the route from your house?
In this instance, you need a GPS device to help you plan. It can be Google Map or an outdoor app.
Plan your route in advance, so you’re physically and mentally prepared.
Otherwise, you waste a lot of time or might even be lost when cycling.
8. Know your limit
Well, a road cyclist or a mountain bike cyclist doesn’t equal pro cyclist.
A pro cyclist knows his strength and limit. So, he knows what he is doing.
Hence, even a bike commuter with an old hybrid bike can also be a pro cyclist.
Likewise, a beginner can also be a pro cyclist, as long as he is aware of his ability and limit. Well, he might not have the experience and fitness of a real pro cyclist, but he does have the right MINDSET.
It’s just a matter of time to gain his experience to refine his skills as he keeps cycling.
For example, a beginner can start small by riding 10km. He can slowly increase the mileage to 10K, depending on his progress.
In contrast, he might look like a fool if he plans to ride 50km when he just learned how to ride a bike. He isn’t prepared physically and mentally yet. Mostly, he can’t make it and loses his confidence.
9. Check weather
What is your biggest nightmare when cycling?
Some people absolutely hate riding in the rain unprepared. They don’t have rain jacket; they have to find shelter to wait for the rain to stop……
Do you hate it as well?
We can’t avoid this, but we can eliminate the chance. That is, to check the weather before we ride.
A pro cyclist should PREPARE for any possible situations that can happen when riding.
For example, you can apply sunscreen or wear a long sleeve shirt on a sunny day.
If the weather is cold, you’d need a jacket.
Or, if it is going to rain, you have a few options:
- Cancel the ride and stay at home
- Use other transportation for commuting instead of bike
- Bring a rain jacket with you
It’s disastrous if you ride without knowing the conditions but only realize you don’t bring the essential gear when the odds happen.
10. Know group riding etiquette
Have you ever thought of joining group community? It’s fun, why not?
Well, you can befriend many like-minded cyclists. You definitely will have a great moment. – Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
Nonetheless, it is silly to join the group without knowing group riding etiquette.
Think about this. You’re gonna deal with other cyclists. And they behave differently.
So, you might offend others even without knowing.
To be honest, this is a HUGE area that we can discuss in a separate post. But right now, you should know some key areas in group riding etiquette:
10.1 Hand signals
This is the foundation of group communication.
While you’ve learned the basic hand signal as above, you might learn extra hand signals for group riding.
10.2 Command
Specific words or JARGON in group riding. They can be used with hand signals.
10.3 Follow group pace
Don’t OUTPACE without any real purpose.
Also, don’t TAILGATE too closely until your front wheel touches the rear wheel of the bike in front of you. This can cause domino-effect collision.
10.4 Help each other if needed
Offer help if needed.
Also, don’t be shy to ask for help, instead of keeping quiet. Keeping quiet doesn’t solve problem but drags cycling progress.
10.5 Drafting
Know how to draft in respect of the WIND directions and DISTANCE.
Plus, know your role in a PACE LINE.
10.6 No aero-bar
This is a general rule, unless it is a special aero-bar riding session.
It’s DANGEROUS. First, it is less STABLE than usual dropped-handlebar posture.
Second, it’s hard to press the BRAKE. This can also cause domino-effect collision.
11. Maintain your bike
Bike maintenance might not be essential for cyclist. After all, we can send the bike to bike shop for repair.
Just like driving. Many drivers don’t even know how to maintain their cars and inspect car related issues.
But, if you have the choice, do you want to spend unnecessary money and time just to send your bike for inspection and repair?
With proper bike maintenance knowledge, you can inspect and repair on the spot. You don’t have to cancel your ride to send for repair. And, you save money.
Plus, you extend the lifespan of your bike.
Before cycling, always check your BIKE CONDITIONS, ie. tyres and the chain. For example, you might need to inflate the tyres or lube the chain.
Next, learn know to inspect or replace punctured TUBES. So, you can even do this while cycling road-side.
And because of this, bring SPARE items, such as mini pump, tyre lever, and a spare tube, whenever you go cycling (if possible).
Final thought: how to ride like a pro cyclist
Fancy cycling outfit doesn’t make you a pro cyclist, but the way how you ride your bike does.
In essence, you need a proper MINDSET and related KNOWELGE about cycling. – Meaning, you know what you’re doing.
Hence, even if you don’t ride a road bike, or you are just a beginner, you can still ride like a pro cyclist if you have these features.
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