1. Climbing - stay up as high as you can. Use the top bar. The more lung capacity you have the better.

  2. Gears - change them constantly to keep your cadence to about 80 rpm.

  3. Glasses - put them over the straps. If you fall, they will come off first and not hurt your face.

  4. When you are cycling downhill, try and go on the drop bars. It lowers your centre of gravity. Always keep two fingers on the brakes

  5. Normal cycling - stay on the hoods and keep fingers on the brakes

  6. When going over bumps, take your weight on your legs

  7. On spins over 2 hours, eat something small after an hour and then every 30 to 60 mins after.

  8. If you can, use electrolyte tabs in your bottle. Its the best way to hydrate. Dont use cordial/dilute.

  9. Rim vs Disc brakes - Disc brake bikes are easier to stop as braking is more effective, but the bike is heavier.

  10. Change your helmet every 3 years - always wear a helmet!

  11. Don't hunch your shoulders. Try and not strain your neck and use your eyes to look ahead, rather than stretch/strain your neck up.

  12. When cornering, put your weight on the outside pedal and face your knee into the corner.

  13. When climbing you can pull the opposite handlebar and leg towards each other to get more traction

  14. Check before you go out -

    • tyre pressure

    • spare tube and pump or co2

    • check brakes not rubbing and that the brake release clips are down

  15. Always ride with your elbows slightly bent and your arms and shoulders relaxed. This prevents fatigue caused by muscle tension. It also allows your arms to absorb shock instead of transmitting it to your body.

  16. Signal with your hand if there is someone behind you and there are potholes or any obstruction on the road

  17. Don't turn around to look behind you unless you are 100% clear of anything in front of you!

  18. In rain, clean your brakes regularly by giving a light squeeze

  19. In rain, before drinking from your bottle, squeeze a little water out first to clean the top

  20. Make sure your bike is the right size.

    1. See table below for frame sizing…

    2. Saddle. When sitting on the saddle, foot out of the pedals, your heel should be able to touch but not put any pressure on the pedal.

    3. With you hands on the top of the handlebars, you should not be able to see the centre hub of the front wheel.

  21. Don't wear a yellow jersey or European champion (rainbow) jersey etc. Those are reserved for the people that actually earned them by winning.

  22. Shoes can be tighter than your normal walking/running shoes - your foot doesnt move in the show when cycling.

  23. When cycling in a group, take your turn at the front.

  24. When cycling in a group behind, try stay within 10cm of the wheel in front of you. It will give you 30% saving in energy.

  25. Service your bike once per year.

  26. Road bike helmets don't have a visor - if you have on on it, its for mountain bike rides, so take it off when on the road🙂

  27. Get a good bib shorts - make sure the gel is good. Don't wear underwear under the shorts - it will end up grating against your skin.

  28. Gloves. They are good to absorb sweat, give you grip and if you do fall, to save your hands.

  29. Make sure your cleats are properly aligned. If they are out, then your knees will feel the strain.

  30. Dont listen to headphones - you wont hear traffic so it is unsafe.

  31. Keep your chest warm. It can get really cold on descents. Layer up.

  32. After rain roads can be slippery and greasy as it dries - it is the time to be most careful.

  33. You don’t need a pro level bike unless you want to race...