120 MEN’S FITNESS APRIL 2017ONE
Go out with a groupTWO
Pace yourself“Ensure that the majority of the
ride is in the fat-burning domain,”
says Lipski. “That means cycling
at relatively low intensity and as
steadily as possible, then if you
have anything left in the tank in
the final hour you can up the
intensity a little.” Dunne adds: “It
canbeeasytofeellikeacycling
godatthestartofarideandaftera
couple of espressos. But rein it in
and ride within yourself. Heart rate
monitors and power meters are
good for making sure you do this,
butifyouhaven’tgotonethenjust
useyourheadanddon’tgotoofar
into the ‘red zone’ too early.”THREE
Tackle hills“Carry as much speed into the
climbs as possible,” says Lipski. “On
theshorterones,youcangetaway
withgoingalittleharderandusing
yourspeedtogetupandoverit
quickly. But you’ll need to ride the
longer climbs within yourself,
usingyourgearstokeepontopof
the gradient.” At 203cm, Dunne
needs to ride hills conservatively.
This means keeping cadence
(pedallingspeed)highandthelegs
spinning at the beginning of
longerclimbs—around90rpmis
thesweetspot.“Youdon’twantto
be grinding a big gear around and
tiring your legs out.”FOUR
Manage tiredness“If you’re starting to struggle,
tryandkeepyourcadenceas
consistent as possible, as changing
frequently will mean you’re
working harder for the same
speed,” says Lipski. “Always aim
for around 90-95rpm as a target.”
There are ways to restore energy
quickly but Lipski advises caution.
“Energy gels can be effective, but
they can cause stomach problems.
And avoid caffeine-based products
until the final 60-90 minutes of the
ride as there’s an inevitable slump
after the boost. I’d recommend you
try out any energy products on a
shorter, less important ride first.”B
ikes were essentially
invented to make
ourliveseasier—to
getusfromAtoB
with less physical effort than
waspreviouslyrequired.That,
ultimately, is the beauty of
cycling: there is no great impact
onthebodybecauseyourweight
is supported, which means you
can frequently achieve prolonged
efforts of four hours or even more.
Elements of strength, endurance
and power are all naturally
includedinanytypeofrideand,
in the words of pro cyclist Conor
Dunne, “rather than the confines
ofagym,workoutswillgetyou
out exploring the great outdoors”.
Sowhetheryou’relookingto
breach the four-hour mark
forthefirsttime,orwant
togetbetteratthelong
ridesyoualreadydo,here’s
what you need to do when
tackling serious distance.Long rides can either be a tiring
drag or your biggest endorphin
rush of the week. Make sure
it’s the latter with our expert
advice on how to make the
most of time in the saddle.
“The social element of riding in a
groupisahugepositive—youwill
find time passes a lot quicker when
inagroup,notonlybecauseyou’re
rollingalongatafasterspeed,but
because the engagement with
otherswilltakeyourmindoffany
fatigue,” says cycling coach Elliot
Lipski. “You will not get quite as
goodaworkoutinagroupbecause
of the effort saved when drafting
(riding in the slipstream), but
including both solo and group
rideswillgiveyouagood
combinationthatincludesthe
social elements and bike-handling
skills from group rides.”Ride faster
for longer
Body BookTrainer tips