Want to be a better cyclist? Just ride. Every time you turn the pedals, you naturally improve a little. But of course, we can all do with a little more help. Here is a generous helping of wisdom from the most skilled and knowledgeable coaches, physiologists, and cyclists in the world.
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(Brave the Woods)

HOW TO HEAL: Road rash—patches of abraded skin that result when you crash and slide across pavement—is painful but rarely serious, long-lasting, or likely to horrifically scar if you follow these six tips

NO. 50 Quickly get to a place where you can thoroughly clean and disinfect the wound. It is less painful if done within 30 minutes of the crash, because nerve endings are still numb from the trauma.NO. 51 To prevent infection and scarring, scrub the wound hard with a rough washcloth or a medium- or soft-bristle brush. Apply a liberal amount of an antibacterial surgical cleaner such as Betadine.

NO. 52 Pat the wound dry, then apply an antibacterial ointment.

NO. 53 Cover the cleaned abrasion with a nonstick sterile dressing. To prevent leakage on clothes or sheets, cover the dressing with a layer of absorbent gauze for the first few days.

NO. 54 Change the dressing each morning and night. Apply more antibacterial ointment before covering the wound, and check for signs of infection: tenderness, swollen red skin, or a sensation of heat. If you detect any of these, consult a doctor.

NO. 55 To minimize scarring, keep the wound moist so a hard scab can’t develop. As new skin starts to form, apply ointment and light gauze. This zinc-oxide-based salve prevents scabbing. Then use a moisturiser on new skin for at least a week.

NO. 56
When you cast a crisp shadow on the road, take the opportunity to check your position—are your elbows bent, back flat, knees slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke, head up without being torqued at the neck?

NO. 57
As tempted as you might be, don’t take a day completely off the bike after the week’s hardest effort. The best way to recover is with a short, easy spin—30 to 60 minutes at a pace that always allows effortless talking.

NO. 58
On intermittently trafficked roads, take special care with a crosswind from the right. You’ll naturally lean into it in order to ride a straight line. Then, when motorists pass and momentarily block the wind, you might veer into the lane—and into danger. You can prevent this by anticipating it and keeping your elbows and grip relaxed to enable quick responses to changing wind velocity and direction.

NO. 59
If your floor pump is more than a couple years old, the pressure gauge is likely giving inaccurate low readings (which leads to greater rolling resistance and a higher risk of flat tyres due to under-inflation). Keep the pump in action by buying an air-pressure gauge that is made specifically for bicycles.

NO. 60
Get more life from your tyres by switching them from one wheel to another. The rear wears more than twice as fast as the front, so swapping every 800 km or so significantly extends their longevity.

NO. 61
For safety, don’t brake in a paceline. Doing so will slow you too much, open a gap, and possibly cause a chain reaction. Instead, if you begin to overtake the rider in front, ease your pedal pressure, sit up to catch more wind, or move out to the side a bit. Once you’ve lost enough speed, tuck back in line and smoothly resume pedalling.

(Brave the Woods)

PAIN KILLERS: Simple solutions for six of the most common aches, twinges, tingles, and discomforts

NO. 62 KNEE PAIN: If the pain is in the front of your knee, raise your saddle in 2mm increments until the knee stops complaining. If the pain is in the back, lower your seat instead.

NO. 63  CRIMPED NECK: You’re most likely being forced to reach too far to the handlebar, so try a shorter stem or raise the bar by adding spacers under the stem.

NO. 64 ACHY LOW BACK: You’re probably too stretched out, so try the same fixes recommended for neck pain. If these don’t work, you may have a leg-length discrepancy—see a fit specialist for help.

NO. 65 NUMB HANDS: You’re probably putting too much weight on your hands. Raise your handlebar or shorten your stem (or both). Also check the saddle—if it angles down, you could be sliding toward the bar.

NO. 66 BURNING FEET: The simplest—and often overlooked—fix is to try riding with straps, buckles, or laces looser (but still secure). Next, move your cleats backward 2mm or less, which shifts pressure off the balls of your feet.

NO. 67 SORE NETHERS: Make sure the saddle is level and straight. A low handlebar can cause your pelvis to rotate forward and down, so try raising it with spacers. Finally, test seats of different widths, lengths, firmnesses, and shapes.

SURVIVE THE DREADED SWITCHBACK: How to negotiate one of the hardest trail features for novice mountain bikers

NO. 68 As you arrive at the turning point, look over your shoulder, in the direction you want to go. You’ll be amazed how well your bike follows your head around the switchback.NO. 69 In the turn, stay off your front brake; use the rear only if necessary. Try to do all braking before.

NO. 70 If it’s a left turn, enter with your right foot forward (vice-versa in a right turn). If you start to fall to the inside, one powerful pedal stroke can stand you back upright.

NO. 71
If you have difficulty riding in a straight line, focus your vision about six metres ahead when riding at 15 to 25 kph, and extend this one metre farther for every additional kph. This gives your body time to automatically correct for changes in the road—naturally directing you to where you want to go instead of constantly reacting to where you already are.

NO. 72
Break up long rides with a 15-second sprint every 30 minutes or so—adding variety to a monotonous pace is better training, relieves saddle pressure, and stretches and relaxes your body.

NO. 73
After a cold, muddy, or gritty ride, resist the temptation to dash into the house. Instead, hose your bike while it’s still wet (when it’s easiest to get clean), dry any moving parts with a towel, and lube the chain. The entire process takes five to 10 minutes, and saves you at least 30 later on.

(Brave the Woods)

NO. 74
Ride like a jockey to get safely over rough railroad crossings, stretches of pothole-infested roads, or any other surfaces that could cause flats, damage to the rims, or even crashes: Stand slightly, with bent knees and elbows, and let the bike float up and down beneath you to absorb the shocks.
NO. 75
After you grab your water bottle, don’t tilt your head to drink. Tilt the bottle and squeeze the water in. You’ll have more control.

NO. 76
How long of an event can you handle? Most cyclists can go about three times the distance (or time) of their average rides without struggling so much they risk falling to pieces.

NO. 77
When climbing, visualize pedaling across the stroke rather than simply up and down. Strive to apply power horizontally through the bottom and top of the stroke.

NO. 78
The key to smooth, reliable, non-damaging gear changes when you’re pushing hard is to ease your pedal pressure at the instant you move the shift lever. You need to lighten the load on the chain for about one revolution so it won’t balk, crunch, or possibly break. Then hit the power again.

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