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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NO. 79
Icky but effective: If you’re going to be doing a lot of riding in cold, windy weather, don’t clean your ears as often as usual. Removing the wax makes earaches more likely, because it exposes the inner ear to rushing air.NO. 80
Don’t take the day off before a big event. If you need complete rest from riding, do so two days before, then take a short ride on the eve of the event—including a couple sprints to make sure your body (and your bike) are well oiled.

(Brave the Woods)

QUICK AND IN CONTROL: Five ways to stay steady during hard accelerations

NO. 81 Firmly grip the handlebar drops slightly lower in the bend than normal (not quite halfway between the deepest part of the curve and the end of the bar).

NO. 82 Keep your elbows slightly bent to help you hold a straight line.

NO. 83 Pull evenly backward and down on the handlebar with every stroke.

NO. 84 Don’t hold your breath—a common mistake during sharp efforts, even among experienced riders.

NO. 85 Keep your head up—another frequent error in technique, because it feels natural for some reason to drop your chin.
NO. 86
Don’t get down on yourself and think you’re mentally weak if you feel like the wind is almost always against you—you’re right. Studies have shown that only those winds within the trailing 160 degrees of an imaginary circle drawn around a cyclist provide assistance. Wind anywhere in the other 200 degrees works against you.

NO. 87
For optimal handling when carrying a load, put approximately 60 percent of the weight in the rear panniers or on a rack, 35 percent on a front rack or panniers, and 5 percent in a handlebar bag.

NO. 88
The safest headlight setup for night riding: one that aims its beam somewhat downward (and far enough ahead to let you ride as fast as you want while being able to see and react to changing conditions in time), with a second light at the eye level of motorists, to catch their attention.

NO. 89
Stretching on the bike helps minimise fatigue. Coast, put your left foot down, then lean far to the right to stretch your back and your left leg. Then do the right leg.

NO. 90
To get safely through a sandy or gravel-strewn turn, straighten your bike until you’re past the loose stuff, then resume turning. Avoid braking or excessively leaning while on a loose surface. Shift your weight back to help the bike track straight.

NO. 91
If you’re suffering from achillies tendon pain, try raising the saddle and going for an easy spin while pedaling lightly, then see if the discomfort lessens. Increasing the distance from the saddle to the pedal seems to defy logic, but sometimes with a low saddle a cyclist’s foot is in such a horizontal position, with the ankle bent at a right angle, that it causes strain on the tendon. Raising the saddle results in the foot being pointed slightly downward.

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