Take Your Cycling to the Next Level

It’s the perfect time to think about taking your cycling to the next level. Come on, I know you’re thinking about it.  Whether it’s your “off-season” or you’re in the middle of training hard, there’s no time like the present.

You’ve been riding and riding, season after season, and just itching to do something a little more daring or competitive.  It doesn’t matter where you’re at…beginner or Cat 1….it’s a great time to take your cycling up a notch.

Here’s 4 ways you can do it:

1. Take it to the Road

There are a few novice cyclists that I’ve talked to who want advice on how to take their cycling to the road.  What they mean is that they have been cycling on paths and trails for quite a while now and would love to get up the nerve to ride on the street.  When you hit the road, it opens up a lot of options to cyclists whether it’s for the purpose of commuting, or as a road cyclist looking for more terrain.

I have three tips for you when it comes to cycling on those vehicle infested streets:

• Be confident, and own your area of the road.
• Be safe and smart.
• Remember you deserve to be out there.

2. Train for a Century

Maybe you’ve been cycling your butt off all summer, but haven’t yet been out on any big mile rides. There is always the infamous 100 Miles to take on as a major challenge, and it can definitely be achieved with the right training.  There are plenty of great cycling plans to follow so that over a set amount of weeks, you are totally ready for 100 miles of goodness.  I’ve heard a lot of great things about Training Peaks….they have countless cycling plans available for all types of rides and riders.  Check them (or any similar sites) out and see if you can find a Century plan to get you there.  Their plans cost money, but a good plan will be worth it.  Even if your century takes place next season…there is no time like the present to get started with your training.

3. Enter a Duathlon or Triathlon

If you’d like to shake things up a little and take a detour from a full out cycling challenge, then training for a dualathlon or triathlon would be a fantastic way to kick it up a notch.  My good friend Daniela Ginta did just that earlier this year (not once, but twice) and provided us with a post about her experience in her first duathlon. It seems like there are more and more cyclists getting into triathlons…or even entering the Ironman ring.

Just as I mentioned with century training, triathlon plans can also be purchased to help take you down that path.

Buy a New Bike

Oh yeah, what can be more exciting than buying yourself a new bike?  Well, if you’ve been getting by on an older bicycle and feel like you’re ready to step it up….a new bike will do wonders.  Now, I’m not saying that a new bike can make you an amazing cyclist, but a good quality bike can totally bring your cycling to another level.

Check with your friendly neighborhood bike shop and tell them what type of rider you are, and what type you’d like to become.  They will help set you up with the perfect bike.  There is countless bits of advice that can be given when it comes to buying a new bike…..the one tip I’ll toss out is “buying a quality bike might cost a lot, but it’s well worth the investment”.

If you’d like some tips on buying a road bike, listen to the Cycling 360 podcast we did on this subject: How to shop for a new road bike.

You definitely don’t need to kick your cycling performance up in order to have fun and Enjoy Your Ride…but if you’re wanting to go up a level, I hope these suggestions help you out.