5 Tips For Bike Fitness

Here are 5 tips for bike fitness to try during your workouts. If you are new to biking, make sure you have all of the proper safety equipment before you train. Become familiar with the area you intend to ride to look for obstacles or sharp turns. Pace yourself until you increase your fitness level to avoid possible injury. As you become more skilled with a bike, you can add more difficulty to your riding, such as steep inclines or different terrains.

1. Start out with a warm up that gradually increases your heart rate. Ride for about a mile during the warm-up stage. If you are riding on the street in a fairly inhabited area, watch out for pedestrians and vehicles, as well as traffic signs. If you are in an area with poorly maintained roads, watch out for potholes and debris. Your bike tires will need to be kept fully inflated, regardless of the terrain you choose to ride.
2. After you are warmed up, pick up the pace. Alternate between standing on the pedals and sitting, to vary your speed. Check your bike gears and stay alert for obstructions. Try to maintain a good pace until you start to become winded, then slow down and coast. Take a drink and catch your breath.
3. Once you rest for a few minutes, try an all-out sprint. Varying the pace of your bike workout will help you to increase your fitness level. Sprint for as long as you can, and then coast. Hydrate yourself, and then begin another sprint. Your legs may start to burn on the second sprint, so do not overdo it if you are still relatively new to biking.
4. Slow down and maintain a moderate pace. Let your heart rate come down for several minutes, and catch your breath. You do not have to pedal the bike the entire time, so increase your speed for a few seconds, and then coast once you start to tire. Your fitness level will gradually improve as you become more experienced.
5. Sprint one final time. Pretend you are in a race, and you have one more mile until the finish. Get up off the seat and push yourself. Once you have finished, coast and take a long drink. Decrease your speed and dismount the bike. Stretch your legs and lower back and check the bike over. Make a note of how you performed, and then set a new goal for your next bike fitness workout.