A note on form for the cycling neophyte

Enough can not be said of the importance for perfected form in your cycling. It could be argued that improved form could make you a better cyclist before strength building. You can have strong legs, but if you're not using them, and the rest of your body correctly, your muscles are not going to take you very far. Form determines the efficiency of your riding and allows you to ride faster and farther with a quick recovery time.

It takes discipline to maintain good form, especially for beginners. You have to continually be conscious of it, forcing yourself to make minor tweaks in your body position. Still, the perpetual effort is worth it. Losing your form is a slippery slope into the abyss of utter exhaustion and frustration. While riding, when you start getting tired, your form is the first thing that starts to lag. As a result your performance will exponentially decline. You get tired, start losing your form, thus forcing your body to work harder, with minimal results, which only requires you to work even harder- and so it goes.

Much more could be written about form. Yet, below are a few pointers that will get you started on the right track.

1. Don't lean on your handle bars. They are there to help you keep your balance, not hold you up. Your core should be keeping you upright. If your hands are going numb, it’s an indication that you’re putting too much weight on them.

2. Keep your legs tucked in. I always find it curious seeing guys trying to do the splits while riding. Unless you have balls the size of ostrich eggs, there is no reason for you riding with you legs spread eagle. Instead, keep you legs tucked in as close as possible to your bike's top tube. Think of your legs like pistons in an automobile, moving on a consistent straight line at an even cadence. You'll get much more power from your legs this way.

3. Stand up on your pedals. Especially when you are climbing and are finding it difficult to maintain as decent cadence, stand up and pedal. You'll use some different muscles, stretch out the ones that are fatigued, allow blood to circulate better, and give yourself the momentum to return to your saddle and maintain a faster pace.

4. Don't rock your upper body. How many times do you see this: cyclist climbing a steep hill, their legs are getting tired, they have no momentum and can't set a decent pace, so they rock their shoulders back and forth. Newsflash! You can't use you upper body to get up the mountain, your legs, solely, have to do that. Plus, rocking your shoulders is only using precious energy your little legs need to get the job done. It is counterproductive. Instead, relax your upper body. Get all the tension out of your shoulders (see #1). Then, see #3 to get your momentum back so you can finish the climb.

5. Breathe at a consistent rhythm. Don't allow yourself to be gasping for air. A good rule: exhale for 3 seconds, inhale for 2. As your lung capacity increases, and the more discipline you are with your breathing, this ratio will widen. Some cyclist exhale for 4 seconds, inhale for 2. Breathing plays a big part in efficient riding, so don’t allow it to be haphazard.