10 Effective Ways To Go Faster On Your Road Bike

Are you a fast rider looking for ways to go faster on your road bike? Most road bike cycling enthusiasts prefer riding on an average speed. What if you want to ride faster without compromising your safety? What measures or tips should you take? This is exactly what I’m going to discuss on this post.

Feeling and breaking the wind while paddling is a very wonderful and awesome experience for most riders, hence riding faster is a number one priority. Going faster on your road bike takes up lots of hard work, sweat, and plenty of time to master. With that said, it's very possible to ride faster and below I will address ways to help you achieve that goal.

How To Go Faster On A Road Bike

1. Body Position:

The biggest challenge that most cyclists don't usually realize is the wind factor, and the way you choose to position your body on your bike can either slow you down or make you go faster. Wind resistance is very crucial for most riders.

If you are the type that's used to sitting up straight on your bike, you realize that you catch a lot of wind while riding and no wonder you aren't that fast. You need to try lowering your body towards the bars, have your back out flat, and bend in your elbows, this will give you a very big difference and your speed will increase immediately.

2. Lose Some Weight:

One of the first things you need to do to improve your speed is to lose weight. This will help you, especially when riding uphill, you won't have to push so hard to get there. Also, it will reduce on the additional weight put on the bicycle, therefore the tires will keep rolling smoothly, and acceleration will be easier and hence your speed will be steady to chase other cyclists or even make quick turns.

3. Make Your Bike Fit:

While training you may realize that some parts of your body hurt, like the knees, back, or even your butt. In most cases, it may be as a result of overtraining and you may need to take some rest, or it may be because your bike needs a little bit of an upgrade or setup. Whether it's the right bike for you, you still need to fully adjust it so as its totally flexible for you, also, make sure that the tires are properly inflated before each ride so as to roll smoothly and faster.

4. Ride Frequently:

If you want to be better at something, you need to keep doing it more often. Similarly, if you want to go faster on your road bike, then you have to get on it and ride more frequently. Ride it to work, hangout places or even take it for a stroll, this will help you get more comfortable and it will improve your fitness on it and with time you will be able to ride faster.

5. Suit Up For Speed:

Aerodynamic drag is by far the worst hindrance to any cyclist's speed. In order to avoid that, do away with baggy clothes which will keep flapping in the wind, wear skin-tight Lycra suits which will enable you to be more aerodynamic and this will greatly increase your speed. Also, you can opt for an aero bike to help you ride faster.

6. Ride With Others:

Doing this will improve your speed greatly. Ever wondered why most cyclists ride so close to each other? This is because of those at the front work their way to break through the wind while those at the back conserve energy by drafting those at the front hence riding faster. Also, you will get some competition as you try to keep up with fellow riders who are faster than you, and in the process, you will find that your average speed is increasing.

7. Ride At Different Speed Intervals:

This can be the fastest way to increase speed on your road bike. You can start by setting different targets, for example, pick different routes and race yourself to a certain distance, see how fast you can get to that specific distance and try again this time looking to beat the speed at which you reached there first. Do the same with other different routes which have a different setup, with more practice you will see that you can ride faster each time.

8. Eat Well:

Having the right diet will give you the energy and strength you need to keep on training. Not eating enough in order to lose weight is very wrong, you need to check out the some best diets that you can try out in order to stay in shape, as well as give you the strength and keep you properly hydrated so that you can continue to progress in your goal of being a faster rider.

9. Try Different Riding Techniques:

Trying out some new riding skills is also a major way to go faster on your road bike. You can try learning different riding techniques from watching professional cyclists do their thing, or from your friends when you go out for group rides. The different skills that will be displayed can help you improve on your bike handling skills, cornering, and also riding in the right pace line.

10. Get A Cycling Coach:

This is totally optional because you can choose to be your own motivation, but if you choose to go for one, you will have the best training tips that you will need to reach your goal faster. A good coach will give you the confidence and encouragement you need as well as keeping you dedicated to your training schedule. Your coach will also give you tips on the diet you need to maintain as well as help you improve your riding techniques depending on your weaknesses.

Conclusion:

Looking to go faster requires you to pay attention to one major factor which is wind resistance. Although technology today is enabling many cyclists to cut throw the wind easily, with aero bikes, aero wheels among other improvements, you still need to observe some major tips to get you going faster on your road bike. With that said, I hope the above tips will make it possible for you to reach your goals. So go out there and ride safer and faster.