This document contains 51 tips for cycling from various experts and bloggers. Some key tips include: getting the proper bike size as sizes can vary between brands; considering an adventure/gravel bike for comfort; using cadence to avoid grinding gears; buying a cheap bike computer to track progress; investing in good cycling clothing like bib shorts; and enjoying cycling at your own pace without worrying about average speeds or social media.

1. 51
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5. GRIT.CX
1) “Never take what one bike shop says as your size as gospel for all
bike brands.
I spend half my life trying to explain to people that a 48cm in
Cannondale is like a 51cm in Cervelo”
2) “If you are new to road biking consider an adventure/gravel bike.
Slightly slower but way more comfy thanks to the tyres (not the frame as
many manufacturers will tell you)”
3) “Cadence is really important.Set an alarm on your computer for
when cadence drops below 80rpm,time to drop a gear.
Eventually it becomes second nature.”

6. TWOWHEELARMY.COM
4) “Buy a cheap Garmin.I still have a 200 that is great.Even a good
Cateye one.For me seeing my speed increase on rides and seeing my
average speed increase on my training route was and still is a huge
boost.
Then on the other hand see how things like the headwinds can
effect your ride so don’t get too disheartened if you are having a slow
ride.
You can also get more advanced with sprint training once you have the
hang of the bike”

7. 5) “Good cycling clothing is the best investment you can make.
Don’t waste money on an expensive fancy helmet they all meet the
same standard,spend your money on decent bib shorts they make all
the difference”
6) “Don’t be afraid of traffic but sit away from parked cars,at least an
open door width and claim your place on the road be confident and
look at drivers at junctions they will feel your burning gaze”

8. 7) “Start slowly don’t aim to go too far or fast too soon.Build it
up steadily over time and as you feel more confident and
comfortable push your limits.
Oh,and the most important tip of all….. Just enjoy yourself!”

9. #3COUNTIES
8) “Buy the best bike you can afford,
buy the best shorts you can afford.”
9) “Always use lights.”

10. VELOBLOGUK
10) “Always check the weather forecast.
In England you can get deceivingly blue skies,it looks like it may be
warm so you go a layer less only for it to actually be really really cold.I
can live with my core being cold but my hands? Definitely not.
Descending quickly with numb hands is not cool,you can’t feel yourself
squeezing the brakes!
Also,check it for rain.Going out without a rain cape stuffed in your
jersey pocket only for there to be downpour is disheartening to say the
least.”

11. LIVING THE DREAM
11) “Get out of your comfort zone.The rides where you bite off more than
you can chew always turn out to be the best.
Probably the worst thing you can do is not challenge yourself,go further,
go faster and don’t look back.”
12) “Look after your bike well.Your trusty steed will take you thousands of
miles,so respect it.Clean it every week,fresh degrease and grease.Bikes
shouldn’t squeak or make funny noises.
Make adjustments and learn to fix it yourself.
Always spend the last mile of your
ride listening to your bike,so
when you get home it
can be cleaned and fixed.”

12. 13) “My biggest tip would be to ‘Just ride’.
Get out,short rides,long rides,lone rides or group rides.They all count
and you’ll always feel better for it!
Just enjoy it!”

13. ORDINARY CYCLING GIRL
14) “Make the switch to clip-in pedals.
It might seem daunting at first but you won’t regret it.You’ll be
surprised at the improvement you will see in your ability to cycle
more efficiently and to get up those hills.
My top tip is definitely to anticipate having to unclip and to do it
early! And always unclip with the same foot first so that it becomes
habit.”

14. @WESHELLYAR
15) “While climbing,don’t go too hard too early on and ensure you
continue to pedal over the top of the climb.Often cyclists stop pedaling
at what the perceive to be the top only to lose momentum when the are
several feet from the plateau.”
16) “On the nutritional side,generally stick to water for rides under an
hour.Carbs on rides of 1-3 hours and a mixture of carbs and protein for
rides longer than 3 hours.Its worth noting however that these are only
guidelines,as nutrition is often a matter of
‘what works for you’.”

15. @WESHELLYAR
17) “In wet weather,keep your bike as upright as possible in corners and
break earlier than usual.Also watch out for slippery oil/diesel patches
which are particularly bad during the first rains of the season as well as
at intersections.”
18) “Make use of your gears (and wear out your shifters) by changing
frequently to avoid ‘grinding the pedals’ on both flats and climbs.
Cadence is also a personal preference,but I’d generally say 90-110rpm
on flats/descents and around 70-90rpm
on climbs.”

16. ANOTHER CYCLIST
19) “If you’re new to cycling enjoy it! Don’t get bogged down in Strava,
average speeds and sharing your rides on social media that’s just
details.The bigger picture is one of adventure and exploration.
20) “Don’t avoid the hills,they get easier the more you do,you can’t
avoid them forever so you may as well get better at them.Good
technique works on small hills,strength and fitness is more important on
long slogs like the Alps.”

17. 21) “Contact points are crucial:
a) Between you and the bike – Hands,feet and bottom – get these right!
Good short,gloves and shoes.Try out saddles,bar tape,pedals – make sure
they are comfortable.Get your bike to fit correctly.Chamois cream on long
rides makes a huge difference.
b) Between the bike and the road – buy the best tyres you can afford – they
are the ONLY thing that sticks you to the road!
c) Between chain and gears – clean and oil.Buy a chain cleaner and
degreasing fluid – it will save you a lot of money replacing chain,
chainrings and cassette and you will enjoy your
rides more because shifting is smoother
and quieter.”

18. @MRDIGITALJEDI
22) “If you’re planning for wet weather riding invest in a decent pair of
overshoes first.
If you don’t enjoy riding in the wet an expensive pair of winter shoes will
end up in not being used so a waste of money.”
23) “UseYoutube videos to learn about bike maintenance.Cheaper than a
course,and loads of information available.”

19. @TAFFY_VON_TRIPS
24) “Always carry enough cash to get you home in case you have a major
mechanical problem.”
25) “Make sure you know how to remove your wheels and fix a puncture ,
and carry the tools to do it.
Carrying a spare innertube and some self adhesive patches will save time
on the road.Pop the new tube in and fix the punctured one when you get
home; the stickies are in case you are really unlucky.”

20. ONYOURBIKE LONDON
26) “Buy the right bicycle.A mountain bike may feel like a sensible choice,
but as you get fitter and more confident it is going to start to hold you
back.”
27) “Use mudguards.It will keep you,your bike and the cyclist behind you
clean.”
28) “Do not be tempted by cheap cycling gear on Amazon.As soon as it gets
wet and cold you will spend a lot more money in an attempt to weather
proof yourself.”

21. ONYOURBIKE LONDON
29) “Be aware of the vehicles around you.When taking the inside lane,
watch for indicators.”
30) “Wear an additional light on your helmet.When behind a car your lights
are obscured from cars joining from side roads.At least they will see the
light on top of your head.”
31) “Drink enough liquid throughout the day even in the cold months.You
lose a lot of moisture wearing winter kit,so stay hydrated.”

22. QUADRATHON
32) “Saddles….
Don’t be deceived into thinking that one that looks like an armchair is
comfortable; it may not be and the one that looks like a razor blade isn’t,
it could be!
Try lots of different types to determine what is good for you,ask for
recommendations from others,use demo programs from your LBS or
online.Try them on short rides,long rides,climbing,flats and on your
trainer! Don’t worry about look,worry about fit!”

23. PEDALMASH
33) “Get Strava.
It’s the best thing I ever did.
When I started I didn’t have any cyclist friends so I had nobody to
compete with but myself.
As soon as I got Strava and could see who was doing what around me,
that motivated me to ride more and enjoy the added element of
competition.”

24. MASSAGE THERAPIST
CYCLING HACKS
34) “Get a professional bike fit when you buy your bike and revisit your
fit every season.
As a bodyworker,I see a lot of problems that are only exacerbated by an
ill-fitting bicycle.”

25. CHELMER CC
@UKCYCLECHAT
35) “Don’t be afraid to step up a level or distance.If you are used to
riding 30 miles at 15mph average,go out with others on a 40 mile at 16-
17 average. You will surprise yourself!”
36) “Wear Lycra.It’s odd at first but,trust me,it’s the most comfortable
way to ride.”
37) “Always smile,nod or say hello to passing cyclists.”
38) “If you have no friends that cycle,join a local club.
You will soon make friends,enjoy the group
riding and soon improve performance
levels.”

26. ONE PRO
CYCLING
39) “Get to know your best Local Bike Shop.
Seek out a bike shop you can absolutely trust to do what is right for you
and not just their takings,they do exist.
I made a lot of purchasing errors in my first few years and ended up
riding the wrong sized bike for 9 years at the advice of a LBS.
Ask on social media for recommendations,cyclists will be quick to
praise a good shop and equally quick to let you know the poor ones.”

27. @NUKEPROOFJAY
40) “Always layer up correctly,never pad up from the inside,a good
base layer under a jersey is fine and then a coat on top.
It’s always easier to remove layers from the outside in as you get
warmer on rides.
The same with your feet,one pair of socks followed by overshoes or toe
protectors on the outside.”

28. CHARITY FUNDRAISER
@JEFF_LUCKETT
41) “My biggest beginner cycling tips would be don’t focus on speed,
focus on cadence and effort.”
42) “Focus on time not distance (or if distance,forget time)
Either plan a ride for an hour (for example) and do that … don’t worry
about how far you get.Or,if you want to do a distance … don’t focus on
the time,but pay attention to your body.In the end,it’s about keeping
yourself in that area of output that you can do for a long period of time.
It should be challenging not exhausting.”

29. CHARITY FUNDRAISER
@JEFF_LUCKETT
43) “The two pieces of equipment that will help you most if you’re
serious about getting started in training are a cycle computer with a
cadence sensor and a heart rate monitor.You can skip the HRM if you’re
fairly in tune with judging your own effort level,but it can be a huge
help.
In the end,SPEED will come.Your averages will creep up … if you repeat
the same rides frequently,you’ll see your times improve over weeks and
months.It’ll actually be pretty quick at first.In the same spirit of Greg
LeMond’s quote …
“It never gets easier,you just get faster.”

30. ZWIFTBLOG.COM
44) “If poor local weather,injuries or other factors cause you to miss out
on riding,get set up with Zwift.
This ‘game’ takes indoor training to an entirely new level with group
rides,racing,structured workouts that ensure you’re never bored on the
trainer again.”

31. VLOGGER
45) “You’ll likely have to change the saddle your bike came with.
You shouldn’t be thinking about your saddle when you ride,if it’s
uncomfortable it’s time to change it.”
46) “Listen to all the advice and then do what makes you happy! :)”

32. LONDON CYCLIST
47) “Take a cycle training course – Regardless of how long you have
been riding a bike,everyone can learn something from a cycle training
course.There are lots of options out there and depending on where you
live they might be free! A training course can be particularly useful if
you are just embarking on cycle commuting in a busy city.It will help
with your traffic awareness and road positioning,both things that go a
long way to keeping you safe.It will also give you a lot more confidence
to know that you are doing the right thing and can handle most
situations you will encounter.”

33. LONDON CYCLIST
48) “Get some puncture proof tyres – There is nothing worse than
getting a flat tyre on the way to or from work (well,there may be,but at
the time it will be tough to think of anything).
Puncture proof tyres come in all shapes and treads,so you don’t have to
compromise your rolling resistance or comfort.They really are vital for
city riding.”

34. LONDON CYCLIST
49) “Invest in a good lock – Many cycling industry people will suggest
that you spend around 10% of the value of your bike on your lock.
50) “Get locking bolts – locking your bike is one thing,but if you also
want to prevent your bike from being pirahna-ed.I have locking
skewers on my wheels which mean that I can just carry one lock to
attach my bike to a solid object.On very nice bikes,the components
themselves can be worth enough money to be targets,so it is worth
thinking about locking up as much as possible.
If you buy them all in a kit,they usually all use the
same key which makes life easier!”

35. LONDON CYCLIST
51) “Get the CleanSpace app – this app shows you real time pollution
levels for the streets around you.
On some days this is truly terrifying.It is a great tool for route planning
as you can find the roads that will take you where you are going without
filling your lungs with too much gunk.
I started using it a few weeks ago,and if nothing else,my commutes
sure smell a lot nicer now!

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