I bought my first road bike in 2010. Here are ten things I’d change if I started cycling in 2026.
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Related videos:
How to Dress For Winter Cycling: https://youtu.be/XnaEzk4AhnU?si=uXlcaHx59Hfi8egt
9 Habits Beginner Cyclists Should Avoid: https://youtu.be/gUapMtJIb1s?si=VjtpqKrX3s58PzV6
A 7-day Training Plan: https://youtu.be/LFMQqX2c_eg?si=iTgKGoKYTURdKcnX
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00:00 Intro
01:17 Mileage over intensity
02:35 Cycling kit choices
04:05 Crank length
05:53 Fuelling is critical
07:50 Final tip
This video was filmed in Girona, Spain. A cycling mecca home to professional and amateur cyclists training for races like the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, as well as a popular cycling destination for cycling travel and holidays.
14 Comments
Thank you info nice
You're giving safety advice but wearing black on the road. You got to be thinking about the half blind people you'll be sharing the 9 feet of road with before getting dressed.
Couldn’t agree more on the importance of crank length. Went from 170 to 165mm and it has been such an amazing improvement. Much easier spinning and no more hip issues, resulting in longer rides and better intensity control.
I would also add buying a cadence meter and learning how to ride optimal cadence and when to use high or low rpm.
Fully support first tip
No cycling socks in the recommended kit list, bro gone full triathlon mode
A great option for natural electrolytic drink: coconut water. One bottle with tap water and the other with coconut water.
5:53 OH YES!!! 😅
Tip #11 have fun!
One I'll add from experience: use sunscreen and take sunscreen with you!
Especially when you're young and you think it's not a big deal. But later you'll understand the long term risks. If I know we'll have a few beers after the ride, I'll have sunscreen with me so I don't burn in the café.
Also good first one. Assume the worst and anticipate! I've had my fair share of near misses and I often think "If I was a 14 year old going to school and didn't have my experience, awareness and anticipation, I would have been under that car."
And on #1, never think you’re a wimp for not riding as aggressively as others on the road do; if you’re not comfortable filtering through cars or riding through a roundabout without stopping don’t do it, even if you see others do
That’s a great list T… I’d add invest in (some good) chamois cream… your backside will thank you… take it from someone who went his first year without knowing what it was – or using it… 😬… 😆🍻
99% chance you won't become a pro, so don't make cycling a job with more structured intervals than Pog does – you'll quickly burn out as it's not a bunch of fun. Sad to say, that even if you win your local races, no one actually cares, so enjoy your riding. For beginners, as he said it's an endurance sport so fit in as many 100k+ easy rides as you can. In my couple decades of cycling, this has made the biggest difference to improving as a rider.
So I would like to highlight one very important point from your video, something you may not have mentioned explicitly: it also took you more than fifteen years to become twice as fast as when you started. One of the most important factors in the entire cycling journey is that it takes many years to become fast.
If you want to improve drivetrain, get sizes of crankset and cassette right first. Well suited Tiagra’s better than too hard Ultegra.