4ucycling

Organising your Century Bike Ride Training is reasonably straight forward if you plan well. The amount of time you'll need to train prior to completing a Century will depend on your level of cycling ability. I'm going to assume you are fairly new to endurance riding and find an hour or two cycling reasonably comfortable, but about your current limit. If that's you then I recommend starting your training about 3 to 4 months in advance of the big day. If you're a total beginner then I suggest adding another couple of months to the front of the following plan to get yourself to the level of being able to ride 1 to 2 hours comfortably. Plan a few long rides: 25; 50; and 75 miles. You don't want to do the same routes all the time as they'll get monotonous however comparing your first and latest times over the same route will be the easiest way to see how you've improved over time. Also try to pick routes which are similar to the Century ride in terms of numbe...

If you haven't been on a Boris Bike then now is the time. This is your final reminder to not miss out on the fun of hiring one of London's cycle hire bikes and get yourself around London without having to cram onto a bus or tube. Not only that but I highly recommend taking the time to have a day out on the bikes combined with some of London's finest pubs. A Boris Bike Pub tour is all the new rage in London so saddle up for some serious fun. You can hire a bicycle from any of the docking stations located all over central London. There are hundreds of them and ideally located close to some great pubs of London. I have been plotting the best routes to carve out a fun Bike and pub tour so I thought I would share this great idea with the world. First up you need to register for a key token which gives you access to the bikes. This can be done easily online but soon enough anybody will be free to walk up to a docking station and hire the bike. Once you have your key token you...

Alongside learning how to use your gears correctly, learning how to brake correctly is a key part of cycling safety. Whether you need to stop suddenly or simply control your speed on a descent, knowing how to brake properly can make road cycling far more comfortable. Whilst your instinct may be to slam on the rear wheel brake whenever you need to stop quickly, locking the back wheel can cause skidding and loss of control. On the other hand, slamming on the front wheel brake could well send you flying over the handlebars! Instead of using one brake, therefore, if you are looking to improve your cycling safety and minimise your chances of suffering a serious injury it is generally best to try to use both evenly, as this will produce a more balanced and controllable stop. Unfortunately, there are many amateurs out there who are fairly slapdash when it comes to cycling safety and travel tremendously fast when descending. However, unless you have a contract with a professional team, it...

What is safe cycling? You’ll probably get a different answer from every website you read or any other cyclist you talk to. To me, ‘safe cycling’ relates to the combination of common sense, road rules and cycling knowledge to get you from Point A to Point B in a safe and efficient way, preferably with the journey having been a pleasant one and not fraught with danger. Firstly, please make sure that you are visible when you go out on the bicycle. Fit bright lights to your bike (steady white light in front; flashing red light behind the saddle); wear reflective strips or bands eg around your ankle where the motion attracts attention, and wear bright coloured kit (luminous colours work well) – especially when it is rainy, misty or overcast or at dawn/dusk. What do you need in order to cycle safely? a) You need the right vehicle… Choose the right bicycle for the job. I prefer using a hybrid or mountain bicycle for commuting purposes. It is more comfortable than a road racing bicycle ...