For me it's being a cycling snob. I realised this year I was following all the "rules" and looking down on beginners on cheap or "crappy" bikes and not giving them the time of day. I've stopped caring if my sunglasses are under or over my helmet straps or my bottles are too big. And I've started to enjoy cycling more and have had some great chats with people I wouldn't have otherwise.
@Parfootery yes sock length.was looking at a vid on the un written laws of the typical road cyclist and there seems to be a sock length standard among other things of what you should and shouldn't wear 😜 it was done with light humor,but they were putting across how roadies have these curtain snobby attitudes
I'm occasionally guilty of waving on a car that's been behind me for ages. I only do this on straight roads where I can see there's no oncoming traffic, but some drivers get so nervous about overtaking (even with enough space) that they just sit behind you for miles. I'd rather know when they're going to overtake me than have them sitting 2m off my wheel for 10 minutes.
Consider this ,when im in my car sometimes I protect the cyclists until he or she is in a safer riding spot before I pass due to the cars behind me. Because as a cyclists myself Im aware that some drivers dislike cyclists sharing the roadway
@@HERBJ77 Consider this.. I often find that people in cars sit behind too long either cos they're too timid to go around or because they are trying support the cyclist. However, this ends up annoying motorists even more and so when they are able to pass they do so much more aggressively believing it to be the cyclists fault they were held up. Unless you're going to wait behind them for their whole ride I'd say it's better to pass when you can. As well meaning it is to sit behind. .
agree with the idea of 'controlling' the point at which they pass or encouraging that it is ok to do so. A car following for too long can make me more nervous than one that takes the opportunity (safely), it shows indecision which is often more dangerous. Often on small roads the sightlines you have are a fraction enough further than the car so it allows them a safe overtake where if they had waited to see themselves ,the stretch of road would be insufficient. in the end of the day it is about doing things with knowledge and mindfullness
@@seanmeager I hear ya and agree my point probably was a lil bit misunderstood i dont do ot on purpose more so with purpose if the situation calls for it
Motor vehicle drivers encounter many different cyclists with different skill levels. They don't know whether you'll wobble or not, so they can cautious. That's a good thing.
Always ask before sitting on a stranger's wheels. It's just rude to ride off of on someone else's hard work and effort. Say hello and ask before doing so. COmmon courtesy
Even more so now! If I'm breathing hard and going into the wind then someone really shouldn't be hanging 1m off my wheel unless they want a lungful of what I just exhaled.
I agree with you and I always talk to people before sitting on their wheels, but, after talking to people from different places, I understood that this is more of a regional habit. I have a friend living in the US and he says it's perfectly normal to just join someone in his ride without saying anything, as it is in some places here in Brazil as well.
THANK YOU so much for the consistency point. My schedule allows for multiple shorter rides and now I have the confirmation that this is good for my training.
Consistency thing is spot on: Year 1 of becoming a cyclist, I was training to push longer and hit big miles and did it, but it was a real mental and physical beasting. Year 2, my job had changed and I’d started commuting every day, doing a 20mile round trip sometimes 6 days in a row and then on days off during lockdown doing 20 or 30 mile loops, max. Conditioning, and endurance so enhanced in Year 2 that when I went to do a charity thing aiming for 250miles in 36hrs, it was easier in many ways than my first attempt at 100-miles the year before.
Some good tips. As a driver I hate cyclists waving me through if I can't see it's safe, "he told me to go" doesn't stand up in court if you've missed something, you may be dead and I'll be behind bars. I'd rather wait until I can see, even though I know it's to try and help.
I do the opposite and spend time moving further out to 'tell' the driver I don't want him to pass me. I've had cars tooting at me; not sure what they think when they see the car coming in the opposite direction that I've seen over the hedgerow and saved them an insurance claim
Great advice about driving defensively with cars. I never thought about how being courteous is actually detrimental because you’re giving permission to cars to speed by you and possibly encroach on your already narrow space. Definitely working on this myself.
Noticed the same, when I take more space from road edge, they respect me more and don't just overtake millimeters next to me, which is exactly what happens when I'm riding very close to edge.
Excellent talk overall and especially riding in the gutter. I found that the more into the gutter you ride the more drivers attempt to pass you with oncoming traffic and also tend to be closer to you.
I'm happy nowadays going out for the odd hour during the week and the weekend mixed in with longer rides as and when. For me it's more about the fresh air, having a chat and a bit of cake and coffee. Cycling can easily become an obsession and that's when it stops being fun. As the Dutch say 'Da's pas fietsen' It's only cycling!
Great vid, thanks! One thing I would challenge - there is more to long rides than checking your setup is correct, checking you've got your fueling dialled etc. As with long runs, you're training a different energy system, and its essential for building endurance, in my own experience. Particularly if you're considering a gran fondo or other longer distance challenge.
Great advice. I've been doing 30km 5-6 days a week every morning for the last 3 months. I notice that I can last longer than my friends (they only ride once a week with on longer distances and rest for days) when we're out for 100km ride. A significant part of it are rough roads and uphill. It's also under the heat of the afternoon sun here in the Philippines. I tell you, it's really hot here this dry season. Daily short rides help :)
Yes! Ride defensively, 1/3 way across the lane where car riders (aka "drivers") can see you -- and forcing them to take you into account -- is spot on. This is maybe just under 1meter from the kerb, depending on the road. Best bit of advice here.
Just discovered this channel yesterday. Imho it is the best YT bicycle channel i have seen and i've been binge watching since. Regards, Lifelong motorcyclist who has just got back into cycling since i was a kid aged 60. Bought the wrong bike, a hardtail mtb, when i should have bought a hybrid or flat bar road bike. Started at 3 x 15kms pw Upped it to 24 x3, then 30 x 3, currently at 32-35 kms x 3, mon-wed-fri, ie 100 kms per week. Loving it, and lost 7 kgs since Xmas. Great fun too, regards from NE Thailand.
One thing I think you may have forgot, a warm down after your ride. Never just jump off your bike in a rush to put it away. Have 10 mins just cycling very slowly watching your heart rate come down. Oh, and a few stretches after a ride always helps. Great video and very good advice that should make your cycling more enjoyable.
I always ride especially hard to the end and sprint to the front door. I enjoy it every single time and I hate is every time the day after. But... some people just dont wanna learn :D
Love Coach Ken! Great post Francis. Communication with drivers is pretty key for everyone. We should be neither intimidated nor bolshie. I don't mind waving someone through on my country lanes provided that I am comfortable that the road is clear ahead and that generally means riding close to the centre on the approach to blind bends. A thumbs up for anyone who waits on the bends or who shows a bit of consideration in town just reinforces their habits.
Just stumbled across this, what a brilliant video! Have been riding for years but amazingly hadn't thought about several of these. The point about consistency was a real wake up given exactly how I plan my rides. Think it stems from marathon training habits, obsessing over the long run being the thing that gets you through. Never comment on these things but this deserved it. Well done mate, really nicely made vid.
Great chat - always like the training style tips\discussions. Also talking of free wheeling and upping the pace unnecessarily, one useful warning sign of riding too hard on the front out on a group ride, assuming you've all agreed to ride at a reasonable pace rather than a chain gang, is if the people behind you have all stopped talking then your going too fast. No need to look round, just listen.
There is a benefit though to long endurance sessions. I was reading about a coach that used to prescribe high instensity short frequent sessions and found his subjects were making little improvement year on year. Switch to a mix of long low instensity and small amount of short high intensity and his subjects made more gain. According to their vo2 max tests it stimulated a higher vo2 max. Theres a danger that from this video people may think they can sack off the long rides and the training volume, there’s absolutely a benefit to doing both.
There is one long ride I look forward to every year (210 Km), and almost all my training year round consists of MTB rides in hilly terrain of about an hour each usually four or five times a week. This works better for me than long road bike rides, although I do a few just to keep the bum in tune with the road bike saddle. Every so often I do a fairly punishing series of hills (MTB), taking close to three hours, and if I didn't eat and hydrate on these rides, finishing would be out of the question. With this regime I find I can slot in a five or six hour ride with no trouble when the opportunity arises. So what you're saying makes perfect sense. This kind of riding keeps me fit and well in my mid seventies, and I look forward to keeping at it for a while yet.
As a seasonad rider, all these habits are well known and understood, even well practiced, but we are bad at following our own advise. Thanks gents for the reminder. Absolutely spot on. Need to eat more on my rides. KCCO in covid times all.
A few zwift training sessions in the week followed by long ride at the weekends on the road in the summer suits me just fine. December - February just isn't appealing.
Good point on waving drivers through. I do that sometimes, but only when the road ahead is clear for a safe pass but the driver behind me is hesitating. Otherwise I let the driver decide when or whether to pass. Usually works out okay. Sometimes the driver behind seems to want to play the role of running interference for me, which seems like a nice gesture but can annoy other following drivers.
Gutter riding is not safe for road bikes specially in the city streets for several reasons - sometimes there are wide cracks between the gutter and asphalt where your slim tire gets stuck and you lose control, sometime the inlet grates are too wide to catch your slim tires, gutter usually have steeper slopes and may make you lose control when wet, there might be trashes and sharp items that may puncture your tires. Only time I wave a car to go before me when I'm on a Stop controlled intersection.
Excellent vid, so glad I signed up with coach Ken/Dan. Since May to now I managed to go from 11 miles in an hour to 20 on the trainer. Not bad for an old bloke... Lol. Completely agree on the 5x1 hour rides rather than 1 long one. Kind regards Shin
Excellent video! I am going to take the "avoid the gutter" advice very seriously. My skin if finally returning from a recent incident from trying to be a "respectful" bike rider.
I booked once on a ride in Greece. Lots of factors as to why I'd not eaten enough. I felt shocking 🤢 I was shaking, dizzy, felt sick 🤮 my husband ordered me some chips in a restaurant and forced them down me. I eventually came back round but I will never do that again! Lesson learnt.
Ok, you've just mentioned (i think) all the reasons because i've left groups and went solo ever since, and no, i am absolutelly not interested in trying new groups after 20+ years of bad experiences with them
Number one hits home. Two weeks ago I tried to do my long ride without consuming calories. It was 2 1/2 hours of occasionally hard riding. First I thought that it went surprisingly well. A hour later, after showering, I started feeling freezing cold and sick to my stomach, just terrible. Luckily it went away after a few hours but it teached me that it‘s not a good idea to empty the tank this hard. I always try to take sugar water and muesli bars with me for rides longer than 90 minutes. The ride a week later took three hours and with proper fueling I felt really good and could push until the very end.
Pretty crazy set up..🙈 Look into different sources of sugar/energy. Plain stuff as white bread, Ham, honey and raisins provides fast and useful energy on the road.
I usually ride a bit too close to the gutter when was a newbie on bicycle and one time a car doing 80kph almost swipe me for overtaking too close to me. Lesson learned.
Best place on the road to ride is where the cars curb side wheel is, smoothest part of the road (especially on UK roads), and least debris as car tyres have removed thorns etc
Solid tips, I'll add my 2 pence worth. Dont take it too seriously remember to have fun. Be friendly to none serious cyclists, I'm a fairly fit cyclist but dont always want to ride hard etc and often get cut up by groups of riders who ride past me when its not safe putting us both in danger which is kind of hypocritical when we complain about car drivers doing it to us.
Im always guilty of riding in the gutter. I know it’s actually more dangerous because now the cars can almost pass without moving over. So more often than than not they do pass without giving a proper amount of space. This then subconsciously makes me ride closer to the edge sometimes actually coming off the pavement and onto the soft shoulder which can be very dangerous depending on how loose the gravel is and how deep the drop is when trying to get back onto the road. Really need to break that habit before it breaks me
I find riding a full meter from the curb to be a little much ...but I get it ....I try to stay within a meter, unless I need to round a deep-set drain cover.
This is why I view this channel frequently. Eating is by far my worst habit, because once I established that I could ride certain distances without eating I did just what Ken said: "I think I can make it". I take food and a full water bottle, but would eat very little during the ride. I'm glad he shared this and I'm going to commit to eating thru out my ride from now on.
...and in reality some of the bunch will be glad the pace has slowed up a bit. I always try to make sure I'm not on the front immediately after one of the younger quicker riders, then going to the front is easier.
Old video - but if there are any new DD riders. Drafting other riders is one of the most essential things to do next to eating/drinking if youre not an experienced long distance or particularly strong rider. Start the ride early, find riders that match your pace and basically have them pull you as long as they can/are willing to. Drafting stronger riders. Just be polite and dont sit too tight on their wheel and be aware of people around you as accidents can and do happen. I say start the ride early because the moment you run out of people to draft and youre on your own in the middle of nowhere will make the ride 1000000% harder as by that time youre in the dead of night, in the middle of nowhere on some country road somewhere, completely exhausted and fighting to stay awake and motivated.
never had a big 5 hour ride yet. came close at 7hours out but only 4 hours on the bike. but I ride 10+ times a week most weeks :D 5 30minutes rides at high effort cause of needing to rush to work, 5+rides over 1hour as I can detour and be a bit more casual on the way home. always ride alone so no risk of half wheeling. I do forget to bring snacks with me because my destination will always have something I can eat and it isn't far away enough to take 1.5hours riding on empty.
I set monthly mile targets...i find if im not hung up on my performance improvement, weight loss etc. I can remain more consistent this way.. 12-15 miles a day everyday.
I’ve been cycling on vans with some shit steel pedals that have weird spikes for grip for about 3 months now and holy crap it feels like my feet are going to fall off after an hour. I’m excited to be getting my specialized Rbx shoes soon! 🤙
Even though I'm from Bristol, and live in Poland, it didn't escape my notice you were above Barnstable gliding club, I was hoping for some glider action, never mind!
I do follow the eating for what your going to be doing on the ride in 40 minutes time rather than how your feeling now. However I do sometimes fall into the trap of confusing tiredness with need for more fuel (usually after a ride) - when in fact I am just tired and eating more is of no help.
Very helpful video , can you maybe do a video on tyres their sizes , Recommended psi and the overall best way to stay safe on slightly slippery surfaces etc.. I know i can research these but I’m interested in your opinion, I foolishly got my first road rash the other day from overly pumping my 23mm tyres and flying around corners. I definitely wont take leaves and correct tyre pressure for granted
Actually if you all about performance you definitely need to eat while riding longer distances, but. ..I also think there are health benefits of fasting.. wich you can boost riding bike and not eating that plus calories you use up during activity.
"You don't binge the rest of the day" . . . SOLD! This is my struggle lately, I don't balance my calories throughout the day and then I just try to cram them all in at the end, which makes sleeping so much tougher.
I always forget to cycle during 5 hour eating-sessions.
😂😂😂😂😂 made my day
I mean. It’s messy to eat and ride a several course meal.
hahaha! laughing pretty good after that comment...brilliant!
That is funny! Cycling needs more people who are funny.
Absolute chufff reply. super.
For me it's being a cycling snob. I realised this year I was following all the "rules" and looking down on beginners on cheap or "crappy" bikes and not giving them the time of day. I've stopped caring if my sunglasses are under or over my helmet straps or my bottles are too big. And I've started to enjoy cycling more and have had some great chats with people I wouldn't have otherwise.
So long as your socks are the regulation length 😉
@Parfootery yes sock length.was looking at a vid on the un written laws of the typical road cyclist and there seems to be a sock length standard among other things of what you should and shouldn't wear 😜 it was done with light humor,but they were putting across how roadies have these curtain snobby attitudes
What about white socks, white shoes?
@@LukezyM it's all got to be colour coordinate of course 😉
@@johnnyboy1586 I’m not sure if white socks/white shoes combo is for me, plebeian cyclist.. Heard that it’s reserved for big boys(over 10k km/year).😄
Shorter, more frequent rides is a lot more motivating than a 5 hour slog on a Sunday. Especially during Winter.
@AG Coarseman peter sagan?
@AG Coarseman whattt
@AG Coarseman ur an absolute machine hahah my average ride is 30k 😂
@AG Coarseman thank you 💪💪💪
Hell yeah. Sweet spot you can do back to back for a good while before rest break.
I'm occasionally guilty of waving on a car that's been behind me for ages. I only do this on straight roads where I can see there's no oncoming traffic, but some drivers get so nervous about overtaking (even with enough space) that they just sit behind you for miles. I'd rather know when they're going to overtake me than have them sitting 2m off my wheel for 10 minutes.
Consider this ,when im in my car sometimes I protect the cyclists until he or she is in a safer riding spot before I pass due to the cars behind me. Because as a cyclists myself Im aware that some drivers dislike cyclists sharing the roadway
@@HERBJ77 Consider this.. I often find that people in cars sit behind too long either cos they're too timid to go around or because they are trying support the cyclist. However, this ends up annoying motorists even more and so when they are able to pass they do so much more aggressively believing it to be the cyclists fault they were held up.
Unless you're going to wait behind them for their whole ride I'd say it's better to pass when you can. As well meaning it is to sit behind. .
agree with the idea of 'controlling' the point at which they pass or encouraging that it is ok to do so. A car following for too long can make me more nervous than one that takes the opportunity (safely), it shows indecision which is often more dangerous. Often on small roads the sightlines you have are a fraction enough further than the car so it allows them a safe overtake where if they had waited to see themselves ,the stretch of road would be insufficient. in the end of the day it is about doing things with knowledge and mindfullness
@@seanmeager I hear ya and agree my point probably was a lil bit misunderstood i dont do ot on purpose more so with purpose if the situation calls for it
Motor vehicle drivers encounter many different cyclists with different skill levels. They don't know whether you'll wobble or not, so they can cautious. That's a good thing.
Thank you I’m 61 and in good shape , I ride five 20 mile rides a week, and once a month a long one
Im 66 same here...press on..be safe!!!! 😔
Always ask before sitting on a stranger's wheels. It's just rude to ride off of on someone else's hard work and effort. Say hello and ask before doing so. COmmon courtesy
Definitely!
Even more so now! If I'm breathing hard and going into the wind then someone really shouldn't be hanging 1m off my wheel unless they want a lungful of what I just exhaled.
Say that to 70% of the all the gear choppers in Richmond Park
I agree with you and I always talk to people before sitting on their wheels, but, after talking to people from different places, I understood that this is more of a regional habit. I have a friend living in the US and he says it's perfectly normal to just join someone in his ride without saying anything, as it is in some places here in Brazil as well.
@@chicodiflora yeah, people in the cycling communities in NYC talk about doing this a lot.
Every Ken I've ever met has been knowledgeable, trustable, and likeable. This was a great interview with an incredible coach, way to go!
👊
THANK YOU so much for the consistency point. My schedule allows for multiple shorter rides and now I have the confirmation that this is good for my training.
Consistency thing is spot on: Year 1 of becoming a cyclist, I was training to push longer and hit big miles and did it, but it was a real mental and physical beasting. Year 2, my job had changed and I’d started commuting every day, doing a 20mile round trip sometimes 6 days in a row and then on days off during lockdown doing 20 or 30 mile loops, max. Conditioning, and endurance so enhanced in Year 2 that when I went to do a charity thing aiming for 250miles in 36hrs, it was easier in many ways than my first attempt at 100-miles the year before.
Some good tips. As a driver I hate cyclists waving me through if I can't see it's safe, "he told me to go" doesn't stand up in court if you've missed something, you may be dead and I'll be behind bars. I'd rather wait until I can see, even though I know it's to try and help.
I do the opposite and spend time moving further out to 'tell' the driver I don't want him to pass me. I've had cars tooting at me; not sure what they think when they see the car coming in the opposite direction that I've seen over the hedgerow and saved them an insurance claim
Great advice about driving defensively with cars. I never thought about how being courteous is actually detrimental because you’re giving permission to cars to speed by you and possibly encroach on your already narrow space. Definitely working on this myself.
Noticed the same, when I take more space from road edge, they respect me more and don't just overtake millimeters next to me, which is exactly what happens when I'm riding very close to edge.
Excellent talk overall and especially riding in the gutter. I found that the more into the gutter you ride the more drivers attempt to pass you with oncoming traffic and also tend to be closer to you.
plus cars coming out of junctions can't see you
I'm happy nowadays going out for the odd hour during the week and the weekend mixed in with longer rides as and when. For me it's more about the fresh air, having a chat and a bit of cake and coffee. Cycling can easily become an obsession and that's when it stops being fun. As the Dutch say 'Da's pas fietsen' It's only cycling!
James Lowe... I agree. Not everyone is trying to chalk up "bragging rights".
Wise words 🙌.
Great vid, thanks! One thing I would challenge - there is more to long rides than checking your setup is correct, checking you've got your fueling dialled etc. As with long runs, you're training a different energy system, and its essential for building endurance, in my own experience. Particularly if you're considering a gran fondo or other longer distance challenge.
So much real talk in this episode Francis! Ken seems like a real is GC.
Great advice. I've been doing 30km 5-6 days a week every morning for the last 3 months. I notice that I can last longer than my friends (they only ride once a week with on longer distances and rest for days) when we're out for 100km ride. A significant part of it are rough roads and uphill. It's also under the heat of the afternoon sun here in the Philippines. I tell you, it's really hot here this dry season. Daily short rides help :)
Yes! Ride defensively, 1/3 way across the lane where car riders (aka "drivers") can see you -- and forcing them to take you into account -- is spot on. This is maybe just under 1meter from the kerb, depending on the road. Best bit of advice here.
Just discovered this channel yesterday.
Imho it is the best YT bicycle channel i have seen and i've been binge watching since.
Regards,
Lifelong motorcyclist who has just got back into cycling since i was a kid aged 60.
Bought the wrong bike, a hardtail mtb, when i should have bought a hybrid or flat bar road bike.
Started at 3 x 15kms pw
Upped it to 24 x3, then 30 x 3, currently at 32-35 kms x 3, mon-wed-fri, ie 100 kms per week.
Loving it, and lost 7 kgs since Xmas.
Great fun too,
regards from NE Thailand.
thanks Michael!
That's a super solid set of tips. Great to hear from Coach Ken after long time 👍
One thing I think you may have forgot, a warm down after your ride. Never just jump off your bike in a rush to put it away. Have 10 mins just cycling very slowly watching your heart rate come down. Oh, and a few stretches after a ride always helps. Great video and very good advice that should make your cycling more enjoyable.
I always ride especially hard to the end and sprint to the front door. I enjoy it every single time and I hate is every time the day after. But... some people just dont wanna learn :D
Great content. Thanks. Would love to hear more from Ken, he speaks a lot of sense!
Love Coach Ken! Great post Francis. Communication with drivers is pretty key for everyone. We should be neither intimidated nor bolshie. I don't mind waving someone through on my country lanes provided that I am comfortable that the road is clear ahead and that generally means riding close to the centre on the approach to blind bends. A thumbs up for anyone who waits on the bends or who shows a bit of consideration in town just reinforces their habits.
Human, non-toxic, honest and wholesome ; love it !
Thanks Nicolas!
Just stumbled across this, what a brilliant video! Have been riding for years but amazingly hadn't thought about several of these. The point about consistency was a real wake up given exactly how I plan my rides. Think it stems from marathon training habits, obsessing over the long run being the thing that gets you through. Never comment on these things but this deserved it. Well done mate, really nicely made vid.
Great chat - always like the training style tips\discussions. Also talking of free wheeling and upping the pace unnecessarily, one useful warning sign of riding too hard on the front out on a group ride, assuming you've all agreed to ride at a reasonable pace rather than a chain gang, is if the people behind you have all stopped talking then your going too fast. No need to look round, just listen.
Thank you for beating boredom during quarantine.
Ride safe and take care always!
I was riding on the gutter. Crashed and had the worst road rash of my life. Stopped riding for years from the PTSD. That was a great tip!
“Riding more frequently at even short distances is telling your body to get into shape” was brilliant😁
There is a benefit though to long endurance sessions. I was reading about a coach that used to prescribe high instensity short frequent sessions and found his subjects were making little improvement year on year. Switch to a mix of long low instensity and small amount of short high intensity and his subjects made more gain. According to their vo2 max tests it stimulated a higher vo2 max. Theres a danger that from this video people may think they can sack off the long rides and the training volume, there’s absolutely a benefit to doing both.
A good and simple no bullshit vid. Thanks dude.
“easier to hold 300w" meanwhile me doing 230w yet struggling. sad
Can't forget Ken is a chunky boi haha
@@extrospective if hes chunky i must be a whale 😭😭😭😭
Doing anything over 200w is fine. These guys are on bikes that cost 10 grand and up and ride constantly. They are also very lean.
me holding 150W
Bingo - doing longer rides is only really useful for sorting out comfort and fuelling and not training performance.
There is one long ride I look forward to every year (210 Km), and almost all my training year round consists of MTB rides in hilly terrain of about an hour each usually four or five times a week.
This works better for me than long road bike rides, although I do a few just to keep the bum in tune with the road bike saddle. Every so often I do a fairly punishing series of hills (MTB), taking close to three hours, and if I didn't eat and hydrate on these rides, finishing would be out of the question. With this regime I find I can slot in a five or six hour ride with no trouble when the opportunity arises. So what you're saying makes perfect sense. This kind of riding keeps me fit and well in my mid seventies, and I look forward to keeping at it for a while yet.
thanks for #3 consistent riding! Great advice, really helpful.
As a seasonad rider, all these habits are well known and understood, even well practiced, but we are bad at following our own advise. Thanks gents for the reminder. Absolutely spot on. Need to eat more on my rides. KCCO in covid times all.
A few zwift training sessions in the week followed by long ride at the weekends on the road in the summer suits me just fine. December - February just isn't appealing.
Good point on waving drivers through. I do that sometimes, but only when the road ahead is clear for a safe pass but the driver behind me is hesitating. Otherwise I let the driver decide when or whether to pass. Usually works out okay. Sometimes the driver behind seems to want to play the role of running interference for me, which seems like a nice gesture but can annoy other following drivers.
Gutter riding is not safe for road bikes specially in the city streets for several reasons - sometimes there are wide cracks between the gutter and asphalt where your slim tire gets stuck and you lose control, sometime the inlet grates are too wide to catch your slim tires, gutter usually have steeper slopes and may make you lose control when wet, there might be trashes and sharp items that may puncture your tires.
Only time I wave a car to go before me when I'm on a Stop controlled intersection.
more of these type of videos would be much appreciated Francis. Keep up the good work!
Enlightening as ever. Thanks Francis
Excellent vid, so glad I signed up with coach Ken/Dan. Since May to now I managed to go from 11 miles in an hour to 20 on the trainer. Not bad for an old bloke... Lol. Completely agree on the 5x1 hour rides rather than 1 long one. Kind regards Shin
Nice one shin! Keep up the good work. You’re doing an awesome job and are a great example to anyone wanting to get faster on the bike
This was an enjoyable discussion... especially No. 5... sooooo damn true... including the "slow down"... 😆🍻
Excellent video! I am going to take the "avoid the gutter" advice very seriously. My skin if finally returning from a recent incident from trying to be a "respectful" bike rider.
Glad you're on the mend!
I booked once on a ride in Greece. Lots of factors as to why I'd not eaten enough. I felt shocking 🤢 I was shaking, dizzy, felt sick 🤮 my husband ordered me some chips in a restaurant and forced them down me. I eventually came back round but I will never do that again! Lesson learnt.
Nice to see Ken again. Great video
Ok, you've just mentioned (i think) all the reasons because i've left groups and went solo ever since, and no, i am absolutelly not interested in trying new groups after 20+ years of bad experiences with them
Group dynamics is often more of a hassle than a pleasure...
Number one hits home. Two weeks ago I tried to do my long ride without consuming calories. It was 2 1/2 hours of occasionally hard riding. First I thought that it went surprisingly well. A hour later, after showering, I started feeling freezing cold and sick to my stomach, just terrible. Luckily it went away after a few hours but it teached me that it‘s not a good idea to empty the tank this hard. I always try to take sugar water and muesli bars with me for rides longer than 90 minutes. The ride a week later took three hours and with proper fueling I felt really good and could push until the very end.
Pretty crazy set up..🙈 Look into different sources of sugar/energy.
Plain stuff as white bread, Ham, honey and raisins provides fast and useful energy on the road.
Loving coach Ken! Nice clear and friendly, as well as useful, advice.
think i have the opposite problem, eating constantly from 30 min in
Thanks Ken, I ride 5x1hour rides a week and I have been worried that I was doing it wrong!
I usually ride a bit too close to the gutter when was a newbie on bicycle and one time a car doing 80kph almost swipe me for overtaking too close to me. Lesson learned.
This was good advice. Thanks 😊
Best place on the road to ride is where the cars curb side wheel is, smoothest part of the road (especially on UK roads), and least debris as car tyres have removed thorns etc
and usually far enough away from the curb that if you need to take evasive action, you can!
Thanks for the cycling education. I didn't know about #4, I'm 100% guilty of this. Thank you for the safety tips!!
Really helpful. I wish I had a training coach!
Just found your channel, I’m a Brit living in America love all your knowledge thanks for sharing its very useful.
Thanks Simon!
Really good vid Francis .... thanks Coach Ken speaks the truth
Great video Francis, thanks! The half wheeling made me laugh, we're all guilty.
No thrills video with good information, if only we had more of this on UA-cam!
Solid tips, I'll add my 2 pence worth.
Dont take it too seriously remember to have fun.
Be friendly to none serious cyclists, I'm a fairly fit cyclist but dont always want to ride hard etc and often get cut up by groups of riders who ride past me when its not safe putting us both in danger which is kind of hypocritical when we complain about car drivers doing it to us.
Im always guilty of riding in the gutter. I know it’s actually more dangerous because now the cars can almost pass without moving over. So more often than than not they do pass without giving a proper amount of space. This then subconsciously makes me ride closer to the edge sometimes actually coming off the pavement and onto the soft shoulder which can be very dangerous depending on how loose the gravel is and how deep the drop is when trying to get back onto the road. Really need to break that habit before it breaks me
More Coach Ken! This was great
Great advice, I'm new to cycling and now subscribe to your channel.....great vids.
I find riding a full meter from the curb to be a little much ...but I get it ....I try to stay within a meter, unless I need to round a deep-set drain cover.
This is why I view this channel frequently. Eating is by far my worst habit, because once I established that I could ride certain distances without eating I did just what Ken said: "I think I can make it". I take food and a full water bottle, but would eat very little during the ride. I'm glad he shared this and I'm going to commit to eating thru out my ride from now on.
More often, before longer, before quicker.... it’s been my recipe for improving my running. And I stick with it on the bike.
I never thought half wheeling is a bad habit, thanks for the information.
Well might have to change my training strategy since I only 120 - 180KM rides but don’t see any progression anymore 😅
Great video again! Keep it up!
I finished my ride two days ago, I have eaten the day before and nothing since. You do you of course.
nah not half wheeling is so hard, the anxiety of being on the front with everyone behind thinking you're slow is the WORST
Don't be so self conscious, if you are slow they will eventually overtake you
...and in reality some of the bunch will be glad the pace has slowed up a bit. I always try to make sure I'm not on the front immediately after one of the younger quicker riders, then going to the front is easier.
Old video - but if there are any new DD riders. Drafting other riders is one of the most essential things to do next to eating/drinking if youre not an experienced long distance or particularly strong rider.
Start the ride early, find riders that match your pace and basically have them pull you as long as they can/are willing to. Drafting stronger riders. Just be polite and dont sit too tight on their wheel and be aware of people around you as accidents can and do happen.
I say start the ride early because the moment you run out of people to draft and youre on your own in the middle of nowhere will make the ride 1000000% harder as by that time youre in the dead of night, in the middle of nowhere on some country road somewhere, completely exhausted and fighting to stay awake and motivated.
great points about eating while riding
never had a big 5 hour ride yet. came close at 7hours out but only 4 hours on the bike. but I ride 10+ times a week most weeks :D 5 30minutes rides at high effort cause of needing to rush to work, 5+rides over 1hour as I can detour and be a bit more casual on the way home. always ride alone so no risk of half wheeling. I do forget to bring snacks with me because my destination will always have something I can eat and it isn't far away enough to take 1.5hours riding on empty.
I like this guy! 👍
Good topic ! This is what most people dont talk about. Glad u bring this up
Good discussion. Reasonable points.
Really good explanation of not riding in the gutter 👍🏻
Informative and entertaining, what more could anyone ask for 🤷🏾♂️👊🏾
Interesting vlog, thanks Francis & Ken.👍
Inconsistent riding that definitely makes sense, before doing a long ride I always make sure I’ve done at least 3 short rides.
This is the only advice you need. Oh and the saddle tilt video 👌👍
as everybody says: eat enough while riding. for my experience this will also make you recover much faster (in my case up to 300% plus)
Toe warmers with 3/4 is a bad habit.
Nice video :)
No rules!
How very dare you 😂
@@y2kenb :D
Not eating enough while riding is a often accuring thing i see on group rides. How about fueling before a ride? A nice point to hear from Ken👍
I set monthly mile targets...i find if im not hung up on my performance improvement, weight loss etc. I can remain more consistent this way.. 12-15 miles a day everyday.
Quality content as usual 👍
just watching these now. i'd love to top myself up with carbs but i am diabetic. carbs aren't great for me. that's what i'd love to see videos on
Here's an episode you might be interested in: ua-cam.com/video/NqkIYzJOwiw/v-deo.html
Thank you for this, greetings from the Philippines.
I’ve been cycling on vans with some shit steel pedals that have weird spikes for grip for about 3 months now and holy crap it feels like my feet are going to fall off after an hour. I’m excited to be getting my specialized Rbx shoes soon! 🤙
Even though I'm from Bristol, and live in Poland, it didn't escape my notice you were above Barnstable gliding club, I was hoping for some glider action, never mind!
Next time full interview while gliding home
@@Cade_Media 😅
I am guilty of #4.
will adjust accordingly :)
I do follow the eating for what your going to be doing on the ride in 40 minutes time rather than how your feeling now. However I do sometimes fall into the trap of confusing tiredness with need for more fuel (usually after a ride) - when in fact I am just tired and eating more is of no help.
Very helpful video , can you maybe do a video on tyres their sizes , Recommended psi and the overall best way to stay safe on slightly slippery surfaces etc.. I know i can research these but I’m interested in your opinion, I foolishly got my first road rash the other day from overly pumping my 23mm tyres and flying around corners. I definitely wont take leaves and correct tyre pressure for granted
Just found this channel. Man I love these cycling vlogs.
nice advice and guides
Actually if you all about performance you definitely need to eat while riding longer distances, but. ..I also think there are health benefits of fasting.. wich you can boost riding bike and not eating that plus calories you use up during activity.
Tnx for tips, I learned something new about energy....
"You don't binge the rest of the day" . . . SOLD! This is my struggle lately, I don't balance my calories throughout the day and then I just try to cram them all in at the end, which makes sleeping so much tougher.
Excellent stuff
Such good advice! I'm guilty of a lot of these things, so this is a good reminder! Cheers!