Are you pedalling in circles?

The bike is not a leg press machine! You need to pedal in circles, think less about pulling up, but more that you are trying to get the up stroke out of the way of the down stroke, think of your leg as a dead weight, the average leg is going to be a few kg in weight (each leg is on avg 10% of your total weight), that if you don't get it out of the way as quick as poss on the up stroke you're not just pushing down to propel the bike forward, but also to lift the dead weight that is your leg.

Not everyone has the benefit of a Watt bike or spin scan software, but next time you are on the turbo after your warm up for 20-30 sec do one legged drills (un clip shoe and rest on the turbo)on each side and see if you have a dead spot in your pedal stroke, normally it will be last part of the up stroke and just over the top, but also notice when you clip both shoes in how much freer and faster your pedal stroke is because you have switched on all the muscles in the pedal stroke.

If you don't have a turbo, you could possible do this on a quite bit of road (please be safe) find a bit of road with a very slight drag, un clip one shoe and hang down, pedal one legged and wake up all the muscles through the pedal stoke, do both sides then clip both shoes back in and carry on with your ride.

Try the above not just on the hoods but on the drops as well, if you have more of a dead spot on the drops then maybe the bars are too low/or bars are at the wrong angle and the hip flexer is too closed up that you are unable to get the leg over top dead centre, also try this on tribars of your tt bike. If you can't then maybe you need to raise your bars which will open your hip flexer allowing you to get over top dead centre or even your cranks are to long (will go into this later)

I understand more since I've started bike fitting why when we were younger we were taught to use low gears over the winter, when you spend a good chuck of the winter on 42-17 or 18 (some people used a lower gear) the up stroke becomes more of a reflex action, because if you don't get the up stroke out of the way quick enough you will bounce all over the saddle, so you learn to pedal fast and smooth and 'pedal in circles'.

Crank length, people think more about this in terms of leverage, yes it may help but too long a crank will close the hip up at the top of the stroke. At the bottom of the stroke your ideal leg extension will be no different if you use 180mm cranks or 165, but at the top of the stroke you will have closed the hip up a lot more with the 180 compared to the 165 cranks. With a shorter crank the other benefit is you can get lower and more aero because there is more room in the hip flexer area. This is also of benefit to triathletes, especially ironmen, the more open the hip flexer the easier the tradition from bike to run. Kona Ironman winner 2011 Craig Alexander (who is 180cm tall) used 167.5mm cranks for fastest bike split (I think!)

Clothing - Race layers and kit bag for early season

I've made a few mistakes in the past when it comes to the amount of race clothing I've started a race in and the way I've worn it. Remember the weather can be quite different from start to finish in a 4 hour race. I remember on a couple of occasions (didn't learn the first time!) wearing a long sleeved jersey as well as a base layer under my race jersey and over heated when the weather and race heated up.

Use a layering system that allows you to get down to racing basics, ie SS jersey, base layer (you can use different thickness of base layer dependant on the time of year), shorts, socks and mitts for when the race has warmed up and going at full gas. Layer clothing on top of these that you can easily remove on the move i.e. full zip long or short sleeves jerseys, arm and knee warmers, gilet and race cape. For the first few races in Spain of my first season with ANC we only had short zip long sleeved jerseys and remember trying to take it off on the move (please don't try this at home kids!), only to get it stuck over my head, which is not great when you can't see the road or the 200 rider bunch in front of you!

You can never have too many pairs of gloves early season, I'd have gloves for every occasion in my kit bag, mitts, thin gloves, thermal gloves and neoprene as a minimum, but remember you need to get in your pockets to get at your race food, so make sure your gloves aren't too bulky.

Also have in your kit bag, race cap, skull cap, Buff, thick and thin overshoes, glasses with different lenses and spare safety pins (extra pins for your numbers, there is an art to putting your numbers on).

If you are lucky enough to have a team car in the race place a 'wet bag' (small bag) in it, that you can place extra gloves, cape etc, there is nothing better than putting some extra dry, warm clothing on if the weather remains or turns bad. You could also place a second pair of shoes in this bag, cleats and buckles do break, so a second pair can be worth it, just think if you were in yellow and your shoe break, those shoes could be priceless, remember your shoes are very specific to you, it's not as easy as going to car for a wheel change. Every elite rider at least should have 2 pairs of shoes on the go at anyone time just in case they lose or break one pair.

Also be wary of embrocation, don't use embrocation that you've not used before and don't use hot balm if there is any chance of the weather warming up, otherwise you'll be looking for the nearest river to jump in!! This from experience, the World Pro RR in Austria 1987, the weather was really cold and wet at the start and i decided to to use hot balm on my legs and lower back and you guested it the weather warmed up, i then spent the next few laps taking mussettes from the masseur, binning the food that was in them and using them to try and wipe the balm off my legs and back, if any of you have used hot balm before you'll realise nothing gets this stuff off and it seems to work for hours after a race!! Always wash your hands well after applying embrocation, otherwise going to the toilet could be very pain full, also be wary of picking your nose or rubbing your eyes!! Also apply your embrocation after you have put your shorts on, otherwise you'll be dragging hot balm where you don't really want it to be!. A lot of the time embrocation and chamois cream come in the same shape, colour pot, so read and SNIFF the pot first before appling cream to your chamois, it has been known for team mates to remove chamois cream from the pot and replace with hot balm.

Always expect the unexpected. so be prepared for everything, come hail or shine.

More photos from my mums

‎1985 Milk Race, final stage in to Birmingham, jumped 5 man break with 1km to go, Johny Weltz 2rd, Jaskula 3rd

More photos on Flickr

Free talks with Adrian Timmis

First of Cadence Sports pre season FREE talks with Adrian Timmis, will be this saturday the 7th at 4pm at the shop. The first will be a Q & A, we'll decide what the remaining talks are, based on what people are interested in, could be the Tour, training, racing, nutrition etc. let us know what you want to talk about. Numbers are limited so please could you let us know if you are interested in coming.
Here is Adrians palmares

Adrian Timmis palmares

Adrian Timmis history:

Road
GB World Championship Rider, Junior 1982, Amateur 1985, Pro 1987 & 1988
Tour de France finisher 70th 1987
1st Midi Libre Stage 4 1987
1st Milk Race Last Stage 1985
1st Tour of Lancs 1985
1st Tour of Mereyside 1985
1st Tour of Delyn 1988
1st Sky TV Crit Rochester 1995
1st King of Mountains Tour of Lancs 1991
1st Mini Milk Race 1991
1st Milton Keynes 1986
1st Stage 1 Great Yorkshire Classic 1985
2rd Midi Libre Stage 6a 1987
2rd Pro National Road Race Champs 1986
3rd Pro National Crit Champs 1990
4th Nissan Classic Ireland Overall 1986
7th GP Isbergues France 1986
8th Midi Libre Overall 1987
Also competed in Paris-Nice, Criterium International, Tour de Romandie, Liege Bastonge Liege, Fleche Wallone, Amstel Gold, Het Volk, Gent Wevelgem, 3 Daagse de Panne

Track
GB World Championship Rider, Junior 1981, Amateur 1983
Olympic Games Team Pursuiter LA USA 1984
1st National Junior Pursuit Champion 1981
2rd National Junior Points Race 1981
3rd National Team Pursuit 1981
2rd National Amateur Pursuit 1985
3rd National Team Pursuit 1985
3rd National Pro Pursuit 1987
4th World Masters Pursuit 2006

MTB
GB World Championship XC Rider, Elite 1991 & 1995
1st National Elite XC Points Series, Nannerch 1995
1st National Elite XC Points Series, Castle Combe 1995
1st National Vets XC Champion 2006
1st National Vets XC Points Series Overall 2006
1st National Vets XC Points Series Sherwood Pines 2006
1st National Vets XC Points Series Margam Park 2006
1st National Vets XC Points Series Newnham 2006
1st National Vets XC Points Series Checkonden 2006
1st Karrimor Cattrick 1995
2rd National Elite XC Points Series Margem Park 1990
2rd National Elite XC Points Series Friston Park 1990
2rd NEMBA Overall 1992
2rd National Elite XC Points Series Overall 1992
2rd National Hill Climb 1992
2rd NEMBA Overall 1994
2rd Karrimor Overall 1995
3rd National Points XC Series Margem Park 1993
3rd National Elite XC Points Series Overall 1995
3rd National Hill Climb 1994
3rd National Elite XC Points Series Overall 1995

Cyclo Cross
GB World Cup Rider 2004
1st National Vets Champion 2005
1st National Vets Champion 2006
1st National Team Champions 1994
3rd National Vets Champs 2007
4th Overall Elite National Trophy 2004/2005
4th UK Ranked Rider 2004/2005

Duathlon
3rd Cannock Chase MTB 2007

Bike fitting - Ankle injury

Ankle injury

"Adrian, thanks for your bike fitting earlier in the season, it has transformed my riding. A debilitating ankle pain that had lasted a year and defied the physio's, has gone.

I won our Club hillclimb, third in our 'All rounders' competition, and Clubman of the year!

Thanks

Tim"

Turbo tips

Here are my tips to make the turbo more bearable.

1. If you know you will be using the turbo if poss get it ready the day before so you can just climb on it.

2. Have a plan before you get on, don't just get on and think what shall i do now! Some tips I've given before Blog

3. Have a good warm up, here is my Warm Up Blog

4. Use a fan

5. Good music or DVD

6. Towel and drink

7. Turn into a climbing session by putting something extra under front wheel apart from your riser block, if you add an extra 8-10cm this will recreate the gradients of the Marmotte or the Etape and use your muscles in a similar way to climbing seated, plus if you lower your cadence to 60-80rpm this will be as close as most of us will get to climbing for any length of time.

8. Create a rolling road by changing cadence every 3-5min but stay at the same intensity say from 80-90rpm to 100-110rpm, this will be like riding outside over a rolling route and staying in the same gear, cadence comes down as you climb and goes up over the top.

9. As above, but if doing 10min blocks of something specific change cadence ever 1min.

10. Here is a previous blog about bad weather (snow) long turbo sessions BLOG