If you’re ready to gear up for your first cycling race, it’s important to go about it safely. As you frequent the road more often in these upcoming weeks, keep these training tips in mind.
1. Get in shape first
For those who aren’t accustomed to regular physical fitness, it’s a good idea to start working out and building strength before practicing on your bike. Visiting your local gym is a safer environment to start your training. Here, you won’t face as many obstacles or hazards as you will on the road.
Once you’ve built up your strength, you’ll have better control and reaction ability while riding outside.
2. Plan for a route similar to the race
When you’re ready to start training on your bicycle, you should be careful about the route you plan to use for practice. Try to train on roads with wide bicycle lanes and a limited amount of traffic from pedestrians and vehicles. You should also look to ride on newer roads that are smooth with clear lane indications.
You may need to assess which time of day is best to achieve this. It’s safest to ride before dark in clear weather conditions.
3. Get the right equipment
While it may not always seem like all of the bicycle gear racers wear is necessary, it can go along way in keeping cyclists safe. Using the proper helmet can keep you from becoming seriously injured in an accident. However, drinking plenty of water and wearing the proper clothing can also keep you from getting into a dangerous situation from feeling fatigued.
Additionally, lights and reflective gear can increase your visibility to prevent someone else from causing an accident.
Increasing your risk for an accident
While these tips can help you stay safe, it’s important to remember that the more you ride, the higher your risk is of getting in an accident. You can prepare for this potential by remembering the seven simple steps to take after a crash.
