In this CycloZeal Tips short, we explain the key differences between Road, Hybrid, and MTB bikes to help you choose the right bike based on where and how you ride.
✔ Road bikes – speed & efficiency on paved roads
✔ Hybrid bikes – comfort & versatility for daily riding
✔ MTB – control on rough terrain and trails
Choosing the right type of bike is the first step toward enjoyable and safe cycling.
In this CycloZeal Tips video, we explain the basics of bike sizing using rider height and frame guidelines to help you get a comfortable and confident start.
✔ Why bike size matters
✔ Height-to-frame size basics
✔ Common sizing mistakes to avoid
Use this as a starting point, and always consider a professional bike fit for best results.
Step-by-step guide for beginner adjustments.
This CycloZeal Tips clip explains two basic DIY bike fit ()Part 1) checks — how to measure your inseam length and use the stand-over method to find a comfortable starting point, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified bike fit professional.
✔ Inseam measurement
✔ Frame stand-over check
✔ Beginner-friendly guidance
Please note: The guide to bike fit is for BASIC set up meant for riders to get a start, however, we strongly recommended to get a pro fitter to do what they are best at.
This clip explains cleats and pedals, covering cleat float, natural foot alignment, and why correct cleat positioning matters for comfort and injury prevention.
For precise cleat setup, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified bike fit professional.
Safety First prepare yourself, your gear, and your environment for every ride.
Helmet, visibility, lights, eye protection and situational awareness.
Your head is valuable; protect it by wearing a helmet.
Unforeseen accidents can happen, so it's better to be safe.
Helmets are both for safety and style.
It's your choice: look cool or risk your safety.
Ensure your helmet fits well and meets safety standards. Don't compromise on safety for cost savings. Check for safety certification on the helmet.
2.1) Emergency ID/Tags can sometimes can be life saver. Remember to have your emergency details on you when you go out for cycling, it’s always better be safe than sorry
You are going for a ride and not a war so remember to ENJOY YOUR RIDE!!!
3) Eye Protection:
Choosing the Right Sunglasses for Cycling - Invest in high-quality sunglasses suitable for the prevailing light and weather conditions. Dark shades for daylight, Amber for low-light, and Clear for night rides offer the best protection for your eyes. Avoid wearing lenses for long rides, Opt for eyewear options that allow you to wear your prescription glasses along with sunglasses for added comfort during long rides
2) Bright and Light
1) Be Visible - If someone spots you from a distance it's highly unlikely s/he will drive to knock you down. We recommend that riders should wear cloths that are bright in colour
2) Beat the Heat - Bright and Lighter shades will reflect more heat than absorb it as compared to darker shades.
Front Bike Lights: Essential for Safe Riding in Low-Light Conditions
Invest in a quality front light for a clear view of the road and to avoid unexpected obstacles like potholes, we can not live without ;)
Tail Light - Enhancing Safety on the Road
Choose a non-flashing mode for your tail light to help drivers judge distance accurately, and remember to turn it on in low-light conditions
4) Adhering to Traffic Rules
We all like to listen to some music and many likes to keep the volume to the maximum with their headset on...Its also a good idea to plug it into your left ear so you can hear the traffic coming from the right or vice versa and hope we don't have them to HONK!!!
Try and avoid ear phone completely if you can!
Anticipate and Stay Attentive
Always keep your eyes on the road, even when taking a glance be sure of road ahead.
Anticipate the actions of other riders and drivers. If you can't predict, slow down to buy precious seconds for a safe response.
Maintain focus even when taking a sip, as shown in the picture
Yeheeee….I have a Geared Bike!!!
Gears are not about speed — they are about managing effort.
In this video, Effort Equation – Gears & Ratios (Part 1), we break down how bicycle gears actually work and how gear ratios influence pedaling effort, cadence, and efficiency.
This video is part of the CycloZeal Library, created for riders training in racing, endurance cycling, brevets and triathlon.
- How bicycle gears are counted
- What gear ratios really mean in real-world riding
- The relationship between gears, cadence, and effort
- Why riding at 80+ RPM is recommended for efficiency and joint health
- How to think about gears from an effort-based perspective
Key takeaway: The best gear is the one that allows you to sustain your ideal cadence and effort, not the highest speed.
We break down cross-chaining: What it is, Why it happens, Why it costs you efficiency, comfort, and component life
Using clear chainline visuals, this clip explains why: Big chainring + biggest rear cog / Small chainring + smallest rear cog …are combinations every serious rider should avoid.
This is especially critical for racing, ultra-endurance cycling, brevets, and triathlon, where small inefficiencies add up over long hours on the bike.
Learn how to: Recognize cross-chaining instantly, Reduce drivetrain noise and wear, Maintain smoother cadence and power delivery, Make smarter gear choices under fatigue
Gear that allows you to sustain your ideal cadence and your desired effort (not speed) is just about right for you. Choosing the best gear to ride depends on various factors, including your fitness level, strength, terrain, wind conditions, and more.
Scientific studies suggest an average human's cadence falls between 80-85 RPM, with elite and professional riders achieving 100+ RPM through dedicated training.
Shift to the appropriate gear for the terrain you're riding. Climbing may require a lower RPM, but it's important to maintain a rhythm and start easy to sustain effort, gradually increasing as you progress up the climb.
Anticipate the terrain/conditions to shift to appropriate gear to maintain your ideal/sustainable cadence on what ever the terrain is. On climbs we need to push harder to go against the gravity demanding more force which may result in lesser RPM than desired so getting over the climb is all that matters, this is especially useful tip for novice/riders with lower power to weight ratio.
Drafting is one of the most important - and misunderstood - skills in cycling.
In this video, we break down how to draft correctly, why it saves energy, and how elite riders use drafting to ride faster while keeping effort under control. You’ll learn proper positioning, spacing, cadence control, and common mistakes that can turn drafting from an advantage into a risk.
Smooth riding saves energy.
Smart drafting builds efficiency.
Safe drafting earns trust.
Ride smart. Ride strong.
Tips: When you try this for the initial period, do this at a slower speed and maintain a safe distance from the rider in the front, allowing you more time to act.
A technique used by cyclist to conserve their energy and sustain higher speeds for longer distances/time. Riders will be sharing the work load in the front and will recover while in the shelter. This technique is believed to save up to 30% of rider’s energy.
How it is done
a) Riders are following each other closely, which is saving them from wind in turn helping them to conserve their energy
b) Rider in the front takes his/her turn to face the wind, expelling more energy and maintaining the speed.
c) Rider in the from after leading will move slowly to the left and slow down just a little (38kms) by reducing the RPM and conserve until the last rider passes by, to get to the right side following the other riders at higher speed (40 kms).
This process is followed cyclically allowing the group of riders to rider faster for longer duration.
Risks: Many a times riders overlap their front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in the front and which may lead to a crash involving other riders riding in the formation.
It is highly imperative that riders maintain their line, especially after taking their turn to lead/pull and when moving out of the line to the slower lane.
Elite riders use their Elbows to signal the rider behind that s/he is done with her/his turn, BEFORE MOVING to the slower lane and slowing down
Follow these rules
- Maintain a steady Speed/RPM to maintain a steady pace
- Fast Lane is on the Right and Slow Lane on the Left, keep this as a standard practice for all the rides, at least until you’ll have mastered the skill of Drafting!!
- Flick your elbow not your bike
- Slowly change your line to get into the slow lane after you have taken pulled
- Slow down with your RPM just a bit
- Wait for the last rider to pass by
- Increase your RPM and get back in to the line
- Warn the riders of any hazard approaching (be vocal if necessary)
- Be cautious when using your brakes
Cycling as a sport or structured activity demands more than just riding harder. Training prepares the body to handle physical stress, adapt efficiently, and perform consistently while reducing the risk of injury.
Training works by applying stress and allowing the body to adapt
Consistency matters more than occasional hard efforts
Structure and progression help prevent fatigue and burnout
Training quality matters more than total volume
Effort perception and heart rate responses are highly individual
Training history, recovery ability, lifestyle, and daily stress affect adaptation
Comparing data with others often leads to poor training decisions
Progress should always be measured against your own baseline
Children should always be accompanied during rides
Avoid structured or strenuous training below 11 years of age
Encourage play-based riding and development of motor skills
Long-term development is more important than early intensity
Sport helps build discipline, confidence, and resilience
It teaches goal-setting and how to handle success and setbacks
Physical activity provides a healthy outlet for mental and emotional stress
A balanced approach allows children to enjoy sport while continuing to focus on academics
Knowing how fit you are is imperative before you challenge yourself with any strenuous physical activity, may it be training, Riding BRMs or Racing.
If you aren’t sure how fit you are, you may want to build up on your fitness gradually and progressively conditioning yourself
Working on overall fitness is imperative!
While you take up any physical activity one should consider both internal fitness and external fitness shouldn't deceive you of your internal fitness, which may have deteriorated over a period of time due to lifestyle, diet, habits, sleeping, etc,.
You may have a heart of a Lion, but, it still needs your attention - Cycling like many other cardio sport activities can be quite demanding for your heart and exposes you to hidden weaknesses, which can sometimes be fatal.
If you have a history or you suspect that you have a Heart Problem/Injury. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR; BEFORE YOU START TRAINING/REGISTER FOR ANY RACE. We strongly advice this to all above the age of 35 yrs
For beginners, use the Jackson Formula to estimate Max HR:
210 − (0.5 × Age) − (0.01 × Weight in kg) + Gender adj. (+4 Men / +0 Women)
Never compare your Max HR with others it's personal to you.
Trained cyclists often get more accurate values using field efforts - long sustained climbs finishing with a strong push.
⚠️CAUTION ADVISED
Attempt maximal testing only if medically cleared, especially for riders 35–40+, returning after break, or with health concerns.
Understanding Heart Rate Zones. One of many ways to define training zones. (Part 1 covered Max HR testing — in Part 2 is HR Zones calculation
In this clip, we explain:
How to use your Max HR to define Z1–Z6
The purpose of each zone (% of Max HR)
Why individual variation matters and how field testing can refine your zones
Train at the right intensity for maximum benefit.
⚠️CAUTION ADVISED
Attempt riding in any Zones be it easy Zone 1 or above only if medically cleared, especially for riders 35–40+, returning after break, or with health concerns.
Why is it Important?
Stretching carefully and regularly done can have many benefits both physiologically and psychologically
One of the primary benefits of stretching for cycling could be correction of muscle imbalance and postural problems as maximum amount of power in cycling is generated by turning the legs which is with relatively lesser use of upper body except for occasional moment when moving arms to change handle bar position or going off the saddle. At times this can lead to neck or shoulder or back problem. Many of these problems can be alleviated by stretching.
Stretching can also help in reducing muscle tension and make them feel relaxed especially when they are tired and stiff.
Stretching can increase the range of movement at the joints and in the muscles thereby keeping them flexible.
How?
Safest method for starching is known as Static or Passive stretching. This is achieved by placing mild but steady force on the muscle and holding it for a period of time. Force applied should induce the feeling of stretch and be comfortable without experiencing any pain. This form of stretching if done right will not threat your muscles with tears or strains and make it feel relaxed.
Ballistic Stretching is not recommended, as this method uses body momentum to force muscles into stretch which can result in excessive force applied resulting in damage.
When?
Stretching needs to be done on a regular basis, preferably every day. Effective Stretching Program should not take more than 5 mins. Many prefer doing it pre workout, many prefer doing it post workout and many simply do not stretch. As mentioned earlier stretching is done with the purpose of relaxing muscles which have soreness and are tired, however, doing stretching post warm up or training or racing can certainly assist in reducing tension and relaxing both mind and body.
Please note: If You Are Already Tired After A Strenuous Effort Its Best To Delay The Stretching Routine And Do It Later Instead Of Risking Injury.
Many people mix stretching as a warm up, however, that’s not the case. Warm up and Stretching both are done for different purpose.
Warm Up essentially is done to get muscles and joints ready for more vigorous activity, best done by steady increase in effort through the range of moment which will be experienced while doing the activity.
Stretching is primarily done to relax muscles which has soreness and are tired.
Many studies have been done by sports scientist and have recommended stretching post workouts, especially prior to explosive efforts, which according to their studies shows will have adverse effect on the muscle to generate power.
Post RIDE TREAT for your Muscles
Want more power, less fatigue, and faster legs on your next ride?
Recovery is the real training multiplier - and most riders overlook it.
Here are 7 essential recovery habits every cyclist should follow to
Improve performance,
Prevent burnout,
Stay consistent and
Get fast, faster.
Small habits → big performance gains
Diet Content shared by: Qualified Expert Dietician - Meghana Surve – with Cyclozeal
Good nutrition is said to be when we consumed nutrients in adequate quantity, quality in right proportion at right time. Therefore, when we say ‘YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT’ is very true. A good nutritional plan while training optimizes performance and recovery within a framework that also promotes long-term health. From fueling to recovery, meeting nutritional demands ensures the best platform for the sporting success.
This can be achieved by providing proper Pre-work out meal, Post workout Meal and nutrition while cycling.
To prevent weakness and fatigue during competition
To ward off feeling of hunger
Ensuring proper hydration before a competitive sport.
A pre- workout meal should therefore have high amount of complex carbohydrates, substantial amount of good quality protein and should be low in fat. The meal adds to muscle and liver glycogen levels.
To prevent weakness and fatigue during competition
To ward off feeling of hunger
Ensuring proper hydration before a competitive sport.
A pre- workout meal should therefore have high amount of complex carbohydrates, substantial amount of good quality protein and should be low in fat. The meal adds to muscle and liver glycogen levels.
Replenish our energy stores, increase muscle size and/or muscle quality, repair any damage caused by the workout. After we finish our training/rides, there is a phenomenon as “the window of opportunity”. During this window, your muscles are primed to accept nutrients that can stimulate muscle repair, muscle growth, and muscle strength. Therefore after any training/workout period one should eat a good post workout meal within 30-45 mins. Post-workout nutrition should contain two things, good Quality Protein and Carbohydrates to help replace muscle glycogen. Eg: - 1 scoop of whey in milk, Milkshake, oats porridge.
Many cyclists who are into ultra-endurance race events or BRM needs to replenish glycogen whilst they are on the saddle. As a rule our body is not equipped to replenish the amount of what we have lost. This means that even if we lose 700-900 kcals per hour when we ride, we can only replenish about 280 Kcals per hour.. Only a certain amount can be absorbed. Foods which can be eaten while riding can be – Energy Gels/ Sports Bar/ Dry Fruits/ Chikkis etc.
Even though it has no nutrient value, water is the most critical of all your exercise fueling needs. It is, of course, vital to drink water and prevent dehydration; on an average, we lose about one liter of fluid per hour of rides. Extreme heat and humidity can raise that amount to three liters in one hour. Most of the time we can only absorb about half or not too much over half that amount, even though it won’t fully replace your losses. Approximately 590-740 ml/hr is an appropriate fluid intake for most cyclists under most conditions.
There is lots of information available about how one should go about eating, Hydration, calorie counters, fitness analyzers, etc. Preparing and following customized diet plan that suits our lifestyles, health conditions, training loads (which may vary from day to day), food habits would always yield better results.
A trained professional dietician with their rich knowledge on your sport back with their experience can optimize the benefits of your blood and sweat with a diet plan with good nutritional values surely enhancing our training and performance.
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