Cycling

Execution

1. Warm up with a few minutes of brisk walking or 5 minutes of easy pedalling at a low resistance.
2. Settle into a steady rhythm at about 80-90 revolutions a minute, a cadence most beginners can hold.
3. Set the resistance so you can speak a full sentence on an easy ride, or only a few words in a hard block.
4. Keep the shoulders loose, the elbows soft and the back long instead of hunched over the bars.
5. Pedal in circles: think about dragging the foot backward through the bottom of the stroke.
6. A beginner aims for 20-30 minutes of continuous riding at a pace where full sentences still come out, not counting the 5-minute warm-up and the 5-minute cool-down.
7. Cool down for 5 minutes at low resistance, then stretch the quads and hip flexors.
8. In hot, humid weather ride early morning or late afternoon, or move indoors. Chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness means stopping and seeing a doctor.

Quick cues

• Knee still soft at the bottom.
• Pedal in circles, not stabs.
• Loose shoulders, soft elbows.
• Like scraping mud off your shoe.
• Heavy resistance, breathe out.

Common faults

• Fault: A saddle so low that the knee bends too much and the front of the knee hurts

  Fix: Raise the saddle until the knee is only slightly bent at the bottom, moving it a small step at a time.

• Fault: Cranking the resistance up and grinding at a very low cadence

  Fix: Lower the resistance and hold about 80-90 revolutions a minute, which is kinder to the knees.

• Fault: Hunching the back and leaning the whole weight onto the hands

  Fix: Raise or shorten the reach to the bars, keep the back long and the elbows soft.

• Fault: Riding in rush-hour traffic with no helmet

  Fix: Wear a helmet, pick a quiet route, or ride indoors at busy times.