If you need to ride the bicycle in poor visibility, we strongly recommend
that you take the following precautions:
• Make sure that the lighting system and retro reflectors are working
properly.
• It’s recommended that you wear bright and eye-catching clothes with
light-reflecting inserts, if possible. The basic purpose of using light-
reflecting inserts and flashing lights is to improve your visibility to other
road users and alert them to your presence.
• Make sure your clothes and anything you carry do not obscure retro
reflectors or the bicycle lighting system.
• Ride slowly at night, avoid unlit areas and roads with heavy traffic.
Use a well-known route, if possible.
ATTENTION: Riding downhill at high speed and participation
in competitions can result in severe injuries. This is why you should
make sure that your bicycle is in perfect condition and use essential
safety kit.
F) EFFECTIVE CYCLING TECHNIQUES
Experienced cyclists have a cool and relaxed manner of cycling with
smooth and economical pedal cadence, conserving their energy. Both
road and mountain bike racers endeavour to keep their upper bodies
relaxed, except for times when standing and pedalling to cycle uphill.
Smooth and relaxed cycling will conserve your energy and enhance
your control of the bicycle.
First of all, it’s important to select and set up a bicycle suitable for you.
Please see chapter 3 for more details. Further, you will be able to learn
the correct and most efficient pedal cadence (pedalling). If your
pedalling rate is too high, and the
gear is too low (“light”), you will waste your energy without making
effective progress. If, on the contrary, the pedalling rate is very low, and
the gear is too high (“heavy”), you will drain your energy in a very short
time, exposing you to the risks of damaging your knees and leg muscles.
For most cyclists, the optimum pedalling rate is about 90 rotations per
minute; however, it can also be lower, about 75 rotations per minute. If
you start your cycling practice without clipless pedals or at least toe
clips, this rate will be somewhat harder to achieve.
As you learn how to use these highly efficient cycling aids, the rotation
speed and pedalling rate will go up naturally. Concentrate on a circular
movement of the pedals instead of a downward pressure. Efficient
cycling is ensured by a full circular movement of the pedals. To illustrate;
proper pedalling can be compared to a clock face: from 11:00 to 1:00
push forward, from 1:00 to 5:00 push down, from 5:00 to 8:00 push back.
You do not need to pull the pedal up—just unload it and let your other
foot bring the pedal back to the start of the cycle.
Following these tips, you will master the basic cycling technique and you
will feel like a born biker. It’s also good practice to watch experienced
cyclists and learn their cycling styles. The most advanced cyclists usually
have the most efficient and smoothest cycling style.
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