Should you really try to ride like a pro?

Whenever I get back into riding my bike after a bit of time off I’m always really self conscious about my handling skills, or lack of, and my position on the bike. Being on the short side and riding a small frame bike there’s never as much scope to play around with my bike set up as I am stuck with the same wheel size as taller riders. I look with envy at how other riders can set their saddle height much higher than their handlebars to achieve a more aero position, my bike set up just doesn’t look as cool as others when it’s lined up against them at the coffee stop.

So, I was quietly pleased watching this recent GCN video where Si and Manon discuss why it’s not always a good idea for us amateurs to try and copy pro cyclists. In discussing bike position they point out that it should always be a balance between aerodynamics, efficiency and comfort. I wonder how many people set their bike up into the position they want to achieve first without really thinking about how they will prepare their body to get into it or maintain it on long rides.

I know my Pilates helps me hugely in making me supple enough to ride in a comfortable, rounded position, without having to overstretch or lock out my arms to reach the handle bars. It also helps me to address tight hamstrings that can be a barrier to a comfortable position. Tight hamstrings can prevent the pelvis tilting forward comfortably and the low back rounding gently, which often leads to the upper back having to do all the bending to reach the handle bars. Several of the Pilates exercises performed on the mat, like Spine Stretch, Saw and Corkscrew are great for working on the mobility of my spine. My husband is a great example of how a combination of height and several years of Pilates can help you achieve a more aggressive bike position. His back and hamstring flexibility has improved significantly enabling him to ride in a ‘slammed’ position while his improved core strength means he can hold that position on long club rides.

The GCN team also highlight how multi discipline cycling is becoming an increasingly popular way to copy pros like Wout van Aert or Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. This is probably a good thing, not only for individual training but also to grow these sports at a grassroots level too. When it comes to training for multi-disciplines then variety is key, particularly when it comes to appropriate cross training to develop the different energy profiles and movement skills needed. At the same time it’s important to avoid overtraining as excessive fatigue can lead to injuries or compromised immunity, and let’s face it none of us want that right now! Pilates is great for cross-training as you use all the muscles of your body in a completely different way to something like cycling or running but you're still building muscle strength and endurance as well as developing other useful movement skills. As long as I’m sensible I find it really helpful, from a time point of view, to sometimes train twice in one day with a ride plus a Pilates workout and this helps me keep up my training around a changeable work schedule.

Whichever pro cyclist that you most admire, or pro athlete of any discipline for that matter, just remember that they are paid to train at the level they do and they probably have a whole team of people helping them to do it right. Can you say the same?