How to get into competitive cycling
Millions of people in the UK have a bike. If you live in a big city, it can be the quickest way to get around, dodging the rush hour traffic. In the countryside it might be the best way to experience the fresh air and scenery all around you. Regular cycling is great for your fitness, and for your mental health, not to mention getting to work on time!
But have you ever thought about competing? After all, those hours in the saddle add up, those skills you use to get to work every day could also bring you glory on the track or the trail!
But where to get started?
Decide what you are interested in
There are lots of different types of competitive cycling. From track racing, to time trials, to BMX. The likelihood is though that you already have something in mind! Do you see yourself powering around a velodrome, manoeuvring downhill at high speed, riding cross country on a sportive, or something else entirely? Whatever you want to do, you can start living your dream.
You can find out a bit more about some of the different types of competition here:
Get the right bike
You might have already done this – in fact it’s often peoples’ first step before they do anything else. That’s OK! In fact, you don’t need to spend hours and hours researching the perfect machine when you’re just starting out. There is loads of advice out there of course, but almost as many opinions.
It’s true your old and trusty commuting road bike probably won’t cut the mustard, but you don’t need to over think things. It might go without saying that you need a mountain bike for mountain biking and a BMX for, well, BMX, but beyond that, as long as you are able to ride comfortably and safely, that is good enough to get you going!
The truth is you will learn what you really need through practice. The important thing is to get started!
Protect yourself
Whatever you want to compete in, you are going to need some protective gear. It might be as simple as a good helmet, or you might want full arm, leg and body armour to keep you safe in the event of an accident. You might also find that events have equipment requirements that you’ll need to meet in order to race. Here it really is worth doing a bit of research and finding out what best practice is!
Join a local club
Let’s be honest, you’re not going to learn everything you need to know online. It’s a great way to start but it’s no substitute for real life experience. Once you know what you want to do, you’ve got your bike and you’re confident you’ve got some basic fitness, you need to take the plunge. Your last bit of internet research before you start is finding a local cycling club!
Luckily this is actually the easy bit. The cycling community is a friendly, welcoming place! Each club is different of course. Some will readily accept new beginners any time, while others might expect you to have a bit of experience under your belt, wait for particular sign-up periods, or go on an introductory ride with them. If you aren’t sure if a club is right for you, you can always reach out and ask!
Remember, everyone was a beginner once!
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