{"id":67774,"date":"2024-08-18T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-18T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/b3f1d726-25b3-46c8-889f-d45d1690e436"},"modified":"2024-08-18T11:25:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-18T09:25:27","slug":"10-solo-cycling-tips-to-elevate-your-riding","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/10-solo-cycling-tips-to-elevate-your-riding\/","title":{"rendered":"10 solo cycling tips to elevate your riding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to stay motivated, focused, self-sufficient and in control when riding on your own? Here\u2019s our ultimate guide to the art of solo cycling <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Sunday, 18 August 2024 at 09:00 AM<\/p>

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Escapism, independence and empowerment. Solo cycling is among the many underrated joys of road and gravel cycling.<\/p>

From short spins to long distances<\/a>, riding alone can provide fun and spontaneous adventures on the bike, and also offer you some highly personalised training opportunities.<\/p>

But cycling solo is also a skill that benefits from a dedicated approach to pre-ride planning.<\/p>

From how to stay focused when riding without company to the best training drills to target on solo rides, we reveal 10 ways to smash your solo spins.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

1. Embrace your independence<\/h2>
Plan a new route and discover places you\u2019ve never been on group rides. – Joseph Branston \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Enjoy freedom, spontaneity and some motivating new adventures.<\/p>

Head to that village you\u2019ve always wanted to visit, ride when it suits you or create an entirely new route.<\/p>

\u201cHave a new adventure in a familiar area,\u201d suggests coach Richard Rollinson of CPT Cycling.<\/p>

\u201cYou could seek out roads that you may fly past on a group ride: a smaller road, more inconsistent terrain or somewhere completely different, for instance.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div>

2. Boost your navigation skills<\/h2>
\"Garmin-Edge-530-37a6a1d\"
Brush up on navigation by following a route, not the bunch. – Matthew Loveridge \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

On group rides<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to blindly follow others, but solo rides encourage you to tune up your navigation skills.<\/p>

Thanks to the best bike computers<\/a> and route-planning apps such as Komoot<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to plot new routes and get directions.<\/p>

But paying attention to directions, turn-offs, gradients and wind during solo rides will also make you a sharper rider come event season.<\/p>

And don\u2019t forget to make yourself as visible as possible on the road \u2013 and tell others what your planned route is.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

3. Inject additional targets<\/h2>
\"Lone
Plan a varied session to help motivate yourself and keep focused. – Joseph Branston \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

To stay focused on solo rides, add in some mid-ride goals, such as targeting certain climbs or speedy flat roads.<\/p>

\u201cFor example, create a route with a climb as a target destination,\u201d says Rollinson.<\/p>

\u201cThis helps to break up your ride into sections, each with a different mental focus, such as some flat riding, a climb, a descent and a fast, flat finish.\u201d<\/p>

Rather than three hours of the same riding, you now have a structured, targetable solo training session<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

4. Rig your route<\/h2>
\"Lizzie
Lizzie Deignan\u2019s solo training rides have no shortcuts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Be prepared to play mind games for extra motivation when riding solo.<\/p>

On training rides back home in Yorkshire, British pro Lizzie Deignan would deliberately plot out-and-back loops so she couldn\u2019t take a short cut home.<\/p>

\u201cIt stops you getting tempted to quit early,\u201d she explains.<\/p>

Breaking down bigger distances into smaller sections so you can tick them off as you go is another useful trick, as is thinking about different areas of technique, or your cadence<\/a> or breathing<\/a> for example.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

5. Be self-sufficient<\/h2>
\"Oscar
Take what you need to fix mechanicals. – Robert O’Keefe \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Solo rides are much more fun if you feel confident and prepared.<\/p>

\u201cYou may need extra bike-repair skills<\/a> as you are reliant on yourself,\u201d says Rollinson.<\/p>

Freshen up your skills by watching YouTube videos, and pack essentials such as tyre levers<\/a>, Allen keys, a pump<\/a>, patches and inner tubes<\/a>.<\/p>

A saddle bag<\/a> can be a useful bit of kit to help stop your pockets bulging too much.<\/p>

Using tubeless tyres<\/a> can help to cut out those forlorn spells spent fixing punctures<\/a> alone by the side of the road.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

6. Audition your new kit<\/h2>
\"Cyclist
Around 30 per cent of energy can be saved by riding behind someone else, so look at aero clothing and tech when cycling solo. – Joseph Branston \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Solo cycling is the ideal time to test new kit, clothing and devices because you can tinker and adjust things without holding up other people.<\/p>

\u201cSolo riding gives you time to get used to a new component or position,\u201d says Rollinson.<\/p>

\u201cFor example, if you have cleats in a new position, you will not be stuck on a group ride wishing you could pull over to adjust them.\u201d<\/p>

Facing headwinds<\/a> on solo rides can also help you sharpen up your aerodynamics.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

7. Push your solo stamina<\/h2>
\"Cyclists
Start training for solo cycling with two-hour tempo rides. – Joe Cotterill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cGroup-ride pacing is more varied, with turns on the front and recoveries, but on solo rides you have to maintain a steady pace for longer,\u201d says Rollinson.<\/p>

\u201cThis builds your endurance at a consistently higher rate, helping to develop aerobic capacity and mental toughness.\u201d<\/p>

He suggests a two-hour solo ride at tempo pace in Zone 3, within 76-88 per cent of your Functional Threshold Power<\/a>.<\/p>

You can also establish your tempo pace with heart rate zones<\/a>. Start in your upper Zone 2 heart rate (76-83 per cent) and slowly drift up to your lower heart rate Zone 3 (83-90 per cent).<\/p>

\u201cProgress ride duration weekly,\u201d Rollinson advises.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

8. Mix up your motivation<\/h2>
\"SRAM
Build in sprints to your rides to develop your fitness. – Russell Burton \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Your motivation may drift on longer solo rides, but sprint intervals<\/a> and hill reps<\/a> can work well.<\/p>

\u201cYou can develop another dimension to your fitness with Fartlek rides,\u201d suggests Rollinson.<\/p>

\u201cThat isn\u2019t as easy to do on group rides.” <\/p>

Rollison recommends the following exercises:<\/p>