You probably have a decent bike.

You probably even spend a fair amount of time riding and training.

Yet your riding is still less than stellar.

So why doesn’t your riding improve?

And what is improvement in the first place?

Improvement is when you have more fun and enjoyment than you did previously. This is very subjective and improvement to you may be something completely different than it is to someone else. No matter your motivation these mistakes apply to every cyclist.

1. Don’t ride enough

Ok this is pretty obvious. If you don’t spend time riding you will not improve. If you want to become a better cyclist the one thing that you have to do is ride. You need to spend quality time on your bike out on the road. (no a trainer is not a substitute) Without this basic ingredient you will have a hard time improving your overall experience. Now this does not mean you should just ride hard every day, your body needs time to recover.

2. No Recovery

You train hard every day and yet the results are not coming in the way you want. The reason you are not improving may be that you are not giving enough time for your body to recover.
In fact this is probably the most important part of training. No matter what type of riding you do. When you workout you break your body down, your body needs adequate time to rebuild. Eating the right foods, staying hydrated, and lots of rest will help your body recover faster.

3. Wrong equipment

Having a bike that is appropriate for the type of riding you are doing can really improve your experience. Making sure that you have the appropriate clothing, wheels, and even tires can make a big difference in your cycling.

4. Poor technique

If you are riding to the coffee shop technique doesn’t matter too much as long as you can get there for your caffeine fix. But performance riding is completely different. Many cyclists just ride hard or far and don’t give a second thought to proper pedaling technique, cadence, or even body position. This is an area where huge improvements come with just a little focused effort and time.

5. Poor bike fit

If you have spent any amount of time riding you know how important it is to have your bike adjusted to fit your body. If you are not comfortable you will not be fast or go very far. While riding a bike is not like sitting on your couch it doesn’t have to hurt. When your position is adjusted properly there should not be any thought of the bike. What I mean is that you are not thinking about how the saddle hurts, or shoulders or whatever. Some adjustments can be made on your own, but you really should see a professional.

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Improving you riding doesn’t just take one of these areas it takes all of them and more. Start today working on the one that is your biggest reason for not improving. Mine is that I don’t ride enough.
I would love you hear your biggest reason.