Our passion is cycling - we love the freedom it gives us. And we don't think there's anything cooler than sharing our passion with you!
For us, it doesn't matter if you're an elite rider who can produce incredible amounts of watts/kg or a Sunday cyclist who enjoys the rest stops and cozy conversations with your buddy while feeling the wind in your hair and enjoying nature. We embrace all types and have a wide selection of bike components, bicycles, and clothing. So we guarantee that there is something for every taste with us.
If you have found love for the sport and have decided to try your hand at a cycling race, we will provide you with a detailed guide to best prepare you for the race.
Here are three crucial things to remember when preparing for a cycling race
At CYKOM, we have participated in many races and therefore have extensive experience in how to best prepare for a race. We have outlined them below, and we hope you find them useful.
#1 Nutrition
Imagine: You're standing at the starting line before the race. You've done everything right in the lead-up, with the correct amount of training and recovery, and your equipment is good to go. The race is on, and you feel your could ride on forever. But then, all of the sudden, you hit the infamous wall. You should have remembered to eat and drink!
Unfortunately, the scenario above is one that often occurs. At CYKOM, we have experienced it ourselves and therefore know the feeling all too well: when you feel like you're pedaling squares.
Therefore, the most important thing when participating in a cycling race is to remember to consume plenty of nutrition. At CYKOM, we recommend electrolytes as an important energy source during your race. We have a wide selection and several flavor varieties. You can even have some electrolyte tablets in the back pocket of your cycling jersey and quickly dissolve them in the water in your water bottle. They are absorbed rapidly into the body and can ensure your fluid and salt balance during your race.
In your saddle bag, you can make sure to have some energy products. It can be gels or a snack bar, good fast-absorbing carbohydrates that can maintain your energy level and help prevent you from running out of energy.
#2 Training
It is important that you make a training plan well in advance of a race. There are several good reasons for this:
- Define some goals for yourself; It could be that your goal is to complete the race. It could also be that your goal is to ride faster than your training partner. Or perhaps something entirely different. At CYKOM, we believe that it is not the goal which necessarily the most important. But that you have defined a goal for yourself and can therefore train purposefully toward it.
- Develop a plan to achieve your goal: You can join some cycling communities to train with and create new relationships. You can also create a schedule of how many weekly training hours you have available. It's an excellent way to ensure a manageable plan for your training. Supplementing your training plan with some sub-goals is a great way to maintain motivation.
- Remember recovery and tapering of training: It's great to have a goal! At CYKOM, we're excited that you've decided to sign up for a cycling race; we think that's super cool. However, we also know the feeling of getting carried away - maybe training even more than your training plan. And occasionally, forgetting the scheduled recovery day. Remembering recovery is essential, and you can benefit from tapering down your training in the weeks leading up to your race. This provides your body with the best possible recovery conditions, and you will be at your sharpest at the starting line of your cycling race.
#3 Equipment
Focus on the correct equipment has exploded in recent years. Professional cycling teams test their riders in wind tunnels and 3D print the cockpits used for their bikes. Overall they use a lot resources to pursue "marginal gains." At CYKOM, we love to nerd out on the details and have a wide range of top-quality equipment. This includes bikes and wheels, all of which can improve your position on the bike as well as your aerodynamics.
But at CYKOM, we are also convinced that the most important thing is to get out on the bike and feel the joy of cycling. It's the wind in your face, nature, and the community of cycling that we value the most. It's worth taking a look at your equipment before your race.
You can advantageously get CO2 cartridges - they are easy to carry in your back pocket, and if you puncture during your race, they are quick and effective when you need to fix your bike. If you prefer the old-fashioned solution, using a pump and tubes, it's also possible to have a small pump and a couple of tubes in your back pocket or your saddle bag. If you've signed up for a long race, and you know you'll be sitting in the saddle for many hours, we also recommend having some good chamois cream. It reduces friction between the body and your bib shorts, and it can help you feel more comfortable on the bike.
We wish you a good race.