General tips

If you stop for more than 30 min* during a ride, your body will probably have time to switch into rest mode, and the ride will count as two workouts. *actually 20-50 min, depending on fitness, intensity and other circumstances

Although the aerodynamics of hairstyles comes up in the news now and then, there is almost no serious research on it. What is almost certain is that hair that does not stick out of the helmet is the best option. For those with longer hair, two aerodynamic options can be suggested with fair confidence: 1) hair braided and lying flat against the back, 2) hair tucked up compactly against the helmet. The most drag comes from riding with loose hair sticking out from under the helmet.

In practice, whatever hairstyle you choose, the effect won't be big - at 30 km/h you will save or lose no more than 5 W. On the other hand, if Fignon had taken it into account at the 1989 Tour de France, he probably wouldn't have had to mourn losing the title.

Everything new is well-forgotten old (well, not quite, but it fits here). After 20 years, nasal strips are trying to come back into fashion. Although sticking one on will definitely give you a feeling of great breathing, reliable studies say this beauty has no effect on VO2max, HR or RPE. One group it may really help is people who train and have trouble breathing through the nose (e.g. allergic rhinitis). And of course, let's never forget the placebo effect, which really works ;)

A group Z2 ride is a utopian place where theory races against practice - almost nobody in the group knows their lactate thresholds, but they can explain to a friend in detail what pace to ride at the front of the group.

So when you turn up to someone's "Z2" ride, don't expect it to be in your Z2. First of all, there is more or less a theoretical consensus - Z2 sessions should be just below LT1 (the first (aerobic) lactate threshold), and they are a great tool for developing aerobic capacity. But even with that definition agreed, keep in mind that abilities differ, units of measurement differ and, of course, the methods of setting zones differ.

Riding after 7 pm? Leave your ambitions, intervals and testing yourself against others for the next day - just move easy and that's it. Studies say that regularly training hard before bed hurts sleep quality and recovery. What really counts is the hours from your last hard effort to going to bed - there should be at least 3 h between them.

Foam rolling is unlikely to make you faster or more flexible, but it can be said with fair confidence that it reduces muscle soreness quite significantly, so while you're scrolling IG after a workout - better do it on the roller ;)

Going to bed and getting up at the same time (+/-30 min) not only improves recovery, it also lowers the risk of gaining weight, upsetting your glucose regulation and dying a little earlier. Another important topic is how long you sleep, but more on that in another post.

Sometimes it may seem that science and papers are somewhere far away and have nothing to do with us, but the people studied can often be right among us. For example, during the Tour of Lithuania the abilities of amateurs and professionals were compared, but we can probably guess who found the race easier

You'll get the best results when you pursue goals for yourself and enjoy what you do. However hard you try, if your main motive is something external (wanting recognition, medals, prizes, etc.), the results will be both short-lived and harder to reach.

Many amateur cyclists drink too little while riding. In races or hard sessions longer than 2 hours this can reduce performance by as much as 2-3%, and not drinking enough also slows recovery after the effort. The simplest guide is one bottle per hour, but it's worth adjusting the exact amount to the weather, the load, your body weight and how much you sweat. As for what to drink - that's in a separate post.

Although low RPM* intervals (pushing hard in a very heavy gear) are sometimes seen among professionals, their benefit for amateurs is doubtful (and your joints aren't happy about them either), yet the exercise still doesn't disappear from the arsenal. Another important point - the recommended optimal cadence is around 90 RPM, so if you see a friend turning the pedals slowly, help them shift gear

*RPM - Rounds Per Minute (pedal revolutions per minute)

Your intuition probably says that in baking heat you should wear as little as possible. Still, when riding in an aero jersey or another jersey that lets less air through, a very thin, breathable base layer underneath can help wick sweat away better and keep you feeling cooler. But if you are not riding for every second, very light, breathable warm-weather jerseys often do a similar job, and a base layer may not be needed. This rule basically applies to both men and women, even though women usually also have an extra layer, a sports bra. Otherwise - the simplest and best way to cool down is to unzip your jersey 🙂

If you only eat but don't drink while riding, you stop your body from using carbohydrates efficiently. With a fluid deficit their use drops by about 15% on average, and at some moments by as much as 33%.

Since you sweat when you train (well, if you don't, it isn't training), water isn't the best choice. Go for drinks with electrolytes and the carbohydrates you use up while training. Everyone sweats differently (you can test it), but on average aim for at least 500 mg of sodium per hour. By the way, if you rode easy, a non-alcoholic beer will do to restore electrolytes ;)

Cyclists and coaches keep arguing about the optimal and most efficient cadence (RPM: rounds per minute). Every cyclist's optimal cadence is individual, but for the great majority it is 70-100 RPM. A low RPM increases the load on the joints and muscles, so the usual recommendation is to stay at 90 +/-5 RPM.

Short high intensity intervals (HIIT) not only improve fitness much more than continuous moderate exercise (CME), they also significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, because they lower blood glucose, raise good cholesterol (HDL-C), lower blood pressure and reduce excess weight

There are no exercises that reduce fat in one chosen place. Both general exercise and training a single muscle use the energy of the whole body, so doing sit-ups will not reduce the fat around your belly alone.

Some people often ride a whole workout at the same high load and do not warm up before going above the first or even the second threshold. A warm-up is essential in any sport to avoid injury. Sometimes a warm-up is also needed to improve performance.

SE have a positive effect on range of motion (mobility), tendon strength and more. Do SE right after a workout, while your muscles are warm. Do the exercises slowly, holding each stretch for at least 15-30 s, and repeat the stretch for each muscle 2-4 times.

Stretching exercises done before physical exertion can reduce muscular endurance and so make your result worse (!)