10 Ways to Completely Transform Your Entire Cycling Life

NO. 1
To avoid muscle soreness and fatigue, don't hunch your shoulders. Tilt your head every few minutes to stave off tight neck muscles. Better yet: Stop to admire the scenery.

NO. 2 Don't move your upper body too much. Let your back serve as a fulcrum, with your bike swaying from side to side beneath it.
NO. 3 Keep your shoulders behind the front wheel axle. Too much weight forward makes the bike hard to handle and could cause the rear wheel to skip up into the air.
NO. 4 Pull on the bar with a rowing motion to counter the power of your legs. This helps transfer your energy to the pedals rather than into wasted movement.
NO. 5
If you don't have a chance to slow for an obstacle such as railroad tracks or a pothole, quickly pull upward on the handlebar to lift your front wheel. You may still damage the rear wheel, or it might suffer a pinch flat, but you'll prevent an impact on the front that could cause a crash.
NO. 6
Beware of creeping forward on the saddle and hunching your back when you're tired. Shift to a higher gear and stand to pedal periodically to prevent stiffness in your hips and back.
NO. 7
Relax your grip. On smooth, traffic-free pavement, practice draping your hands over the handlebar. This not only will help alleviate muscle tension, but also will reduce the amount of road vibration transmitted to your body.
NO. 8
Periodically change hand position. Grasp the drops for descents or high-speed riding and the brake-lever hoods for relaxed cruising. On long climbs, hold the top of the bar to sit upright and open your chest for easier breathing. When standing, grasp the hoods lightly and gently rock the bike from side to side in sync with your pedal strokes. But always keep each thumb and a finger closed around the hood or bar to prevent yourself from losing control if you hit an unexpected bump.
NO. 9
Handlebar width should equal shoulder width. A wider bar opens your chest for breathing; a narrower one is generally more aerodynamic. Pick the one that favors your riding style. Position the angle of the bar so the bottom, flat portion is parallel to the ground, or else points just slightly down, toward the rear hub.
NO. 10
If you're leading a paceline up a hill, keep your cadence and pedal pressure constant by shifting to a lower gear.

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