Track cyclists are some of the fastest athletes on the planet since they can cover 100 meters within 10 seconds and compete at speeds of over 60 miles per hour. Compared to other cycling disciplines, track cycling requires an extremely high level of fitness, endurance, and speed.
So if you’re interested in becoming a serious track cyclist or improving your performance in the track cycling sport, there are certain effective exercises and practices from Olympic medalist and track cycling legend Marty Nothstein that will help make your cycling goals possible.
You Need To Work On Your Track Cycling Speed Endurance
Speed endurance is the ability of track cyclists to maintain a high speed over a long period. It’s critical for track cyclists because they’re often racing for about 30 minutes at speeds of around 45 km/h (28 mph) or more. However, even if you’re not competing on a bike track, speed endurance can be useful in other sports as well.
Improve Your Cycling Endurance By Building Up A Consistent Travelling Pace
To improve your endurance for track cycling, you must try to build up to a point where you can travel by bike at a consistent pace for 20 minutes or so. Start with a warm-up when biking, and then gradually increase your cycling speed.
If you feel any pain in your legs, slow down until they feel better before speeding up on your cycling again. After warming up and increasing speed in your track cycling over several minutes, try to maintain this cycling rate of pedaling for as long as possible while still maintaining good form (with shoulders back and chest out).
Keep Track Of Your Heart Rate During Cycling Workouts
If you’re new to track cycling exercise, it can be difficult to know what your heart rate should be during workouts. A good way to gauge this while tracking cycling is by using a heart rate monitor (HRM).
HRM is a device that measures your pulse through electrodes placed on the skin near your chest or wrist and then displays it on an LED screen. HRMs are available in many forms: watches with built-in hardware, chest straps that send signals via radio waves, and even apps for certain smartphones or tablets.
Pay Attention To The Terrain And Roads Where You Train In Track Cycling
Lastly, the surface of the road where you train in track cycling can have a big impact on your overall cycling performance. Marty Nothstein believes that the smoother and less bumpy the biking road, the better it is for you and your bike.
On rougher surfaces, like dirt roads or mountain trails, it’s best to use wider track bike tires so that there’s more space between your wheel and trail surface. This helps absorb some of those bumps to prevent them from transferring straight through to your body (and slowing down) while biking.
If you don’t want this extra cushioning effect but still want some protection from rough terrain, try using taller treads on one side of each track bike tire so that only half has increased grip, as this will allow greater speed while still providing some stability when cornering at higher speeds.
