Lee’s Q&A

Today we have questions from juniors between 12 and 14, don’t forget to send in your questions, any age (adult, Junior or Senior) and any level. Just go to the “Contact Us” page to send me your questions.

Juniors Q&A’s

 
Hi Lee, Is there anything I could do in my normal training to help me on the track?
Ollie, Nottingham, UK

Hi Ollie, Add some little gear downhill sprints to your road rides, aim at hitting over 150rpm and do 4-6 of these between 10-20s of effort.
 
 
Do you know any good training strategies for roller sessions?
Katie, Surrey, UK

Hi Katie, Rollers are excellent for smoothing out your pedalling technique, try doing some one legged riding, use a mirror to give you feedback on keeping your upper body still and practice riding no hands.
 
 
Hi Lee, Do you know anything I could do to increase my leg speed for riding and climbing?
Jake, Northumberland, UK

Hi Jake, Using smaller gears in training will help improve your leg speed as will using rollers. I advise my younger riders to aim at 100rpm average on road rides and 110rpms average on the rollers.

Is there anything I should avoid doing (such as a different sports etc, I play rugby, badminton and have started running 1500m) could they affect my racing?
Jake, Northumberland, UK

Hi Jake, Depends how old you are and how serious you are about your cycling. Certainly up till 16ish doing other sports will give you extra skills and fitness which will help your bike riding too, if you are becoming more serious about your cycling you might want to consider if impact sports like football/rugby are worth the risk.
 
 
Hi Lee, How often should I train on the rollers and on the road?
Tom, Wales, UK

Hi Tom, That depends on how old you are and what your aims are? Consistency in training is something that makes a big difference over time.

Are there any exercises I can do off the bike to help me with my training?
Tom, Wales, UK

Hi Tom, core exercises can have a good impact on your on the bike performance, try crunches, front and side planks and leg raises 3 sets of each 3-4 times a week.

If you could give me one piece of advice for my cycling, what would it be?
Tom, Wales, UK

Hi again Tom, Enjoy it, its very hard in life to succeed at things you don’t enjoy!