Cyclist
How to increase your average cycling speed
One of the biggest goals for many cyclists is to ride their bike faster. The reason could be to set a new PB on their favourite Strava segment or simply just beat their mates in a street sign sprint. But it’s one thing setting a resolution, and another actually doing it.
So how do you get fast? Despite the cycling industry being geared towards selling you stuff catering to this desire, there are only a few upgrades that are guaranteed to make you go quicker.
And even among these, the most significant isn’t necessarily the most obvious. Rounded up here are a few pieces of kit that’ll actually boost your speed alongside some well-proven strategies to help make the most of the ability you have.
Things you can buy to make you go faster on a bike
Cycling speedsuits and skinsuits
Your body takes up a lot more space than your bike, so it’s no surprise to hear around four-fifths of aerodynamic drag is created by the rider.
So if you’re looking to go faster, it makes sense to start here before tinkering elsewhere, and the single most cost-efficient speed-boosting purchase you can make to make yourself more aerodynamic is a skinsuit.
Cutting down the number of seams, ripples and zips, skinsuits smooth airflow over the rider and have been consistently shown to yield savings of between 20-30 seconds over the course of an hour riding at race pace.
Now de rigueur at professional events, they start from as little as £80, making them exceedingly good value.
Most brands now also produce more relaxed options known as speedsuits. These are easier to get in and out of and feature pockets, which in combination makes them more convenient to use while appearing more ‘normal’.
Possible solution – Castelli BTW Speed Suit
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Based on the Castelli Sanremo speed suit, developed alongside the professional peloton and first released in 2011, the Castelli BTW speed suit has seen modifications including dimpled shoulder fabric to improve its aerodynamics and it’s been a highly popular choice for amateurs looking for those ‘marginal gains’.
The bib shorts mirror Castelli’s excellent Premio bib shorts and we particularly like the inclusion of two rear pockets for storage.
- Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£135)
Deep section aero wheels
The heavily marketed upgrade of choice, deep-section aero wheels will make a significant difference to your speed – even if it’s not as great a difference as you’ll get from a skinsuit, and of course they cost much more.
Unless your bike is stupidly heavy, aerodynamics trump weight so prioritise width and depth over minimising the number of grams.
A depth of around 60mm is easy enough to handle in most conditions, and won’t add so much mass as to make the wheels inefficient on hilly courses. A depth of around 40mm to 50mm is more typical on the best aero road bikes though, for better crosswind stability. Just make sure to stock up on long-valve inner tubes if you’re not planning to go tubeless.
Possible solution – Hunt 48 Limitless aero disc wheelset
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We are big fans of what Hunt is doing in the wheelset market at the moment. Wide internal rims, tubeless-ready, affordable prices.
The best pick for an aero upgrade is these 50mm Limitless disc wheels, which the brand claims to be the fastest disc-brake wheels in the world. Fancy!
- Buy now from Hunt Wheels (£1,299)
Decent tyres and latex or TPU inner tubes
Besides the air, another factor limiting speed is rolling resistance. Primarily taking place where the tyre meets the tarmac, this is caused in two ways.
First, energy is lost as the tyre is forced to deform as it contacts the road. A more supple tyre requires less effort to flex and so loses less energy.
The second effect is caused by the tyre bumping across the surface of the road and bouncing the rider around. Again a supple tyre dampens better.
In keeping with both principles, current thinking says wider tyres at lower pressures will roll faster. However, unless you plan to ride tubeless, whatever setup you use the tubes inside also affect the system’s efficiency.
Lighter and far more flexible, swapping standard butyl rubber tubes for latex or TPU will reduce resistance and weight at a cost of between £10 and £20 per wheel.
How many watts do latex or TPU tubes save? Probably no more than 4-5 between both wheels depending on your weight and conditions – still in the quest for speed that’s excellent value.
Possible solution – Continental GP5000 S TR tubeless tyres
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The Continental GP5000 tyre family continues to grow, with the GP5000 S TR an excellent summer choice. It’s been joined by the GP5000 AS TR with extra protection and grip and reflective sidewalls for winter riders and the GP5000 TT TR for the weight weenies.
We love the GP5000 tyre range’s grip, puncture protection and ease of mounting for tubeless use. If you do want the lightest TT option, even this has a Vectran breaker, which should help to fend off flats.
- Buy now from Merlin Cycles (£49.99)
Aero helmets
Until recently most helmets were designed purely with ventilation in mind. This meant their multiple vents would snag the air as it passed over the rider’s head.
This has all changed, with makers now giving aerodynamics greater attention. Although the difference is small, if you’re upgrading your helmet, choosing one that’s fairly aero will likely be good for a couple of watts saved, and as aero lids are now typically well ventilated there’s little downside. The best bike helmets will typically give you a dose of aero gains, while keeping you comfortable.
Possible solution – Specialized S-Works Evade 3
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Claimed by Specialized to be the most aero road helmet, the Evade 3 is a popular choice with Specialized’s sponsored pro team riders. Despite the aero claims, it’s still well ventilated and well padded.
The Evade 3 includes the low profile MIPS Air Node tech for added crash protection and scored a 5 out of 5 in the independent Virginia Tech Helmet Lab’s testing.
- Read our full Specialized S-Works Evade 3 helmet review
A professional bike fit
A well-fitted bike will help get the maximum mechanical efficiency out of your body. After all, an alloy crank correctly matched to your physique is going to be faster than a fancy carbon one in the wrong size. A bike-fit will improve comfort too, and if you want, also boost aerodynamic efficiency.
Potentially trumping any other upgrade, lower and narrower riding positions can make a big difference, but need to be carefully researched and are often uncomfortable to maintain. They require striking a balance between cutting drag yet maintaining power and are best achieved with the help of an experienced bike-fitter.
Other bits and bobs
Unless your bike is an absolute lump, saving weight is only of significant benefit on prolonged climbs. Also once the bike is at a decent level you’re better losing excess weight off your body anyway. Having said that, the best lightweight bikes can be a blast to ride.
But there are tons of other upgrades that could make you a tiny bit faster. Aero shoe covers, ceramic bearings, special chain lubes, flat-top handlebars…
However, the return on your investment is small, so don’t get too hung up on them – just ride your bike more, and enjoy it!
Things you can do to go faster on a bike
Drafting
You need to stop thinking of the air as ethereal and start thinking of it as a thick soup. While on a calm day its presence barely registers as you roll along, increase speed and its resistance increases exponentially.
Tucking in behind a dragster on the Bonneville salt flats in 1995, Fred Rompelberg was able to clock a speed of 269kmh by riding in the void it created. That speed has since been beaten by Denise Mueller-Korenek, who clocked 294.5kmh in September 2018.
The broad shoulders of the rider if front might not allow you to go quite as fast, but their effect shouldn’t be discounted. How much energy can you save by drafting? Maybe around 10% of the energy you’d expend riding out front.
In a race, you can instantly feel and hear the difference when you hang yourself out to dry. Pretend you’re a computer game character and every time you’re in the wind your life bar diminishes.
Keep it full all race and you can release that saved energy when you need it. Practise tucking in close to get maximum benefit.
Steady effort
Your body is like an engine with a certain amount of fuel in the tank. If you start revving away you’re going to burn fuel fast, you’ll be inefficient, and worse you could run out early.
In a race or important ride, avoid making unnecessary efforts. If you have the choice, resist the temptation to stomp every hill or sprint.
Although it makes for boring racing, every pro now rides with an eye on their power output. Rather than chase down breaks, the big teams have confidence that steadily crushing the race is the most efficient strategy.
Repeatedly going above the ideal effort level in your event will drain your reserves and lead to a slower overall time. Don’t get carried away.
Perceived effort can work, but a heart rate monitor or a power meter are ideal for keeping yourself in line.
Negative splits
All other factors being equal, in a time-trial or solo event it’s normally better to ride the second half quicker than the first.
The temptation is always to go off fast, as any steady effort feels easier in the beginning. Set a target time for the event, divide it in half and don’t let yourself reach the midpoint before then, even if it means slowing down.
The most efficient place to expend any extra energy is towards the end. Just don’t leave it too late. A rider that finishes strong by definition has something left to give.
A point in the second half, but a little before the end, is the most efficient place to really get your head down. Obviously, mountains, headwinds and other riders can throw a spanner in the works, but the principle remains sound, just be prepared to adapt.
Fast and dirty training
If you want to get fast you need to invest energy, but not necessarily time. Assuming a moderate level of fitness you’re better doing short and sharp efforts than racking up potentially pointless base miles.
High-intensity interval sessions or threshold efforts, where you hold the maximum pace you can sustain for an hour, have a disproportionate effect of boosting performance compared to longer rides.
However, these sessions need to be approached fully rested and be completed without shirking. Get yourself a turbo trainer and do a short but horrible session mid-week and you’ll be recovered to ride or race by the weekend.
While this might lead to slightly unbalanced fitness you’ll be more likely to stick to the programme and get results than with a more time-intensive model.
Marginal gains
Also known as getting better at all the little things. As you ride more you’ll dial down your own approach. Keep a spreadsheet and log all the things you want to do better next time.
Selected entries could include: ‘don’t turn up hung over’, ‘bring warm clothes for after’, ‘arrive in plenty of time’, ‘it’s better to be too warm than too cold’, ‘clean bikes are good for morale’, ‘eat properly’, ‘stretch your back before racing’, ‘glue your glasses in place’, and, ‘flapjacks beat energy bars’.
Having everything as you like it and feeling confident in your methods will give you a big mental boost too.
Read our tips on how to get more aero on your bike.
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