Brrrrrr it’s everyone’s favourite time of the year for that early morning ride…not.
Whether you’re braving the chill or waiting for it to thaw a bit, the important thing is you’re getting those miles in before 18 October.
Trust us, your legs will thank you! Here’s the top five things you need to do before the Bowral Classic.
Take on the training plan
Global training specialists Spokes are on board for Bowral. Spokes provide highly personalised remote coaching programmes that integrate training, nutrition and motivation plans for cyclists and triathletes of all ages, abilities and aspirations. The Spokes coaching team is made up of a wide range of individuals. Some have been or are still professional cyclists; including World Champions and Olympians, others have spent their entire lives coaching and can boast an exciting list of people they have helped, from National Champions, Paralympians, World Record Holders, Stage Race & Gran Fondo winners to the modern day amateur who may just want to see significant improvements around their busy schedule.
Bowral Classic riders can now download a complimentary 4-week training plan from Spokes!
Follow this link – https://promo.spokes.fit/bowral – and you’ll be taken to a unique page to download a plan tailored to your ability.
Have a professional check your bike fit
Periodically, it is well worth ensuring you’re getting optimum performance from your bike. Over the final few months of Bowral Classic training – and for the event itself – we want you to be as comfortable and efficient as possible. It’s important to get your bike fit sorted as soon as possible – a visit to your trusted local bike shop or a bike fit professional will certainly help.
When was your bike last serviced?
Mechanical problems can creep up slowly and do have a habit of occurring at the worst possible time. Bike servicing is a small investment in ensuring optimum performance, peace of mind and longevity of your beloved bike. Did you know there could be ten wasted watts or more through your drivetrain alone?
With just two months to go now’s the time to beat the rush. Book your machine into your local bike shop and have it serviced in time for October.
Goal setting
Whether you are riding the 35km Social Classic, 90km Rouleurs Classic, 125km Challenge Classic or 160km Maxi Classic, we’d recommend looking closely at the course maps and elevation profiles and matching or gradually increasing your training rides to the distance and climbing involved on the day.
Planning is a critical component of success. Set your goals and stick to them using helpful apps such as Strava. Logging your hours or kilometres even via a simple note on the fridge can help you stick to your end goal. Make a pact with riding buddies, stick to not only meet ups but your individual and weekly targets, and steadily build strength and form so you’re best prepared for the event.
You can find the Bicycling Australia Strava group here!
Prepare inside
If you’re reading this in the cold southern states you’ll know full well that winter mornings are not conducive to being outdoors. Fortunately, riders can now enjoy the luxury and convenience of training hard for events from the comfort of home.
Platforms such as Zwift make winter training enjoyable, competitive, motivational and productive!
Combine a smart trainer with an online training platform and you can (virtually) ride the world. For more on indoor training see this helpful article.
We also run a weekly Zwift ride at 6pm on Thursdays. It’s a perfect place to train as well as meet fellow Bowral Classic riders!
