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Improving your cycling skills for triathlons can significantly enhance your performance and overall experience. Here are some key areas to focus on:

1. Bike Handling: Develop confidence in handling your bike, especially at high speeds and in tight spaces. Practice cornering, braking, and riding in a straight line without swerving.
2. Cadence: Work on maintaining a consistent cadence (pedal revolutions per minute) throughout your ride. This will help conserve energy and improve efficiency.
3. Aerodynamics: Experiment with your bike fit and riding position to minimize wind resistance. This might involve adjusting your saddle height, handlebar position, and using aero bars if allowed in your triathlon.
4. Pacing: Learn to pace yourself appropriately for the distance and terrain of your triathlon. Avoid starting too fast and burning out early.
5. Nutrition and Hydration: Practice eating and drinking while cycling to maintain energy levels and hydration throughout the race. Experiment with different types of nutrition and hydration strategies during your training rides to find what works best for you.
6. Transition Practice: Incorporate transition practice into your training sessions to improve the efficiency of switching from swimming to cycling and from cycling to running.
7. Hills and Climbing: Practice climbing hills to improve your strength and endurance. Learn how to use your gears effectively to maintain a steady cadence while ascending.
8. Group Riding Skills: If you have the opportunity, practice riding in a group to get comfortable drafting and riding close to other cyclists. This can be especially beneficial for draft-legal triathlons.
9. Maintenance Skills: Ensure you know how to perform basic bike maintenance tasks such as changing a flat tire, adjusting brakes and gears, and lubricating the chain. Being able to handle minor mechanical issues can prevent race-day setbacks.
10. Mental Preparation: Develop mental toughness to push through discomfort and stay focused during challenging segments of the bike leg. Visualization techniques can also help you prepare mentally for the race.

Consistent practice and attention to detail can make a significant difference in your triathlon cycling performance.

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Coach Lora offers one-on-one sessions to review all elements of road cycling skills as it related to triathlon. To schedule a session message Coach Lora directly at theblonderunner@gmail.com

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