Road Cycling Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – a round pedal stroke, an aerodynamic riding position and braking safely on fast descents.

Setup that matters

Item	Priority	Tip
Saddle height	High	25–35° knee angle at the lowest pedal point – the single most important number on the bike.
Tyre pressure	High	By weight and width: approx. 6–7 bar on 25 mm, 5–6 bar on 28 mm at 70 kg – a touch less up front.
Clipless pedals	Medium	Cleat centred over the ball of your foot – wrong position is knee-pain cause no. 1.
Cockpit	Medium	Reach and drop shape your position – start with little drop and slightly bent elbows.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Spin round and fast

Concept: Grinding heavy gears fatigues your legs needlessly – beginners almost always pick too low a cadence. Tip: Hold 80–100 revolutions per minute in an easy gear. It feels too light at first – that's the adaptation.

Factor 2: Sit aerodynamically

Concept: From 15–18 km/h, drag is your biggest opponent – your body makes up about 75% of the frontal area. Tip: Start upright and get lower over time – switch between tops, hoods and drops to spread the load.

Factor 3: Brake with the front, weight back

Concept: The front brake delivers up to 70% of your stopping power – rear-only or panic braking costs control. Tip: Brake with control on the straight before the corner, weight back – never brake while leaned over.

Placing your W/kg

Level	W/kg at threshold
Calculation	FTP in watts ÷ body weight in kg – 250 W at 75 kg equals 3.3 W/kg.
Recreational	2–3 W/kg – a solid base for relaxed rides.
Ambitious	3.5–4.5 W/kg – this is where climbs become a training question.
Pro	5.5–6.5+ W/kg – your own trend matters more than the comparison.

Saving energy in the draft

Up to 90% savings: In the draft your drag drops to 50–70%, deep in the pack even to 5–10%.
Never overlap wheels: Keep your front wheel behind the rider ahead's rear wheel – the most common cause of group crashes.
Smooth and predictable: No jerky moves in speed, braking or steering – keep pedalling over crests to avoid a concertina effect.
Rotate cleanly at the front: Pull at a constant pace, then swing aside with control and drift back into the line.

Staying pain-free

Check your setup first: Almost all rider aches come from setup, usually saddle height – something you can fix yourself.
Link the clip-out reflex: Link unclipping to braking, not to standing still – almost all clip-in crashes happen at traffic lights.
Cap your training jumps: Increase volume gently, roughly max 10% per week – above 160 km/week back-pain risk rises noticeably.
Adjust cockpit for numb hands: Numb hands or neck: raise the bar, shorten the reach, change hand position more often.

Pro tip: Measure your cadence honestly once: count crank revolutions for 15 seconds, times four. Under 80? Like most riders, you're pedalling too slowly – shift one gear lighter before you invest more power.