English – Page 24 – BKOOL Magazine

Getting on your bike and hitting the road is the best way to discover the heart of this European country, so we’re going to tell you the seven cycling routes you can’t miss out on the UK. After this guide, you’ll want to visit United Kingdom by bike.

Travelling and sightseeing doesn’t have to mean giving up your bike for a few days. Combine the activities and explore the UK on the road and in the mountains.

1. Sea front Sussex UK

The first route to get to know is the one along the south coast of the country. It is a moderate cycling route, with mostly paved tracks, but requires good fitness. It has a gradient of 50.3 metres and a length of 14.7 kilometres that can be covered in 37:30 minutes. The Sea front Sussex route allows you to enjoy the sea views and get to know the southern part of the England.

2. Caernarfon Castle

The second route which stands out can be found on the West coast of Wales and has very similar conditions to Sea front Sussex. It is a moderate ride on paved tracks, 11.5 kilometres long. The gradient of the route is 22.6 metres and can be completed in 27:22 minutes.

Along this route you can enjoy the views that the country has to offer in the west. A quiet place to breathe fresh air and admire the Caernarfon Golf Club Park.

3. Stoke Prior to Callow Hill

Near the town of Bromsgrove is this low difficulty cycling route with a distance of 14.2 kilometres which can be covered in an estimated time of 35:36 minutes, with an elevation gain of 229.7 metres, so a good level of fitness is required. This is a route, which, like the previous one, moves away from the urban environment and allows you to admire the green meadows that surround Stoke. It’s a good option for those who want to see the real heart of the UK.

4. Wetherby to Kirby Overblow Loop

A moderate route through the interior of the country on a paved track. Its 17.5 kilometres can be completed in 25:10 minutes. It has an elevation gain of 272.8 metres, so it requires a certain level of fitness.

Although the route is on tarmac, the views along the way are very attractive, as you can see the green meadows that characterise this country. The route does not have a high level of difficulty and takes you into Wetherby, an English village with a long tradition.

5. Skipsea to Hornsea, East Yorkshire

If what you are looking for is a longer route that allows you to enjoy the scenery for longer, this is the right one for you. This route is 21.7 kilometres long and takes an estimated time of 48:36 minutes. It has an elevation gain of 132.2 metres, but does not require great cycling skills.

The route starts at Skipsea and ends at Hornsea Mere, a large lake close to the North Sea, as the route runs through East Yorkshire.

6. Stokesley to Hornby

If what you want is a longer route that allows you to enjoy the scenery for longer, this is the right one for you. This route is 21.7 kilometres long and takes an estimated time of 48:36 minutes. It has an elevation gain of 132.2 metres, but does not require great cycling skills.

The itinerary starts in Stokesley and ends in Hornby. A visit to these two North Yorkshire villages will give you an insight into the rural areas of the UK.

7. Ingleby Barwick to Swainby

With a length of 15.3 kilometres and an estimated time of 33:52 minutes, this route has 139.1 metres of elevation gain and finishes in the North York Moors National Park itself. It starts in Ingleby Barwick and connects via paved tracks to Swainby.

These are the seven routes in the United Kingdom not to be missed and with which you will discover its most characteristic corners.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Your Heart Rate is something you ought to bear in mind during your indoor training sessions in order to reach your proposed objectives and to improve your exercise. To help you with this, we are going to dedicate this post to explaining how you can work effectively on your Heart Rate.

Heart Rate: What is it and how is it Calculated

The Heart Rate (HR) is the number of heartbeats in a given timeframe, usually in a minute, as the unit of measurement is beats per minute (bpm).

This measurement is useful for controlling the intensity of aerobic exercise, such as Indoor Cycling, in particular during a strength test. And this is where the Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) comes into play, as this is the measurement used to set the percentage intervals.

The Maximum Heart Rate is the maximum number of heartbeats which can be reached in a strength test without putting your health at risk. The MHR varies according to a person’s age and gender. There are two formulas for calculating the MHR depending on a person’s gender:

Male:

First option: 208.7 – (0.73 x age) = MHR
Second option: [(210 – (0.5 x age)) – (0.01 x weight in kg) + 4] = MHR

Female:

First option: 208.1 – (0.77 x age) = MHR
Second option: [(210 – (0.5 x age)) – (0.01 x weight in kg)

Interval Training according to your MHR

Taking into account your previous exercise training, gender and age, amongst other factors, training intervals of your MHR are calculated, which you must bear in mind and work on in your Indoor Training.

50% – 60%: This interval is for those people who are starting to do exercise, due to the fact that it is advisable that they work at a lower percentage to get their body accustomed to training little by little. Likewise, this interval is suitable for a few minutes after a highly intense training session, so as not to stop abruptly.

60% – 70%: Recommended for those who already have a certain level of fitness and do not have any pre-existing physical conditions, and want to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, and develop their aerobic capacity. If you want to do a recovery session, these are the percentages which you should be working at, never going over 70%.

70% – 80%: The training session carried out at these percentages allow you to improve your aerobic capacity and to develop your cardiovascular system, by improving your organism’s capacity to transport oxygen to your muscles and to collect carbon dioxide from your muscles.

80% – 90%: From 80% upwards, the anaerobic capacity is being trained because the body uses glycogen which is attached to the muscles as fuel, instead of using fat or carbohydrates as in the previous intervals.

When you train at such high percentages of Heart Rate the muscles consume more oxygen than the body is capable of producing, so it is important to train adequately at the previous intervals before attempting to reach higher intensity levels.

90% – 100%: These percentages of frequency can only be maintained for short training periods. At these parameters, the Fast-Twitch muscle fibres are worked, which helps to improve speed.

These recommendations are aimed at those who have a good level of fitness and who train at intervals with rest periods in between.

What advantages are there for training according to your Heart Rate (HR)?

You get feedback on the exercise you have done: the HR helps you to evaluate the effort and load accumulated during the training session.
Allows you to train intelligently: the HR informs you on the appropriate level of intensity and identifies the optimum training zone for you on each session, according to your objectives.
Offers you a vision of your progress: after each session you can see the results, which motivates you to progress more.
Helps to achieve your proposed objectives: calculating your HR enables you to observe your results and to overcome challenges.
It is a great motivational tool: seeing your progress and development encourages you to carry on training.
It can be used across all sports, not just in Cycling.
Gives us a certain degree of safety so as not to go over the recommended limits, especially in cases of heart disease, high blood pressure, lower levels of fitness, and for the elderly.

In conclusion, the Heart Rate is an effective measurement to be able to know your level of fitness and your exercise progress, therefore, it is vital to take into account your Heart Rate during your indoor training sessions.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

People say they have ‘hit a wall’ when they experience a drop in blood sugar (glucose) levels due to intense and more or less prolonged exertion. So, can I suffer from a fainting spell on the trainer? The similarities between outdoor and indoor cycling are so close that yes, you can have hypoglycaemia on the road too.

How do I know if I have hit a wall?

What is popularly known as a “low blood sugar” is a depletion of glucose reserves in the form of weakness, tiredness, shortness of breath, cold sweats, dizziness, blurred vision, etc.

These symptoms occur when energy reserves have been depleted after intense or long-lasting training. It usually occurs after several hours of cycling in which your effort has exceeded your anaerobic threshold.

This is why it is important to know your anaerobic threshold, as this parameter allows you to control the situation when cycling at a specific cadence. If you exceed this limit, exhaustion sets in, exposing you to the risk of a breakdown.

In indoor cycling it is also common to suffer from fatigue, because just as in outdoor races, the effort exerted in a race between friends in a group or the intensity of the conditions can be so high that it exceeds the limits.

How do I avoid hitting a wall?

Now that we have determined the causes that expose you to fatigue, we are going to give you the recommendations to avoid suffering from it.

Train

Training is very important, as those athletes with the least amount of training are the most likely to suffer from it. You should increase the intensity of your workouts on the bike and for this we recommend interval training, as it is a very useful system for making progress.

By increasing the intensity you can increase your anaerobic threshold, while your body progressively adapts to the stress of exercise. Always be aware of your own limits and do not push yourself too hard, otherwise the effect will be the opposite: you expose yourself to failure.

Good nutrition

Nutrition is the key, as the replenishment of your glycogen stores depends on it. Carbohydrate intake – based on cycling several days a week – is between 3 and 12 grams per kilo of body weight.

If you are going to take part in a race, walk or event, we recommend that you train at a lower intensity beforehand, as this will keep your energy reserves close to maximum.

Hydration and fueling

Although it is sometimes a forgotten factor, hydration during exercise on the trainer is very important, as the thermoregulatory conditions of the outside environment do not occur indoors and this favours dehydration.

You should not neglect yourself and go too long without eating or drinking. Before the race you should eat properly, because, as mentioned beforehand, your energy reserves depend on your diet.

From time to time you should eat foods with sugar and carbohydrates, such as gels and nutrition bars. Depending on the intensity of the route, food intake should be higher or lower, as should hydration.

Stop if necessary

If you feel weak and tired even though you have taken care to eat and drink, it is advisable to stop. You can try slowing down, eating gel for a quick energy boost and hydration.

But if you don’t recover with these measures, the best option is to stop exercising so that you don’t expose yourself to the risk of suffering from fatigue, even if you feel that you should have enough energy.

What do I do if I am hitting a wall?

As soon as you feel that you are struggling to keep up with the pace of even gentle pedalling, the best thing to do is to stop to eat and hydrate. It takes time for the body to recover its initial energy levels, so be patient and don’t try to exercise again after having eaten.

Foods with sugar and carbohydrates are a good option for slow energy recovery. Energy drinks and sugary soft drinks are also a good alternative to get you going, even caffeine helps to give you a boost.

But no matter how much you stop, eat and drink, it’s not enough to get you back in the race. Recover slowly and don’t rush. The Smart trainer will still be in place when you’re ready.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Rest and cycling are terms that go hand in hand, because any training plan for cyclists must include adequate rest days so that the body is in a position to properly assimilate the training loads.

This rest can be active or total and is essential to:

Being able to increase physical fitness
Applying the phenomenon of supercompensation
Not to suffering from overtraining caused by excessive physical fatigue.

For these reasons, hare at BKOOL we are going to explain how long to recover for between two indoor cycling sessions.

Recovery between sessions depends on the stimuli you have worked on:

If you have done a training where you have given special importance to the aerobic thresholds R1 and R2, around 65-75% of the Fcmáx, finished the session you need a complete recovery of 24 hours or an incomplete one of 8 hours.
If you have done a more intense session based on R3 and R3+ (90-100% VO2max) the recovery time increases up to 36 hours for a complete recovery and 24 hours for an incomplete recovery.
If the training was based on R4-R5, 48 hours are necessary for a complete recovery and 24 hours for an incomplete recovery.
If the session has had R6 and R6+ stimuli, 24 hours are needed for a complete rest and 8 hours for an incomplete recovery.
In the case of a specific Maximum Anabolic Strength workout, you need 48 hours for a complete recovery and 24 hours for an incomplete one.
And if it has been a specific session of Neuromuscular Maximum Strength, the complete recovery is 72 hours and the incomplete recovery is 48 hours.

Types of recovery

As we have anticipated, there are two types of rest: active or total. Active rest consists of performing a relaxed physical activity at low intensity that helps to:

Decongest the muscle (oxygenating it).
Stimulate blood circulation.
Reduce muscle pain.

This type of recovery is usually performed after a high-intensity workout with a significant load block. For this reason, active recovery sessions should not exceed an hour and a half in duration and be below 60-65% intensity.

Active recovery sessions need not necessarily take place on the bike. Stretching, gentle walking or swimming are physical activities that also accelerate recovery.

Active rest removes heaviness from the legs faster by oxygenating the muscles. The feeling of relief is noticeable and fatigue and sluggishness disappear sooner.

Total and absolute rest is also worthwhile in order to recover the body, replenish strength and regain energy when you have finished a large block of workouts and want to prevent overtraining.

It is necessary to completely rest the body from all physical activity when the training load has been high for a prolonged period of time, due to the fact that if the intensity has been high, even if only for one day, active rest is more advisable.

After the workout

Regardless of the type of training you have done -intensity and duration-, all exercise requires a cooling down phase. It is essential to spend some time cooling down and relaxing your muscles at the end of your workout to reduce lactic acid levels and promote blood circulation.

Drinking a shake with a high protein content also helps the muscles to recover quickly.

Good nutrition, training and rest are essential to maintaining proper physical fitness, so do not forget this last step to recover after exercise. There is no specific manual, but here at BKOOL we encourage you to listen to your body, because your body will give you the indications to know what kind of recovery you need.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

With all the changes that have taken place in recent months, the way we train has changed. In fact, indoor cycling training has become routine throughout our planning, with many athletes who previously only trained outdoors discovering all the advantages of training at home.

So today we’re going to give you the five keys that will help you get the most out of your indoor cycling training.

Hydration is key

It may be an overlooked aspect, but it is essential to maintain adequate hydration during your training session.

“This is one of the top priorities without a doubt. The circumstances surrounding this training are a bit unfavorable in terms of thermoregulation because we don’t evaporate sweat and the environment is hotter and more humid“, recently stated Aitor Viribay, nutritionist to, among others, Kilian Jornet or cyclists on the UCI circuit.

Hydration is important at a physiological level, so even in low-medium intensity sessions lasting an hour it is also essential to drink. It all depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise, as Aitor points out that “there can be very intense one-hour sessions in which the loss of body weight can reach 1.5 kg, so it is essential to hydrate“.

The nutritionist’s advice is to drink more than one bottle per hour (about 500-700mL, or even more): “There are half-hour and 40-minute sessions in which, depending on the intensity, 300mL may be enough“. As for how often, Aitor recommends drinking about 200mL every 15-20 minutes.

Along with hydration, nutrition is also important, so Aitor Viribay recommends taking gels in a similar ratio to liquid: every 15-20 minutes. This will improve performance and facilitate early recovery.

Ventilation, too

Good air quality in the room in which we train is also one of the keys to achieving maximum performance.

Thermoregulation, as we have already said, is very different between indoors and outdoors, so it is advisable to ventilate the room and achieve an environment as similar to the street as possible.

The temperature and humidity concentrated inside the room where you train limits your aerobic endurance, so opening the window or activating a fan will help regulate these conditions.

Concentrate on the training

Sometimes, once we have connected the simulator and started training, we look for a distraction to keep us entertained during the session. A movie, a series, or even the radio are some of the pastimes.

But our recommendation for the best results is to make a training plan and focus on sticking to it.

Having small goals: by time, heart rate, watts or cadence, will motivate you to achieve them and to be focused on pursuing them. We advise you to plan your sessions well before you get on the trainer and watch your progress. Paying constant attention to training will make you give your all.

To make the experience more complete and efficient, we recommend that you visit our indoor cycling workouts section. With them you will be able to hit the target much harder.

Take advantage of the intensity

Indoor training has become a very popular alternative whose resemblance to outdoor exercise has led more and more cyclists to join this practice. For this reason, at BKOOL we have worked to improve the devices and recreate the conditions of the street more closely.

Practically all the Smart Trainers on the market are compatible with our simulator -you can check yours in our list-, and they offer an intensity very close to reality. As for the cadence, they usually reach 120 rpm, which allows you to choose a wide range of sessions. Take advantage of the training characteristics and give it your best.

From our point of view, indoor cycling allows you two very different types of workouts: on the one hand, easy rides, in which we are looking for volume and improving our aerobic zones, and on the other hand, workouts orientated for intensity. The latter can be short -perhaps with a limit of one hour is enough-, and reaching important power peaks.

Recover well

Recovery after exercise is as important as training. If we do not recover well, we will not be able to perform at the same level again, or it can even lead to months of permanent fatigue known as “overtraining”.

The recovery period begins as soon as you finish pedaling. This is when the famous metabolic window begins: the time after training when the body is very receptive to absorbing of nutrients.

For this reason, during the first 45 minutes it is essential to take in quality nutrients that allow you to quickly recover everything you have lost during the session. Proteins, carbohydrates and minerals are ideal for muscle reconstruction. In addition, fast-absorbing foods help our digestive system a little more.

The combination of these five recommendations will boost your indoor cycling training, allowing you to reach the highest level of performance. Let’s train!

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

We join this beautiful charity initiative! Get your BKOOL ticket and in addition to taking part in this beautiful initiative, you can win a Smart Bike with 1 year of BKOOL Premium for free!

The Explorers Club (Club de Exploradores) is the latest charity initiative launched by Juegaterapia and PlayStation. The aim is to raise funds so that children with cancer in Spanish hospitals can enjoy rooms where they can play, have fun and forget about the hospital for a few hours. The idea is that these “Explorers’ Rooms” will serve as a real window to the world, encouraging their more adventurous instinct and ensuring that they never lose that precious enthusiasm to explore and continue playing. There they will be able to enjoy PlayStation 5 technology, travel to other places virtually and live exciting experiences in order to make their stay in the hospital much more bearable, because playing chemo flies by!

There is no better way to do this than through a huge giveaway of different objects donated by “friends of PlayStation”. Each member of the Club, which you can find out about on the exploradoresplaystation.com website, has donated an object that for them has great sentimental and emotional value.

At BKOOL we are going to collaborate with this wonderful initiative by providing a Smart Bike and an annual premium subscription to our simulator. To qualify for these fantastic gifts, all you have to do is purchase a BKOOL ticket on the website. In addition, all PlayStation Explorers Club members who collaborate by purchasing at least one ticket will automatically be included in the draw to win a PlayStation 5.

All proceeds from the sale of the tickets will go towards the construction of Explorers Club rooms in Spanish hospitals. Every ticket counts to keep bringing smiles to the faces of those who deserve it most!

*Get your BKOOL ticket and you can win a Smart Bike with a 1 year Premium subscription to the simulator.*

Among the other gifts to be raffled off by Club members you will also find a shirt signed by Rafa Nadal, a PlayStation 5 signed by members of the Real Madrid team and shirts signed by the entire Atlético de Madrid squad. And that’s not all, leaving aside the world of sport, celebrities of all kinds have also wanted to be part of the initiative. Influencer Jorge Cremades has donated a signed arcade machine, the band La Oreja de Van Gogh will donate the first keyboard with which they went on tour and DJ Nano will raffle a signed mixer. What are you waiting for to get your tickets?

How to contribute to the Explorers Club by PlayStation?

It’s very simple, to participate in the raffle those interested can purchase a ticket for just 5€ through the official website. Each ticket is only valid for the related raffle and, although with such an important cause behind the raffle it is almost the least important thing, the truth is that you can opt for fantastic gifts for this almost symbolic price. What are you waiting for to get your BKOOL raffle ticket and do your bit?

The best part is that you can participate as many times and in as many draws as you like! We invite you all to participate in this beautiful project that can change the lives of many children and young people.
Can you help us to start bringing about smiles?

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

One of the great virtues of Spain is the almost endless catalogue of cycling climbs that we can enjoy. We have seen them throughout the international cycling calendar, in top level races, but we have also seen them through relevant blogs that are dedicated to analysing our orography and trying to discover where “the new L’Angliru” is.

Many of these routes allow us to fight against the asphalt and the impossible slopes, test our progress and feel how it is to run out of cadence through its ramps. The downside: travelling. And not just because of the possible restrictions, but also because of the logistical management involved in getting away for a weekend to climb mountain passes.

Fortunately we, your friends at BKOOL, can make you feel the same sensations without leaving home with our video routes and 3D. That’s why today we want to introduce you to a series of passes with video and 3D view that, because of their level of difficulty, we think it’s worthwhile facing them someday.

The Ascent of the Teide

Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are two islands with a very simple orography: you can only go up and down. That’s why big teams of the international cycling scene choose them frequently to carry out their stages.

Of all the climbs we could have chosen, we have chosen the Teide. Spain’s highest peak offers short and long routes (if one day you want a four-hour ascent you have it), but we have chosen one that starts in the village of Vilaflor that will take you about an hour to complete: eleven kilometers along which you will accumulate more than 700 meters of positive elevation.

Quite a challenge, isn’t it?

Alto de Hazallana

For the second ascent we go to Granada. What are we going to discover in the Andalusian province that hasn´t already been said? At the foot of the Sierra Nevada, this whole area offers a great variety of cycling routes. Although it does have steep slopes, the most common trend is to find long climbs that will gradually undermine your endurance.

Just take a look at the ascent to the mythic Veleta. As in the case of the Teide, if you want, you can face forty kilometers with 1,700 of elevation gain.

In order to get on the trainer we are going to be a little less demanding and look for another climb that in just one hour measures our capacity for effort, the Alto de Hazallana. Starting in Güejar Sierra, it takes us over a little more than eight and a half kilometers to climb a total of 583 meters.

El Boyar

We do not leave Andalusia for our third proposal, El Boyar, in the heart of Sierra de Grazalema

On this route, located in a true natural paradise in the surroundings of Ubrique, we find a hard, long climb with ramps that at some point exceed eight percent for stretches over a kilometer in distance. Although it has a small break around the four and a half kilometer mark, the general tone is to be climbing since we left the village of El Bosque, until we reach the Puerto del Boyar, northeast of the province of Cadiz.

In total, fifteen kilometers of route with an average of 5.85% that lead us to accumulate a total of 811 positive meters.

Alto de L’Angliru

Yes, possibly the hardest mountain pass in Spain, not suitable for everyone, but we were reluctant not to put it on. How can you not face at some point in your life such a mythic ascent as this Asturian pass? It seemed unforgivable on our part.

If you want to face it, arm yourself with patience, courage, and a 34 back, because you’re going to need it: you will have few moments of relaxation from the moment you take the start in La Marina.

Except for the first kilometer, right at the start, and the fifth, which is an oasis in the desert at 2.6%, the rest are ramps that will bring out the best (and the worst) in you: the area of Les Cabanes with a kilometer at 15% (and at some point at 20%) and the famous Cueña Les Cabres, with a kilometer at 17.4% and a maximum ramp at 22%.

Time to complete it? We don’t dare tell you, but our recommendation is that you don’t make plans the day you decide to face it. It’s only 13.3 kilometers, yes, but with a total ascent of 1,700 meters? Almost nothing…

La Cubilla

We do not go very far for the fifth of the ascents, which has also had its specific weight in professional races: the Alto de La Cubilla.

Although in its complete ascent starting in Campomanes there are more than 28 kilometers of flat ascent, we opted for a shorter ascent -and with more demanding sections- starting in La Cortina, very close to the road that goes from León to Oviedo. In total, a little more than 18 kilometers of ascent with 1,100 meters of positive vertical drop.

From our point of view, an ideal route for that day when you feel like facing two hours of simulator.

Port de Vidré

We completely change register and we go to the Levantine lands, to Castellón, to face another demanding pass, although more accessible for short and intense rides.

Leaving from Atzeneta del Maestrat in the direction of Teruel, we have a few soft first kilometers, to condition the legs, before facing almost eleven kilometers that do not go below 5% elevation gain.

At the top, in Colla de Vidré, we will have accumulated 650 meters of positive elevation gain in an ascent at 4.95% on average.

Lagos de Covadonga

For the end, we have left for dessert a legend in its own right, the ascent to the Lagos de Covadonga from Cangas de Onis. How many times have you sat on the couch to watch the professionals fight with the humidity and the cold trying to get to the top of the pass?

Now you can be the protagonist, taking control through your handlebars and the BKOOL screen. It won’t be easy, no doubt: more than 22 kilometers (nine of which are very hilly, it’s also true), for a total ascent of 1,100 meters.

The reward along the way? Spectacular views.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

If you are new to cycling and are looking for information, most of the publications you come across will tell you that one of the key factors to improve your cycling is your pedaling technique. If you’re already a seasoned training enthusiast, we imagine that you live in the dilemma of spending time improving technique versus bulking up with your current capabilities.

We have good news for you: starting from the premise that pedaling technique is indeed one of the most important aspects in this, our beloved two-wheeled sport, neophytes and experienced riders are in time to learn and train this technique, and avoid injuries derived from bad positions.

But there’s more: you can train your pedaling technique without going outdoors. In fact, our recommendation is to train this technique indoors. Just get on the trainer, connect to your BKOOL session and, in a friendly and risk-free environment, get to work on the specific exercises you have planned.

Benefits of improving pedaling technique: reduced injuries

One of the great benefits of giving pedaling technique the attention it deserves is the reduced risk of injury. Let’s take a very graphic example: a three-hour ride on roads, with a cadence of 90 revolutions per minute (a very common cadence). We are talking about your legs performing the same movement 16,200 times.

If we don’t have a well-developed technique, there is a risk that some of these repetitive movements could end up in an ugly injury.

One of the most common injuries among cyclists is tendonitis, both patellar and Achilles tendon, which are closely related to the posture we acquire when pedaling, hence the importance of having a good technique.

Whether you train outdoors or indoors, and to minimise these possible injuries, you must take into account a number of factors that from our point of view are key:

Adjusting your bike

This is probably the most crucial point and the one that avoids most injuries. Having your bike adjusted by a biomechanical expert will help your muscles to acquire a correct position when pedaling. Each athlete needs very specific adjustments that have to do with his or her size.

The size of the bike, the height of the saddle and its offset, the inclination of the brake levers, the position of the cleats on the shoes or the height of the handlebars are just some of the factors that must be perfectly adapted so that your body does not acquire positions that can lead to injury.

In this respect, we insist, it is a good idea to consult a specialist who would help you out with this.

The cadence

The pedaling rhythm is one of the most common topics when we talk about cycling. It should be taken into account that, in addition, it is especially important when we do long rides that require overexertion.

A summary: high cadences affect our cardiovascular capacity, increasing our heart rate, while low cadences affect our musculature. Depending on the type of training we are dealing with, it would be in our interest to increase or decrease. Our recommendation is clear: if we are beginners, we have to avoid high cadences, especially when we start riding, we will have time to try to imitate Chris Froome when we gain experience!

Within your cycling sessions, you can plan times to work on cadence. In the BKOOL workout planner, you can set a specific target that, in a set workout, will help you to neuromuscularly strengthen the target cadence.

The pedal movement

Normally cyclists tend to push forward on the pedals, putting too much effort into the movement, when the correct technique is to pull the pedals with a semicircular movement.

Mentally this change is complicated, but there are also exercises to enhance this. One of them, very common, is to include in sessions of one hour a part in the area of the beginning, about ten minutes, in which we combine blocks of one minute first pedaling only with one foot, being aware of what movement makes the pedal stroke, with the other foot.

Remember the basic recommendation: from the low position of the pedal we should pull up and, in the fall, exert less effort on the push. The point is to imagine two semicircles, one on the left, followed by one on the right.

Distribute the load on both legs

Whether you are right-handed or left-handed, there is one leg with which you push more and is therefore more developed.

This imbalance in strength greatly influences the efficiency of your workouts and, of course, also your speed. Pedal with a 50/50 distribution of strength in each leg to balance yourself, improve the quality of your workouts, and improve your posture on the bike.

Work your core

It may seem a trivial issue when it comes to refining your pedaling technique, but the truth is that a strong core is essential to maintain a proper posture on the bike. The more confident we are from the waist up, the more stability we have in the lower body, which can focus on getting as many watts as possible to the pedals.

Abdominal strength exercises, squats or weight training at least twice a week will increase your performance on the bike in no time.

We all have a preconceived idea about indoor training: it’s only used when it’s cold, raining or we can see out through the window that it’s windy.

However, it has been proven that indoor cycling can be beneficial to our physical performance. No matter the time of the year.

And that’s why today we want to stand up for indoor training all year round, whether it’s hot or cold.

Especially now that we know that there is little difference between training outdoors and training indoors. According to a Sports Medicine study conducted by the University of Adelaide, there is no significant difference between how training outdoors and training indoors affects our aerobic capacity.

The truth is that, although both disciplines have their pros and cons, there are several compelling reasons you should know about indoor cycling to finally give it a try if you haven’t tried it yet.

It helps you lose your fear of riding outdoors

The beginnings are always complicated. All of us who have ridden a bike outdoors know the stress of dealing with external factors: traffic lights, pedestrians, traffic, etc.

If we add the factor of getting used to our bike or to how it responds to our pedalling, we have the circumstances set to not enjoy ourselves and go out to ride feeling tense.

For that matter, a friendly environment always helps in the beginning. If you are an occasional cyclist or you have only recently taken up cycling, you will feel more confident at first pedaling at home with a good trainer, a simulator that guides you in your training and adapts to your rhythm.

Optimising your training

In the context of a busy family schedule, in which we often have to include weekly workouts practically with a wedge, indoor training is a perfect tool.

Although there is a lot of literature on the subject, it is often said that an hour of indoor cycling training replaces an hour and a half outdoors. So throughout the week this can help us greatly.

At BKOOL we have the possibility of designing a training plan that will help you prepare for the season with guarantees, and without leaving home.

Minimise the risk of injury

It has been proven that indoor training is safer than outdoor training. Not only because it reduces the risk of accidents, unfortunately always present on roads and trails, but also because you will minimise sudden movements that can destabilise you.

As long as you have a good biomechanics, it will be more than enough to ride as long as you want.

Racing as you’ve never experienced it before

The great advantage of BKOOL – and of indoor training – is that you can take your sessions to a new dimension.

You will enjoy your workouts by making every day a new competition. This is one of the main advantages of indoor cycling since, thanks to the adaptation of technology, very realistic experiences are achieved.

Have you ever imagined yourself racing stages of the international cycling calendar? Now you can make it a reality.

Cardiovascular improvements

To break the myth of indoor training when it’s cold outside, we will talk about another study, conducted by the University of Oregon, which showed that when it is exposed to heat, our body generates a series of adaptations that result in increased physical performance.

The heart in particular pumps more blood, reduces the heart rate and delivers more oxygen to the muscles.

It has been shown that performance can be improvent by three to eight percent below the threshold.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

For the Women on Wheels with ELITE by BKOOL competition, we have organised a series of interviews with successful women from the the world of sport so that they can tell us about their careers and we can get to know them a little better. Women on Wheels with ELITE by BKOOL is an event in collaboration with Selle Italia, Kask, Koo, the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) and Gobik.

Amelia Rose Watkinson is a professional triathlete from New Zealand currently living in Australia. Amelia is a 15-time Ironman champion and has competed in the 2020 PTO World Championships. With a background in cycling and running, she has won several U19 national titles in individual TT, road race, hill climb and team TT, which has prepared her for a career as a professional triathlete.

From the official BKOOL Instagram account many of you Bkoolers had the opportunity to see Amelia Rose Watkinson live while she was participating in a Group Ride with BKOOL and ask her your own questions. The interview is saved on BKOOL’s Instagram and can be watched anytime.

Amelia, would you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

ARW: Since I was a child I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment that encouraged a lot sport. I played a lot of team sports like football, basketball, tennis… And I loved it, so when I got older I wanted to choose more demanding sports. I started doing long-distance running, I always enjoyed competing, and that led me to cycling and finally to triathlon. From there I was able to get my professional licence, so it’s a very rewarding progression.

What is your advice for newcomers to this sport?

ARW: When starting out, one of the best things you can do is to join a club that practices this sport. One of the best things about this discipline is meeting people with the same interests, which allows you to motivate each other and build friendships. A coach is also always useful if you want to aim for something bigger. It depends on what you want to achieve, if you want to train and have fun, training with a team will give you more flexibility to combine training with your work and family life. A coach will help you to achieve specific objectives and reach your goals at higher levels.

As you say it all depends on the goals we set ourselves, could you tell us something about your current goals? Because you have already accomplished the greatest achievements in this sport.

ARW: My goals have been evolving throughout my career. Right now I’m striving to be one of the best in the world. I’ve been in the top ten in a couple of world championship events, so my next goal is to get on the podium. Winning is everyone’s goal, but I think most athletes feel very proud and satisfied if they are giving their best.

When it comes to achieving your goals, who is your source of motivation?

ARW: My inspiration has come from so many different places. When I was younger I always looked up to those who worked hard and succeeded. I was frustrating to see people who made it without really working for it. The people who inspire me at the moment are my training partners, we work so hard together.

What is the hardest thing for you when preparing for a competition?

ARW: When you are a professional trying to do your best it’s funny how the hardest thing for you is the same as it is for beginners. You put your body under a lot of stress to get to the top, understanding what your limit is and how much rest you need is tricky.

Have you ever had an injury while preparing for a competition? Because it is very common among athletes.

ARW: When you get injured it’s very hard but you have to focus on doing what you can realistically do. I’ve had quite a few injuries, mostly from running, but injuries can also come from your diet, stress, not getting enough sleep… Women are even affected by hormones! When you are injured you have to focus on recovering. For me, what really works is swimming, which also helps me to get better at it and improve my performance in the future.

Do you think it is more difficult for women to do sports or do we all have the same possibilities?

ARW: It is true that it is now becoming standardised to accept that we are somehow different. Many current scientific studies, especially in nutrition and sports science, use male subjects for their studies and don’t realise that they can’t generalise to both genders. I personally am very lucky to be in triathlon where there are equal numbers, but not all sports are like that. I think it’s very important to get women into sport, it’s empowering. Here in Australia equality is almost achieved, but I know it’s not the same all over the world.

A related question, do you think that FTP tests have been developed based on male research? Can they be applied to everyone?

ARW: These tests are basically just getting on your bike and going all out for a whole hour. It is very common in training as a guideline when doing intervals to see how you are progressing in both men and women. This way you can be sure that you are not training too light or too hard, if you want to improve you have to mix up the intervals and not always ride at an average level.

Do you think it is difficult for women to get sponsorship?

ARW: In my experience we have already come a long way, I for example have many amazing brands as sponsors. From my point of view, right now we have a lot of support in general, we are on the right track, a few years ago things were very different.

Do you think tools like BKOOL are useful for triathletes?

ARW: One hundred percent, usually with technical courses such as world championships or official tours. If you haven’t had the opportunity to ride the route before, you can try it on BKOOL and even memorise it. I used to travel with my team and practice all over the world, but now with these tools I can train whenever I want from home, it has a lot of potential.

What do you have in mind for this season? Do you think you’re going to rock it?

ARW: I had a little break from training so I am still training to be ready in September for the world championships. I’m training hard in pre-season so I hope to be in good shape when the time comes.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!