Road Cycling

7 Experiences Road Cyclists Should Try This Year

A new year means it's time to enjoy new cycling experiences!

It’s a new year so there’s no better time to make some new plans, set some goals and enjoy new cycling experiences.

Cycling into 2018: Kickstart your best year

We’ve compiled a short list of things that we think you need to try this year.

Watch a Professional Road Race

There’s no greater atmosphere than standing at the sidelines and watching a peloton of world class riders whizz by. So get yourself out to one of these incredible races for a healthy dose of pride, excitment and inspiration.

Tour de Yorkshire: Thursday, May 3rd 2018
OVO Women’s Tour: Wednesday, June 13th – Sunday, June 17th 2018
La Course: Tuesday, July 17th 2018

Cycle a Century

Think of it as the cyclist’s marathon: 100 miles within 12 hours. It’s an accomplishment at the top of most amateur cyclists lists, and you can either do it on your own as a personal challenge, with your club or as part of a charity event.

Mountie to Roadie: My First 100 Miler

Try a new discipline

Will you give mountain biking a go this year? Cyclo-cross? Bmx? Triathlon? There is a dizzying variety of ways for you to have fun on your bicycle, so why stay true to the road when there’s a whole world of two-wheeled fun out there?

6 Types of cycling you should definitely try

And the best thing is that you can take things as seriously, or not, as you like. Aim to become your regional cyclo-cross champ, or have a taster session at your nearest BMX track. Whatever you decide to try, just make sure you have a massive smile on your face while doing it!

Engross Yourself in the Tour de France

A TDF bicycle made out of humans? Wow! Image: globoesporte.globo.com

We’re all on a bit of a come-down after 2017’s Tour de France. But don’t be bummed out… instead, make sure you become fully engrossed in the action from your sofa.

TV and internet coverage of the event is always strong and it’s a great way to settle yourself into learning about road racing without having to listen to someone lecture you. Surprisingly quickly, you’ll start picking things up and sounding like an authority on professional cycling. Which you definitely are.

Book Yourself on a Training Camp

Training camps are a great way not only to improve your fitness and performance but to make friends with similar interests and see the world.

Where to ride road

And unlike when you try and outline your protein requirements to your other half, you’ll be somewhere where everyone has the same, cycling-based concerns as you. No eye-rolling for miles!

Learn how to care for your bike

There are loads of ways to learn how to maintain your bicycle and give it the love it deserves. You can consult books, attend a course, and of course, you can use Total Women’s Cycling’s vast array of articles and videos to get you feeling more confident when it comes to fixes at home.

7 Irrefutable reasons to learn bike mechanics

Encourage a friend to try cycling

Here at TWC, we’re of the opinion that the greatest gift you can give a friend is the knowledge that cycling is super awesome. But as adults, we sometimes forget how hard it is for friends to pick up new hobbies and challenge their perception of themselves.

7 Simple ways to covert a friend to the Dark side (cycling!)

Therefore, it’s important that we ask friends to share in our cycling experiences. And even if it turns out they aren’t keen… well, you got a nice ride out of it!

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and enjoy new cycling experiences by making this year the best yet.