No amount of training will make up for a bike that won’t shift gears, or an energy “bonk” on the day.

When we spoke to coach Jim Syrin about the most common errors he sees in sportive riders, he told us:

Bonking – not eating and drinking enough – is really common and avoidable. And I often see riders attempting a tough ride on a bike that needs work, the gears aren’t working or the tyres need pumping, those little things make a big difference to performance and enjoyment.