Coach's Corner — 3 Simple But Common Mistakes Cyclists Make

Our Coach’s Corner series is your chance to have your biggest cycling questions answered — right from longtime cycling coach Darryl MacKenzie. In these short Q&As, Coach Darryl speaks from his 35+ years of cycling and coaching experience to help you become a stronger, smarter cyclist.

Earnest Cyclist:

Coach, as a cyclist, I try to learn about my sport and make wise decisions. What are the most prominent mistakes you see cyclists making?

Coach Darryl:

Every cyclist tries to make the best decisions about their bike and cycling habits, but you don’t always think of everything. Sometimes, that leads to the wrong decisions. Here are three common mistakes that can significantly affect whether you enjoy your time on the bike.

1. Buying a bike that’s too small

“If I get a bike one to three sizes smaller than my last one, it will be lighter, right?”

I’ve done over 1,000 bike fits at this point, and I’ve seen it time and again. Very rarely does a rider come to me with a bike that’s too big. More often than not, it’s too small. 

When this happens, the seat post often won’t extend high enough to let the cyclist get their legs in the optimal position. That translates to less pedaling strength, especially when climbing. Even if their legs are strong enough to generate X amount of watts, they’ll only be able to put a percentage of that power into the pedals. 

While I can correct the pedaling problem (after delaying their bike fit) by ordering a part to adjust their seat height, that fix only goes so far. On a too-small bike — even with some adjustments — many cyclists are too hunched over to fully expand their chest. Less air going in means less oxygen, and less oxygen further reduces pedaling power on climbs.

2. Keeping the saddle too low

“It’s possible that my saddle slipped a few months ago.”

Very few cyclists arrive at my bike fits with their saddles set too high. They can’t pedal long in that situation without knee pain, so they’ll quickly look for a fix. 

The signs of a too-low saddle are much subtler, though, so it’s no surprise that roughly 80% of my bike-fit clients show up with their saddle set too low. And, just as with an undersized bike, these riders sacrifice pedaling power because they can’t extend their legs enough.

Think about it. Most of your leg strength is exerted at the bottom of your stroke. The lower the saddle, the higher the legs must come up, and thus the less time your legs are in their most powerful positions. 

When I have my clients push their saddle up to the proper height, they invariably come back to me in awe of how much better they can climb.

3. Eating protein to get energy for cycling

“Why am I so slow? I ate lots of eggs and bacon for breakfast before my ride!”

Protein is great for repairing and building muscles after workouts, but it’s fairly useless right before or during a ride.

Fat provides almost all the power for slow-and-steady cycling at low heart rates, say 90-110 bpm. And carbohydrates are your fuel for intense cycling at high heart rates, say over 160 bpm. As we progress from pedaling at a low to a high heart rate, the amount of fats burned gradually goes down while the carbs burned goes up. 

What’s not part of the equation there? Protein.

Eating protein and expecting it to provide energy for your ride is like having a low gas tank in your car, then stopping and filling the windshield wiper fluid container. You may have added something, but that wiper fluid will do nothing to keep your wheels turning. And to make matters worse, that useless protein is tying up space and effort in your stomach, which should be spent processing carbs for your challenging ride.

It’s true that small amounts of protein can help your body process carbs a little faster, but we’re talking about a marginal improvement. Up to 90 minutes before and during a ride, the only calories you need to worry about consuming are carbs.

And a big dose of protein? Save it for Sunday night after you’ve pedaled several big rides over the weekend.

Ultimately, the more you learn about cycling, the better decisions you’ll make. So, when you’re not in the saddle, spend some time training your brain on cycling.