Women in cycling!

5 tips for getting started with your racing bike

According to current data from the Strava app, the proportion of women who regularly jog or ride a racing bike increased by around 25 percent worldwide last year. Have you always wanted to try racing cycling? We’ll help you get started with cycling! Here you will get practical tips for the perfect introduction to road cycling as well as valuable information about equipment, clothing and training.

Tip one: Adjust the settings of your road bike to your body

For optimal performance, it is important that all settings on the road bike are perfectly adapted to your body . For example, if the saddle height is too high or too low, this will affect your cadence, meaning you won't be able to get off to a full start. Luckily, adjusting the saddle is very easy:

1. Sit on the racing bike.
2. Place one foot with the heel on the pedal.
3. Straighten your leg slightly and test whether you are sitting stable in the saddle. If your hips move when you straighten your leg, you should lower the saddle.

The right frame size is also crucial so that you can achieve full performance when cycling. How big the frame needs to be depends on your stride length . Stride length is the length from the floor to your pubic bone. To determine your stride length, you will need a book, a tape measure or ruler, a calculator, and someone to help you.

Take off your shoes. To measure, stand against a wall and hold the book between your legs. Your helper will then measure the distance between the floor and the spine of the book with the ruler. Write down this value - this is your stride length. Multiply the value by 0.665. You have already determined the racing bike frame size in centimeters .

Tip two: Invest in functional clothing that is adapted to the weather

In general, when choosing the right clothing for road bike beginners, the following applies: Before you rush into expenses and invest in expensive functional clothing, you can start small - especially if you are not yet sure whether cycling is really for you . At the beginning and to test how comfortable you feel on the road bike, you can simply wear your running clothes for cycling.

In general, however, the following applies: Your clothing should always be adapted to the weather conditions - so that you can concentrate entirely on yourself, your stride and the correct breathing technique during your tour. Adapt your clothing to the temperature and wind conditions. If you're sure you want to stick with it, the following items of clothing should be on your shopping list:

• In spring you will need long, thin trousers, a thin hat, an undershirt, a jersey with long sleeves and possibly gloves, a thin scarf or bandana and a windbreaker.
• In summer , short racing bike shorts, an undershirt, a jersey with short sleeves, short-fingered gloves and, if necessary, a wind vest are on your shopping list
• In autumn you should wear long trousers, an undershirt, a long-sleeved jersey, a hat and, if necessary, a windbreaker, a scarf and gloves.
• In winter you are well equipped with windproof, long thermal trousers, an undershirt, a thermal long-sleeved jersey, windproof overshoes, a windproof thermal jacket and a scarf hat.

Tinted sunglasses that protect your eyes from wind and UV rays, socks and racing bike shoes with toe warmers are of course also part of the basic equipment. To protect your head in the event of a fall while cycling, be sure to wear a helmet! Do not invest in one of the particularly cheap models, as they often do not offer optimal protection. It's best to try out several models in a specialist store and get advice.

If you want to avoid sore spots, we advise against wearing underwear under your sports pants. Many road bike shorts have an integrated seat pad that at least protects your innermost parts a little from the hard saddle. Does your skin get sore very quickly? Then apply a protective ointment to prevent skin inflammation. Your bra should also be comfortable and keep everything in shape when you are bent over on the road bike. A sports bra is the right choice.

Tip three: Pay attention to your diet and take enough to drink with you

A balanced, healthy, carbohydrate-rich diet can help you achieve your personal road cycling goals. You can also supplement your diet with special functional foods and drinks for endurance athletes.

Replenish fluid loss: Drink, drink, drink

The most important thing: pack enough to drink, ideally two bottles - so you don't run out of drinks. Because you work up a sweat when you ride a racing bike. This causes your body to lose not only fluid but also valuable minerals. Water, but also isotonic drinks such as the Iso Drink from Dextro Energy * compensate for this loss. They also contain potassium, magnesium and sodium. These minerals regulate muscle performance** . Stir the powder into the recommended amount of water. Filled into a drinking bottle, you can quickly have the isotonic drink ready during training. When using it, stick to the recommended dosage.

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Hypotonic sports drinks also quickly compensate for your fluid loss** - a good support during particularly strenuous training stages. Prepare the drink before you start your road bike ride. Follow the dosage instructions on the packaging. You can easily mix Iso Fast, the hypotonic drink powder with electrolytes from Dextro Energy *. Simply add a spoonful of powdered drink to 250 milliliters of water using the measuring spoon included and dissolve it.

The hypotonic drink powder Iso Fast from Dextro Energy* is also available in a practical one-serving bag - ideal if you want to freshly mix your sports drink during a longer stage. The contents of the bag are enough for one portion. Put it in your water bottle and fill it with water. Then shake everything well. Enjoy your meal!

Take a break, enjoy the view – and snack!

Is the view on your stage particularly beautiful right now? Then take a short break and enjoy the view of nature and the fresh air! A carbohydrate bar with magnesium is the ideal breather snack. Magnesium contributes, among other things, to normal muscle function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue . The Energy* Bar from Dextro Energy, an energy and protein bar with magnesium, is available in the flavors Chocolate , Salted Peanut , Vanilla and Lemon Cake . The recommended consumption amount for sports is 50 grams for two hours.

A steep climb is coming up and you want to quickly replenish your energy reserves? Then grab a carbohydrate-rich concentrate especially for endurance athletes in the form of a gel during training. The liquid gel from Dextro Energy* is available in fruity flavors such as lemon , cherry or orange . Liquid Gel Orange contains, among other things, thiamine and riboflavin. These B vitamins contribute, among other things, to normal energy metabolism. Drink one sachet every 20 to 45 minutes. The recommended consumption amount for Liquid Gel from Dextro Energy* is a maximum of three packs per day.

After the road bike tour: Focus on carbohydrates and proteins

After cycling, it is important that you replenish your glycogen stores. For example, you can drink a delicious after sports drink like the Recovery Drink from Dextro Energy *. The Recovery Drink is a carbohydrate-protein drink powder with magnesium, B vitamins and ten other vitamins . The B vitamins it contains support your energy metabolism.

Stir three level measuring spoons into 250 ml of water. Three level measuring spoons correspond to 44.5 grams of powdered drink. The recommended consumption amount is one to two portions of 250 milliliters each within the first 60 minutes after exercise.

Would you rather have something to chew? Then grab a carbohydrate protein bar like the Protein Crisp from Dextro Energy* in the flavors Chocolate , Caramel Cookie or Vanilla Coco . Thanks to its ideal carbohydrate-protein ratio of 3:1, it replenishes your glycogen stores and supplies your body with proteins.

Tip four: Have the right equipment with you

Would you like to get out of the city and explore nature on your racing bike? A good idea. After all, you have peace and quiet in the wild, you can enjoy the fresh air and you don't have to stop at every red light. If you are planning a medium or long tour of 60 kilometers or more through nature and you already know that the nearest shop will be miles away, we advise you to invest in a saddle bag and good equipment. Your basic equipment includes:

• Tools: We recommend a multitool that contains, among other things, a tire lever and various hex wrenches. Before your first long tour, find out how to change a tire on a racing bike.
• Spare tube: If you want to ride in the rain or want to venture out on a long tour of 80 kilometers or more, we advise you to pack two tubes straight away.
• Bicycle pump or CO2 pump: If there is a loss of pressure, a bicycle pump or alternatively a pump with CO2 cartridges will save you. The advantage of CO2 pumps: They take up very little space in the saddlebag. This means you have space for an additional water bottle on the frame of your racing bike.
• Leftover piece of hose: If it's already too late and you have a hole in your jacket, you can patch it with a leftover piece of hose and a little skill. Before you get started, watch a few instructions on YouTube.

So that you are prepared for emergencies: To take a selfie after you have successfully mastered a steep mountain stage - your fully charged smartphone is of course part of your basic equipment, as is your health and debit card. No matter whether your tire has burst or a crank arm is wobbling: if the basic equipment is right, you are prepared for all eventualities.

Tip five: Find training partners

You may be wondering whether road cycling is better in a group. There is no general answer to this question - after all, it depends entirely on you how comfortable you generally feel in the company of others. If you are an introvert or want to have peace and quiet while cycling, exercising with friends or in a group will not make you happy.

But before you decide against training with others, we advise you to think about it again. Because sport in a group can help you progress in road cycling - especially if you are just starting out in the sport, because:

• Training partners motivate you when you are about to give up on steep sections of the route
• Training partners will correct you if you start sprinting too quickly at the beginning and therefore run out of breath after a short time or if other mistakes creep into your training
• Training partners encourage you when you have achieved a training goal that you have been working towards for a long time

All of these things can ensure that you reach your goals faster, increase your performance and stay motivated over the long term. Are you one of those people who prefer to work out alone instead of doing sports in a group ? Then a playlist can motivate you while cycling.

By the way, cycling with headphones is generally permitted in Germany. However, the music must be so quiet that you can hear warning signals in good time. If you want to drive in the city, we advise you not to wear headphones and pay close attention to traffic.

Women in cycling: Top prepared for road cycling

From choosing the right racing bike to the right clothing to functional foods that support you before, during and after training: with our tips nothing will stand in the way of your entry into the world of cycling. What are you waiting for?

* contains carbohydrates

** Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions help maintain endurance performance during prolonged endurance training - Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions improve the absorption of water during physical activity

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

SOURCES

de Oliveira, EP, Burini, RC, & Jeukendrup, A. (2014). Gastrointestinal complaints during exercise: prevalence, etiology, and nutritional recommendations. Sports medicine (Auckland, NZ), 44 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S79–S85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0153-2

Vitale, K., & Getzin, A. (2019). Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations. Nutrients, 11(6), 1289. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061289

Blomstrand, E., Eliasson, J., Karlsson, HK, & Köhnke, R. (2006). Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. The Journal of nutrition, 136(1 Suppl), 269S–73S. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.1.269S