Get free watts in three steps

Use these techniques to go farther and faster.

Moving your bike forward takes work, and this work is measured in watts. Whether you are racing or going for a long ride with friends, being able to comfortably produce more watts is the key to going farther and faster.

Training is the most reliable way to increase your ability to push harder with less perceived effort, but using sound techniques while riding, can also help you produce a few more watts with the same effort or at least, reduce the work that takes to keep you moving forward.

Here are my favorite techniques to get a few more watts out of my legs. I organized them in order of difficulty, starting with the easiest.

1.- Drafting.

Riding behind someone else's wheel saves upwards of 40% of the effort compared to the rider in the front. This is a great way to save energy, but you have to follow some rules to make it safe for yourself and everyone else in the group.

• Maintain a safe distance: stay behind the rider in front of you by between 12 to 20 inches.

• Look up: Try looking ahead of the group by keeping your gaze slightly over the shoulder of the rider in front of you. This will allow you to see what is going ahead and react on time to any sudden changes in speed.

• Hide from the wind: if the wind is coming from your left side, stay a little to the right of the rider in front. Conversely, move a little left if the wind is coming from the right.

• Learn the signals the group uses to alert others on what is going on and use them to do the same for those behind you.

2.- Relax:

Keep your elbows slightly bent and your shoulders loose. A trick I learned from a trainer, is to make your facial expression look like you are bored. This relaxes your face, neck, and shoulders.

Make sure that your hands are also relaxed. A tight handgrip will tense up your arms, shoulders, and neck.

3.- Plant your seat bones and pedal from the knees.

This technique is the most difficult to maintain, but when done correctly reduces your perceived effort noticeably.

Start by making sure you are seated comfortably. Your legs should feel as if they are "dangling" from your seat bones through your hips. Then, focus on lifting your legs from the knees instead of pushing down with your quads.

Use your core to maintain a relaxed but steady upper body.

Coach Labarca.