I?ve lost count of the times I?ve heard people say things like this. But it?s usually said by people that have never raced, or even ridden, a bike. Because anyone that has, knows that the bike certainly doesn?t do all the work. And that riding one fast, even for only a few laps, can be one hell of a work out. Even if you?ve got the best bike in the world, racing?s not easy. If you want to be any good at it, it helps if you?re in shape?

Strength

Like most things in life, the stronger you are, the easier it is to ride a bike fast. Especially a big bike, because they don?t half take some heaving around. Pulling a race bike into a corner when all it wants to do is go in a straight line can take all the strength you?ve got. And the faster you go, the less the bike wants to turn and the stronger you need to be.
That?s just half of it, too. It?s not just the bike that needs heaving around; to get the best out of your bike, you need to climb all over it. That?s not just pulling your limbs out of the wind on the straights, it?s hanging off the bike like a gibbon round every corner, to make the bike turn and get your centre of gravity as low as possible. It?s hard work.

I?m not saying you need to be a body builder, far from it; in fact you need to be as strong as you can be, without being too heavy. Because weight isn?t your friend in bike racing.

Weight

Because if you?re too fat, you?re going to struggle down the straights. A lot. And not just because your ...