Be a group of one!

On group rides you can go faster than normal thanks to drafting and using the energy of the paceline. But when you're riding alone, there's no welcome wheel to get you through the tough spots.

So good riders who want to cover the most miles with the least effort make the terrain work for them. They use situations where they'd normally lose time -- climbs, descents, headwinds, corners -- to actually gain time.

These techniques aren't as good as a fast paceline, but they can measurably increase your solo speed.

Climb fast, but not too fast. Sure you can gain time on hills. You can also go anaerobic and fry yourself halfway home. So keep intensity slightly higher on climbs compared to the flat, but never go into oxygen debt. The first hill may seem slow when using this method, but you'll have something left in your legs for climbs that come late in the ride.


Don't loaf on the descents. Many riders hammer going up and coast going down. One advantage of a slightly less vigorous climbing pace is that you save energy to descend faster by continuing to pedal.


Don't loaf with a tailwind. It's tempting to ease up when the wind's pushing you along. Instead, shift to a bigger gear and keep your cadence and effort the same as if it were calm. Use the wind to boost your average speed with no extra effort.


Bear down in a headwind. Concentrate! Riders lose time in headwinds because they lose focus. They inwardly complain about the wind, give in to it and slog along. Instead, retain speed by focusing on a low and narrow position, a smooth pedal stroke and maintaining your usual 90-rpm cadence.


Gear down when your speed drops. You'll go slower if you grind an oversize gear as you exit turns or start up from stops. The trick is to shift to a lower gear before slowing. Then you'll avoid overloading your legs or perhaps fumbling a shift as you try to get back up to speed.

Source: RBR