Rides & Events

Cycling Rides & Events

The journey doesn’t start at the start line — and it doesn’t end at the finish. A charity ride, a local group ride, a gravel fondo, or a solo century all share the same core challenge: Can you stay present in motion, even when the pace, terrain, or emotions shift around you?

Events aren’t just performance tests. They’re growth accelerators. They teach pacing, patience, self-trust, and community.

Why Events Matter (Even If You're Not Competitive)

Events give you something training alone never does:

A reason to show up when motivation dips
A test of fueling, pacing, and mental resilience
A chance to ride with — and learn from — others
A feeling of momentum in your cycling journey

Whether your goal is to finish, to improve, or to explore somewhere new, events turn cycling into a shared experience. You don’t have to be fast to belong. All you need is forward motion.

Weeks Before: Laying the Foundation

Build confidence through repetition, not intensity.

Increase long ride 10–15% per week
Consistency > hero days.
Train on similar terrain
Flat event → cadence practice.
Hilly event → pacing climbs.
Gravel → comfort with rough surfaces.
Fuel in training
Practice gels, real food, hydration, timing — don’t experiment on event day.
Group ride practice (if applicable)
Learn how the pack flows — drafting, rotating, and signaling.

Your body adapts, but so does your mind. Event preparation is learning how you respond to stress, heat, effort, and emotion.

The Night Before: Simplicity

Stress isn’t caused by the event — it’s caused by forgetting something.

Lay everything out:

Kit / shoes / helmet / gloves
Nutrition / bottles / tools / ID
Layers for cold mornings
Route loaded on bike computer/phone if you use one

Check:

Tire pressure
Brakes
Chain smoothness and shifting

Then stop. Step away. Sleep is the final training session.

Event Day: Rhythm Over Rush

Everyone feels strong at the start. The pros hold back anyway.

Start easier than you want
A controlled first hour is the gift your body cashes in later.
Ride your plan — not the pack
The fastest riders are the most patient.
Eat early, drink often
Fuel before the fade.
When adversity hits (and it will):
- Relax your hands
- Focus on cadence
- Breathe deep
- Stay inside your rhythm

Your mind will eventually say “I can’t.”
Your breath will say “Yes, you can.”

Group Ride Tips

If you’re new to social rides:

Call out obstacles & hand signal turns
Hold your line — predictable > fast
Don’t overlap wheels
If you don’t know the etiquette, just say so — cyclists are way nicer than TikTok suggests

Stay safe, communicate, and the miles become easier than solo training ever could.

Race Day Add-Ons (If Competing)

Not every event is competitive — but if you’re racing:

Pre-race anxiety = normal
Channel it into warm-up, not panic.
Break the course into chunks
Segment by segment beats “survive the whole distance.”
Final third = where the race begins
Effort now, not early, is what counts.

The athletes who finish strongest are the ones who waited longest to get uncomfortable.

The Aftermath: Reflection, Not Regret

Don’t judge the day — study it:

What went well?
Where did you lose rhythm?
Did fueling work?
How was your mindset?
What did you learn about yourself?

Growth doesn’t happen in the finish chute.
It happens in the notes you write afterward.

Celebrate the miles. Celebrate the courage it took to show up. Celebrate the version of you that started — and the version that finished.

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Have a tip, story, or idea? It could end up in a future post. Email me anytime with questions, thoughts, or even confessions — we're all in this together.