Want To Ride Faster? Master This
Finesse over force
Most beginner cyclists think speed comes from pedaling harder.
But that’s not true…
The secret to speed isn’t brute force. It’s smarter shifting.
But most riders sabotage their speed because they don’t shifting efficiently.
They don’t shift gears often enough
They let hills dictate their pedaling cadence
They waste energy with unnecessary surges and slowdowns
Yesterday, I worked on all this with one of my athletes,
.
On our training ride, we fine tuned his shifting technique with small adjustments that make a massive difference in speed.
And by the end of our ride, he was carving up the road at 28+ mph, gear shifting and keeping his momentum with ease.
So if you want to ride faster with less struggle…
Steal these 3 small adjustments and learn to fly:
#1: Anticipate the Terrain
The biggest mistake I see from beginner cyclists?
Waiting until a climb forces a gear shift.
By that point, you’ve already lost momentum.
Instead, shift before the resistance kicks in.
I call this staying “on top” of your cadence. And it clicked for Blaine on this ride.
We focused on:
scanning the road ahead for grade change
getting in a middle gear for shifting flexibility
making gear changes early to keep power output steady
#2: Shift Often & Make Micro-Adjustments
Shifting isn’t just for hills—it’s something you should be doing constantly to maintain your ideal cadence and power output.
A slight headwind, a minor incline, or even just a brief moment of fatigue can kill your rhythm.
Here are some tips:
Avoid grinding. If your cadence is slowing, shift.
Micro-adjust constantly. Keep your effort steady.
Don’t be afraid to ride light. Use little ring and easier gears to stay fresh without losing speed.
#3: Maintain Rhythm & Speed Through Transitions
Most riders lose momentum in key transitions—crests of climbs, the bottom of descents, and corners.
Cresting climbs → Shift up just before reaching the top so you don’t stall when the road flattens out.
Bottom of descents → Shift early to avoid spinning out, keeping pressure on the pedals to carry speed forward.
Corners → Select the right gear before entering so you can maintain speed (then accelerate out of the turn) without grinding into too heavy of a gear.
The Results? Flow, Speed, and Strength
By the end of our ride, Blaine wasn’t just pedaling—he was flowing.
His speed stayed consistent, his heart rate stayed in Z2, and he finished feeling strong instead of drained.
Check out his Peak Speeds - for a flat/rolling ride, this was impressive:
A lot of riders grind harder when they feel slow.
But the answer isn’t more force—it’s more finesse.
Shift smarter, ride faster.
Any questions on shifting technique? Drop them below—I’d love to help.
P.S.
Want more tactical bike tips like this?
Download Endurance Accelerator: my free mini-course packed with tactical bike tips, training strategies, and mindset shifts to dominate your fitness goals.
Join hundreds of athletes already using this system to build unstoppable speed.
These are great tips for terrain management when riding a bike!
When we ride with newer cyclists, I tell them to sit behind my husband, Matt, when going up a hill and shift every time he does.
They're often surprised how many gears he goes through to keep the cadence up and power from spiking unnecessarily.