From Fitness to Serious Bicycle Racing:

 At first, you just wanted to keep fit, just trying to fight the beer bellies and flab. But as you continue doing so, you may discover that you can do more than just toning your body and increasing your cardiovascular strength.

  Suddenly you may want to feel the rush of air in your face as you do bicycle racing.

Here are some steps that you can follow to bring you from leisure biking to serious bicycle racing.

1. Get the right equipment

 Ordinary bikes cannot do if you want to engage in bicycle racing. Here are some specifications that you have to observe to get the perfect racing bike for yourself.

- The racing bike must be composed of light materials.
- The wheels should have the following dimensions:
- width: 50 cm (maximum)
- length: 185 cm (maximum)
- diameter: 55 cm (minimum), 70 cm (maximum)
- The wheel should have at least 12 spokes
- The bike should weight at least 6.8 kilograms
- The handle bars should be lowered, and seats slightly higher to support streamlined   form of the rider
- wheel spokes should be designed to be aerodynamic

2. Get the proper nutrients

 Since your goal of cycling would be higher, it calls for higher nutrients for your body to continue doing the activity.

 More carbohydrates should be taken by the cyclists to condition the body for more tedious and tiring activities.

 It is advisable to take one to four grams of carbohydrates per kilogram to ensure that you store enough sugar for bicycle racing.

3. Adjustments have to be made

 Bicycle racing calls for greater agility, balance and faster pedal sprinting. All of these things have to be done using a bike that is fit for racing. Doing all these things to other forms of bikes will just leave all your efforts in vain.

 Your bicycle is your partner. Knowing it well and being accustomed to it will be your first step toward bicycle racing.

4. Time yourself during trainings

 You added another aim to accomplish when you ride a bike: beat your former fastest time. And you can only monitor that by doing these steps:

- Equip yourself with a training buddy and a stopwatch. You can concentrate on cycling fast, while he takes note of your time.

- Assign a track that you can use for training. This is to ensure that the time and distance is accounted for during evaluation.

5. Be aware of air resistance and aerodynamics

 You do not take note of these things before. But now that you will engage in bike racing, you have to learn a lot of things regarding aerodynamics and air resistance.

 You are after speed. These things will determine how fast you will go. Now that you have a timer with you, check which of the positions will be most aerodynamic for you. By assuming a certain position, you will decrease the resistance of air on your body.

 Your wheel spokes positioning as well as the treads will also help you decrease resistance. 

6. Join a club!

 It wouldn’t hurt to join a club what is interested in bike racing. You might be a little conscious because some of the members are already professional, but that is not the right attitude.

 The first thing that you have to realize is this: “All professional bikers started out learning and groping.  Once you have accomplished that, you have an open mind and courageous heart to learn.

 In this group, you will learn a lot from each other. You can also find the support and drive to excel.

7. Read books and manuals about bike racing

 Knowing things in the theoretical level is truly a big help for you to become a bike racer. The concepts will be clearer in your mind. But keep in mind that all things that are thought of but not practiced will just be thrown to waste.

8. Expose yourself to racing

 Have a feel of racing by engaging in racing activities. In that way, you will learn a lot!

 Truly, cycling is more than just for fitness, but for serious things as well. But that is if you are up to the challenge of doing all the things stated above for you to be called a bike racer!