Riding all day nearly always exposes your weakest link, which for most riders is the core. "The core area - your abs, lower back, obliques, hips and glutes - helps transfer power to the pedals, as well as stabilise the rider on the bike," says US

lactate threshold heart rate (about an eight on a scale of one to 10 of perceived effort) once a week. Also look at lowering the weight part of the equation.Use the right gearDon't be afraid to use your easiest gear. You might feel you need a big gear

-important endurance element of your training.✘    Classes are usually between 45 to 60 minutes – too short to develop endurance for all but sprint triathlons.✘    Spinning studios often become hot, even during lower intensity sessions, leaving you feeling drained

help: find a four or five per cent gradient and ride uphill for eight to 10 minutes in a high gear. Recover by riding slowly back down in an easy, lower gear to loosen up your legs.Wear it wellEndurance cyclist Markus Neuert, director of www

of gravity to send the bike into the turn, while keeping your weight over the centreline of the bike...BY STEERING WITH YOUR BODY Sit back on the saddle with your hands on the drop handle bars. Extend your outside leg and press into that pedal as you push

revolutions per minute, but you won't make as much progress as you would if you dropped into a lower gear and ramped up to 75 or even 85 rpm. An easier spin is more sustainable and won't leave your legs as fatigued. Back it down to 10The ideal climbing

you need if you've set your sights on a time trial or are diving into a triathlon. "The biggest mistake people make is setting up their aerobars without adjusting their bike fit," says Dan Smith, of LifeSport Coaching in Victoria, British Columbia

from £200-£5000 on a road bike, although something in the £400-£800 range will give you a good entry point into lightweight road-racing bikes. You don't necessarily have to buy a road bike (although if you are planning to race in a triathlon

be upgraded later.Feel the forceFollow these 10 simple tips to become more aerodynamic without the cost of wind-tunnel testing:1 Use a time-trial/triathlon bike - they have steeper seat-tube angles, helping you to achieve a more streamlined position, while

of Velo Science, who developed the Drag2Zero testing concept. Smart is a keen cyclist with a background in testing Formula One cars, and he also helped to design and develop the Team Columbia Giant prototype time-trial bike used in last year's Tour de