Video: Five simple ways you can become a better bike rider

There's a good stretch in the evenings already, so what better time than right now to have a look at the simple ways you can get better as a bike rider?

It's that glorious time of the year again; the worst of the winter weather is (hopefully) behind us and now we look forward to summer with a good stretch in the evenings already noticeable.

So on the eve of the racing and sportive seasons, there really is no better time to consider the simple ways that you can get better as a bike rider.

And even if you're just riding for fun, there's some great advice in here.

1 Get the position on your bike checked

By getting your bike position checked you can change it to suit your body’s exact dimensions.

Not only will you feel more comfortable and generally more at one with your bike, but it should improve you level of comfort, aerodynamics and power output.

It will also help to you avoid injury. As you get better, your position will change so it’s now just a case of getting it done once and then forgetting about it.

Getting your position checked and refining it is perhaps especially important for those new to cycling or who have never had their positions checked.

Then again, even the pros who have been competing at the top for years have a position check and tweak at least once a year; during the off season.

2 Practice your skills

Anyone who has seen world champion Peter Sagan in full flight will know how important bike handling is and that it can sometimes be the difference between winning and, well, not winning.

In this area, it really is a case of practice makes perfect. Some people are natural bike handlers, others take years to improve.

It’s best to get on your bike as often as you can and watch how more experienced riders descend and corner, as well as how they move about in a group, work up and over and hold their place in a bunch.

By simply thinking a little bit more about the way you are moving about and using the road width while on a spin you should improve to become more comfortable, faster and safer.

3 Set goals for yourself

Whether you’re gunning for selection onto an Irish team, or simple want to get better at sportives or racing or even just want to lose some weight; everyone needs a goal to aim for.

4 Train specifically

Just going out and riding around generally is not going to help you to work on an identified weakness or achieve certain goals.

Depending on the sportive or races you have in mind when training, your training load and the type of rides – both in terms of duration and intensity – need to be shaped to suit your goal.

And even if you goal is slightly less specific, such as trying to lose a set amount of weight or improve your endurance to ride a set distance, you need to shape your training so it acts as stepping stones towards where you want to go.

Riding around for three hours at a low intensity is not going to help you shift weight in the same way that putting in a harder effort over a short training spin will.

5 Conquer a local climb

Most of us are not wild about the hills, but there is a great sense of achievement when you notice on a climb how much you’ve improved, especially in comparison with training partners.

So pick a climb near you that you’re not wild about, get to know it and focus on improving your climbing on it.

Areas to watch out for are smooth of style, choosing the right gearing and pacing yourself so you are not exhausted half way up or shattered for the rest of the spin once your reach the top.

And as you train over a period of time, you should notice yourself conquering the local climb easier over time; a development that should encourage you.

But as Sean Kelly says for sportive or ‘non racing’ riders; you do not need to live in the hills to improve as a rider and to gain general fitness – even when preparing for hilly events.