You can be fit enough to ride hard for hours and still ruin the day with a fuelling plan your stomach won't tolerate. That is where gut training comes in. It's not about forcing down the biggest carbohydrate number you can find online, but gradually teaching your stomach to handle the fuel you need.

You've put in the hard miles, banked the training and race day is nearly here. Now comes the bit that can mess with your head: backing off. Tapering in cycling means reducing your training load before an important race or event so accumulated fatigue can fade without giving up the fitness you've worked for. Done well, it means riding less while keeping enough intensity in your legs to feel ready when it counts. Here's how to get those final days right, including how much to ride, when to rest and what a practical cycling taper week can look like.

If you've travelled with your bike, you've probably had the pleasure of fitting it into a car alongside other luggage and passengers like a game of Tetris. The best cars for carrying bikes give you more room to play with and, particularly for mountain bikers, allow you to reach more remote off-road trails.

The bike is useful for runners when it has a job. It can add aerobic work without another set of foot strikes, keep a disrupted week moving, or rest your legs from the pavement. It shouldn't become a second programme piled on top of a full running week.

Cycling Alpe d'Huez means taking on 21 numbered hairpins, a punishing opening and one of the most famous climbs in Tour de France history. This guide explains how the road unfolds, how to pace your effort and how you can ride Alpe d'Huez on ROUVY before tackling it in the French Alps.

Heading into the mountains on your road bike? From preparing for long climbs to managing fast descents and changing weather, these safety tips will help you make smart decisions on the road.

Cycling cadence is how fast you pedal, measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). It's a highly individual metric that shifts with the rider, the terrain and the intensity of the effort – which is why there's no single ideal number to chase. This guide explains what cadence is, what counts as a good cadence for cycling and how to find the RPM range that suits you, with a cadence chart for every riding situation plus drills you can do on your smart trainer.

I thought running would make me fitter. So I laced up my sneaks, hopped on the treadmill, and took off. This should be easy – I'm a cyclist in good shape, right? Wrong. My heart rate soared, I was more winded than I've ever been in my life, and the shin splints had me hobbling for days.

Looking for an indoor ride that stays connected to the roads you love outside? Here are five reasons to try ROUVY.