Cycling tips

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.

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.

We've all woken up the morning of a ride feeling out of sorts and not knowing if it's an impending illness, fatigue from a busy period, or simply a bad night's sleep. With the right data, you can wake up each morning and make a more informed training decision based on your overnight biological measurements and previous workout data.

You rode long, or maybe you rode hard. You glide back into the parking lot and then you swing your leg over the saddle to dismount your bike. And it hurts. You feel a familiar twinge in your low back, an aching in your hips. You peruse your buddy's Strava and notice something odd… he's been secretly doing Pilates on his non-bike days. Now you're wondering if you should do Pilates, too.

Your inseam can tell you more about bike fit than height alone. Here's how to measure it accurately at home and use it to choose the right frame size and find a comfortable saddle height.

Good fitness doesn't automatically produce good bike handling. A rider can hold strong power indoors yet still feel nervous on descents, drift while looking behind or tense up when a corner tightens. Outdoor cycling asks you to balance, scan, brake, steer and react as the road changes around you. These eight practical drills will help you ride with more control and confidence, so you can focus on the road ahead.

A good torque wrench protects your bike and takes the guesswork out of maintenance. Compare the best options for home mechanics, plus practical tips for choosing and using one the right way.

You don't need fancy gear, perfect clothes, big muscles or an expensive bike. All you need is a bike and a helmet, and boom – you're a cyclist.

Cycling isn't supposed to hurt. Yet for many riders, discomfort creeps in sooner or later. Maybe it's a nagging knee on climbs, tingling fingers halfway through a ride, or a sore back that lingers long after you've unclipped. Sometimes it builds quietly over weeks. Other times, it happens all at once in a split-second crash.