So you’ve entered the Momentum Energy People’s Ride, time to sit back and relax right? Not quite!

With less than ten weeks until the big day – Saturday, 30 January – and Christmas and New Year in between, there’s no doubting time will fly by.

Race director and contributor to the course design of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Scott Sunderland, has taken some time to put together a series of tips to keep you on track with preparations.

Take a read and don’t forget to keep us up-to-date will all of your training via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Getting started for the journey

It’s only fair that we start at the beginning for our initial installment of #RideWithCadel tips. Whilst some of you might be well and truly past this step, allow us to catch a few people up.

1. Go for a checkup
If you are returning to exercise or to the bike after what we will kindly refer to as a ‘hiatus’, make sure you check in with your local GP for a health checkup. Basic, yes. Standard tip, yes. Important, YES!

2. Get set up on your bike.
Most local bike shops offer custom-fitting sessions and it’s a good idea to get down to have one, even if you’ve had one at a time in the past. The benefits speak for themselves; not only will you be more comfortable and less likely to obtain injuries, it can also significantly help with performance. Having the correct position on your bike can give you an increase of up to 10-15% more power due to a better biomechanical set up and aerodynamic position on the bike.

3. Make sure you have the essentials
Bike, helmet, ready to go? Not quite! Whilst you don’t need to pack the kitchen sink, it is a good idea to have a few things to deal with the inevitable dreaded flat. And for if all else fails – a mobile phone for the urgent pick up call!

Increasing your training load

There is no secret to the perfect preparation for the Momentum Energy People’s Ride. Training loads should be determined by individuals depending on what they want to achieve from the ride and also how much time you have to train!

Scott has provided a general guide to you training:

  • In your first 2 weeks training try set your target to ride your bike 3-4 times a week when possible, this will be your base line-foundation to work from as you grow stronger and your fitness levels increase. These rides can be as little as 60 min up to 90 min giving you a total of 3 hours to 7 hours for the week.
  • Week 3-4 you can increase your training rides so your total is around 5 to 8 hours a week, with 1 ride being a longer ride of 2-4 hours.
  • Week 5-6 you can increase your training rides so your total is around 7 to 9 hours a week total riding time, with 1 ride being a longer ride in the week of 2-4 hours.
  • Week 7-8 you can increase your training rides so your total is around 7 to 10 hours a week total riding time, with 1 ride being a longer ride in the week of 2-4 hours.
  • Week 9-10 you can increase your training rides so your total is around 7 to 12 hours a week total riding time, with 1 ride being a longer ride in the week of 2-5 hours.