Are These Fundamental Cycling Mistakes Holding You Back?

Over the years, I have ridden with, coached and spoken to cyclists of almost every level.

Beginners, experienced club riders, weekend warriors and riders training seriously for events.

One thing I have noticed is that we often spend a lot of time worrying about the advanced stuff while completely overlooking the fundamentals.

We research wheels, tyres, power meters and drivetrains. We watch videos about aerodynamics and marginal gains. We convince ourselves that one more upgrade will finally make everything feel right.

Meanwhile, our saddle is in the wrong position, our shoes are too tight, our knees are moving all over the place and we are waiting until we are starving before eating.

I have made some of these mistakes myself.

Most cyclists have.

That is why I wanted to write this article. It isn’t about making anyone feel stupid. It is about recognizing the simple things that could be holding us back without us even realising it.

1. Buying the bike before understanding what we actually need

This is probably where the mistakes begin, We walk into a shop, see a beautiful race bike and immediately imagine ourselves flying up the local climbs, But the fastest-looking bike isn’t always the right bike.

I regularly see riders on bikes that are too aggressive, too large, too small or simply unsuitable for the riding they actually do, There is nothing wrong with wanting a fast bike. I love a good bike as much as anyone. But before spending the money, we need to ask some honest questions, What kind of riding will I actually be doing, , Can I comfortably hold the position, Can I reach the brakes properly?

Does the bike give us enough adjustment to create a sustainable position?

A bike should suit the rider. We shouldn’t have to fight our own bike every time we ride it.

2. Thinking a bike fit is only for professional riders

A bike fit is often treated like something you do when you become “serious.”

I see it differently, If you plan on spending hours repeating the same movement thousands of times, your position matters, You don’t need to race. You don’t need an expensive bike. You don’t need to be fast enough to earn a fit.

A good fit should help you feel comfortable, balanced and in control. It should consider your mobility, riding experience, goals and any discomfort you are experiencing.

Your saddle height, reach, handlebar position, cleats and shoes all interact with each other.

When one part is wrong, your body usually finds a way to compensate. You might rock through the hips, reach with your toes, collapse through the knees or place too much pressure through your hands.

You may not notice it during a short ride.

After two or three hours, your body usually tells you.

3. Ignoring what our knees are doing

I regularly see cyclists pedaling with their knees moving heavily inward or sometimes outward on every pedal stroke. Now, everyone moves differently. I don’t believe every cyclist’s knees need to travel in one perfectly straight line.

Our hips, feet, mobility and natural anatomy are all different, But if a knee is collapsing significantly inward, moving differently from the other side or becoming painful, we need to understand why.

It could be connected to saddle height, cleat rotation, stance width, foot support, hip control or a combination of these things.

The knee is often where we feel the problem, but it isn’t always where the problem started.

Trying to force the knee straight without understanding the cause can create another issue somewhere else.

4. Setting the saddle too high

For some reason, many cyclists believe a higher saddle must be a faster saddle.

We raise it because it feels more professional or because we are trying to get more power out of each pedal stroke.

Then the hips start rocking from side to side, we point our toes to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke. We shift around on the saddle. We develop tightness behind the knee or discomfort through the lower back, Sometimes these changes happen slowly and we don’t connect them to the saddle.

A high saddle can feel powerful for a few minutes, especially when riding hard. That doesn’t mean it will remain efficient or comfortable after two hours.

The right saddle height should allow you to pedal smoothly without constantly reaching for the bottom of the stroke.

5. Assuming the softest saddle will be the most comfortable

We have probably all done this, The current saddle is uncomfortable, so we find something wider, softer and more padded, Sometimes that helps. Sometimes it makes the problem worse.

Saddle comfort isn’t just about padding. The saddle needs to match your body, riding position and pelvic movement.

Width matters, but it isn’t the only factor.

A saddle that is too narrow may not support you properly. One that is too wide may interfere with your legs and create friction. A heavily padded saddle can compress and create pressure during longer rides.

Sometimes the saddle isn’t even the real problem, if your saddle is too high, your reach is too long or your position places too much weight in the wrong area, changing saddles may only hide the issue temporarily, Persistent numbness or significant pressure is not something we should simply accept.

6. Tightening our shoes until our feet go numb

Cyclists love tightening things.

Before the ride, we tighten the shoes.

At the first stop, we tighten them again.

Before the climb, we give them one more click—just in case some hidden watts are trying to escape through our feet.

Then, an hour later, our toes are numb or the front of the foot feels like it is burning.

Our feet can expand during longer and hotter rides. If the shoe is already tight, that extra pressure has nowhere to go, the shoe should hold the heel securely, but the forefoot still needs enough space.

Shoe width, cleat position, sock thickness and foot support all matter. Simply buying the same shoe in a larger size isn’t always the answer.

Your feet are one of only three main contact areas with the bike. They deserve more attention than we usually give them.

7. Setting our cleats once and never thinking about them again

Most cyclists install their cleats, tighten the bolts and forget about them until they are completely worn out.

But cleat position affects how the feet, knees and hips interact with the pedals.

Moving the cleats forward, backward, inward or outward can change how your entire leg moves.

The mistake is copying another rider’s setup or placing the cleats in the most aggressive position because someone said it produces more power, your cleat position should suit your feet and natural movement.

Even a small change can affect how your knees track or how much you extend through the bottom of the pedal stroke, make changes gradually and record where you started. Otherwise, it becomes very easy to get lost.

8. Trying too hard to pedal perfect circles

For years, cyclists have been told to pull upward through the back of the pedal stroke.

Some riders concentrate on this so much that the entire pedal stroke becomes tense and unnatural.

You don’t need to aggressively pull upward every time the pedal comes around.

For most riders, the bigger opportunity is learning to apply pressure smoothly through the productive part of the stroke while allowing the recovering leg to come around without fighting the other side.

I normally want to see a pedal stroke that looks stable, smooth and controlled, not forced.

Pedalling is a movement we repeat thousands of times. Small inefficiencies become much bigger over a long ride.

9. Riding every ride too hard

This is one I think nearly every cyclist has been guilty of, We leave home for an easy ride.

Then someone passes us.- Looking at you Craig!!!

A climb appears, A Strava segment starts, Suddenly, the recovery ride has become a time trial.

Hard riding is important but it needs a purpose.

If every ride is hard, we never fully recover and we eventually lose the ability to complete the sessions that are supposed to be hard.

Easy rides build endurance. They help us recover and allow us to stay consistent.

Training isn’t about proving how fit you are every day.

It is about doing the right work, at the right time, then allowing your body to adapt.

10. Waiting until we are hungry before eating

This mistake can turn a great ride into a very long trip home, We feel good at the start, so we don’t eat.

Then we get busy talking, chasing wheels or concentrating on the road.

By the time hunger arrives, we are already falling behind, for longer or harder rides, start eating before you feel desperate. Take in manageable amounts regularly rather than trying to rescue the ride with three gels in the final hour. the amount you need will depend on the ride, the weather, your body and what your stomach can tolerate.

This is something we need to practice, don’t wait for an important event to discover that your nutrition plan doesn’t agree with you.

11. Worrying about ride nutrition but ignoring the rest of the day

Cyclists can tell you exactly how many grams of carbohydrate are in a gel.

Ask what they ate after yesterday’s training session and the answer may be coffee and half a biscuit.

What we eat on the bike matters, but it is only one part of the picture.

Your everyday nutrition supports your training, recovery, immune system, sleep and general health.

If we continually under-fuel away from the bike, we shouldn’t be surprised when our training becomes inconsistent or we feel permanently tired.

Carbohydrates help fuel demanding riding. Protein supports repair and adaptation. A varied, balanced diet helps provide what the body needs to stay healthy.

You cannot consistently ask your body to perform while refusing to give it the materials it needs.

12. Copying professional cyclists

We see professional riders with extremely low handlebars, aggressive positions and incredibly lean bodies, we assume that copying what they do will make us faster.

What we forget is that riding a bike is their job, they have years of conditioning, exceptional mobility, carefully managed training and access to coaches, doctors, mechanics and nutrition specialists.

Their position has been developed for their body and their racing requirements.

Your position needs to work for your body, your riding and the number of hours you can realistically train, there is plenty we can learn from professional cycling, but we need to apply the principles—not blindly copy the outcome.

13. Changing everything at once

When something hurts, cyclists can become very creative.

We change the saddle, move the cleats, lower the handlebars and buy new insoles—all in the same week, if the problem improves, we don’t know which change helped, if it gets worse, we don’t know what caused it, make one sensible adjustment at a time where possible. Record the original measurement and give your body enough time to respond.

Our bodies need time to adapt to positional change, more adjustment isn’t always better adjustment.

14. Buying upgrades before learning basic maintenance

New wheels are exciting BUT Cleaning a drivetrain isn’t.

But a dirty chain, worn tyre, dragging brake or poorly adjusted derailleur can take away more performance than many upgrades will add.

Learn how to inspect your tyres, clean and lubricate the chain, check the brakes and identify unusual noises.

You don’t need to become a professional mechanic, you should, however, understand the bike you are trusting underneath you.

Look after the equipment you already own before deciding the only answer is to buy more equipment.

The biggest mistake: believing discomfort is simply part of cycling

Cycling can be uncomfortable at times.

Your legs will hurt during hard efforts. You will become tired. Longer rides will challenge your body.

That is different from persistent pain, numbness or recurring discomfort, we shouldn’t wear pain as a badge of honor.

When something keeps happening, pay attention to it, your bike, position, training, nutrition and recovery are not separate subjects. They all influence one another.

That is the real point of this article.

• Most of us don’t need to chase more complicated answers.

• We need to get the fundamentals right.

• Sometimes the fastest upgrade isn’t a new set of wheels or another training session.

• Sometimes it is finally fixing the thing that has quietly been holding us back.

Need help finding what is holding you back?

At Perth Cycle Performance, my focus is on the complete rider not simply the bike or a set of numbers.

If you are experiencing discomfort, struggling with your position or feel that something isn’t quite right, let’s look at the fundamentals together.

Because your bike should work with your body, not against it.