5 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Competitive Cycling

Riding a bike for pleasure is an activity enjoyed my hundreds of millions of people each day. But when cyclists get serious enough to race and train to compete in road races, criteriums, time trials, stage races and other cycling formats, life lessons come quick and fast. Professional cyclists like Lance Armstrong are proof that people of all backgrounds and cultures can relate to the challenges, failures and triumphs of competitive cycling. Here are a few of the life lessons the sport has to offer.

The wind is almost always going to be against you, so get used to it.
One of the first things cyclists learn while training and racing is that wind resistance is an almost constant companion. The only time the wind isn't working against you is when it is directly at your back. But riding with the wind, everyone riding with you has the same advantage. With the wind at your back, even the draft you normally get riding behind someone else is somewhat negated. But cross winds and headwinds can cause tremendous resistance for cyclists. If you're riding alone, proper pedaling technique and bike position is paramount to riding efficiently. If riding in a group, positioning within the group is key to saving energy. The life lesson here is that the easiest circumstance--in this case riding with the wind--does not always confer you a competitive advantage.

Sometimes being last for a while is a good thing.
Purposely choosing to be last at anything runs counterintuitive to the instincts of many people. It is our nervous instinct in a race, and often in life, to want to be first all the time. But in cycling it pays to ride at the back sometimes to avoid having to waste energy breaking the wind for everyone else. It can take nerve to wait near the back or at least near the middle of the pack (or peloton) waiting for your best opportunity to win. In cycling, the victor seldom if ever leads the whole race. The same is often true in the workplace, where giving credit to others and letting your co-workers or subordinates shine can enhance your position within the company. Sometimes it is both smart and looks good to wait for your chance to succeed. But when you do win, give credit to those who helped you like Lance Armstrong does. Then they'll be motivated to help you next time around.

The peloton is almost always faster than any individual rider. So use it.
If you have ever ridden in a bike race, you know that riding in a group can pull you up to 30% faster than you could ride on your own. Exceptionally good riders may be able to stay "off the front" in a bike race, but they pay a strong price for it in energy burned to do so. The peloton (or an echelon, riding in a diagonal like geese) is good company. Your competitors can be your friends for a very long time riding in front of you in a bike race. Sometimes you are absolutely dependent on them, especially when you are having a bad day on the bike. Often it is only at the tail end of a bike race that any competitor emerges the superior rider. Respect the good company of the peloton. That holds true whatever you do in life. The efforts of others can help you along.

Every course calls for a different strategy.
One of the things bike racers learn from their sport is that even the simplest course can create problems if you don't think through the potential dynamics of the pack, the likely pace of the race and how you will respond to changing circumstances. A course with a hairpin turn for example, will cause many bike racers to be left off the back each time around. By the time you've caught back on 6 to 10 times during the race you will have burned off all your finishing strength just staying with the pack. The lesson here is that you cannot afford to go into any circumstance numb to the potential challenges. It is the thinking cyclist that often wins the race, not always the fastest rider.

Pay keenest attention to the parts of you that are touching the bike.
Competitive cyclists often put in hours in "the saddle" in training and racing. That means the most important parts of your body may not be your legs, which provide your power, but the two points on your pelvis that make contact with the seat. Same goes for the way your hands contact the handlebars. Lightly is best, as if you were floating on the bike, not holding it in a death grip. The power of a cyclist is dependent on the vital "core," the middle part of your body anchored in your stomach and rib cage. These hold you at the ideal angle to help cut wind resistance and position yourself for maximum power. In cycling, like many things in life, it is the core of your being that matters most.

These lessons about life from cycling teach you how to compete, control your instincts, manage your energy, project the proper image and be a good teammate to others. All valuable tools in the game of life.