Technique drills for standing strength

Out on the road the best place to start with standing strength is with a fairly straight stretch of road with a slight incline. Ideally if you can find a spot which allows you to stand for 30 seconds to a minute uninterrupted you will have a chance to tune-in to what you are doing and how it feels, before turning around safely and repeating the same stretch.

I find that using hill repeats rather than integrating the practice into a ride is better where possible, because it adds to the focus of the session, giving you several chances to select the right gear and improve your style. You can of course include more than one ‘drag’ or hill within a ride, including four to six repetitions on the same section before moving onto the next. Ideally a total of eight to 12 repetitions make for a good workout.