It’s not all about the bike – if you have time
It’s not all about the bike – if you have time
Hours in the saddle will undoubtedly help boost performance but if time allows there is plenty to be done off the bike, too, and Burt says riders can benefit from the additional strength and flexibility that comes as a result of time in the gym.
“It comes down to what your goals are,” says Burt. “If you just want to ride your bike and you have very little time for anything else then just ride your bike.
“Bradley Wiggins came to me in 2008 when he was with Team Colombia with a CD they had given him. His off-the-bike work wasn’t great then – though he really buys into it now – and they had come up with 27 exercises for the riders to be doing.
“He showed it to me and said, ‘if I do all of those I won’t have any time left to ride my bike’. All of those exercise were good, they would have benefited him. None of them are wrong but you have to be pragmatic.
“Some riders have to do more off the bike,” Burts adds. He includes Ben Swift in that bracket, with the Team Sky man what Burt calls a ‘micro adjuster’ – someone who responds to the smallest changes in setup.
“Some have to do more if they want to improve a certain part of their performance, and that includes Bradley with the time trial, and for others it is just to improve core strength.
“It’s about making sure you stay injury-free on the bike and that you can make the most of the position you’re able to achieve.”