What's The Best Home Gym Kit For Cyclists?

The best training for cycling is cycling, but a few select items of home gym kit can help you to add speed and prevent injury. As long as you use them properly, of course

- Michael Donlevy

Being a better cyclist isn’t just about what you do on the bike. Of course, we all love to ride – that’s the point, isn’t it? – but you can improve your form and fitness by supplementing your time on the road with a dedicated fitness programme. And you don’t even have to set foot outside your home to do it.

You’ll hear a lot of coaches talk about how you should work on your fitness during the winter, when the short days and typically dismal weather make heading out on the bike a lot less appealing, but the fact is that strength training doesn’t have to be – and in fact shouldn’t be – seasonal.

‘It won’t make you faster on the bike, but regular home workouts provide a host of benefits,’ says Tom Newman of Capital Cycle Coaching. ‘As we get older, muscle mass declines so regular “gym” work improves strength and helps weight control. It also improves bone density, and by being more robust you’re more likely to stay healthy and less likely to injure yourself.’

Strong and stable

So where to start? If you’re going to invest in just one piece of kit, the coaches Cyclist spoke to broadly agreed on its identity: a kettlebell.

‘A kettlebell weighing 10-16kg is ideal to start off with,’ says Newman. ‘Start with about eight reps and build to 15-20. Once you’re comfortable with that, increase the weight and reduce the reps.’