In any triathlon, the cycling portion is the longest leg, and for many, it’s the easiest. But when training for this segment of the sport, there are numerous factors to consider besides just putting in the miles.

"Because the bike is about 50 percent of any race, you should tailor your training to make it comparable to that fact," says Neal Henderson, a USAT expert coach and coordinator of sport science at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, as well as a professional triathlete. "And your extra fitness on the bike can translate over into your run."

Henderson says that he sees too many triathletes who ride just enough to get by in a race. Athletes that put in a little extra quality time on the bike appear to exert less effort when running later in the race, and often post faster run splits.

He also points out that cycling is the least technical aspect of the sport when it comes to training, and that the learning curve to becoming a decent cyclist is shorter compared to swimming.

"You can have a good pedal stroke in just a few months," he notes, adding that it takes much longer to develop an efficient swim stroke.

But there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to riding in a race vs. doing a training ride, and Henderson offers some suggestions.

First up, he recommends getting involved with group rides.

"While they’re sometimes scary, it’s a great way to find other people to train with as well as learn some roadie skills."

Roadie skills? To be a successful triathlete, Henderson says that you absolutely have to have these skills. Rule No. 1 for road cycling: Never, ever use aero bars when riding in a pack.

"It’s a safety issue," he explains, "as you’ll be riding near other riders sometimes, as well as going around corners and down hills fast."

Henderson also suggests competing in a few standalone road races early in the season to get in some training as well as practice skills.

"Don’t ride looking to win," he notes, "ride for the experience."

Be sure to check with the rules before the race because aero bars and bull-horn bars, favored by triathletes, are illegal for most cycling races.

Training tips

So you’ve got your group rides and occasional citizen’s race. What about general thoughts on training? Henderson recommends fitting in two to four rides per week — the more the better. Remember that 50 percent factor.

First up is an over-distance workout — that is a distance longer than your intended race — once a week. If you’re planning on doing a half-Ironman, Henderson says to ride close to 100 miles. If you’re doing an Olympic, do 40-50 miles, and a sprint, do 20-30 miles.

"Doing an over-distance workout will help you build extra endurance so that when it comes to the run, you’ll have some extra energy in your legs," Henderson says. "Thus, you can race your race vs. just trying to finish it."

Next up is an "effort day" specific to the course. If the course has hills, Henderson says to ride hills. If it’s a flat course, fit in a tempo ride or time trial. For a technical race, work in some cornering and technical drills (more on that in a minute).

The effort day is also a good one to do your brick workout (a short-ish run following your ride) so that your body can get used to what it’s going to feel like during the run.

Also make sure to incorporate an easy recovery workout, particularly after a hard-effort day. Henderson describes the perfect recovery workout as one where you’re focusing on getting blood pumping to your muscles without any musculoskeletal strain.

To make it worth your while, he suggests working on pedaling technique, riding at a low heart rate and working on some cornering drills.

"Enjoy this day," he says, "because you won’t get better unless you rest."

If you choose to ride a fourth day, Henderson recommends an aerobic ride: "One to two hours would be perfect," he says, adding "keep your heart rate and effort well below race pace."

Since triathlon is an aerobic endurance event, any extra training should stay in that aerobic range.

Drills

Now how about those drills? Henderson’s top three drills focus on working on your cadence, power and technique.

High cadence drill: In a low, easy gear, work up to pedaling 100 RPMs. Really focus on good pedaling technique: scraping your foot through the middle of the stroke and engaging your hamstring, unloading the pedal on the upstroke and then kicking hard across the top and starting all over.

Henderson notes that this drill helps riders eliminate the "dead spots" at the top and bottom of their stroke. He adds that it also works on the neuromuscular component of riding in getting the brain connecting to the fire muscles.

Do this drill for 30 seconds to one minute and intersperse it 4-8 times in a ride.

Power drill: Find a moderate, not-too-steep climb and pedal at a lower cadence (50-60 RPM). Pedaling slower trains the muscles to apply more force to the stroke. Henderson says that this drill is great to incorporate after you’ve done a leg weight workout as it transfers the muscle press exercise to the bike. Do this drill for 1-2 minutes and 4-8 times in a ride.

Technique drill: There are a number of ways to work on technique. For cornering, find an empty parking lot and set up some water bottles in a figure-eight course. Then ride the course. Try setting up the bottles on grass, which will get you used to more variable terrain. Also, try reaching down and picking up the bottles.

If you’ve taken the time to set up a technique drill course, Henderson points out that this is also a great time to set up a practice transition area.

"Set up your gloves, shoes, glasses and bike and work on your transition," he says. "Also practice some cyclocross mounts onto your bike as this can save you 20-30 seconds in a race."

He adds to also try leaving your shoes in the pedals and putting your shoes on while you ride, like you would out of a transition.

"These types of drills and practice are all about finesse vs. fitness," explains Henderson. Nothing wrong with incorporating some of that into your routine.

Good Luck!