Cycling skills
18 skills, beginner to advanced. 16 of them you can film on a phone and get measured. No fake scores.
Skills by level
You can film16 of 18 skills
Beginner 5
- Bike Fit & Saddle HeightUnlike most sports, cycling isn't about a 'rep' being correct — it's about a POSITION that's efficient and safe to hold for hours, and saddle height is the single most important fit variable. Get it wrong and nothing else compensates.
- Riding PostureYour upper-body position determines comfort, control, and how long you can ride without neck, back, or hand pain. The targets: a torso angle around 45 degrees to horizontal (more upright for comfort, lower for speed), an arm-to-torso angle around 90 degrees, hands resting naturally on the hoods with a SOFT bend in…
- Pedaling TechniqueEfficient pedaling is a smooth, round-ish stroke driven by your big leg muscles, with your hips staying LEVEL on the saddle (rocking hips usually means your saddle is too high). Rather than just 'stomping' down at the top, you apply force through more of the circle.
- BrakingConfident, controlled braking is a core safety skill. The fundamentals: your FRONT brake provides most of your stopping power, so you use both levers together, brake progressively (squeeze, don't grab), and shift your weight slightly back and low as you slow hard to stay stable.
- Basic ShiftingGears let you keep a comfortable, efficient pedaling rhythm as the terrain changes — the goal is to spin at a fairly steady cadence rather than grinding a huge gear or spinning a tiny one. The basics: easier gears for climbing/starting, harder gears for speed/descents; shift the front (big jumps) and rear…
Intermediate 5
- CadenceCadence is how fast you spin the pedals (revolutions per minute), and it's one of the biggest efficiency levers in cycling. Most endurance riding sits around 80-100 rpm on the flat, with the goal of SPINNING smoothly rather than grinding (mashing) a big heavy gear — high cadence shifts load off your muscles onto…
- Climbing PositionEfficient seated climbing is mostly about a RELAXED upper body so all your energy goes to your legs. For long, steady climbs, stay seated with your hands on the tops or hoods, keep a LIGHT grip, drop your shoulders, and OPEN your chest to breathe.
- Descending PositionDescending well is about being LOW, stable, and confident. The body position: hands in the DROPS (lower center of gravity, more weight and traction on the front wheel, and better brake leverage), weight back and centered, chest lowered, and — when not pedaling through a section — keep your PEDALS LEVEL (cranks…
- CorneringCornering is a dynamic handling skill that's mostly about confidence, line, and traction — things a fixed camera can't reliably judge — so it's coached here and practiced in a safe, open space. The fundamentals: brake BEFORE the corner (not during), put your OUTSIDE pedal down and weight it, lean the bike into the…
- Riding in the DropsThe 'drops' are the lower, curved part of the handlebars, and learning to ride there comfortably unlocks better aerodynamics, control, and braking. Compared to the hoods, the drops lower your torso (a flatter back, more aero), put more weight on the front wheel for grip, and give stronger brake leverage — useful…
Advanced 5
- Out-of-Saddle ClimbingStanding to climb lets you put more power down and use your body weight on steep pitches — but the secret almost everyone gets wrong is to rock the BIKE, not your body. You stay relatively still and vertical (your nose tracking a straight line) while the bike sways like a pendulum beneath you, hands on the hoods,…
- Sprinting PositionA sprint is a maximal, out-of-the-saddle effort, and the POSITION is what lets you put the power down and stay in control: hands in the DROPS (traction and leverage to 'throw' the bike), standing with your weight forward, elbows BENT (room to move the bike and a more aero shape), and a slightly harder gear. You…
- High-Speed CorneringCornering at speed is an advanced, dynamic handling skill built on confidence, line choice, and traction — which a fixed camera can't reliably judge — so it's coached here and practiced gradually in safe conditions. The defining technique is COUNTERSTEERING and bike-body separation: you LEAN THE BIKE into the turn…
- Aero PositionAt road speeds, air resistance is the biggest force you fight, so an efficient aero position is largely free speed. The goal is to make your body smaller to the wind: a LOW, FLAT back, hands in the drops, elbows bent and tucked in, shoulders down, and head low (but eyes still up the road).
- Pacing & EffortPacing is how you distribute your energy so you finish strong instead of blowing up — and it's fundamentally about EFFORT and physiology (power, heart rate, perceived exertion), not body form, so it's coached here rather than analyzed from video. The core ideas: ride at an even, sustainable effort rather than…
Insane 3
- Group Riding & DraftingDrafting — riding in the slipstream of the rider ahead — can save 20-40% of your energy and is the heart of group riding, but it's also where most crashes happen, so it's primarily a SAFETY and judgment skill that's coached here rather than graded from a solo video. The essentials: ride about one wheel-length…
- Time-Trial PositionThe time-trial (or triathlon) position is the most aerodynamic position in cycling — on aero bars, you rest your forearms on pads out in front of you to make your body as slippery as possible. The targets: forearms roughly horizontal on the extensions, elbows bent around 90 degrees and brought NARROW (close…
- Advanced Bike HandlingAdvanced bike handling is the collection of dynamic control skills that make you safe and confident — looking over your shoulder without swerving, riding one-handed (to grab a bottle or signal), holding a track stand, doing an emergency stop, and bunny-hopping obstacles. These are dynamic, balance-and-confidence…