It’s a good bet your first taste of freedom as a child came from a set of two wheels—your bike.

After all, cycling opens up a new world of possibilities—roads to explore and new gear to put to good use.

But that’s not all. There’s even more good things that come from cycling.

You’ll reap massive health benefits by pedaling away.

You’ll:

✔︎ Reduce stress

✔︎ Have more energy

✔︎ Increase your happiness

✔︎ Sleep better

✔︎ Improve your brain function

If you aim to seize the full range of benefits that comes from cycling you’ll need specific goals.

In this post, you’ll learn more about why cycling’s so good for you. And, you’ll read about the goals for new cyclists that’ll help you make the most of your new sport.

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The Top 5 Reasons Why Cycling Is Good for You

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It’s a stress-buster.

Your body releases cortisol to raise your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.

As you get fitter, it takes a longer and harder ride to trigger that same exercise stress response.” 

Monika Fleshner, Phd, Professor of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder ¹

Getting fitter on the bike means you’re raising your fitness level and strengthening your defenses against stress. It will take a lot more stress to throw you off your game. 

Cycling is happiness.

Any cyclist will tell you that cycling = happiness. And there’s a scientific reason why that’s the case. 

The first 20 minutes of pedaling triggers an increase in feel-good chemicals—serotonin and dopamine.  Past 20-30 minutes, natural mood-lifting chemicals such as endorphins and cannabinoids flood your system. 

If you’re feeling blue, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center prescribes the following bike ride:

“[Ride for] 45 – 60 minutes and keep your heart rate between 50 to 85 percent  of your max.” ²

Don’t know your heart rate max? There’s plenty of time to figure it out later, but for now, hop on your bike for an hour to lift your mood. 

It’s an energy booster.

You’ll see an energy boost from just one 30-minute cycling session.

Researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens studied the brain activity of men and women after a 30-minute cycling session. And they discovered pedaling triggers a part of the brain related to boosting energy. 

Tired of being tired? Get on a bike and ride. 

You’ll sleep better.

A consistent habit of riding can help you “fall asleep faster, sleep more soundly, and get a lot more sleep overall”, according to researchers at Stanford University. 

Stanford researchers recruited 43 men and women with mild sleep problems to do 30-40 minutes of aerobic activity, including cycling, for 4 days a week. 

After 16 weeks, the men and women with sleep troubles dozed off 15 minutes faster and slept 45 minutes longer every night. That’s an extra hour of sleep for a half hour of exercise. The two most likely reasons for better sleep from exercise is a decrease in stress and an improvement of the body’s circadian rhythms. 

You’ll have improved brain function.

That means your brain may get younger because it:

✔︎ Creates more blood vessels for oxygen and nutrients

✔︎ Spikes your neuron production to build your brain

✔︎ Restores and protect the connections in your brain. 

(Want even more info on why biking’s good for you? Read about the 7 top bike riding benefits you need to know here.)

CYCLING GOALS FOR BEGINNERS

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Goal #1: Get pedaling

There’s a bit of gear to get acquainted with on your first few rides—clipless pedals, shifting gears, and bike handling skills.

You may be the type of person that dives right into getting out on the roads and cycling for hours. And if you are, you may want to brush up on the 9 essential cycling traffic rules of the road.

But if you’d rather ease into it, here are a few suggestions:

• Find a flat, traffic-free, bike-only routes to concentrate on riding and increasing your comfort with your bike.
• If you have clipless pedals, practice coming to a stop and unclipping. Then, practice clipping into them without looking down at your pedals. That’s because your bike follows your sight, so if you’re looking down, well…
• It may be easier to ‘memorize’ the unclipping pedal action if your bike’s secured to an indoor trainer. Bonus: you won’t fall over. Need an indoor trainer? You’ll find the most popular indoor trainers here.

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Goal #2: Find the best time for you to ride and schedule it 

It’s no secret that what’s on your calendar gets done. But before you find a good time to ride, you must examine everything on your plate right now. 

What are you doing today and what do you aim to accomplish this year? What priorities do you have for work, school, relationships, and health? Get everything out of your head and onto paper, without editing yourself.

Next, review your list. Are there projects on there that aren’t relevant anymore? Can you cross them off your list to make space for new goals? What are the things that will have the biggest payoff in your life? What will you have to do to make it work?

For example, if your goal is to ride at least 3 times a week, what must happen for this to work?

Then, schedule a time on your calendar—much like an important meeting—to ride.

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Goal #3: Build your base ³

Building your riding fitness, or cycling base, is the foundation to your cycling success. 

That’s because it’s the springboard toward high-intensity riding, sprinting, and climbing—all key factors in becoming a fitter, faster, stronger cyclist. 

Do base-building rides at a comfortable tempo. Meaning, you should be able to speak without gasping for air. 

If you plan on riding solo throughout your base-building rides, you may like this post, Cycling Alone? Essential Tips You Need to Know.

Goal #4: Stay on top of recovery

Any regular endurance habit requires rest days and down time. Much like the goal for a cycling session is to build fitness, the goal for rest days is to take it easy.

And it’s incredibly important because it’s your body’s time to rebuild and repair muscles, and to prevent boredom and burnout. 

Resting may seem unproductive, but remember, rest days are both productive and important. 

You’ll know when you need to rest if you experience symptoms such as: 

• Insomnia 
• Sluggishness
• Elevated heart rate
• Easy rides are harder than normal
• Frequent injuries
• Recurring colds

On rest days try:

✔️Active recovery, such as an easy effort on your bike to get blood circulating. Or, a foam rolling session to increase circulation.

✔️Eating quality carbs and protein. Are you on Pinterest? Have a look at the sheebes.com board on Healthy Dinner Recipes for ideas.

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Goal #5: Keep it fun

After all, you wouldn’t stick with your goals if there wasn’t at least some fun in it, right? Take some pressure off yourself and keep it fun with:

• Group rides

• Scenic trails near you with fun stops

• Cycling your first bike race

CONCLUSION

Freedom, a sense of adventure, and a host of health benefits. What more could you hope for in your new pursuit? To recap, the best cycling goals for beginners are:

1. Get pedaling
2. Find the best time for you to ride and schedule it
3. Build your base
4. Stay on top of recovery
5. Keep it fun

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