Emily Furia

For most of us, shedding those last ten pounds doesn’t mean riding more. It means riding smarter. The secret is EPOC. Though it sounds like something the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency might ban, EPOC is a biological process known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or, more plainly, the number of calories your body burns after you’ve racked the bike. The higher your afterburn, the more fat you fry.

“A variety of workouts infused with high intensity is the key to enhancing EPOC,” says exercise physiologist Len Kravitz, PhD, of the University of New Mexico. The harder your body needs to work to replenish oxygen stores, repair muscles and remove metabolic waste, the more post-ride calories you burn

Want to crush your buddies in the group ride? Or blister the competition in a local crit, road race, or even triathlon? Train like a time-trialist. To master the discipline, you need to spend most of your interval time at an intensity near your lactate threshold, that burn point at which your muscles accumulate lactic acid faster than your body can fl ush it. The benefi t of pedaling at this uncomfortable pace is that you edge your threshold higher, which enables you to ride harder and longer while feeling great—any day, any time. Plan Tip: During the rest period between intervals, keep a high cadence (80–100), with little or no resistance.

Try these techniques on your next ride.

SIT AND SPIN—MOST OF THE TIME. Sitting and spinning an easy gear is the most efficient way to climb. Standing puts more weight on your leg muscles—they work harder, and you use 10 percent more energy and increase your heart rate by 5 to 10 percent

STAY ABOVE 75. You may feel mighty mashing uphill in a monster gear at 50 rpm, but you won’t make as much progress as you would if you dropped into a lower gear and ramped up to 75, even 85 rpm. An easier spin is more sustainable and won’t leave your legs as fatigued

PLUNKING YOUR BUTT DOWN IN THE SADDLE WHEN YOU SIT BACK DOWN IS A SIGN OF FATIGUE. DON’T DO IT, AND IF YOU SEE SOMEONE AHEAD DO IT, ATTACK.”—BRIAN WALTON, THREE-TIME OLYMPIC CYCLIST AND 1996 SILVER MEDALIST

The pros talk about VAM, or vertical ascent in meters—the height you can climb in an hour. At the peak of his career, Lance Armstrong was capable of climbing more than 1,800 meters (about 6,000 feet) per hour during the Tour de France

Staying hydrated and well fed is also critical to temperature acclimation, and it’s important to note that it’s totally ineffective to restrict liquid intake purposely in an attempt to teach the body to perform well without it. Not only does it not work, but it’s also dangerous.

GET WET. Tour de France riders grab bottles from fans on epic hot days, but not to drink. These bottles are for drenching their bodies. Cyclists have an edge over other athletes in this type of cooling because we move fast enough to have constant airflow over our wet clothing. On heat-alert days, carry extra bottles or stop and refill often to ensure you have enough liquid to keep your head and body wet. If you overheat to the point of heat illness, find a way to immerse yourself in cool or cold water, which is the best way to reduce core temperature, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Jump into a creek or a pond, stand in a sprinkler, or use a hose—whatever you have to do to completely soak yourself. The wetter you get, the more quickly you’ll dissipate heat

Mix It Up: Your Guide to Cross-Training
When the days grow shorter and colder, there will be times when you can’t ride your bike. And honestly, you shouldn’t. Your body needs breaks from the bike to straighten up and stretch out. In the end, that off-bike time will make you a better rider, says cyclist and orthopedic surgeon Kevin Stone, MD, of the Stone Clinic in San Francisco

Cycling is great for your legs, but it does nothing for your core or upper body,” says Stone. Strengthening noncycling muscles with cross-training will help you avoid being sidelined by back, neck or shoulder pain, all common in avid cyclists. You’ll also ride stronger because you’ll have improved stability and a greater, more comfortable range of motion to turn the pedals and maneuver the bike, both in and out of the saddle. Here are five fun, off-the-bike ways to balance your body.