Get Faster: Q&A With Author Selene Yeager

Want to ride fast? Then sit down first—with a copy of Selene Yeager's new book, Get Fast!, 272 extremely readable pages of secrets, strategies, personal stories and even some training plans on how to take your riding to a new level. She reveals key information like how you can save twice as much time over a 40K time trial by getting into a proper tuck position than by buying a time trial bike. And how you might not need to spin like a hamster in a wheel in order to hang with a faster group. And how your "third eye" can help you corner like a pro. Plus, there's the latest information—filtered through a keep-it-real lens—on fueling, resistance training, and goal setting.

But even after all that, we still had some questions, so we caught up with Yeager (when she wasn't on a bike) to find out more.

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With all of these ways to get faster, where should you start? Technique? Fueling? Training plans?

SY: It sounds simplistic, but where you start depends on where you are. If you're pretty new to cycling, then going into the technical stuff is where you should start. Basics like shifting, braking, and pedaling efficiently translate into easy speed. And they'll make you a better bike rider. You can't overstate how good it is to ride a bike better. You're safer, you handle the bike better, and it just makes your cycling a more pleasurable experience.

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If you've been training—suppose you've been following a plan for a century ride, and the plan tells you how many miles to do per day or week—the next step is probably going to be working other elements into your riding, which might be intervals. Or maybe you need to work on core strength, because riding requires core strength but doesn't build it. And having a stronger personal frame will make you stronger on your bike.

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Would you be smarter to spend 30 minutes a day making extra money to buy a nicer bike or wheels or spend those 30 minutes out riding?

SY: Unless you've truly maximized yourself and your ability on the bike you have, then 30 minutes a day of riding and training will make you faster. There's a point at which—and hopefully you'll hit it—you have earned the right to buy some speed. But don't feel like you have to. Some of the fastest people I know are on the most unlikely bikes because they know how to ride them and they're fit.

But if you have some money to spend, what should you upgrade first?

SY: A good set of wheels is probably the best investment a rider can make. New wheels are like a new bike. Early on in my riding, I kept hearing people talk about wheels, wheels, wheels. I thought they were rambling on about gear the way they always did. But then I found out what a difference wheels make, and it was a game changer.

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But if you really want to get faster, you still have to suffer, right?

SY: I think there's a whole love of suffering in cycling; part of the allure of the sport is saying, "boy that person can really suffer." But there are so many things that aren't about suffering that you can do that translate into getting you faster and up to speed on your bike. Like tire pressure. Running the right tire pressure makes a huge difference in your bike's performance. People think you have to pump your road bike's tires up to 120 psi in all cases, but unless you're riding on the track, please don't. You need your tire to be able to give a bit to conform to the imperfections of the road. Otherwise, you'll be bouncing around instead of maintaining contact with the ground, and that will cost you speed.

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What about that third eye?

SY: I learned that from pro Lindsey Voreis while I was doing a 3-day training camp in Oregon that involved a 12-mile, 5,000 vertical-foot plunge. She showed me that your third eye is your navel. Your bike will go where your third eye goes, so you need to point it the same direction as the two eyes in your head.

What's the most underappreciated way to get speed?

SY: I think it's the mental component. When everything is equal, what goes on in your head determines everything. Your brain has the ability to shut you down or keep you going, and I think most people greatly underappreciate that. Everything from being overly nervous at the start to having self-defeating thoughts during a ride can cause you to leak energy.

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There are lots of different ways you can tap into your mind's potential. Just one of those things you can do is reframe what's happening in a positive way. For instance, if you're riding up a hill with a group, keep your game face on and say, "I'm the one making them suffer; they're not making me suffer." I lie to myself all the time, telling myself things like, "this hill isn't bad." It's surprising how often that works; it's like your brain will accept almost anything you tell it.

One great mind changer came during one of my first, big races in West Virginia. There was a long climb that got really steep at the end, and at that time, I was afraid of that kind of climb. But about midway up, there was a spectator who said, "Hey, enjoy the climb." It never occurred to me that I could enjoy the climb. But you know what? Climbing can be very satisfying. And you can enjoy the views. Now, I can say that I even love it. I never thought to frame it that way, but that's the beauty of this sport; there's always a little more to learn.

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