How to Start Road Cycling: A Beginner's Guide

More and more adults are choosing road cycling. It trains the whole body, takes you to places you would never see by car and comes with a community that is easy to fall in love with. It can also feel complicated from the outside: expensive bikes, strange words, tight clothes.

It doesn't have to be. Here is how we suggest new riders start.

Step 1: Find people to ride with

The best first purchase is not a bike. It is a club, a group or a coach. Riding with others teaches you more in a month than a year of YouTube videos: how to ride in a line, how to signal, how to pace a climb, how to fix a puncture at the side of the road.

When you look at clubs, check more than the location:

• Do they have rides for beginners, or only fast groups?
• Who leads the rides – experienced guides, a coach?
• How do they split the group by pace?
• What do current members say about them?

"Training should begin with a good coach who can set the right riding technique. It is often easier to teach proper riding from scratch than to correct the technique of self-taught riders." – Joana Leão, former Portcycling coach

Step 2: Choose the right bike (not the most expensive one)

A road bike is built for speed on smooth tarmac: a light frame, no suspension, narrow tyres and drop handlebars. For your first season you don't need carbon or electronic gears. You need a bike that fits you.

• Size matters more than brand. A bike that is too big or too small causes back, neck and knee pain. Ask a shop or coach to check your size.
• Second-hand is fine. A good used bike is often the smartest first buy. Buy from the real owner, ask for receipts and service history, and check the frame, chain and wheels. A good seller will happily walk you through the bike's condition.
• Get a basic bike fit. Even 30 minutes adjusting saddle height and position makes a big difference to comfort.
• Coming to a camp? You don't need to fly your bike in: on our camps you can rent a bike from our partners on request.

Step 3: The kit you really need

Must-haves

• Helmet – light, well ventilated, fitting snugly and covering your temples.
• Bib shorts – the padded chamois protects you from saddle pressure and chafing. This is the one item where quality really pays.
• Lights – front and rear, used even in daylight.
• Repair kit – spare tube, tyre levers, mini pump or CO₂, multitool. Learn to change a tube at home before you need to on the road.
• Water bottle and snacks – bars, gels, fruit or nuts. Eat before you are hungry.
• Sunscreen – SPF 30+ in any weather. You will be outside for hours.

Can wait a few weeks

• Cycling shoes and clipless pedals – stiff soles make pedalling more efficient. Learn on flat pedals first, then switch once you are confident.
• Glasses and gloves – protection from sun, wind, insects and road buzz.
• Bike computer or heart rate monitor – useful once you start training with structure.

What we ride ourselves: bikes from Canyon, wheels from DT Swiss, kit from Gobik and Wahoo computers and trainers – all partners of Portcycling. Good gear helps, but none of it is required to start.

For winter riding Layers win: a base layer, long sleeves or arm warmers, a windproof vest or jacket, knee or leg warmers, overshoes and a thin cap under the helmet. Your jacket should cover your lower back when you are in riding position. On cold, wet or icy days there is no shame in riding indoors on a smart trainer.

Step 4: Train smart in your first season

1. Start alone or in small groups, then move to group rides. Riding in a group is faster and more fun: sitting behind another rider (drafting) saves you roughly 10–40% of your energy, depending on your position. But it needs skill – learn it with a coach or experienced guides, not by trial and error.
2. Prepare your bike before every ride. Pump the tyres, check the brakes, look at the chain. Two minutes at home saves an hour at the roadside.
3. Eat properly before you ride. A carb-based meal 2–3 hours before a longer ride, and snacks every 45–60 minutes on the bike.
4. Build slowly. Increase your weekly time on the bike gradually. Rest days are part of training, not a break from it.
5. Get your numbers once you are hooked. A simple power test shows where you are and makes every training hour count.

"Not knowing how to ride in a group creates dangerous situations on the road. This skill has to be practised with a coach and experienced riders." – Joana Leão, former Portcycling coach

Step 5: Find your people

The best thing about road cycling is not the bike. It is who you meet. Group rides bring together people from different countries, jobs and ages who share the same Sunday plan. Many of our riders found friends, training partners and even business partners on the road.

If you are near Lisbon, come and ride with us in Torres Vedras: our community rides are free, open to all and split into pace groups.

When is a training camp the right next step?

Honestly: not in your first weeks. A camp is most useful once you ride regularly and want to learn faster. Here is how our 2027 camps fit a young cycling career:

• After your first season, to learn skills: the Gravel Skills Camp in Granada (May 9–15) teaches cornering, braking and descending with a pro-team coach. No off-road experience needed – you should be comfortable riding 2–4 hours at an easy pace.
• When you start training with intent: Open The Season in Calpe (January) starts with power profile testing, builds your plan for the year and continues with 1 month of remote coaching at home. You should be comfortable with 3–5 hours of steady riding.
• To close the season with a clear picture: Close The Gap in Calpe (October 9–15) – power-grouped rides, two test days and daily data debriefs.

Not sure which one fits? Ask us – we will tell you honestly if a camp is too early for you.