Search
shop

How to improve your cycling with three top tips from triathlon uber biker Sam Long

He's renowned as one of the best bikers in the pro ranks so it's well worth checking out this advice from the 'Big Unit'.
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Sam Long has clocked up some incredible rides to establish himself as one of America’s top long-distance triathletes – and now he’s shared his top three tips to improve your cycling.

The self-coached 29-year-old won three times in 2024 to finish the year in the world’s top five and he’s now ranked #3 in the PTO standings in terms of his bike prowess, with only French superstar Sam Laidlow and great Dane Magnus Ditlev ahead of him.

The ‘Big Unit’ also claims to have the “strongest legs in triathlon” – and the Colorado native has now shared what makes his wheels go round in a new YouTube video, which is embedded below.

Long claims “these methods have helped me become one of the best cyclists in the sport of triathlon” and “if you stick with these three things you’re going to see a huge amount of improvement.”

So here goes with the advice…

Advertisement

1 – Have a clear purpose

Long says: “I’m riding about 15 hours a week. For most people that’s just not going to be possible. But even I have to get more purposeful with my training.”

He recommends doing a threshold-oriented ride, saying “that’s your key workout of the week”.

But he also advises dedicating a day to “improving your weaknesses” and “developing your capabilities beyond what you need to do for the sport”.

Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
[Photo Credit – PTO]

2 – Optimise the body and the machine

For Long, the human is the body and the bike is the machine, and he believes it’s important to make the best of both.

That includes riding different bikes and trying out different rides as he explains: “If you’re just on a trainer and then you get outside and you’re not used to steering or not sure how to balance, your brain is going to be using a lot of energy just to think, and you’re not going to have that energy to put into the pedals.”

He also insists bike-fit is important, adding: “Making sure you’ve got your biomechanics right. Making sure your aerodynamics are right. Making sure all those details are looked after.”

Advertisement

3 – Get comfortable being uncomfortable

Long’s last big tip is “a mental tip and a psychological approach to cycling.”

He says: “You’ve got to be able tolerate pain in your body and in your mind. If you can raise how much you are able to suffer in your brain, the threshold is going to go up because you’re going to be able to push yourself harder.

“If you approach it this way you’ll learn your body over time and you’ll learn you’re capable of more, and you will improve.”

What the video below for more details on all three…

Paul Brown
Written by
Paul Brown
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
Alistair Brownlee - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
Olympic triathlon legend Alistair Brownlee completes iconic Gralloch race in latest gravel test
Jeanne Lehair Beth Potter WTCS Yokohama 2025
From Olympic heartbreak to joy of first WTCS win as emotions flow for Jeanne Lehair
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...