The dawn of summer brings with it the start of the club criterium racing series. A chance for us weekend warriors to test ourselves against the best local riders. Win and the bragging rights are yours as well as the $15 prize money on offer. 

For many of us, however, winning is just a dream. Just something that Johnny the local stud does. Well, the losing stops today and the winning begins. 

The Need for Speed

Whether you are barely hanging on the tail end of A grade, getting spat out the back of C grade or channelling your inner Jensie off the front of E grade, we all need one thing. Speed.

Pure horsepower. That extra gear that punches you ahead in the sprint for the line and allows that neat $15 on offer to slide easily into your jersey pocket.

Here at Online Cycling Gear Australia, we don't just offer our customers quality cycling apparel at great prices, we also offer you bona fide, non-peer reviewed, non-scientific advice on how to ride faster, quicker, speedier and with more velocity.

With that promise in mind, we gathered together two of the worlds most knowledgeable cycling brains to formulate the Online Cycling Gear Australia's Three Tips to a Faster Criterium.

Get Fast Tip One: Eat Less Cake

We understand that the Chrissy holidays are almost here, but that is no excuse. If you want to be known as the Caleb Ewan of your local ride put down the cake.

I hear what you are saying. I too enjoy a pastry or six after Saturday's bunch ride, but it's just not smart and it won't make you fast.

It is scientifically unproven that every kilo of bodyweight over optimal reduces your available speed by 6 km/h. So 10kgs overweight and you're 60 km/h slower. There is your smoking gun right there. Put down the cake.

Get Fast Tip Two: Put Air In Your Tyres

Every single rider that has ever been dropped on a ride or race knows that the only reason it happened is that there wasn't enough air in your tyres.

On numerous occasions, I was dropped only to discover upon gauging my tyres post ride, after letting some air out, that they, in fact, were flat prior to me commencing my ride.

Many times I recall lamenting to my bunch mates, over a cake and a coffee, how stupid I am to keep forgetting to pump my tyres up every weekend. 

So if you want to say in the front this season, keep your tyres full. 

Get Fast Tip Three: Look Good, Feel Good, Be Good

The final tip in our series is the easiest to achieve. It is simple. Make sure you ride in really flash looking kit.

It's just science.

The better you look the faster you ride.

Science. And science doesn't lie.

So head to our store and buy yourself a jersey. You don't want to be known as a science denier do you?

There you have it. Three easily implementable tips to get faster this season.

Follow our plan exactly and soon you will be spurting out of the bunch to claim the win and that $15 prize money. 

Just enough for a celebratory coffee cake.