CNZ Rules and Gearing Restrictions
for
Junior Riders
Cycling New Zealand Rules state 'that the wheel must have a minimum of 16 spokes
and must not be made of composite materials'.
Both the Mavic Ksyrium ES and SL wheels have carbon fibre front hubs and
therefore because these wheels contain some composite materials, they are
not accepted in U15 and U17 CyclingNZ events.
Junior Under 15
A junior Under 15 rider is one under the age of 15 years on the 31st December
(in the year in which the licence is issued)
A maximum gearing of 6.00metres rollout applies
Junior Under 17
An Under 17 rider must be under the age of 17 years on the 31st December
(in the year in which the licence is issued)
A maximum gearing of 6.61metres rollout applies
Junior Under 19
An Under 19 rider must be under the age of 19 years on 31st December
(in the year in which the licence is issued)
A maximum gearing of 7.93 meters rollout (this restriction only applies when
riding in Under 19 events)
Novice (under 16)
From Ron Cheatly - National Cycling Coach
Novice cycling (under 16) is a crucial part of our sports development. It is
the nursery where coaches should concentrate on teaching their pupils the
'skills of the trade' - topics like body development, hygiene, tactics and
mechanical knowledge are more importing than spending long periods on
the bike.
Having been in the sport for over 30 years the one thing that frustrates me
the most is looking back and remembering the countless number of promising
young riders that were pushed too hard in their early teens by over anxious
parents and destructive coaches.
I could name many young riders that could have well made it to the top
international standard but instead were developed quickly into 'whiz kids'
dominating novice ranks and sometimes junior ranks before
'hitting the wall' and fading.
If we look at what has caused this drain of talent we can come up with
three common factors.
Overtraining. The overtraining problem comes about by youngsters
undertaking training rides that are too long.
Some misinformed coaches/parents have the perception that the more
riding young 'Johnny' does the better he will be. Sure this may be the case in
the short term but it is just that - short term. Up to approximately 18 years
the body is still growing and developing strength. During the years of
12-16 the body is going through a rapid growth phse and it is in this period
that much damage can be dome - quite often the riders will feel tired and
this can be due to the fact that while they are resting (sleeping) their bodies
are going through rapid growth phases and consequently sapping energy.
This then tends to catch up with them later on and they do not develop the
strength required to be good seniors. Also there is the problem of young
riders getting mentally tired of doing long miles. If they are doing three to
four hour rides at age 15, what are they going to do at age 23, six or seven
hours? The maximum mileage I recommend for teenagers is as follows:
Maximum Maximum
Daily Daily
Under 12yrs 1hr 15 6 hours
13/14 yrs 1hr 30 7 1/2 hrs
15/16 yrs 2hrs 10hrs
17/18 yrs 3hrs 12 1/2 hrs
Remember this is maximum hours and should not be achieved on a
regular weekly basis, it is very important to have adequate rest days.
Over Racing. As mentioned previously it is most important to have
adequate rest periods built into the training programme. Pushing the
body when it is tired is destructive.
It is sensible to lay out the teenager's race programme in blocks of
10-16 weeks (depending on age) before giving them a break, it can be
a complete rest period or just an active break away from the bike doing
some other activity.
Do not travel all over the country every weekend chasing the big races,
this is another quick way to destroy young interest in the sport - pick out
the out of town races you wish to do well in advance and structure the
preparation programme around those races. For those under 14yrs the
travel should be limited - the best training and development ground is
your local club racing.
Over Gearing. In New Zealand we have a maximum gearing for
novices of 52/53 x17 and there is a perception that all youngster should
have this top gear on their bikes.
This is a big mistake as it is so important to teach the young cyclist to
'pedal' before they 'push'. Keeping the gearing low will develop a good
linear motion, straight stroke with knees bending out, muscle fibre speed,
agility and correct muscle development.
Sure the mature 15year old and certainly 16 year old need to ride this gear,
as with their strength at this age anything less would cause over revving.
However, the 14 and under age group should keep their gears will below
this maximum - both on the road and track.
Each year they should go up a little until they are adequately prepared for
the maximum gearing. There is nothing worse than to view young riders
slogging away in unrestricted club races trying to match it with senior
riders - they are being destroyed before they develop. Clubs should
always conduct separate races for novices over short distances and on
restricted gears.
Type of Training. The best training programme design is that of
variation. Novices and young juniors normally attain good fitness
quickly, and so the stamina conditioning phase is relatively short. It
is still important to form that endurance base before introducing too
much else.
Once the rider has attained a good level of fitness make the programme
interesting yet constructive. Novices need to develop speed and
skill at an early age. It is important to have two or three sessions a
week based on short fast rides in a gear approximately two changes
down from the highest - another session should include a series of
150metre sprints. Also include a ride over reasonably hilly -
undulating terrain and do not forget those rest days.
Junior riders (16-18yrs) should include at least two hilly rides per
week and an aerobic power session by working at your maximum
for 3-5minutes in a medium gear with 6-10minutes recovery on a
small gear. The number of efforts depends on your fitness and ability
but start with two and gradually build up over some weeks to achieve
five or six.
One thing youngsters should avoid and that is too much motor pacing
as part of their training. Motor pacing should never be used for
Under 15yr olds and even after that age it should be limited. Sure it will
develop leg speed but that's all - it will not help you to develop
stamina and strength, in fact too much will make you a 'soft' rider unable
to take hard turns at the front or breakaway - it is far better applied to
track training.
Summary. Develop gradually by being a good novice that listens and
learns - a national class junior - and international class senior.