tips for cycling beginners
Now that I've started doing this bicycling thing for a few weeks, I've learned some stuff. Some I've learned from asking questions. Some I've learned from experience. Some I got from meetings about this ride. Some falls under the TMI category, but hey...if nobody ever says anything, you too will suffer if you don't know better.
1) All my friends wanted to put me on a "comfort bike" for this trek. For those that don't know, a comfort bike is much like a road bike, but it has a wider seat with springs under it and shocks on the front and back forks, all in an effort to make the ride smoother. While all that is nice for a trip around the block, it's not nice for riding for a distance. As spartan as it may look, the skinny seat is more comfy for the long haul. You can get one with some of that gel padding in it (which is what I did), but stay with the skinny seat. The farther you go, the happier your legs and ass will be.
2) The clothes really do help. Those bike shorts do a lot more than show you (and everyone else) that your tush isn't quite where you want it yet. Yeah, they fit tight and one day might even be flattering, but they keep the sweat off you and the padding in the shorts takes a lot of the ride out of your ass. When I got home Saturday morning, I was dry. That wouldn't happen with cotton. The pockets on the back of the shirt are handy too, for a cell phone or extra water bottle, or whatever. This is one of those instances where I like having a cell phone with me. I haven't actually used it when I'm riding, but out there by myself, it's nice to know I could get in touch with someone if I had to.
3) Again on bike shorts - guys, stay away from white, unless you like the idea of leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.
4) In the TMI category - I didn't really consider the "sports" aspect of this. Looking back I don't know why, but I didn't. Boxers or briefs won't cut it under those shorts. That whole chafing this is nasty...and it hurts too. A decent pair of bike shorts with padding material that cuts down on friction make a huge difference, and that's all you need. If you aren't already, get used to going commando.
5) If you're going to put one of those little milage thingies on your handle bars, mount it as close to the center (at the stalk) as possible. During a lengthy ride, your hands tend to want to move around a lot on the handle bars. Give them as much room to do that as you can.
6) On the subject of hands....riding gloves. I thought these were a luxury that wouldn't do much more than make me look like I should know what I'm doing. Wrong! These things make a long ride a lot easier on the hands, which are supporting a fair amount of your weight. Without them, your hands will take a blistery beating.
7) Again in the TMI category - Maybe it's just me...I dunno. Bring tissues. I don't have a cold. I'm perfectly fine when I'm not riding. When I get our there and the self-made wind starts blowing, my nose starts running. Last week I was unprepared, but since most of my route was on closed roads with construction going on, there are lots of porta-potties. While they smell like shit...literally, some of them have toilet paper. I made due. This week I was better prepared.
8) Gears on a ten speed bike. From the beginning I thought the onbject was to get to that tiny sprocket on the back tire as quick as comfortably possible. It's the one that takes the most effort, but gets you farther for each rotation of the pedals. I assumed that meant less work. I was wrong. You want to use less effort to pedal each rotation and go a little less distance. It won't burn your legs out as quickly and will actually make you go faster fora longer period of time. It also helps if you start riding in groups, because you can react to speed changes in the pace line faster and more safely.
If I think of more, I'll add to the list later, but these are things I wish someone would have told me when I started, or that I'm very glad they did.
1) All my friends wanted to put me on a "comfort bike" for this trek. For those that don't know, a comfort bike is much like a road bike, but it has a wider seat with springs under it and shocks on the front and back forks, all in an effort to make the ride smoother. While all that is nice for a trip around the block, it's not nice for riding for a distance. As spartan as it may look, the skinny seat is more comfy for the long haul. You can get one with some of that gel padding in it (which is what I did), but stay with the skinny seat. The farther you go, the happier your legs and ass will be.
2) The clothes really do help. Those bike shorts do a lot more than show you (and everyone else) that your tush isn't quite where you want it yet. Yeah, they fit tight and one day might even be flattering, but they keep the sweat off you and the padding in the shorts takes a lot of the ride out of your ass. When I got home Saturday morning, I was dry. That wouldn't happen with cotton. The pockets on the back of the shirt are handy too, for a cell phone or extra water bottle, or whatever. This is one of those instances where I like having a cell phone with me. I haven't actually used it when I'm riding, but out there by myself, it's nice to know I could get in touch with someone if I had to.
3) Again on bike shorts - guys, stay away from white, unless you like the idea of leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.
4) In the TMI category - I didn't really consider the "sports" aspect of this. Looking back I don't know why, but I didn't. Boxers or briefs won't cut it under those shorts. That whole chafing this is nasty...and it hurts too. A decent pair of bike shorts with padding material that cuts down on friction make a huge difference, and that's all you need. If you aren't already, get used to going commando.
5) If you're going to put one of those little milage thingies on your handle bars, mount it as close to the center (at the stalk) as possible. During a lengthy ride, your hands tend to want to move around a lot on the handle bars. Give them as much room to do that as you can.
6) On the subject of hands....riding gloves. I thought these were a luxury that wouldn't do much more than make me look like I should know what I'm doing. Wrong! These things make a long ride a lot easier on the hands, which are supporting a fair amount of your weight. Without them, your hands will take a blistery beating.
7) Again in the TMI category - Maybe it's just me...I dunno. Bring tissues. I don't have a cold. I'm perfectly fine when I'm not riding. When I get our there and the self-made wind starts blowing, my nose starts running. Last week I was unprepared, but since most of my route was on closed roads with construction going on, there are lots of porta-potties. While they smell like shit...literally, some of them have toilet paper. I made due. This week I was better prepared.
8) Gears on a ten speed bike. From the beginning I thought the onbject was to get to that tiny sprocket on the back tire as quick as comfortably possible. It's the one that takes the most effort, but gets you farther for each rotation of the pedals. I assumed that meant less work. I was wrong. You want to use less effort to pedal each rotation and go a little less distance. It won't burn your legs out as quickly and will actually make you go faster fora longer period of time. It also helps if you start riding in groups, because you can react to speed changes in the pace line faster and more safely.
If I think of more, I'll add to the list later, but these are things I wish someone would have told me when I started, or that I'm very glad they did.
Labels: It's all about me, Sports
John put this out here at 10:33 AM
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