Liesel
I'm really just starting to get into cycling and I was wondering if there are any tips/hints you have for a beginnner.
Answer
I could go on for a long time with my story but I will share with you some important tips. I worked as a bike mechanic for 10 years, I have considered myself a cyclist for 26 years, and I have been doing road races for almost 15 years. Here are my top ten bits for beginners:
#1 It's all about your fit to the bike. Ask for feedback from knowledgeable professionals, read up on what constitutes a good fit to the bike and gradually assimilate all that knowledege into how you position yourself on the bike.
#2 Good shorts and chamois cream. If I had to ride for 100 miles and I had to choose between riding a new $5,000 bike but I had to wear gym shorts vs. riding a 15 year old $1,000 bike while wearing well made cycling shorts., I'd choose the latter. A couple of months riding in cycling specific clothes will enlighten you about the benefits of cycling specific clothing.
#3 Cycling Shoes and Helmet, gloves. Basically preotect and support every part of your body that comes into contact with the bike or ( in the case of your skull) that could come in contact with the ground. Without safety and comfort, you might do what a lot of other people did with their bikes before the 1990's: ride it once or twice, decide the pain isn't woth the pleasure and then put the bike in the garage.
#4 Know your riding routes and the conditions. This is crucial to avoid anything bad from happening. Most people that i've ridden with over the years have stories to tell of getting lost, being dehydrated, freezing, miles from home...and they still love the sport. Most of them already were "bit by the cycling bug" before they got lost. A beginner's enthusiasm might be stunted by such an experience.
#5 Try out as many types of events as you can. Start with basic road riding to develop fitness and handling, then see if off road appeals to you. I've done
road racing, touring, track riding, cyclocross, commuting, mountain biking..I find something enjoyable in all of them.
#6 Get involved in the culture...well you're already doing that by asking for feedback in this forum. Most cyclists are great people, and riding with others as a group can be the ultimate-whether its a a race, a tour, a training ride, or just a little ride to the local cafe.
#6 Think of cycling as having its own calendar, and put together a plan so you can have a great "season". for example, many of us cross train in the winter, lift weights, do pilates, walk, ski, jog, ...whatever, but we do it all with the goal of maintaining or increasing our ability to ride our bikes either longer or faster in the summer time. Riding the same routes with the same people can get boring.
#7 Absolutely get to know some basic repair and maintenance tactics. A bicycle, with its wires and cables, is more like a violin than a car. If you seen musicians play, they always have to "tune" their instruments. As you are riding, parts are strecthing and wearing out, you've got to tune them so the last as long as possible. I have a few cogsets that are ten years old that still work because I maintain my chain and change it before it "stretches".
#8 Events. These are motivational in so many ways. Find some, train for them. Do them.
#9 As fun as this sport can be, avoid overdoing it. Tip #6 helps with that. Always plan on easy riding days and blocks of days when you don't even get on the bike.
#10 It helps to have people who support you, even if it means they don't see you for 4 hours on a Saturday because you are training for a century ride.
Cycling-its one of those wonderful activities that combines man and machine, but not so much that you forget you're human. The bike can be made of aerospace carbon fibre and titanium, but it makes no more music than a violin in its case. Add the human engine, and its a symphony of mechanical, biological and chemical parts working in perfect harmony to produce movement. and what a moving experience it is!
I could go on for a long time with my story but I will share with you some important tips. I worked as a bike mechanic for 10 years, I have considered myself a cyclist for 26 years, and I have been doing road races for almost 15 years. Here are my top ten bits for beginners:
#1 It's all about your fit to the bike. Ask for feedback from knowledgeable professionals, read up on what constitutes a good fit to the bike and gradually assimilate all that knowledege into how you position yourself on the bike.
#2 Good shorts and chamois cream. If I had to ride for 100 miles and I had to choose between riding a new $5,000 bike but I had to wear gym shorts vs. riding a 15 year old $1,000 bike while wearing well made cycling shorts., I'd choose the latter. A couple of months riding in cycling specific clothes will enlighten you about the benefits of cycling specific clothing.
#3 Cycling Shoes and Helmet, gloves. Basically preotect and support every part of your body that comes into contact with the bike or ( in the case of your skull) that could come in contact with the ground. Without safety and comfort, you might do what a lot of other people did with their bikes before the 1990's: ride it once or twice, decide the pain isn't woth the pleasure and then put the bike in the garage.
#4 Know your riding routes and the conditions. This is crucial to avoid anything bad from happening. Most people that i've ridden with over the years have stories to tell of getting lost, being dehydrated, freezing, miles from home...and they still love the sport. Most of them already were "bit by the cycling bug" before they got lost. A beginner's enthusiasm might be stunted by such an experience.
#5 Try out as many types of events as you can. Start with basic road riding to develop fitness and handling, then see if off road appeals to you. I've done
road racing, touring, track riding, cyclocross, commuting, mountain biking..I find something enjoyable in all of them.
#6 Get involved in the culture...well you're already doing that by asking for feedback in this forum. Most cyclists are great people, and riding with others as a group can be the ultimate-whether its a a race, a tour, a training ride, or just a little ride to the local cafe.
#6 Think of cycling as having its own calendar, and put together a plan so you can have a great "season". for example, many of us cross train in the winter, lift weights, do pilates, walk, ski, jog, ...whatever, but we do it all with the goal of maintaining or increasing our ability to ride our bikes either longer or faster in the summer time. Riding the same routes with the same people can get boring.
#7 Absolutely get to know some basic repair and maintenance tactics. A bicycle, with its wires and cables, is more like a violin than a car. If you seen musicians play, they always have to "tune" their instruments. As you are riding, parts are strecthing and wearing out, you've got to tune them so the last as long as possible. I have a few cogsets that are ten years old that still work because I maintain my chain and change it before it "stretches".
#8 Events. These are motivational in so many ways. Find some, train for them. Do them.
#9 As fun as this sport can be, avoid overdoing it. Tip #6 helps with that. Always plan on easy riding days and blocks of days when you don't even get on the bike.
#10 It helps to have people who support you, even if it means they don't see you for 4 hours on a Saturday because you are training for a century ride.
Cycling-its one of those wonderful activities that combines man and machine, but not so much that you forget you're human. The bike can be made of aerospace carbon fibre and titanium, but it makes no more music than a violin in its case. Add the human engine, and its a symphony of mechanical, biological and chemical parts working in perfect harmony to produce movement. and what a moving experience it is!
Motorcycle helmet..lock or no?
bOyCoNfUsE
I just got my first bike. honda cbr 600 f4i
i also just got a $400 helmet.
I commute to a small community college. and for the summer my motorcycle will be my main transportation
now my question is. what do i do with my helmet. do i leave it on my bike, lock it or carry it around.
thankyou
Answer
Good for you...sounds like money well spent...and it's expensive enough that anyone who's knowledgable about helmets will recognize that. I wouldn't let it outta my sight. Too many crackheads who would steal it just to pawn it for ten bucks...K ;o)
Good for you...sounds like money well spent...and it's expensive enough that anyone who's knowledgable about helmets will recognize that. I wouldn't let it outta my sight. Too many crackheads who would steal it just to pawn it for ten bucks...K ;o)
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