My Tips for Beginning Cyclists

I went for my longest bike ride ever Sunday!  I completed 25.41 miles in 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Let’s just say that I had a lot of time on my hands to think.

Arm Pain
Riding a road bike takes more strength than you think and I totally did not expect this.  I was very shaky my first few rides because my arms and shoulders were not used to riding and steering.  It will take some time for your upper body to adjust to riding.

Jump In With Both Feet (Clipped In)

Take the plunge and just clip in!  Take your time and do not get in a hurry.  Riding clipped in is so much more efficient, so the sooner the better. I borrowed a bike that had clip-in pedals that my local bike shop could not remove.  So, I HAD to clip-in if I wanted to use the bike.  Needless to say, I’m happy that I was forced to use the clip-ins.

Kadence is King

Make sure you get an odometer that has a cadence setting.  Cadence will help you keep a steady exertion level.  For training I usually keep my cadence around 80.

HONK, HONK

I live in a rural area and there are not many cyclists, I guess people think a HONK, HONK will pep me up.  It doesn’t, in fact; it scares the living daylights out of me!  So beware and be prepared because people will honk!

One-handed Tricks

Reaching down and getting a water bottle is kind of tricky, because you must steer with only one hand and maintain steady balance.   Before actually using a real bottle, practice steering with one hand and then reaching down with one hand. 

Look where you WANT to go

Road bikes are touchy, it’s not like jumping on your cruiser and taking off.  At first, I was terrified of running over road debris (sticks, wrenches, hoses,).  I would stare at the obstacle as I approached and I always ran over it.  Well guess what I FINALLY figured out?  Look beside the obstacle, where you want to go.  Yes, this really works! J