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    Learning To Cycle

    (Feels like I’ve posted about this before but I can’t find the thread. If I am repeating myself, forgive me for waffling on twice as long as I should have.)

    Last year, at a grotesquely advanced age, I finally learned how to ride a bike. It felt damn good, knowing at last how to do something that so many people I knew could do easily. Blame my inherent low self-esteem, incuriousness and a sheltered upbringing for not learning sooner.

    Now, while I technically know how to ride a bike, it’s safe to say I’m not that good at it yet. Pre-pandemic I bought this for myself at the recommendation of a friend. For a seasoned cyclist, it’s probably a very good bike: it’s incredibly lightweight and fast. But that’s where the problems come in.

    While I can (more or less) cycle in a straight line, I’m nervous about taking corners and, though I’ve been practicing in a local car park, whenever I take a hand off the handlebars to indicate a turn, I begin to veer over to that side. I’m nowhere near confident enough to take to the roads yet, which is my aim.

    So, I once again need OTF’s advice. Should I buy a “slower”, sturdier bike or is there a bike you’d recommend for an adult beginner? Secondly, how would you build up the courage to start cycling in traffic?

    #2
    I can only offer the advice that the confidence (and subsequent lack of veering - which is probably you noticing it more than it actually happening) will come with practice and time.

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      #3
      Actually, if you are in a car park practicing, one thing to try is riding in a straight line but one handed. You know, build up enough speed, then loosen one hand, lift one hand off the bars by an inch, couple of inches etc as your confidence builds. Then you will get used to the idea of having one hand on the bars and signalling with the other.

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        #4
        The really difficult part to come to terms with (at least to act upon) is the fact that the faster you go (up to a certain point, anyway), the more stable you are and the more control you have over the bike (especially turning etc). It doesn't matter how much you know this, when you are not sure of yourself, it feels counter intuitive. Trying to build up a bit of speed in the car park (and then turning in different directions - before worrying about signalling) might be a way to start. Is there such a thing as a cycling proficiency class for adults you could join?

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          #5
          Taking corners at speed frightens me at the minute. I've been practicing turning but I always make a point of slowing down before I do. And when signalling, I believe the correct technique is to sit back as straight as possible before raising your arm? Otherwise if you signal while hunched over the bars you'll lose balance. That's been my experience so far, anyway.

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            #6
            It's a confidence thing, you can maybe install wider tyres for the time being which would give you more options on tracks, trails, etc

            I hesitated a long time before switching to clip-in pedals and had a few pratfalls but it's now natural.

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              #7
              That bike looks suspiciously like the one that was nicked from outside garcia's house, and lead to their taxi driver audiobed!

              starting cycling as a adult is no joke. Fair fucks to you. Just remember that it's an automatic thing, and you need to practice until you don't notice that you're doing it. If you're a kid, it's called fun and if my little neighbours are any guide they practice for several hours a day, and don't ever seem to remember falling off, because children are made of rubber. If you're an adult it's a chore. But you've made it this far, and that was the hardest bit!

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                #8
                A warm welcome to the fastest form of urban transport there is – at least here in London.

                No specific advice but if I was in your position I'd look into a course – there are knowledgable and experienced teachers who'd give some great advice about how to cope with traffic. It would be money well spent.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Reginald Christ View Post
                  (Feels like I’ve posted about this before but I can’t find the thread. If I am repeating myself, forgive me for waffling on twice as long as I should have.)

                  Last year, at a grotesquely advanced age, I finally learned how to ride a bike. It felt damn good, knowing at last how to do something that so many people I knew could do easily. Blame my inherent low self-esteem, incuriousness and a sheltered upbringing for not learning sooner.

                  Now, while I technically know how to ride a bike, it’s safe to say I’m not that good at it yet. Pre-pandemic I bought this for myself at the recommendation of a friend. For a seasoned cyclist, it’s probably a very good bike: it’s incredibly lightweight and fast. But that’s where the problems come in.

                  While I can (more or less) cycle in a straight line, I’m nervous about taking corners and, though I’ve been practicing in a local car park, whenever I take a hand off the handlebars to indicate a turn, I begin to veer over to that side. I’m nowhere near confident enough to take to the roads yet, which is my aim.

                  So, I once again need OTF’s advice. Should I buy a “slower”, sturdier bike or is there a bike you’d recommend for an adult beginner? Secondly, how would you build up the courage to start cycling in traffic?
                  As others have said, fair play for getting started.

                  Do you have any issues with balance? I have to be careful as I am deaf in my left ear and can easily find myself veering whether on a straight or taking a corner.

                  I have progressed from going in a straight line with my eyes closed which I tried once in Germany aged about 10. After coming to and looking up into the worried faces of some German locals who were on a works bus, it seems that lamp-posts have views on doing that.

                  All good advice above. Good luck.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thanks for all the advice, folks.

                    Originally posted by Moonlight Shadow View Post
                    It's a confidence thing, you can maybe install wider tyres for the time being which would give you more options on tracks, trails, etc

                    I hesitated a long time before switching to clip-in pedals and had a few pratfalls but it's now natural.
                    I'd no idea you could even install wider tires and don't even know what clip-in pedals are, unfortunately. But I'll definitely do some research.

                    Originally posted by diggedy derek View Post
                    No specific advice but if I was in your position I'd look into a course – there are knowledgable and experienced teachers who'd give some great advice about how to cope with traffic. It would be money well spent.
                    Oh, I should state that the only reason I can cycle is because of private lessons with an instructor. But if such a course is available, I'll sign up, thanks. There has to be a cycling group in my area. Like a lot of things, this is all contingent on the pandemic abating so that things like courses happen again, which adds to the frustration - not knowing when that'll be available.


                    Originally posted by MarkF View Post
                    Do you have any issues with balance? I have to be careful as I am deaf in my left ear and can easily find myself veering whether on a straight or taking a corner.
                    Not that I'm aware of but that's not to say that I don't have an issue.

                    Another thing stopping me from cycling... er, "in public", I guess... is that I don't want to inconvenience pedestrians by cycling on the footpath. Plenty of cyclists around here do but, I dunno, it seems like bad etiquette?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by The Awesome Berbaslug!!! View Post
                      That bike looks suspiciously like the one that was nicked from outside garcia's house, and lead to their taxi driver audiobed!
                      Ha! Next time you're speaking to him you can let him know that he's welcome to my bike if he wants as it sort of feels like I'm driving a Ferrari when I really should be starting on a Ford Focus.

                      Thanks for the encouragement!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I did learn to ride a bike fairly young, but never owned a bike so only had sporadic practice (that in a bmx at my grandparents), and I didn't ride anything between the ages of about 12-25.

                        My first experience of riding a "proper" bike was in my mid-to-late 20s in a bicycle park, in Japan. I was very unsteady, slowing down ridiculously for anything except a mild bend, but managed not to go flying. Afterwards, my sister lovingly told me that I looked really funny riding with my knees out at weird angles. You know, the sort of thing that would have been useful to know about during the ride, so I could have corrected it.

                        Fast forward to about five years ago, and my (now) spouse encouraged me to own a bike so I could accompany them on one of their favourite activities. I'm still a bit nervous now, but not so much as I was. I really dislike bumpy ground and narrow paths, but am weirdly more comfortable on the road. Still have difficulties with indicating and I won't take corners super fast (unlike speed junky spouse), but I'm improving.

                        One thing I noticed was that frequently my hands were sore after riding due to an over tight grip. Loosening that not only helped the soreness, but my stability too. I still practice releasing my grip completely on alternate hands, and I think that has helped my indicating.

                        It's taking time, but I'm getting there, I'm sure you will too!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          i didn't learn to ride a bike until i was an adult. The longer i left it, the more daunting it became, so kudos to you for finally getting it done. i learnt on a really crappy bike which felt dangerous even to seasoned riders. i got used to it and soon felt more comfortable on it than they did.

                          Practising in car parks sounds like a good place to start. i rode a lot on paths in a public park at times of day when i knew there'd be few pedestrians. The paths were not flat and some were quite snaky too so that i had opportunities to practise different kinds of pedalling and balancing in a very limited space. If you have a car and can fit your bike in it, it might be worth finding a stretch of cycle path that isn't shared with pedestrians and has some corners sharp enough to practise on. It also made the learning more enjoyable for me, being off the road and having an idea of where i would be able to go cycling one day if i kept progressing.

                          Another good place to practise is where there's a sort of chicane for cyclists to slow them down. Your swishy bike should make it easier to nip between the barriers, you'll be going really slowly, and if you lose your balance it's quite easy to hold onto one of the barriers rather than tumbling all the way to the ground. Supermarkets after hours are one place where you could try this without inconveniencing people and/or looking silly!

                          i don't approve of cycling on pavements generally, but when it's a learner or someone who cycles very slowly (typically older people) i'm happy to share the space with them. Designated shared-use paths for cyclists and pedestrians are a significant source of danger for me as i am a bit wobbly on my feet, but they get cyclists off the roads and allow the government to claim it has created n miles of traffic-free cycle routes, so we will all have to get used to them. Slow down as you pass, wave and say hello: that makes me feel a whole lot less anxious.

                          i hope it goes really well for you.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            It might sound daft but don't forget a decent helmet, a bright jacket or one with reflective strips and a decent back light. And if you forget your helmet I'd always say go back unless you've really gone too far, invariably you'll realise by the end of your road. A bit of attitude and a thick skin helps. Also don't be frightened to take up space and force the cars behind to slow up when you feel the situation dictates, it'll be you in hedge not them. It's your road too.

                            The ability to cycle one-handed is an invaluable skill, less to indicate direction more to gesticulate at inconsiderate drivers. Sorry if that isn't really helping.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I live in Spain. What does indicating mean?

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Originally posted by Greenlander View Post
                                A bit of attitude and a thick skin helps. Also don't be frightened to take up space and force the cars behind to slow up when you feel the situation dictates, it'll be you in hedge not them. It's your road too.
                                This. For right turns I always try to position myself about 15-30 seconds before the turn (when possible). Means that indicating is practically moot, so I feel less bad if I'm struggling to do so at that time.

                                As a car driver, I've become a lot more aware of cyclists since I started biking regularly. I never intentionally intimidated a cyclist before, but I likely did so in an oblivious fashion by doing things like driving/passing too close, thinking just a metre was fine.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by Sporting View Post
                                  I live in Spain. What does indicating mean?
                                  It's what the drivers of luxury German cars don't do...

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    I’m probably not the right person to comment on this as I’ve been cycling a long time.

                                    A few things, though: first, don’t do anything fancy - you don’t need a fast bike, you don’t need slick tyres, you don’t need clip in pedals, don’t listen to “serious” cyclists who want to save a few grams on the weight of their bike or change their pedalling efficiency by a couple of percent. That should all be irrelevant to you.

                                    Second, and related, getting a bike shop to put wider tires on the bike (hopefully at some point you’ll be doing it yourself, but that’s another skill to learn) should make you more stable and also reduce the risk of punctures.

                                    Third, I back Greenlander’s advice to not be afraid to take up the road even if you’re uncertain and wobbly. Riding close to the kerb or parked cars is much more dangerous, and leaving just a little space for cars risks them passing close to you rather than forcing them to wait behind. Remember that you’re a road vehicle.

                                    Fourth, from what I vaguely remember from my cycling proficiency test in middle school, I learned a decent amount about control and steering by setting up courses in empty parking lots. Steering to avoid (real or imaginary) traffic cones.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Too much good advice for me to respond to each poster individually but thank you to everyone and massive kudos to those in the same boat as me when it comes to learning later in life.

                                      Greenlander, you mentioned having a hard skin helps. That might be difficult in my case, unfortunately, but it's something I'll have to work on.

                                      SB, that's all good advice but I'd be more nervous about taking up the road because it would mean drivers behind me would see how poorly/slowly I'm cycling, become impatient, try to overtake me and then potentially cause an accident. That's me catastrophising but it feels like a real danger.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Drivers actually generally tend to see wobbly/bad cyclists and (wisely) give them a wider berth.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          What SB says. Being further out means they have to think about whether to pass you or not so more likely to give you that wide berth, whereas the more you hug the side the more likely they'll just go too close past you.

                                          There will always be the odd idiot that takes their chance going round you on a tight bend. Unfortunately you can't do much about them. Don't let that put you off though.

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                                            #22
                                            Tuck your laces in.

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                                              #23
                                              The reason cyclists shave their legs isn't for aesthetic appeal or aerodynamic performance but because leg hair, scraped into a flesh wound or graze, can quickly go septic and cause much worse problems. There's my cheerful thought for the day!

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                                                #24
                                                I can't add anything else that hasn't been already said. Hi visibility jacket and helmet are essential all year round , as well as good quality lights during the winter. As someone who's cycled in Dublin all my life , I can say that the traffic generally looks more terrifying than it is, and as long as you indicate your intentions early, most drivers will be patient with you.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Nothing new to add here either. Just keep going. You'll fall off at some point, have idiot drivers shouting at you for no reason apart from the fact they're idiots, get wet and cold, have to wash your bike when you'd much rather not etc.

                                                  But the positives outweigh the negatives by a ratio of at least ten to one. It's well worth persevering.

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