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Beginner - technical and confidence help needed
| HelenP | 07 Mar 08:38 |
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Joined: 02 Mar 2012 Posts: 3 Bike: | Hi, i am a complete beginner really. In my teens i cycled every day to do my paperound for 4 years then stopped until 3/4 years later on my gap year in Australia went cycling starting off down hill and having hardly gone anywhere i wobbled and fell off with my shoulder hitting the ground first taking my whole weight and scraping all the front of my body on the rough track. I didn't have another opportunity to get back on a bike again for probably another 3 years when i bought a cheap mountain bike from halfords. I still have the bike but today have probably used it about 10 times, still a bit nervous and very confused on all the gears. My paperound bike only had 3! I've been doing spinning classes for about 2 months now and it always seems to be simulating hills, speed and endurance but i've no idea how this might relate to a real situation in terms of how far and fast i might be able to go. I guess i'm just after some advice really on things like gears and maybe a bit of confidence boosting. I'm fairly fit in other areas such as running and swimming and this is the last bit that i want to work on so that maybe one day i might even have a go at a triathlon. Also if anyone knows of anyone in the Cookham/Marlow area who might be looking for a cycling buddy at a beginner level i'd be interested to hear. Thanks in advance. |
spaceman 
| 07 Mar 11:58 |
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Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Posts: 85 Bike: My Profile | Yes it will be a challenge. Takes a lot of bottle to get back on after an accident. But if you do find a quiet route and do say 10 mile, if that is easy try 20mile, then build up to what you want. Find interesting routes, go to nice places, enjoy it, I do. Oh by the way I do only roads, too scared for off roading, although hardly safe on roads? I find spinning is good for maintaining muscle etc but it is different when you get on your bike, not bad different just different, but spinning helps maintain a level for me. I have just started commuting again to work now it is getting lighter and safer (40 mile a day) so it was a bit tiring so far this week. Did 2 days , next week 3 days etc etc, then add in weekend longer rides. Any way good luck wait for a nice day, sun shining no wind(might have to wait a while) then get out there and do it. You will love it. :-) |
| My Latest Route: Jul 2012 Bedworth to Startford Via Fosse Way and Return Via Kenilworth | |
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qwiksilver
| 07 Mar 14:11 |
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Joined: 23 Apr 2011 Posts: 27 Bike: My Profile | Hi Helen, Confidence building = time on your bike it will come naturally the longer you spend in the saddle, The hardest part and biggest step you have already taken as you got back in the saddle. A triathlon eh, lol no offence but i'm sure know the saying learn to walk before you can run try finding some funruns, swimming galas, charity rides in your area to take part in first get used to the atmosphere of an event etc, im sure you will meet like minded ppl willing to help you achive your goal who will train with you and help with hands on advice. As for gears well each person has different perspective on those and theres such a wide variety to choose from but they all follow the same principal, the front set attached to the pedals are called chainrings these are your drive gears and the larger the front chainring the more teeth in comparison the rear or cassette cogs are used more in fine tuning your speed and all the rear cogs have less teeth than the front, so if you can picture them without a chain between and right next to each other as tho working in a clock, if a front cog has say 20 teeth and a rear 10 then the rear would turn twice as many time as the front giving you a faster rpm of the wheel, so the larger the front and smaller the rear the faster you will go in turn it feels harder to pedal, at the other end of the scale the more evenly sized each is i.e the smaller the front and the larger the back the easier it is to turn and the slower you will go the later is for going uphill and the former for going fast even downhill using the rear casette to fine tune just how fast/slow you want or can handle, hope this helps some and if you want a more indepth read look up sheldon browns website where you will find the ins and outs of bicycle maintainance jargon and anything else you need to know about bikes. GOOD LUCK, I hope you achieve your goal of taking part in a triathlon maybe one day we will see you on tv winning it for the brits. Qwik |
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