Thoroughly enjoying the new hybrid still. I bought a Townsend York ladies hybrid off Ebay for my girlfriend, for the amazing bargain price of £17. It's in good condition too. My GF hasn't ridden a bike for around 15 years, and was never that confident on one. She's picked up the basics pretty quickly again (it's like riding a bike, right? ;-) but she still wants the seat low enough to be able to touch the floor while sat on the saddle. I'm trying to get her saddle up gradually, but the main problem is she can't stand up out of the saddle on the bike. Now, I've been riding so long that I can't remember learning these skills - and I certainly learned them when I was very young. I've no idea how to teach or encourage these skills in an adult. Anyone have any ideas other than me just encouraging, trying to get her to stand on the pedals when I hold the bike, or trying to take more weight on her legs whilst coasting?
"Colin Reed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Thoroughly enjoying the new hybrid still. I bought a Townsend York ladies hybrid off Ebay for my girlfriend, for the amazing bargain price of £17. It's in good condition too. My GF hasn't ridden a bike for around 15 years, and was never that confident on one. She's picked up the basics pretty quickly again (it's like riding a bike, right? ;-) but she still wants the seat low enough to be able to touch the floor while sat on the saddle. I'm trying to get her saddle up gradually, but the main problem is she can't stand up out of the saddle on the bike. Now, I've been riding so long that I can't remember learning these skills - and I certainly learned them when I was very young. I've no idea how to teach or encourage these skills in an adult. Anyone have any ideas other than me just encouraging, trying to get her to stand on the pedals when I hold the bike, or trying to take more weight on her legs whilst coasting?
Cheers Colin
Can I suggest you find a gentle uphill slope to practice on. Having something to push against may help your GF to feel that she's in control at all times - otherwise as her speed increases, she may be subconsciously backing off so as not to have the bike get out of control.
I appreciate its not the same, but when our son was learning at age 5 or 6 with stabilisers he disliked going along the flat, and he would take his feet off the pedals immediately he started free-wheeling or going downhill. We just thought he couldn't do it, but we realised that he was fine in cycling UP a slope (always in control there). When we removed his stabilisers we used this 'control' thing by making sure he first tried it on some long grass. There was enough resistance that he always had something to cycle against without picking up speed too quickly.
"Colin Reed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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but the main problem is she can't stand up out of the saddle on the bike.
My wife still can't, and she's doing 5 mile each way commutes these days. (I believe she might occasionally get overtaken by a poster to this NG :-) ). So I wouldn't worry.
"Clive George" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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"Colin Reed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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but the main problem is she can't stand up out of the saddle on the bike.
My wife still can't, and she's doing 5 mile each way commutes these days. (I believe she might occasionally get overtaken by a poster to this NG :-) ). So I wouldn't worry.
cheers, clive
How high does she have her saddle? I live at the top of about the only hill in the area, and my GF is getting sore knees from trying to ride up it with her legs always bent. I think she'd be slightly more comfortable with a higher saddle, and therefore more efficient pedalling, if she felt she could get forward out of the saddle quickly when she had to brake.
"Colin Reed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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"Clive George" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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"Colin Reed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
but the main problem is she can't stand up out of the saddle on the bike.
My wife still can't, and she's doing 5 mile each way commutes these days. (I believe she might occasionally get overtaken by a poster to this NG :-) ). So I wouldn't worry.
How high does she have her saddle? I live at the top of about the only hill in the area, and my GF is getting sore knees from trying to ride up it with her legs always bent. I think she'd be slightly more comfortable with a higher saddle, and therefore more efficient pedalling, if she felt she could get forward out of the saddle quickly when she had to brake.
Ah - I see your problem. Her saddle is at the correct height, and doesn't have problems when stopping - just no honking. Which is a relatively minor thing, as opposed to rejecting a painful saddle height :-)
How high does she have her saddle? I live at the top of about the only hill in the area, and my GF is getting sore knees from trying to ride up it with her legs always bent. I think she'd be slightly more comfortable with a higher saddle, and therefore more efficient pedalling, if she felt she could get forward out of the saddle quickly when she had to brake.
She doesn't actually have to to get out of the saddle - she can just come to a halt and topple to one side while sticking the appropriate leg out. If you can get her to try that (preferably on a soft flat surface like the lawn) until she's comfortable with the idea that she's not going to land on her face then she may gain the confidence to learn how to do proper mounts and dismounts with the correct saddle height.
she still wants the seat low enough to be able to touch the floor while sat on the saddle. I'm trying to get her saddle up gradually, but the main problem is she can't stand up out of the saddle on the bike. Now, I've been riding so long that I can't remember learning these skills - and I certainly learned them when I was very young. I've no idea how to teach or encourage these skills in an adult. Anyone have any ideas other than me just encouraging, trying to get her to stand on the pedals when I hold the bike, or trying to take more weight on her legs whilst coasting?
I used to be out of the saddle all the time, but since being forced to learn to do everything sat down on the recumbent I've changed my upright riding too and very rarely get out of the seat. Where I do get out of the saddle is coming down a bumpy track (we live by one...) for suspension effect, and I think that coming down a gentle slope is possibly the easiest way to go about teaching this: the pedals aren't going around (have them at 3/9 o'clock for a level, stable platform) and there's completely even L/R input to the handlebars, so with feet still and weight on the arms you just have to nudge your bum off the seat and maintain a straight course by, well, not doing anything! Once you're started it then gets easier to move on, gradually adding pedalling and steering, and of course coming to a stop by coming down ahead of the saddle rather than on it.
HTH, Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
Where I do get out of the saddle is coming down a bumpy track (we live by one...) for suspension effect, and I think that coming down a gentle slope is possibly the easiest way to go about teaching this: the pedals aren't going around (have them at 3/9 o'clock for a level, stable platform) and there's completely even L/R input to the handlebars,
YMMV. I prefer to have one leg down and one up when I stop pedaling, and find it easier to stand on one straight leg than on 2 bent ones. And then I can bend the straight one to get the other foot to the ground.
Where I do get out of the saddle is coming down a bumpy track (we live by one...) for suspension effect, and I think that coming down a gentle slope is possibly the easiest way to go about teaching this: the pedals aren't going around (have them at 3/9 o'clock for a level, stable platform) and there's completely even L/R input to the handlebars,
YMMV. I prefer to have one leg down and one up when I stop pedaling, and find it easier to stand on one straight leg than on 2 bent ones. And then I can bend the straight one to get the other foot to the ground.
Whatever is right for you obviously, but the 3/9 o'clock position lets you get your C of G higher for greater stability, and with both knees slightly bent and both legs taking your weight you should have easier shock absorption.
For a beginner learning to stop with the saddle at the correct height it may be easiest to take both feet off the pedals, straighten the legs and point the toes while freewheeling to a gentle stop. The aim is to keep the bike upright until it has completely stopped, then let it topple either way bringing the toes on that side into contact with the ground. It's best to have the pedals at 3/9 for this too as they are well out of the way of the feet and less likely to cause ouchies if it goes a bit wrong.
Whatever is right for you obviously, but the 3/9 o'clock position lets you get your C of G higher for greater stability, and with both knees slightly bent and both legs taking your weight you should have easier shock absorption.
I agree that's best for just running along in a stable position while stood up, but Roos' option is actually better for stepping down ahead of the saddle, because if you keep your 6 o'clock foot as the weight bearer you're closer to the ground and the pedals don't move when you step one foot off.
So maybe a bit of both in the practice phase, but the 12/6 is the better place to be for eventually standing down ahead of the saddle.
Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
Where I do get out of the saddle is coming down a bumpy track (we live by one...) for suspension effect, and I think that coming down a gentle slope is possibly the easiest way to go about teaching this: the pedals aren't going around (have them at 3/9 o'clock for a level, stable platform) and there's completely even L/R input to the handlebars,
YMMV. I prefer to have one leg down and one up when I stop pedaling, and find it easier to stand on one straight leg than on 2 bent ones. And then I can bend the straight one to get the other foot to the ground.
Roos
if just rolling up along yes i tend to do that, but if i'm up off the saddle off road then i'll default to the 3/9 O'clocks
