Advice for Adult Beginner

"The Historian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]
:: Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today
:: (Trek Navigator
:: 3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41,
:: six feet one inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385
:: in January. I've lost a lot of weight, but despite
:: working out I haven't added a lot of muscle. Also, I
:: haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been
:: motivated to take up biking by posters on
:: alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston Crawford here
:: on r.b.m.
::
:: Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially
:: concerned about falling - balancing on two wheels isn't
:: something I've had much practice doing.

Keep moving forward! Try it on grass first. It's not nearly as hard as
you've made it out to be in our head. Even a kid could do it!

Good luck!

The Historian said:

Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to
take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston
Crawford here on r.b.m.

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

You'll probably pick up the knack of balancing again very quickly. But
if you're concerned about it I would recommend starting with the seat
much lower than the normal pedaling position. Ideally it should be low
enough that you can comfortably put both feet flat on the floor while
remaining seated. The first experiment with balancing could be done
with the pedals removed and just pushing yourself along with your feet
while seated like on an old "Hobby Horse." An empty parking lot makes
a good practice area where you can practice first just taking a short
step at a time and then gradually increasing your coasting distance
between strides. Practice some turns and stops and get to where you're
feeling comfortable before putting the pedals back on. Still leave the
seat down for the first ride with pedals, but then gradually start
raising it as you gain confidence.

Neil who? said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek
Navigator 3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41,
six feet one inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January.
I've lost a lot of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a
lot of muscle. Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've
been motivated to take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and
the story of Preston Crawford here on r.b.m.

Quoted message said:

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned
about falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had
much practice doing.

You can't turn back the clock, entirely. I and my friends who corner
near the limit on wet and dry roads learned that by falling and
determining that limit. We were in our teens and early twenties when
we did that stuff and broke no bones doing it. since then I broke a
hip on a rainy oily truck route in France when the foam was running
down the road. That was the part that I didn't learn in my youth.

Other than that, all the rest of the stuff is something that can
become second nature if you enjoy riding enough to go to interesting
places. Don't practice falling! That is an "If I were you"
suggestion by folks who are impractical about their own abilities.
These people are not you.

As you get surer on your bicycle, try hard braking on a straight
section of dry road, bracing your arms so that you don't "go over the
bars". Going over the bars is caused by people who brake hard without
realizing the only thing that keeps the body from continuing forward
while the bicycle stops is the arms. Practice raising the rear wheel
using only the front brake so that you know how hard and how to brake
when it counts.

In spite of what it seems, you will be better off with step in pedals
with cleats. That's another one you will easily get used to if you
want to ride much. I've been doing this for a lot of years and have
wonderful adventures, both locally in the Santa Cruz mountains (near
SF) and the Sierra Nevada. All that and the exotic thrill of riding
the Alps.

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos.html
http://www.trentobike.org/Countries/Europe/Tour_Reports/Tour_of_the_Alps/

Do it! Ride bike!

Jobst Brandt

The Historian said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41, six feet one
inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January. I've lost a lot
of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a lot of muscle.
Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to
take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston
Crawford here on r.b.m.

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

Thanks again,
Neil

How about finding a large, well-mowed grassy area to practice? When I first
got clipless pedals, that's what I did, riding a large figure-8 at the
local park.

If you're extremely worried about falling or traffic, why not get a
trainer, which is a device you can put your bike's rear wheel on and ride
indoors. (search on performance bikes and trainer)

Good luck.

The Historian said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41, six feet one
inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January. I've lost a lot
of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a lot of muscle.
Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to
take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston
Crawford here on r.b.m.

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

Thanks again,
Neil

Congratulations on your weight loss to date. Personally, I would not
recommend anything but platform pedals till you get really comfortable
with the bike, and maybe even then not for a long time.

Get comfortable with the road and the physics of riding. Braking is not
hard to learn. Keep both hands on the handlebars and at least in close
contact with the brakes. I'd wear a helmet.

I've gone down a couple of times. One was a rookie braking mistake
where I braked with the front wheel and it jackknifed the bike. I
didn't have a good grip on the bars with both hands. Another was a
harmless rollover, both on wet pavement. I don't ride on the sidewalk
or jump curbs and I look where I am going and have had no further
problems. Have never gone over the bars, but I have learned to keep my
weight back when I am out of the seat.

Good luck.

catzz66 said:

The Historian said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41, six feet one
inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January. I've lost a lot
of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a lot of muscle.
Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to
take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston
Crawford here on r.b.m.

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

Thanks again,
Neil

Congratulations on your weight loss to date.

Thank you.

Personally, I would not

Quoted message said:

recommend anything but platform pedals till you get really comfortable
with the bike, and maybe even then not for a long time.

That's what I'm starting with.

Quoted message said:

Get comfortable with the road and the physics of riding. Braking is not
hard to learn. Keep both hands on the handlebars and at least in close
contact with the brakes. I'd wear a helmet.

That was my second purchase.

Quoted message said:

I've gone down a couple of times. One was a rookie braking mistake
where I braked with the front wheel and it jackknifed the bike. I
didn't have a good grip on the bars with both hands. Another was a
harmless rollover, both on wet pavement. I don't ride on the sidewalk
or jump curbs and I look where I am going and have had no further
problems. Have never gone over the bars, but I have learned to keep my
weight back when I am out of the seat.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice, and the good wishes, from you and the other
posters in this thread.

Neil

The Historian said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41, six feet one
inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January. I've lost a lot
of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a lot of muscle.
Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to
take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston
Crawford here on r.b.m.

Yes, Preston has quite a story. Not certain if he lost all his
weight via a bicycle or if the bike was one component of his weight
loss success.

Haven't seen him around here for a while, but he does pop in and
out from time to time. Hope he gets to add his comments for you
if he has not done so already.

Quoted message said:

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

Well I guess the best way to get back into biking is to simply
do it. As someone else mentioned, kids can do it, and despite
crashes, serious injury is usually not a result.

Probably most danger of crashing, initially, is simply going
very slowly. It can get a little difficult keeping the bike
up and pointed in the correct direction when your speed gets
down toward 5-6 mph. You might want to practice that a bit.

A second common source of crashing is incorrect use of the
brakes; usually too hard braking pressure, especially on the
front brake. I might add that failure to make use of the
front brake at all probably is a source of crashing as well.
Don't be afraid of it. It's your most powerful stopping
mechanism. A little practice using it is time well spent too.

I'd recommend you try to make bicycling a normal part of your
daily routine. No better way to do that than by using the bike
as a commuter vehicle. Your "workout" is built into your normal
getting to and from work activity.

Perhaps your commute distance is too long or there are no good
routes to/from work, or there are no facilities at work to
park your bike or wash up after a ride. Generally, these
factors can be overcome, but sometimes, you really are stuck
and a commute to work, even only a few days per week during
good weather, really aren't possible.

But if you can swing it, it's a fantastic way to work off excess
calories "automatically" while saving gas money and saving costs
of a health club, or time to do your "workout" ride.

Think about it once you re-attain those basic riding techniques
you haven't used in 31 years. It really won't take long!

SMH

The Historian said:

I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41, six feet one
inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January. I've lost a lot
of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a lot of muscle.
Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years.

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

Well, 41 is pretty young. If you road a bike at ten. you should get the
hang of it again pretty quickly.

Starting and stopping may be a little harder than just riding along. If
you're concerned about falling, try first on dirt or grass.

http://sheldonbrown.com/starting.html

Try to make your rides fun, not just work and suffering. Pick scenic
routes or interesting destinations. Maybe drive to remote starting
points to add variety. Or consider joining a bike club.

Start on quiet residential streets. Eventually plan out routes that
take advantage of quiet roads that parallel busy ones. Google Maps is a
great tool. Just enter your ZIP code into the "Jump to" box to get
started.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Learn to ride smart and safely in traffic:
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

For more riding tips see:
http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Art Harris

The Historian said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week.....

Thanks again,
Neil

One thing I'd suggest is to make the bike useful, and try to use it
instead of driving for short errands. Put a rack on it, get a "trunk
bag" for the small stuff and consider some baskets for larger items as
well (the Wald folding grocery baskets are nice). A bicycle becomes a
lot more useful if you can /easily/ carry some cargo on it.

The other thing I'd suggest is flat-resistant tires, because flats are
always a bummer but not a MAJOR bummer if one has practice dealing with
them. Since you don't, you may to avoid them as much as possible, and
flat-resistant tires/tire liners/or tubes go a long way towards that....
Some possibles are Continental Town & Country, Schwalbe Marathon Plus,
and the Armadillo line from Specialized (Crossroads, Hemisphere and
Nimbus come in 26" sizes).
~

Quoted message said:

As you get surer on your bicycle, try hard braking on a straight
section of dry road, bracing your arms so that you don't "go over the
bars". Going over the bars is caused by people who brake hard without
realizing the only thing that keeps the body from continuing forward
while the bicycle stops is the arms.

Most of that is excellent advice, but I do take issue with this bit.
The only time I endo'ed, I can confidently state I had a good firm grip.
In fact, I was still attached to the bike when my *back* wheel hit the
car in front of me.

I do confess to losing my grip on the left portion of the handlebar, but
that had more to do with it being wrenched out of my grasp as it dented
my top tube.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"Now, Now, Davan. Rich people don't get drunk. We get eccentric.
And we don't vomit. We 'Trickle down to the lower classes'."
- Something Positive - Nov - 17 - 2004

Dane Buson said:

Most of that is excellent advice, but I do take issue with this bit.
The only time I endo'ed, I can confidently state I had a good firm grip.
In fact, I was still attached to the bike when my *back* wheel hit the
car in front of me.

I do confess to losing my grip on the left portion of the handlebar, but
that had more to do with it being wrenched out of my grasp as it dented
my top tube.

For me, preventing endos is more a factor of keeping my posterior back
near/over the seat and watching where I am going at all times. Like
driving a car, I try to keep my eyes focused way out in front of my
path. I know I have not begun to experience all the possible ways to
have an endo, but that is the last kind of unassisted spill I want to
take. Cycling is a blast once you begin to master the basic skills and
find your "bike legs." For me it is something I want to do every day
and is not drudgery, like some kinds of exercise have seemed.

Dane Boson said:

Quoted message said:

As you get surer on your bicycle, try hard braking on a straight
section of dry road, bracing your arms so that you don't "go over
the bars". Going over the bars is caused by people who brake hard
without realizing the only thing that keeps the body from
continuing forward while the bicycle stops is the arms.

Quoted message said:

Most of that is excellent advice, but I do take issue with this bit.
The only time I endnote, I can confidently state I had a good firm
grip. In fact, I was still attached to the bike when my *back*
wheel hit the car in front of me.

I suggest that striking the car was what overturned your bicycle, it
usually does and is a far greater decelerator than a sudden grasp of
the brake.

Quoted message said:

I do confess to losing my grip on the left portion of the handlebar,
but that had more to do with it being wrenched out of my grasp as it
dented my top tube.

I also didn't suggest that one perform an endo, but to become aware of
how hard one needs to brake to raise the rear wheel. Have you done
that since your incident. If not, I suggest you try it and see how
much it takes to raise the rear wheel. It is not something most
riders do easily.

Jobst Brandt

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Historian said:

Hi, I am an adult beginner. I just bought a bike today (Trek Navigator
3.0), and it will be delivered next week. I am male, 41, six feet one
inch, and currently 275 pounds. I was 385 in January. I've lost a lot
of weight, but despite working out I haven't added a lot of muscle.
Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to
take up biking by posters on alt.support.diet, and the story of Preston
Crawford here on r.b.m.

Any advice for me on learning to ride?

You already did, 31 years ago. We don't lose it,
we just get a little rusty. The more we ride, the
more the rust gets worn off. That old saying is
true: we don't forget how to ride a bicycle.

Quoted message said:

I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

I think you'll be surprised at how quickly it all comes back.
You may, however, initially find it hard to go any appreciable
distance. And then there's the post-ride "spaghetti legs"
effect, where it takes a few minutes to get your land legs
back. Don't give up at that point. Just keep at it, and
you'll soon find yourself riding further and longer, and
feeling quite refreshed afterward. Well, maybe a little
flushed afterward. In the winter that's good, because you
can turn the thermostat down and still feel comfortably warm.

cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

The Historian said:

catzz66 wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to

This'll sound facetious, but I'm really quite serious. I hope you'll
report back on how your first time back on a bike goes. There's an old
saying: "It's like riding a bicycle--once you learn how you never
forget." I'd be interested in finding out how true that is.

Bill

__o | Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live.
_`\(,_ |
(_)/ (_) | -- Mark Twain

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I also didn't suggest that one perform an endo, but to become aware of
how hard one needs to brake to raise the rear wheel. Have you done
that since your incident. If not, I suggest you try it and see how
much it takes to raise the rear wheel. It is not something most
riders do easily.

In the city, endos and hops and wheelies can be wonderfully
effective tactics to persuade impatiently tailgating car
drivers to back-off and get out of your space.

It scares 'em.

cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

Old newbie myself, here. Just started riding again this Summer after
20+ years off.

I did have a nasty spill this Summer - here's so you can learn from my
mistake:

Beware of road hazards.

I was riding fast on a four lane street. It was a wet and drizzly day,
so the road was slick. I went over some railroad tracks that cross the
street at an angle. The front wheel drove off in the direction of the
tracks, and I kept going straight. No hospital injuries, and I am about
99.5% healed, but there is a sore spot at the base of my thumb that
still isn't 100%.

Gloves saved me a lot of skin that day, and I wear them every time I
ride.

Slowing down and going carefully over the tracks would have saved me
even more pain. So that's my tip: go slow and careful over any kind of
surface irregularity or any street that you don't know well. Going fast
is for roads that you know and good weather conditions. Wet leaves and
wet painted stripes can also be road hazards, not to mention potholes
and loose gravel.

The Historian said:

Any advice for me on learning to ride? I'm especially concerned about
falling - balancing on two wheels isn't something I've had much
practice doing.

You already know how to ride.

What you'll find is that there are way more cars and they have darker
tinted windows so you can't see what the idiots are doing. These days
drivers are more rude and far less likely to obey traffic laws.
Thirty years ago you didn't have to compete with cell phones for
their attention.

You also had fewer [censored] bicyclists commenting on your headgear.
--
zk

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I do confess to losing my grip on the left portion of the handlebar,
but that had more to do with it being wrenched out of my grasp as it
dented my top tube.

I also didn't suggest that one perform an endo, but to become aware of
how hard one needs to brake to raise the rear wheel. Have you done
that since your incident. If not, I suggest you try it and see how
much it takes to raise the rear wheel. It is not something most
riders do easily.

Very true. But I have a difficult time explaining to customers that they
need to learn to use a *lot* of front brake if they want to stop
effectively. They invariably feel that they're going to go over the bars.
It's easy to spot these people, as their bikes come in with zero wear on the
front pads, and lots on the rear. Once in a while I think about saying "OK,
get back out on your bike and don't come back until I can find some wear on
your front brake shoes!" I think it, but don't actually say it. Probably a
good way to set myself up for a lawsuit.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Quoted message said:

The Historian said:

catzz66 wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Also, I haven't ridden a bike in 31 years. But I've been motivated to

This'll sound facetious, but I'm really quite serious. I hope you'll
report back on how your first time back on a bike goes. There's an old
saying: "It's like riding a bicycle--once you learn how you never
forget." I'd be interested in finding out how true that is.

Riding a bicycle is absolutely nothing like riding a bicycle.

I was thinking about a replacement bike for a stolen ride around the
time I broke my leg and it took me more than two years to get on a bike
again. Although I did a fair reasonable job of not killing myself in
the kilometer or two I rode that afternoon I did not particularly find
the balance thing or the braking thing or the anything at all about
this whole being on a two wheeled contraption thing easy.

It would take more than another year before I got back to the level of
confidence I'd previously had.

-M