Bloodied but Unbowed - My first bike ride! - Page 4

12-27-2006, 10:12 AM

<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I think you need some parking lot time.
(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yes. Parking lot time. But, better than going it alone, take a friend on a
bike, to ride along with you and watch what you are doing. And, of course,
you watch him/her as well. It sounds to me like you may be making errors
that you can't describe to us, because you don't recognize them yourself.
Such as going too slow. At low speed, the steering corrections you need for
balance will be ungraceful, and they may scare you. As your speed
increases, you seem to be getting frightened. This should not happen. At
higher speed, the bike should stabilize and become more like skiing. A more
experienced cyclist riding behind you will recognize what is wrong, and that
may be all it takes.

12-27-2006, 11:18 AM

The Historian wrote:

> Any advice for avoiding mailboxes? The spill came about because I was
> trying to avoid one when I lost control of the bike. Perhaps I am
> riding too close to the shoulder?

Yes, this is probably your problem.

This is the way you need to think about things. You are King of the
Road. You rule over everything from the center line to the curb, or on
rural roads, past the fog line to where it is no longer paved.

Since you are a sovereign, you are gracious in the use of your
pavement. Noblesse oblige: you can allow other vehicles to pass you, by
riding on the shoulder, bike lane, or a bit over to the right on a wide
curb lane. However, because, indeed you own the entirety of the
pavement, you may also ride quite comfortably about where the right
wheel well is for the motor vehicles, or pass slower vehicles on their
left, or trip the loop sensor for the traffic light on the left hand
side of the lane, rather than the right. You will place your bike where
it makes the most sense for your personal safety first, your
convenience second, and then for the benefit of the other road users,
third.

Cowering in the gutter is beneath you. And in fact, the more you cower,
the more other vehicles will push you over. Claim your bit of road. It
may seem contradictory, but you will find less conflict with cars when
you're more properly placed. This is particularly true at intersections
-- if you're in the lane when you're crossing the street, you're much
less likely to get right-hooked or hit by a left-turning motorist. This
is because you're where the motorists are looking -- in the lane -- as
opposed to being in the crosswalk or gutter, where they're not.

As you gain confidence on your new steed, you will ride with the
nobility that is your natural right as a cyclist. You will no longer
joust with mailboxes. People who fail to bring their garbage cans in
from the curb will no longer be your foe. You will be out of the deadly
door zone. Instead, you will be riding with poise and self-assuredness.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

12-27-2006, 01:10 PM

The Historian wrote:

> I tried riding today, only to be driven in my the cold. After ten
> minutes my fingers were numb, even with gloves. It's supposed to be a
> little warmer tomorrow, with less wind, so I'll try again then.
>
I find that if I'm comfortably warm at the start of a ride, I'm
over-dressed. I rode this morning under conditions probably similar to
yours (40F and a stiff breeze here on Long Island). My hands were a
little cold for the first couple of miles, but fine for the rest of the
ride. You generate heat as you ride, especially if you ride hard. The
whole clothing thing is a topic for another discussion. But for now,
just think "layers." No heavy/bulky coats. Keep yer feet warm with a
heavy pair of socks and maybe those chemically activated toe-warmers

> Meanwhile, my problem areas, as far as I can tell, are:
>
> 1. getting underway. I need to coordinate my downstroke on the left
> pedal with my pushoff with the other foot. Often I pedal down and the
> right foot doesn't make it to the pedal before I have rolled a couple
> feet, so that I am 'riding' with one foot sticking out. Am I doing
> something wrong or do I just need a lot of practice?
>
That first stroke should be enough to get you going _and_ boost you
into the saddle. If you're in too low or too high a gear, you either
won't get enough momemtum going or you'll find it hard to keep the
pedals turning.

> 2. Once I am underway, I need to better control the bike. Too often it
> seems the bike controls me. I can travel a couple of hundred feet, and
> then I need to stop because it feels as if the bike is taking over, so
> to speak - often because it's going too fast. Also, I wobble too much.
>
You should try for a cruising speed of at least 10 mph. Anything less
will make balancing and steering more difficult. I agree with others
that a quiet parking lot would be a good place to learn the basic
skills without worrying about traffic. Practice riding a straight line,
turning, braking, etc. I also have a hunch that your saddle may be way
to low. Can your feet touch the ground while in the saddle? If so, just
the toes or feet flat on the ground? Not to harp on this, but if I try
to ride a bike with a too low sadde, I have trouble starting off and
balancing.

Art Harris

12-27-2006, 02:33 PM

Leo Lichtman wrote:
> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I think you need some parking lot time.
> (clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Yes. Parking lot time.

Another place to practice would be a cemetary. It'd be quiet and no one
minds if you're moving slowly in a cemetary.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

12-27-2006, 02:57 PM

In article <1167234931.331745.169290@79g2000cws.googlegroups. com>,
"The Historian" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> I tried riding today, only to be driven in my the cold. After ten
> minutes my fingers were numb, even with gloves.

Try layering your gloves with bigger gloves that'll fit over them.
That 3-M Thinsulate[tm] stuff works pretty good.

> Meanwhile, my problem areas, as far as I can tell, are:

.....

You've already made better progress than any tyro
using training wheels (not that I've ever seen any
adult beginners using them.) I'm just exploiting
your experience to deprecate training wheels :-)
Training wheels hold people back from really getting
the "feel".

You're doing just fine. You're probably already addicted.

If you find yourself tightly gripping the handlebar,
I'd suggest concentrating on loosening up and just
resting your hands on it, just enough to have control
while maintaining access to the brakes & shifters.
You don't have to strangle the handlebar. And remember,
the handlebar isn't exactly like the steering wheel of
a car. A bicycle is steered a lot more by /leaning/, than
by forcing the front wheel around. The handlebar just
helps keep the front wheel from guiding the bicycle too
far out from underneath you while turning. At least,
that's how it's supposed to work, but there are exceedable
limits. Those are typically reached while bombing down on
curvy downhills, but you don't have to worry about that yet.

It doesn't hurt to relax your shoulders, too. I know,
I get all uptight at first when trying something new.
But the key to riding fluidly is to apply /only/ the
make-the-bike-go muscles to making the bike go. When
I want to relax my whole body, I do this self-styled,
pseudo-yogic thing of visualizing my solar plexus as
a sort of hub with radial cables that connect to my
limbs & organs, and focusing on relaxing those cables.
And breathe comfortably. Become part of the bike.
Or, rather, think of the bike/rider combination as
a unity.

Do all that, and remember to look at the line of
where you want your wheels to go instead of looking
at the things to avoid hitting, and the next thing
you know -- you've got finesse.

You'll know you're there when you're going somewhere,
and you suddenly realize & remember you're riding a
bicycle. Nothing beats that feeling.
Except maybe astral projection.

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

12-27-2006, 03:25 PM

In article <1167262398.369777.176570@i12g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"Claire" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:
>
> Leo Lichtman wrote:
>> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I think you need some parking lot time.
>> (clip)
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> Yes. Parking lot time.
>
> Another place to practice would be a cemetary. It'd be quiet and no one
> minds if you're moving slowly in a cemetary.

I've actually had road rage inflicted on me in Mountain View
Cemetery. One of our bike routes intersects it -- bikes are
allowed, but cars aren't. Once in a while a car driver will
take a notion to shortcut through the cemetery and find themselves
trapped in a bicycle-only facility, with no way out except the
way they came in (off 41st Ave). Then they get mad at cyclists
robbing them of their "right" to go where they want.

It kinda grieves me, because when I ride through there I
do so with a certain quiet respect & regard for the interns
(and the resident cemetery crows.) I certainly wouldn't
blast past them in a stoopid hotrod, or get irate because
somebody's in front of me.

So many drivers see any and all pavement as something
for their personal convenience. Put asphalt down, and
it becomes just another street to them.

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

12-27-2006, 03:47 PM

On 27 Dec 2006 07:55:31 -0800, "The Historian" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:
>> Anyway, welcome to the sport Neil. I'm sure if you keep with it you'll
>> be stable & loving it in no time.
>
>I tried riding today, only to be driven in my the cold. After ten
>minutes my fingers were numb, even with gloves. It's supposed to be a
>little warmer tomorrow, with less wind, so I'll try again then.
>
>Meanwhile, my problem areas, as far as I can tell, are:
>
>1. getting underway. I need to coordinate my downstroke on the left
>pedal with my pushoff with the other foot. Often I pedal down and the
>right foot doesn't make it to the pedal before I have rolled a couple
>feet, so that I am 'riding' with one foot sticking out. Am I doing
>something wrong or do I just need a lot of practice?

Practice, Grasshopper. Style and grace will come with experience; for
now, strive merely for survival and adequacy. It takes more than just
an afternoon to master this for most people.

>2. Once I am underway, I need to better control the bike. Too often it
>seems the bike controls me. I can travel a couple of hundred feet, and
>then I need to stop because it feels as if the bike is taking over, so
>to speak - often because it's going too fast. Also, I wobble too much.

This, too, shall pass.

>3. My stopping isn't bad, but it is going to take some getting used to.
>In the case of the spill I took, I managed to avoid the mailbox and
>would have probably safely stopped on the shoulder, but there was a
>large gravel border around the mailbox, and that caused the bike to
>lose traction. When I was testing the bike in Bikesport's parking lot,
>Pete, one of the store staff, had to shout "brake" at me; now that I
>know I have them, I need to use them better.
>
>4. Experience, experience, experience!

Precisely.

>Did Lance have these problems when he started? :-)

He was much younger than you at that point. Wobbles in one of that
age go unnoticed.

>As for loving the sport, I am already investigating a club I can join
>when I have more experience. The idea of whooshing down a country road
>on two wheels thrills me. Perhaps I am going a little fast here,
>imagining the day when I can ride with a club or in a race, but then
>again, I had to imagine my losing 110 pounds before it could happen.

The ultimate reality may be some time in coming, but keep in mind that
it is not out of reach; as you gain experience and the stability that
comes with it, you will discover that your stamina will grow even
though the rest of the pounds have not yet departed. There are
several faces frequently seen on group rides around here who are
perched atop figures of the more-circular-than-linear persuasion; it
doesn't stop them from wearing lycra, and there's no reason that
having more improvement possible in the future should deter *you* from
pushing onward now. But push at the rate with which you are
comfortable plus just a bit to keep forward progress from stalling at
some small hurdle.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

12-27-2006, 04:10 PM

Starting off: Different people do different things. I anchor one foot
and roll for a while before cranking up a regular pedal stroke. I
didn't really think about it. It is just something I started doing.
Try a few things. Something will work for you that'll feel natural.

12-27-2006, 04:16 PM

Dealing with the cold: Try to ride out into the wind and back with the
wind. Your ride home will be your reward for the hard work riding out.
I use one layer of high tech clothing (upper body and lower body) with
the most important thing being keeping my torso out of the wind. Some
people here ride in more extreme low temps than I do. I usually have to
deal with the mid 20s several times during the winter but not much
colder than that. I have adapted running clothing for winter riding and
it has been adequate for my purposes.

12-27-2006, 08:03 PM

Leo Lichtman wrote:
> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote: (clip) I think you need some parking lot time.
> (clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Yes. Parking lot time. But, better than going it alone, take a friend on a
> bike, to ride along with you and watch what you are doing. And, of course,
> you watch him/her as well. It sounds to me like you may be making errors
> that you can't describe to us, because you don't recognize them yourself.

Agreed.

> Such as going too slow. At low speed, the steering corrections you need for
> balance will be ungraceful, and they may scare you.

Agreed.

As your speed
> increases, you seem to be getting frightened. This should not happen. At
> higher speed, the bike should stabilize and become more like skiing.

I've never skied. 385 pound guys aren't terribly agile. And again, fear
of falling might be an element of it.

A more
> experienced cyclist riding behind you will recognize what is wrong, and that
> may be all it takes.

Again agreed. I'm going to go back to my initial plan and find someone
to work with me on this. Pardon the expression, but I'd rather not spin
my wheels and not get anywhere.