Help me get back in the saddle?

CamillaRhodes

Hi all, complete cycling newb.

I bought a bike this evening. It had been a plan since I got my new job, so I could cycle to work, and inspired by Copenhagen Cycle Chic - so I'm really never gonna be a serious cyclist, not gonna be racing or going up or down mountains or anything like that. A cool, convenient, eco- and image-friendly way to get to and from work, that was the plan.

I hadn't been on a bike since I was about 12, and even then I was quite a wussy child. So I took off this evening on my very lovely new bike, bit scared by the Dublin traffic and a bit wobbly but kinda feeling ok. Went from town to Rathmines. Minor skirmish when I forgot how brakes work, but then remembered in the nick of time.

From Rathmines home though (along the quays), I started to get even more nervous. It wasn't the traffic (it was after 8pm) so much as my own inner fear. And then I fell off. I tried to go up onto the path at one point, where the curb was low, but realised as I impacted the pavement that wasn't possible on 2 wheels the way it might be on four.

With a result, I have a bloodied hand, a massive great swollen bruise on my knee and a destroyed favourite pair of shoes (the leather totally scuffed to death on one side). Most significantly of all, I have a massive dent in my pride. I realise it was hubris to think I could emulate Copenhagen Cycle Chic - i'm just an uncoordinated, unstylish disaster of an Irish girl who is much better off on 2 feet than 2 wheels.

Tomorrow's meant to be my first commute to work on the bike. I'm already thinking I won't do it, and plotting ways that I can sell the bike. (It's a very lovely Pashley - any takers???) But part of me, I guess, wants to be convinced back into the saddle.

How do I get my confidence back? Even better, how do I make sure I don't hurt myself again?!? Basically any encouragement for a silly novice would be great.

If not I guess i should just flog the bloody thing. I quite like walking anyway, and the Luas is very good value...

DualFrontDiscs

Camilla,

Copenhagen Cycling Chic is a great website and a great source of inspiration (and eye candy). Cycling is for everybody and you're no less a cyclist for not wanting to race or go up and down mountains.

Given that it has been a few years since you last cycled, a cycle down the quays, in hindsight, might not have been the best move.

Don't sell the bike. Don't commute into work tomorrow either. I'd wait for the weekend, bring the bike up to Phoenix park and practice up there. Even practice going up and down curbs.

Pashley make lovely bikes. Why not bring a picnic and make an afternoon of it?

Regards,

DFD*

*DoFeelDetermined.

sxt

Check out these links too

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-cycle-safely-in-a-city

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11687.aspx

Lumen

Please persist, at your own pace. Dublin needs more cycle chic. Aside from looking fantastic, you're providing a public service and helping support the tourist industry.

CarlosK

Hi Camilla,

Dont be disheartened, its been a while since you were last on a bike, until now that is. Remember that everyday is a school day so to speak and the more practice you do, the better you will be able to handle the bike. You'll be surprised how much you will advance by just getting out and trying again. As recommended in an earlier reply, wait until the weekend and head off somewhere quiet and get used to speeds, braking and overall handling. With the weather we're having lately, there's nothing like getting out and cycling to where you need to go. Whatever errors you made in your maiden voyage, you'll be sure not to make those mistakes again.

Don't get frustrated, just go out and enjoy it. You'll regret it in time if you ended up selling your new bike.

Good luck with it all and keep us updated in here on your progress. I'm new to it all myself after a long spell away from it and the members in here are great and are always willing to help and advise in anyway they can.

petethedrummer

CamillaRhodes wrote: »

I realise it was hubris to think I could emulate Copenhagen Cycle Chic - i'm just an uncoordinated, unstylish disaster of an Irish girl who is much better off on 2 feet than 2 wheels.

In fairness, its pretty hard to swan around as they do in Copenhagen with our cycling infrastructure. But you'll get the hang of it. Just walk the bike to a park if you're unsure of yourself, do a few laps and you'll get your confidence back.

There are pensioners cycling round Dublin, so its not an insurmountable task for a young able bodied person to cycle in the city.

Buy a BIG LOCK for that bike if you are going to use it for commuting.

And welcome to the high nelly gang. This is the bad boy I use around town. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b304/petethedrummer/Raleigh.jpg

tomasrojo

I really like roadsters/High Nellys. My mother had one I used to borrow. There's a bike that needs minimal maintenance!

@CamillaRhodes, don't give up, but restrict yourself to and practice on streets with very little traffic until you get your handling skills up. Those ladies on Copenhagen Cycle Chic get cycle training in school, you know!

(Also, don't try to mount anything at speed, be it footpath or so-called cycling facility -- speed is for level roads!)

CamillaRhodes

Thanks for the positive reinforcement, guys

I took the advice of not cycling to work this morning, which I'll admit was a bit of a relief. Am more determined this morning though - will definitely go do a bit of practicing around the Phoenix Park before braving the city streets anew.

Will have a read through all the info provided too - thanks for that! Really do appreciate the words of encouragement, though, thanks. Am off to link my wounds for a little longer

SubLuminal

Camilla - the quays is not such a friendly place for initial cycling, there are cycle lanes there but they're awfully designed. Going for a ride around phoenix park, or somewhere similar, on a sunny sunday, is a great idea - (everyone else, should we not start considering 'cycling meetups' in phoenix park and such now that the weather is turning lovely again? BBQ's and such.. nice family days out etc?)

If you don't feel like commuting yet then don't, but don't sell the bike, hang onto it and give yourself time to get used to it. It sounds like you bought it and set yourself a deadline and now you feel a bit pressured by the goals you've set yourself, but they're your goals and there's nothing wrong with moving the goalposts a bit. Even the most hardened road racing enthusiast will be seen meekly queueing for the bus when its p*ssing it down with rain, snowing out of the heavens or when they're just feeling a bit battered from one too many pints the night before...

Cycling is fun, it totally is, but if you're used to being in a car, then at first it can seem quite daunting and different to what you're used to. Give yourself a bit of time to get used to it, and used to the bicycle too, When I got back into riding after a few years off like yourself I felt quite ungainley and unbalanced, a bit insecure as to where to trust myself and the bike, but fast forward a few weeks and I feel totally at home on my bike, I know what it'll do and where and when and how and it feels like flying, leaning and turning and coasting and etc..

When you do ride, its important to "stay loose". I used to ride motorbikes, and you really notice it on a motorbike, because it weighs so much (eg if it falls over, you can't pick it up alone), that when you are 'tense', your muscles stiffen and you change the whole handling of the bike. You need to stay loose, stay relaxed, and remember your bike is your friend and wants to go where you want it to. Look up, through the turns - keep your eyes where you want the bike to go, and you'll find it ends up going there. Look infront of your wheel and you'll end up not making the turn, going straight, instead.. - There's been a number of times myself where I overcooked it going into a turn and realised it was too late to bleed off speed, you just have to keep your eyes on the exit point and trust the bike and lean into it and it'll get you around. As for kerbs - Just take your time, approach them slowly and safely. I'll sometimes bunnyhop up kerbs if i'm in a rush or whatever, but (if nobody's looking, i'm vain..) I'll usually slow to an almost complete stop and just lift the front wheel up and move the back one up slowly too. Also remember you have just as much of a right to be on the roads as the cars - don't feel bullied by them. You're not slowing the traffic, you are part of the traffic, as much as they are, so don't feel bad if you feel safer by cycling in the middle of the lane and choosing when to give them space to overtake, don't feel bad if that cycle lane looks a bit dodgy and you don't want to go into it.

One golden rule though is never overtake on the left of any lorry or bus, they cannot see you, they have massive blind spots. Particularly remember this at traffic lights, where the cycle lane may lead you up on the left of a lorry that is turning left at lights - you can be right next to his cab but he won't see you. Making eye contact with drivers is a great way to make sure they've seen you, when they're pulling out at junctions and such, its not foolproof but is better than watching to see if their wheels move, etc - eye contact is a human reflex type thing, we feel it when we make it, so go for that when you can..

Overall cycling is safe, fun, its going to get you fit, its going to save you money, and you're going to get places quicker. You'll enjoy your journeys and you'll feel a bit sorry for people sitting stuck in cars and traffic jams as you breeze past with a smile on your face. Sure there are some rules to learn, like the dont pass on the left thing, but there are rules with anything, cars, buses, even crossing the road there are things you must remember to keep you safe, so don't be daunted by them, feel empowered because now you know what to do. The only other thing I'd suggest is to go onto chainreactioncycles.com and order yourself some nice bright flashing LED lights (I use the 'smart' ones, they're pretty decent) and a nice pair of cycling gloves. And don't feel too silly about falling off, its going to happen eventually and it just makes you one of us, you've earned your stripes a bit early, thats all..

Best of luck,

SubLuminal

CamillaRhodes

SubLuminal, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a warm, helpful post. Really, really appreciated

You cycling types are nice folk! I want to be one of you - I will be, soon

petethedrummer

Just so you don't have a second disappointment, what sort of lock do you have? and how much did it cost?

watch the videos here: http://wiki.boards.ie/wiki/Locks_%26_Security

SubLuminal

Oh, yes - darn good point there from PeteTheDrummer - you need a 'proper' cycling lock - those cheapy 2.99 locks won't do - you can cut through them in under a minute with a blunt hacksaw - same with the cheapy U locks - i've popped one open with a scalpel once when I'd lost my key.

Also make sure you lock the bike up right - through the back wheel AND through the frame. Those are the 2 most expensive parts of the bike pretty much, if you lose your front wheel then you've lost a small amount of money (someone's selling a front wheel on adverts.ie for a fiver right now, for example) but if you lose the frame... well.. you're prolly just left with the front wheel you locked up and your bike chain...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=8489 <-- looks fairly decent, similar to the one I use and people have tried and failed to nick my bike..

also re. the wiki - sheldon browns suggestion of only locking the rear wheel through the triangle has one big flaw.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A

tomasrojo

SubLuminal wrote: »

also re. the wiki - sheldon browns suggestion of only locking the rear wheel through the triangle has one big flaw.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A

Sheldon Brown addressed that though, didn't he?

Some will object that felons might cut the rear rim and tire to remove the lock. Believe me, this just doesn't happen in the real world. First, this would be a lot of work to steal a frame without a useable rear wheel, the most expensive part of a bike, after the frame. Second, cutting the rear rim is much harder than you might think. Since the rim is under substantial compression due to the tension on the spokes, it would pinch a hacksaw blade tight as soon as it cut partway through. Then there are the wire beads of the tire, also difficult to cut.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

(You might add to that that a thief attempting a theft in this way is going to draw an enormous amount of attention to himself or herself, judging by that YouTube clip.)

On the whole, I think it's a great strategy, especially since it allows you to use a mini u-lock in more situations. On the other hand, I use two u-locks, with the second u-lock securing the front wheel and then the frame, via a kryptoflex.

SubLuminal

I dont think the attention factor matters - see here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zb8YXrmIA

Guy does everything he can to get noticed stealing bikes - only person that stops, stops to offer advice. As evidenced in 'theft' two - he's there for over 6 minutes and as he says riding away "nobody gives a sheeit.."

And as for the rear wheel pinching the blade, or the beading.. well, folding tyres don't have metal beading and there didn't seem to be too much pinching in the video there!

Obviously its each persons own call to decide how to lock up their bike - but with the two videos above considered, I won't be trusting that method.. Fair play sheldon gets it right on most stuff but for me, its too much of a risk, might as well just lock the frame to whatever, it'd be a bitch to lose a back wheel but I'd rather lose a wheel that I can replace for €35 than my lovely light frame..

annR

Camilla

Thanks for the link I'm a new cyclist myself, bought a ladies Trek 7.2 recently for commuting into work, am loving it so far. I'm going to try the route (about 4 miles) tomorrow morning. I haven't been on a bike in years but a little cycle last sunday went ok except my arse is in bits. Am going to add a little padding and hope I get used to it.

You just need a little practice and play it safe for a while as everyone has suggested.

A

Ant

That's lots of great advice from SubLiminal. A friend of mine was attacked in the street while walking from work at night and she's now learning to cycle. Coming from a Muslim country where cycling would be frowned upon for an adult female, she has had to learn from scratch.

It's a lot harder to learn these skills as an adult in your 30s than as a child. I only learned to swim a couple of years ago so I could empathise. But like anything, it's all about practice. Just make sure you're practising in an environment where you feel safe and relaxed. Once you're comfortable with basic bike handling skills, you should be able to go onto public roads. However, before doing so I'd recommend that you get a copy of Cyclecraft by John Franklin. It's got lots of quality advice on how to cycle safely on public streets.

Best of luck with it. Once you become adept, cycling is exhilarating and a great way to keep fit.

dave.obrien

Well done to Camilla, and to anyone starting to use their bikes as a means of transport. It can be a fun and fast method of getting around, and it's great to see more people using it.

As people have said, start slowly, pick quieter roads you feel comfortable with and work from there. The quays can be troublesome, but you wouldn't hop onto that road the first day you were driving and expect to breeze through it, so I think it's important to have reasonable expectations for your cycling too. It will soon be second nature, and will be a great option for you to use as a means of transport. As mentioned, it's not often you find anyone who sticks purely to one method of transport, and you shouldn't feel burdened by your bike to use it; it's an option, but if the circumstances make you feel uncomfortable about using it, then choose another means. By no means is this a sign of nervousness on your part, it's an understanding of your capabilities and a mature and responsible decision.

Again, congrats on your new bike, you will love it!

thebouldwhacker

Ant wrote: »

A friend of mine was attacked in the street while walking from work at night and she's now learning to cycle. Coming from a Muslim country where cycling would be frowned upon for an adult female, she has had to learn from scratch.
It's a lot harder to learn these skills as an adult in your 30s than as a child. .

I hope she is ok. Learning to cycle as an adult... never even thought of it before. When I learned I had to cycle under the crossbar of my brothers bike.... now that took dedication.

tomasrojo

SubLuminal wrote: »

I dont think the attention factor matters - see here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zb8YXrmIA

Guy does everything he can to get noticed stealing bikes - only person that stops, stops to offer advice. As evidenced in 'theft' two - he's there for over 6 minutes and as he says riding away "nobody gives a sheeit.."

Fair comment.

I did enjoy the clip. Partly for Dr. Buck's Letter at the start actually!

But drawing attention to yourself does matter to thieves generally. That is, they will generally steal stuff they can make off with quickly and quietly. They're not all as brassy as the neistat brothers. Or have such excellent taste in music. I've seen a handful of bikes stolen and in every case it was a quick pinch -- cut the cable lock (or yank it till it disintegrates) and head off fast.

Still, very fair point. As I said, I do use two locks, so the frame is still locked, albeit by cable. So if they did try the method in the first clip, they'd end up with a bike with a destroyed rear wheel, still have to cut a kryptoflex and then carry it off and remove the Kryptolok off the front wheel later. I can't usually get a Fahgeddaboutit around the rear wheel and frame, so the Sheldon method is good for me.

sxt

I don't think he acted too suspiciously...I don't think it would have been easy for a bystander to decipher whether a theft was taking place or if it the guy had lost his key and was genuinely trying to get his bike back...Has no one ever had that happen to them ?:o

tomasrojo

SubLuminal wrote: »

it'd be a bitch to lose a back wheel but I'd rather lose a wheel that I can replace for €35 than my lovely light frame..

It would cost a bit more than €35 though, wouldn't it? Decent tyre is about €20, tube is about €5, ok-ish wheel itself is about €30 and the freehub and casette about €12 and €20.

So more like €90? (Still better to lose that than the frame, obviously.)

IM0

you would be best to leave the comute a miss for a while, and instead ease into riding in a much less stimulating and distracting environment, take it out on the weekend to some quiet streets, even just to the shops and back, gradually building the confidence again, the more automatic riding can become for you (using brakes, gears, moving your head around and staying in a straight line) the easier it will be to face a much more mentally stimulating traffic filled commute. stick with it, you'll get there

tomasrojo

SubLuminal wrote: »

also re. the wiki - sheldon browns suggestion of only locking the rear wheel through the triangle has one big flaw.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A

Sorry to bring this up again! I was just down at the supermarket and when I was unlocking my touring bike, it just occurred to me that there wouldn't be enough room to get a hacksaw, such as used in that clip, between my seat tube and the mudguards when the bike is locked to a Sheffield stand. In fact, with a Fahgeddaboutit minilock in there as well, there's really very little room indeed.

You might just get a junior hacksaw in there, and I guess there would be enough room for a mini hacksaw, but then you wouldn't be able to get through the wheel in thirty seconds, as the makers of that clip did.

I think the maker of that clip cheated a tiny bit by using a bicycle with a lot of clearance, and also using a very thin lock -- the comment below it says it's actually a C-clamp.