Woman Cyclists

smccarron1

Any women cyclists who can give some good advice and tips? My Fiance is an amazing cyclist and now the bug has bitten me. I have been riding for almost two years now but not as much as id like to.

ellycope

My advice would be to make sure your bike is set up correctly for you, get a decent saddle that's fitted to your seat bones, wear high visibility clothing and a helmet whenever you're cycling (these are the things that really made a difference to my cycling and meant I wanted to go out on the bike!). Enjoy!

michelegrayson

I agree with smccarron. Fit is everything! I rode a bike for 10 years that never quite fit right. While training for a long ride my boss suggested I go to his PT guy who also does bike fittings. It was not cheap ($200) but it was worth every penny. He watched me ride and assessed my reach, pedal stroke etc. After all was said in done he had me raise the stem of my bike, change the seat height and the actual seat (he gave me one he had on hand for free) and added some support in my bike shoes as I was supponating (which I also do when I run). The differences were amazing and I rode for 4 days in the mountains with very little discomfort!

I have a new bike and the shop was able to take the measurements that the PT office gave me and applied it to my new bike so my reach, seat, etc is the same. Sweet!

I LOVE biking and it has replaced running for me as I'm getting older and my knees/hips are wearing out. I ride with friends each weekend and some of them are in the 70s and leave me in the dust. This is a sport you can go for a lifetime so don't heasitate to invest in the best equipment if you find you love it as much as I do!

crazytxmom

What ellycope said.

And, don't forget to eat enough. Cycling burns a lot of calories. Especially as you extend your time & mileage, you will run out of energy and 'hit the wall' if you don't eat. That's a crummy feeling too. I've done it a few times learning to keep up with my boyfriend.

Also, shift before you think you need to when going up hill.

Oh yeah! Have fun!!!

HeatherMN

Thanks for posting this topic and thanks for those who responded!

I'm starting to think about starting biking (thinking a duathlon next year!) but needed advice on what to look for. I have a cheap bike from a mass retailer and two years ago when riding, my hand would go numb after riding. It took several chiropractic appointments to get the feeling back and made me fear my bicycle.

Just the other day, I went for a ride and was fine. I'm hoping the 45 lbs lost and strong legs/core has helped but am thinking I need to go to a real bike shop and get properly fitted for a bike. I need new things to keep me active and outdoors!

smccarron1

Thanks for all the great advice! does anyone race? and/or does anyone know of any good winter training programs? I would love to train for a race...but i havnt heard of any in my area that are woman specific.

Athena413

We have a great group of racers here in Joplin that train throughout the winter, but I don't know of anything up north. I'm sure they're around, you just gotta look. Check your local bike shop to glean info from them.

realredhead

Practice with your clipless pedals in the grass! And remember, that EVERYONE falls at least one time in those suckers in front of people.

Don't go all out at the beginning of a ride, let yourself warm up. There's nothing like being tired the last 5 miles with no end is site.

Bring mace and tape to your bike for dogs. We've run across a few and one person we know tapes it to her tube, dogs run up and she sprays.

WEAR A HELMET AND BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT CLOTHING. DO NOT ASSUME DRIVERS WILL YIELD OR SEE YOU. We've come extremely close to being hit several times.

Bring more fluids than you think you need.

BRING A FLAT TIRE KIT!! I ride with friends that don't have one and I'm waiting for the day they have a flat and have to walk back.

Never ride alone.

ENJOY YOUR SURROUNDINGS!!!

Tish