Beginner cycling

kace406

Can anyone recommend any books, articles, or blogs for beginner cycling? I'm interested in both outdoor road cycling as well as trying spin indoors (for those bitter cold Michigan winters). I really want to try a sprint triathlon next summer and while I've already been running and swimming, I don't know the first thing about cycling, other than how to ride my cruiser bike (with basket) down to the farmers market for a little light exercise. TIA!

kace406

Bumping.

With all the runners around here, there must be a a cyclist or two!

jacksonpt

It's not really something you learn to do by reading. Just go ride. Make sure your bike isn't about to fall apart and that you have a bike helmet and have at it. Knowing how to change a flat tire isn't a bad idea, but as long as you've got a cell phone and someone willing to come pick you up in a pinch, it's not necessary.

The more you ride, the better you'll get. A little common sense and some caution is required when riding in traffic, but that's something you either have or you don't.

myofibril

I think the best thing to do rather than reading about it is to join a good cycling club or do a training course. You'll learn far more watching, cycling with and generally picking up tips from experienced cyclists than from a book.

Having said that you could always have a lurk on a cycling forum or two to get some ideas. The folks there tend to be quiet helpful. Cycle Chat is pretty nice and Bike Rader is ok but they are UK based so perhaps one of your citizens could recommend one for you.

You could also look on You Tube. Search for "beginner cycling tips" etc. There are tons of cycling vids on there...

RideaYeti

I would add visiting some good local bike shops. have them check the fit of your bike (for comfort and to avoid injury) and see if they have any beginner rides you can join. A lot of shops also have basic maintenace classes that can be fun and help save you money. But the best part about visiting the shops is just getting plugged into the local bike scene and finding people to ride with, no matter your level of fitness.

myfitnessnmhoy

Hmm, not sure about blogs and books. I just bought a decent bicycle and started riding, then signed up for a long charity ride this year and discovered that there are plenty of knowledgeable folks all around me who were just waiting for an excuse to help me hone my skills. I've been commuting to work (28 mile round trip) as the weather and my schedule permits for about 4 years now.

There are a few riding groups around here (Maine), and I'm sure Michigan must have the same. Join one and start going out on some evening/weekend "no drop" rides. You'll learn more about the rules of the road and group riding etiquette, and some folks who have been in the group a little longer might start giving you advice about equipment.

First and foremost, bright-colored gear and a helmet are a must, and study your local road laws. And, of course, understand that the cars around you won't always fulfill their side of the "follow the rules" obligation, but your life quite literally depends on you following the rules that apply to you and assuming that the cars will not in many cases.

Also, find and form a relationship with a local bicycle shop. Make sure your cycle stays in good repair. Many bike shops have classes on swapping tires and other "patch the bike up and limp home" repairs. And when you find that your equipment is no longer meeting your needs, a good bike shop can help advise you as to what to buy, and may even have something used that you can upgrade to if that interests you.

skinnybitchbarbie27

It's not really something you learn to do by reading. Just go ride. Make sure your bike isn't about to fall apart and that you have a bike helmet and have at it. Knowing how to change a flat tire isn't a bad idea, but as long as you've got a cell phone and someone willing to come pick you up in a pinch, it's not necessary.

The more you ride, the better you'll get. A little common sense and some caution is required when riding in traffic, but that's something you either have or you don't.

I agree. I didn't really know where to start so I bought a helmet, had my bike tuned up, and hopped on. Now I challenge myself and have built up to do 8-12 mile rides daily.

BrianSharpe

Do you have a triathlon club locally? Many of them offer programs suitable to aspiring triathletes of all experience levels, mine offers spinning programs throughout the winter to help maintain bike fitness and then organizes time trials etc throughout the summer.

Also check out

http://www.active.com/
http://beginnertriathlete.com/

have fun!

tri10806

Do you have a triathlon club locally? Many of them offer programs suitable to aspiring triathletes of all experience levels, mine offers spinning programs throughout the winter to help maintain bike fitness and then organizes time trials etc throughout the summer.

Also check out

http://www.active.com/
http://beginnertriathlete.com/

have fun!

There's a Beginner Cycling Training Program on beginnertriathlete.com. It will give you some good workouts for starters. If the link doesn't work just Google it.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1671

aviduser

Bicycling Magazine is great and has some good books as well.

I agree with the others who suggest you go to your local bike shop. They will help you out in terms of bike selection (if necessary), fit and other tips. Also, many LBSs have weekly group rides which are a great way to get out on the road and learn to ride with others. It will also give you a measure of your progress and push you to ride faster as your fitness improves.

Good luck!

lcedmond

I've been riding for about 30 years. I started like several here have recommended: I hooked up with a local group. Any decent bike shop will be able to connect you to one or more groups. Start with the "no drop" groups. If you are in a city of 15,000 or more there is likely a good group of enthusiasts around. Most of them will be good people and will want to help you get started well. Ability levels will range from short recreational to competitive racing. Plus, it's just a lot more fun to ride with a group of people.

Roadies, MTB'ers and triathletes mix to some extent but each group has a different focus, so they often ride separately.

Others have all given good tips so far. I'd add that, assuming you find you enjoy the activity, you will want to look into cycling-specific clothing - jerseys, shorts, gloves, cleats/pedals. Cycling-specific clothing functions better than just riding around in shorts, t-shirts and tennis shoes. You can spend a ton of money on clothing & equipment, but you don't have to. Basics will take you a very long way. The motor (you) is much more important than all the equipment. When I was racing I often got beat by people on low budget equipment.

I always try to get beginners to concentrate on technique, form and basics: higher cadence than you probably feel comfortable with [spinning classes may pay off here], relaxed upper body, riding a straight line, gear selection, braking, how to eat/drink without swerving, rules of the road, local ordinances, etc. An experienced rider will be able to spot flaws while you are riding and give suggestions. After all these years, I still work on getting better.

As someone else suggested, go to a local bike shop and get your position on the bike adjusted. Without proper bike fit, none of the other things will be achievable. At least, not easily.

There are a wide array of bicycle types: road, touring, triathlon, upright road, MTB, hybrids, recumbent, etc. Try any or all of them. You never know which one you will like best. It's all good to me.

Bicycling magazine was the first material I started with. I believe it is still a good source of information for inexperienced riders. I'm less familiar with triathlon publications so can't steer you to anything there.

Rule #1 is always to just enjoy the ride, no matter what form it takes or where it takes you.

lcedmond

One additional thought, since you mention wanting to do a sprint triathlon next year, check out the book "The Time Crunched Triathlete" by Chris Carmichael & Jim Rutberg. I have used the companion book focused on road cycling and found it quite useful for getting fit with limited training time.

You still need to learn how to ride a bike first, though.

lcedmond

Here are a couple links to things you might find useful:

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/biking/How-to-Lose-Weight-While-Cycling.html
http://bicycling.com/blogs/fitchick/

myofibril

I always try to get beginners to concentrate on technique, form and basics: higher cadence than you probably feel comfortable with [spinning classes may pay off here]

With regard to spinning classes do you think that it would be also beneficial for MTB or CX rather than simply time on the bike?

I'm flirting with the idea of doing a spin class...

kace406

Thank you everyone for all of the information and suggestions. I'm going to check out all of these links later and look at the library for the books. I've also driven by a couple of bike shops, so I'll head in there as well. If I can get a head start on the training, I can save for a new bike, in the mean time.

I definitely like the "hop on and go" idea, but I'm just one of those people who like to get my hands on every bit of info there is out there while I'm learning. When I first took up running, I started the C25K program and read every piece of training information I found for runners. I have no intention of every running a marathon, but I know all about how to train for one. Just my personality.
:-)

3foldchord

Can anyone recommend any books, articles, or blogs for beginner cycling? I'm interested in both outdoor road cycling as well as trying spin indoors (for those bitter cold Michigan winters). I really want to try a sprint triathlon next summer and while I've already been running and swimming, I don't know the first thing about cycling, other than how to ride my cruiser bike (with basket) down to the farmers market for a little light exercise. TIA!

That what I did while at my last location.. just rode my bike to stores, farmer's markets, library, post office, etc. When you have 3 baskets plus the back shelf loaded with groceeries on the bike home, it sure feels like a workout!

We don't have a lot of stores close enough for me to bike here, plus the humidity is 80-90% in this heat- so I just bike around the neighborhood.

you know how to pedal, you know to hydrate, get a watch for timing and map your distance, later down the road you can get a fancy GPS bike thingy!

I use www.mapmyride.com to map my distance ridden and use a simple watch for time.

aviduser

I always try to get beginners to concentrate on technique, form and basics: higher cadence than you probably feel comfortable with [spinning classes may pay off here]

With regard to spinning classes do you think that it would be also beneficial for MTB or CX rather than simply time on the bike?

I'm flirting with the idea of doing a spin class...

That all depends on the focus of the spin class. If you can, find a class that is geared to actual cyclists rather than folks looking for a tough workout. Spinning is a great workout, but the instructor usually has you do things you would NEVER do on a road bike. An indoor cycling class, by contrast, will focus on form, position, technique--including cadence, interval training, etc. Check with your LBS for information.

Not trying to diss spinning, but it is not necessarily going to help you get better on an actual bike.

lcedmond

Hard for me to say. I am a roadie myself. MTB & CX are great sports but I stink at them. I have only done a few spinning classes and they were really good workouts, but there is no substitute for the road. Or, I imagine, no substitute for the trail.

I only did spinning in the winter when I couldn't get on the road. Those sessions definitely involved a few things you would never encounter on the road. One thing was some sort of effort standing up pedaling backwards. It wasn't something I thought useful to me so I went my own way during those segments. It was also tough trying to get the machines set up close to my riding position and I couldn't use my cleats. This made it all feel very odd.

I did MTB riding a couple years, but always felt the physical demands were quite different than the road. The main course we had at the time hardly had any straight, flat areas so "spinning" really never occurred. Lot's of strength and power needed at a low cadence. You also can't hide in the draft of a pack. CX courses have so many turns, jumps, sand, mud, runups, etc, it looks to me like the physical demands are quite different there as well.

Even so, spinning classes can give you as brutal of an aerobic or anaerobic workout as you want.

myofibril

Thanks for the tips gents.

I have decided against the spinning class in favour of doing some drills on a cycle trainer instead in the times I can't get on the bike.

Low cadence / high gear gets me far as I have a fair amount of skeletal muscle at my disposal. However, getting in some high cadence work will improve my overall ability I feel as it will allow me more endurance to supplement my riding when my muscles exhaust themselves!