Beginner cycling

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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/

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.

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!