Riding a bike is so much harder than I remember.
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JoshD8705
Posts: 390 Member
I know I just have to keep going, and increase my distance a little at a time, but a half mile is kicking my butt. It's mostly flat with some subtle incline. I picked a single gear for the simplicity. I try to pick up my speed before the inclines, which would be great, and allow me to go all day, but dogs keep causing me to hit my breaks instead. -_- end rant.
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My experience was my endurance increased quite quickly. It is just a matter of pushing a little further each time. I would get really frustrated if I was stuck with a single gear. I shift up and down depending on terrain and speed to keep my pedal cadence where want it. I have only had issues with one dog around here, and now I carry dog treats with me for him now that we are friends. He still come running and barking from the farm house when I pass, but I stop, tell him to sit, and give him a treat and a pat on the head. Just keep at it.4
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The dogs are friendly, the just criss-cross infront of me, and force me to have to slow down, or wreck into them. It always seems to happen on the inclines. I might do some front squats, and higher rep lunges to help build some power to push through the stupid inclines. Lol they literally come running along from the start of the ride all the way until the end.0
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It is true that single speed is simpler, but the primary market for single speed is for people who ride bicycles a lot, so you can expert the gearing to be set up for stronger riders.3
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TimothyFish wrote: »It is true that single speed is simpler, but the primary market for single speed is for people who ride bicycles a lot, so you can expert the gearing to be set up for stronger riders.
I feel like I'm basically being told git gud lol2 -
I got a new bike after a couple of years on one with just a few gears. I was AMAZED at the difference more gears made. I'm not so good at pushing myself and getting into shape fast, so it took a long time to get me out of the lowest gears on the hills, and now it's usually by accident that I don't shift all the way down. There's a lady who bikes on a single speed past my house every day. She's a brick *kitten* house, so I guess if you can hack it, it will pay off!1
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Hmm, I didn't write kitten. I'm not sure how I feel about getting my language cleaned-up for me... Maybe I like it.1
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I progress around average it took me 3 months to jog/run a 10 minute mile. 5 months to bench 225 for the first time. About 2 years to reach 225 overhead press, 315 bench, 405 squat, and 500 deadlift. Would it be wrong to safety gear up, and just not break for the dogs?0
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...Would it be wrong to safety gear up, and just not break for the dogs?
Just plow right through those *kittens*. If they wanna play chicken, they can get out the way or get run over. You just need to get outfitted for dog attacks:
Or maybe look into a Swiss Army Bike:
(J/K, I don't ride near any dogs. I'm just messing around. But I do remember the first few rides were super challenging. I almost threw up the first time. It was amazing how quickly I progressed, though. You probably will, too!)4 -
Most people I know who ride fixies are people with a lot of experience who built up using gears. Having said that, you could build up on fix gear, it just will make it harder, especially the inclines.
As for the dogs, no suggestions from me. As I said, not many experiences with them. If you can shift gears, learn how to do so properly and you will really appreciate it.1 -
I know I just have to keep going, and increase my distance a little at a time, but a half mile is kicking my butt. It's mostly flat with some subtle incline. I picked a single gear for the simplicity. I try to pick up my speed before the inclines, which would be great, and allow me to go all day, but dogs keep causing me to hit my breaks instead. -_- end rant.
First, I have been cycling since I was about 6 years old, but for about 5 years somewhere in the middle of that I didn't do much. I walked lots, but not much cycling. So on April 29, 1990 I decided I would start cycling again. I had intended to do a ride of a decent length. I ended up doing 2 miles and had to stop at the end of the first mile for a break.
But I stuck with it and gradually built up.
Second, be sure your bicycle is set up properly for you. I see so many people with saddles positioned really low which causes butt pain and quad pain and makes cycling really difficult. I see people with saddles pointing down at their front wheels. I don't know how they manage to stay on the bicycle but I feel pain each time I see that. I see some people trying to ride bicycles that are way too big for them. One girl couldn't actually reach the bottom of her pedal stroke. She pushed down with one foot, then her foot came off the pedal. She pushed down with the other foot and caught the pedal on the way up and repeat. Ouch.
Third, walk the dogs, don't cycle with them. Cycling with the dogs is just an accident waiting to happen.
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I know I just have to keep going, and increase my distance a little at a time, but a half mile is kicking my butt. It's mostly flat with some subtle incline. I picked a single gear for the simplicity. I try to pick up my speed before the inclines, which would be great, and allow me to go all day, but dogs keep causing me to hit my breaks instead. -_- end rant.
First, I have been cycling since I was about 6 years old, but for about 5 years somewhere in the middle of that I didn't do much. I walked lots, but not much cycling. So on April 29, 1990 I decided I would start cycling again. I had intended to do a ride of a decent length. I ended up doing 2 miles and had to stop at the end of the first mile for a break.
But I stuck with it and gradually built up.
Second, be sure your bicycle is set up properly for you. I see so many people with saddles positioned really low which causes butt pain and quad pain and makes cycling really difficult. I see people with saddles pointing down at their front wheels. I don't know how they manage to stay on the bicycle but I feel pain each time I see that. I see some people trying to ride bicycles that are way too big for them. One girl couldn't actually reach the bottom of her pedal stroke. She pushed down with one foot, then her foot came off the pedal. She pushed down with the other foot and caught the pedal on the way up and repeat. Ouch.
Third, walk the dogs, don't cycle with them. Cycling with the dogs is just an accident waiting to happen.
How high should the saddle sit? I literally set mine to the bottom setting lol.0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »It is true that single speed is simpler, but the primary market for single speed is for people who ride bicycles a lot, so you can expert the gearing to be set up for stronger riders.
I feel like I'm basically being told git gud lol
Alternatively, you could put a larger gear on the back or a smaller gear on the front so it is easier for you.1 -
I know I just have to keep going, and increase my distance a little at a time, but a half mile is kicking my butt. It's mostly flat with some subtle incline. I picked a single gear for the simplicity. I try to pick up my speed before the inclines, which would be great, and allow me to go all day, but dogs keep causing me to hit my breaks instead. -_- end rant.
First, I have been cycling since I was about 6 years old, but for about 5 years somewhere in the middle of that I didn't do much. I walked lots, but not much cycling. So on April 29, 1990 I decided I would start cycling again. I had intended to do a ride of a decent length. I ended up doing 2 miles and had to stop at the end of the first mile for a break.
But I stuck with it and gradually built up.
Second, be sure your bicycle is set up properly for you. I see so many people with saddles positioned really low which causes butt pain and quad pain and makes cycling really difficult. I see people with saddles pointing down at their front wheels. I don't know how they manage to stay on the bicycle but I feel pain each time I see that. I see some people trying to ride bicycles that are way too big for them. One girl couldn't actually reach the bottom of her pedal stroke. She pushed down with one foot, then her foot came off the pedal. She pushed down with the other foot and caught the pedal on the way up and repeat. Ouch.
Third, walk the dogs, don't cycle with them. Cycling with the dogs is just an accident waiting to happen.
How high should the saddle sit? I literally set mine to the bottom setting lol.
Get on the bicycle and ride easy for a moment.
Then place your heel on the pedal and rotate the pedal down into the 6:00 position, the bottom of the pedal stroke.
You should have just the slightest bend in your knee.
Repeat with the other foot to check.
That's a good starting point. From there you may need to tweak it a bit ... or that might work for you.
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I don't play chicken with dogs in my way. They will get run into, or I will get myself a stick or string and whack them. I have some friendlies, and some that are not. As long as they stay away from me, my bike, and/or my horses, I ignore. You get in my way, and you will be getting out very quickly. I have had some very aggressive ones that were dangerous because of their interference who are now very respectful. May still run along in the ditch or bark, but don't mess with me or mine.1
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TimothyFish wrote: »It is true that single speed is simpler, but the primary market for single speed is for people who ride bicycles on flat land a lot, so you can expert the gearing to be set up for stronger riders.
Fixed. I use one, sometimes two gears when I'm in town because it's flat here. Yes, they are a couple of the higher ones. There's a lot of hills starting about two towns south and three east of where I live and there I use them all. The longer you ride, the more your knees appreciate riding something besides a fixie when you're on an incline.0 -
I try to pick up my speed before the inclines, which would be great, and allow me to go all day ...
For what it's worth.
Intuitively it seems like the best and easiest way to get up a hill is to speed up right before you start, and have that momentum carry you part way up. But it's not. You waste a lot of energy that way. Instead, slow down and take it at a steady pace. Act like it's a trackstand competition. Level the hill. The fastest and most efficient way up is a steady exertion level.0 -
Gears are super helpful.0
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