How to get better at cycling?

[PeteG]

I've been cycling to work for a few weeks now (broken chains and the like being the odd problem) - and I'm fairly competent and certainly safe (no wobbling in front of traffic or suicide manoeuvres) , but not very "polished".

I never had a bike when the school did cycling proficiency - so how do I get better at it? I ride mainly on-road, but the odd grassy path or field.

I've ordered "Cyclecraft" as a first step.

[rhinochopig]

Practise, practise, practise.

Do some mountain biking too as it will help with balance, avoiding target fixation, and planning ahead to be in the correct gear.

[Gooby]

http://www.mtbpro.co.uk/da/99133

I am lucky, these guys are my ride buddies but I have seen the before and after of students and I think I will get some help!

[Daveyraveygravey]

rhinochopig said:

Practise, practise, practise.

Do some mountain biking too as it will help with balance, avoiding target fixation, and planning ahead to be in the correct gear.

I'd go with this, do as much different and varied riding as you can. Do a ride at 2 am on your usual route (with lights and high vis stuff) just to see how different it can be. Remember rain?! Try a ride in the rain, be amazed at how quickly you get very wet and cold, but then realise it feels like you are putting in half the effort...go and find the hardest hill you can, and ride up it two or three times...

[carreauchompeur]

Definitely. Getting "Bike fit" is one of the larger hurdles. I find it's quite a specific kind of fitness, as soon as you aren't panting like a labrador up the smaller hills it makes life more fun.

I agree that practising is the only way. I've come back to mountain biking after a while of road commuting and it takes a while to get your balance/skill back.

[PeteG]

Daveyraveygravey said:

rhinochopig said:

Practise, practise, practise.

Do some mountain biking too as it will help with balance, avoiding target fixation, and planning ahead to be in the correct gear.

...Do a ride at 2 am on your usual route (with lights and high vis stuff) just to see how different it can be. Remember rain?! Try a ride in the rain, be amazed at how quickly you get very wet and cold, but then realise it feels like you are putting in half the effort...go and find the hardest hill you can, and ride up it two or three times...

I work nights, so it's usual for me to ride home in the early hours of the morn. Much more relaxing, but yes, quite different.

Not been out in anything but a light shower now - I'm looking forward to it, not least since it'll disguise the sweat marks

I'll keep my practice up, ta muchly all.

Is it worth me going to a quiet car park somewhere, wearing something a little bit more protective than T-shirt and shorts, and trying any specific maneouvres? I'm that unused to cycling, I have absolutely no idea how far I can lean without falling over, which has an obvious effect on turning corners.

[rhinochopig]

PeteG said:

Daveyraveygravey said:

rhinochopig said:

Practise, practise, practise.

Do some mountain biking too as it will help with balance, avoiding target fixation, and planning ahead to be in the correct gear.

...Do a ride at 2 am on your usual route (with lights and high vis stuff) just to see how different it can be. Remember rain?! Try a ride in the rain, be amazed at how quickly you get very wet and cold, but then realise it feels like you are putting in half the effort...go and find the hardest hill you can, and ride up it two or three times...

I work nights, so it's usual for me to ride home in the early hours of the morn. Much more relaxing, but yes, quite different.

Not been out in anything but a light shower now - I'm looking forward to it, not least since it'll disguise the sweat marks

I'll keep my practice up, ta muchly all.

Is it worth me going to a quiet car park somewhere, wearing something a little bit more protective than T-shirt and shorts, and trying any specific maneouvres? I'm that unused to cycling, I have absolutely no idea how far I can lean without falling over, which has an obvious effect on turning corners.

I see you're based in Teesside. Go and do the blue route at Dalby. A good skills builder, and nice pedal out in the countryside. Or you could try the forest roads in Guisborough - don't get sucked into the single tracks though as some of them are bloody hard.

[raf_gti]

PeteG said:

Daveyraveygravey said:

rhinochopig said:

Practise, practise, practise.

Do some mountain biking too as it will help with balance, avoiding target fixation, and planning ahead to be in the correct gear.

...Do a ride at 2 am on your usual route (with lights and high vis stuff) just to see how different it can be. Remember rain?! Try a ride in the rain, be amazed at how quickly you get very wet and cold, but then realise it feels like you are putting in half the effort...go and find the hardest hill you can, and ride up it two or three times...

I work nights, so it's usual for me to ride home in the early hours of the morn. Much more relaxing, but yes, quite different.

Not been out in anything but a light shower now - I'm looking forward to it, not least since it'll disguise the sweat marks

I'll keep my practice up, ta muchly all.

Is it worth me going to a quiet car park somewhere, wearing something a little bit more protective than T-shirt and shorts, and trying any specific maneouvres? I'm that unused to cycling, I have absolutely no idea how far I can lean without falling over, which has an obvious effect on turning corners.

If the roads are suitably quiet then 'ride' the double yellows, great for learning to balance the bike IMO.

As for how much you can lean then it's a surprising amount, start in a big circle and gradually go faster and faster, you will soon find out how much you can lean!

[Daveyraveygravey]

PeteG said:

Is it worth me going to a quiet car park somewhere, wearing something a little bit more protective than T-shirt and shorts, and trying any specific maneouvres? I'm that unused to cycling, I have absolutely no idea how far I can lean without falling over, which has an obvious effect on turning corners.

I'd be a bit careful about that - if the front wheel goes from under you, there usually isn't anything you can do about it, and you will hit the deck in a messy way. I got caught out off road recently, gravel on a corner, thought I had slowed enough, but no, splat. It's hard not to fall on top of the bike too, and they don't make for soft landings! On tarmac, you have much more grip, so that is less likely to happen, but if it does you will be going faster, so more pain. It will mess your bike up too.

[anonymous-user]

spinning classes are a great place to start. a good class should go some way to mirror a tour stage albeit only for 50 minutes. you should have some sprints, some hills and a good period of high cadence spinning.

if you cant make classes, a set of rollers will be useful, i normally stick on something like metallica and use the guitar solos as sprints. turbo trainers are good for smashing out the miles but rollers require much more skill and attention.

[rhinochopig]

swerni said:

rhinochopig said:

PeteG said:

Daveyraveygravey said:

rhinochopig said:

Practise, practise, practise.

Do some mountain biking too as it will help with balance, avoiding target fixation, and planning ahead to be in the correct gear.

...Do a ride at 2 am on your usual route (with lights and high vis stuff) just to see how different it can be. Remember rain?! Try a ride in the rain, be amazed at how quickly you get very wet and cold, but then realise it feels like you are putting in half the effort...go and find the hardest hill you can, and ride up it two or three times...

I work nights, so it's usual for me to ride home in the early hours of the morn. Much more relaxing, but yes, quite different.

Not been out in anything but a light shower now - I'm looking forward to it, not least since it'll disguise the sweat marks

I'll keep my practice up, ta muchly all.

Is it worth me going to a quiet car park somewhere, wearing something a little bit more protective than T-shirt and shorts, and trying any specific maneouvres? I'm that unused to cycling, I have absolutely no idea how far I can lean without falling over, which has an obvious effect on turning corners.

I see you're based in Teesside. Go and do the blue route at Dalby. A good skills builder, and nice pedal out in the countryside. Or you could try the forest roads in Guisborough - don't get sucked into the single tracks though as some of them are bloody hard.

Just had a flash back

Did you ever pedal round Guisborough woods in your time? It was a long pedal there but a great little spot.

[PeteG]

raf_gti said:

If the roads are suitably quiet then 'ride' the double yellows, great for learning to balance the bike IMO.

I'll give it a try - plenty of DYLs on my ride home.

rhinochopig said:

I see you're based in Teesside. Go and do the blue route at Dalby. A good skills builder, and nice pedal out in the countryside. Or you could try the forest roads in Guisborough - don't get sucked into the single tracks though as some of them are bloody hard.

Duly noted - and being done on Monday

[raf_gti]

PeteG said:

raf_gti said:

If the roads are suitably quiet then 'ride' the double yellows, great for learning to balance the bike IMO.

I'll give it a try - plenty of DYLs on my ride home.

rhinochopig said:

I see you're based in Teesside. Go and do the blue route at Dalby. A good skills builder, and nice pedal out in the countryside. Or you could try the forest roads in Guisborough - don't get sucked into the single tracks though as some of them are bloody hard.

Duly noted - and being done on Monday

If you are riding off road, always look where you want to go and you should hopefully get there!

A bike will surprise you with what it can overcome, if you find yourself in a rocky, rooty section then for gods sake don't hit the brake, let the bike roll over the obstacle and you should make it through.

Keep your weight back and arms relaxed.

Simple little things that will soon become second nature

[rhinochopig]

raf_gti said:

PeteG said:

raf_gti said:

If the roads are suitably quiet then 'ride' the double yellows, great for learning to balance the bike IMO.

I'll give it a try - plenty of DYLs on my ride home.

rhinochopig said:

I see you're based in Teesside. Go and do the blue route at Dalby. A good skills builder, and nice pedal out in the countryside. Or you could try the forest roads in Guisborough - don't get sucked into the single tracks though as some of them are bloody hard.

Duly noted - and being done on Monday

If you are riding off road, always look where you want to go and you should hopefully get there!

A bike will surprise you with what it can overcome, if you find yourself in a rocky, rooty section then for gods sake don't hit the brake, let the bike roll over the obstacle and you should make it through.

Keep your weight back and arms relaxed.

Simple little things that will soon become second nature

Indeed, if you let a bike roll on it's own down the fall line, the chances are it'll get to the bottom of the slope still upright. It's the useless sack of meat sat atop that tends to screw it up.

[fergus]

pablo said:

spinning classes are a great place to start. a good class should go some way to mirror a tour stage albeit only for 50 minutes. you should have some sprints, some hills and a good period of high cadence spinning.

if you cant make classes, a set of rollers will be useful, i normally stick on something like metallica and use the guitar solos as sprints. turbo trainers are good for smashing out the miles but rollers require much more skill and attention.

Rollers for someone not too confident on a bike...

More skill and attention though