As with any sport, deciding to try something new can be intimidating. This is especially true for anyone thinking about taking up cycling. It requires a certain capital investment, some know how, and what happens if you just don’t wind up liking it?
I get it. I hesitated on purchasing a bike because I was worried I:
- Wouldn’t enjoy riding.
- Would not ride enough to make a new bike worthwhile.
- Didn’t know where to ride safely.
In the end I decided to go for it, make the purchase, and I found a sport that I absolutely love. If you are thinking about buying a bike, or are a brand new cyclist, here are my tips to help you fall in love with your new ride.
Tips for Beginner Cyclists
Yes, you absolutely need a helmet
First things first, please make sure you buy yourself a helmet that fits your head well. Helmets come in a variety of price points and different sizes. Then make sure that your helmet is adjusted properly on your head (chin strap not too tight or too loose and that the straps form a v under your ears). For more on selecting and fitting a helmet, this article from REI is great.
Purchase a pair of cycling shorts
It can take a bit of time to get used to sitting on a saddle. To help ease that feeling on your tooshie I highly recommend riding in a pair of cycling shorts. The chamois inside will help to support your sit bones and protect your soft tissues. Also, please don’t wear underwear underneath your cycling shorts as that will cause chaffing and irritation.
via Pearl Izumi
You can find some inexpensive cycling shorts through Mountain Equipment Co-op here in Canada.
Purchase a pair of cycling gloves
You may find that leaning forward onto the handlebars puts some pressure on the ulnar and median nerves in your hands. A pair of cycling gloves with some padding on the palms can help to absorb the vibration from rolling over the road and minimize the pressure/pinching on those nerves. My favourite gloves are the Specialized SL Comp gloves.
Get a bike fit
With any new runner my first recommendation is to visit a specialty running store to get fitted with a pair of running shoes that works for your gait. The same is true for making sure that your bike is properly fit and adjusted for your own personal body dimensions and level of flexibility. A poorly fitting bike will be uncomfortable to ride and could wind up causing an injury. If you are buying a new ride from your local bike shop chances are some kind of bike fit will be included with your purchase. If you are looking for a recommendation on where to get a bike fit here in Calgary let me know!
Learn the rules of the road
It is important to understand the laws governing cyclists where you live (see Calgary Cycling Safety and the Law). For example, here in Calgary a bike is considered a vehicle on the road and you are not allowed to ride your bike on the sidewalk. You have to have front and tail lights if you will be riding in the dark. Make sure you are aware of your rights and responsibilities and always try to ride safe. Please never listen to music when you are riding your bike outdoors as it makes it very difficult to be aware of your surroundings.
Triathlete Magazine also has some great safe cycling tips.
If you don’t like spin class it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy riding a bike
Spin class and riding outdoors are very different. If you don’t enjoy spin classes then please don’t think you won’t like riding a bike outside. The two are not comparable. The feel on the bike is different, plus you can’t beat the beautiful scenery outside!
Ride with friends
Do you have some friends that you can meet up with for a bike ride? When I first started getting into cycling it was really helpful to ride with some very patient friends who could help give pointers on how to shift or how to ride downhill. It is always great to have company on any workout no matter what!
Explore the scenery around you
One of the things I love about running is being able to explore new places. Cycling offers the same benefit…except you can go further faster! Take the time to find some new routes and enjoy the beauty around you.
If you have any questions about getting started please don’t hesitate to ask!
Are you a cyclist? If so, share a newbie story!
What are some of your favourite places in and around Calgary to ride? I haven’t gone far from home in the NW because I nervous of narrow shoulders and the stretch of road between my house and Cochrane has nice, wide shoulders.
Out NW towards Cochrane, and north of that is a ton of great riding. Horse Creek Road is very popular. Out SW along 22x from just west of Macleod trail until, well, the road stops, is all great riding with a good shoulder for lots of it. From there down the famous Road to Nepal (where the big cell tower is at 37 st, near the parking lot) is an awesome ride, all hills all the time. There’s a ton of good riding from Bragg Creek, Priddis, Millarville, Turner Valley, Black Diamond over to Okotoks. But just west of Calgary, be very cautious along Lower Springbank road and that area. There are some drivers there that take big time exception to bikes on the road. It somehow undermines them as a person, or something, and they’ve run people off the road or thrown stuff at them.
keith recently posted…Still here. Not feeling talkative.
Hi Amy! There is some great riding out around the NW. I’m not a huge fan of riding 1A out to Cochrane because there is often quite a bit of debris in the shoulder and the traffic can be pretty fast. Just north of 1A there are some lovely roads to ride around Bearspaw. I don’t have a ton of great maps, but here is one for an idea:
https://www.strava.com/activities/326357350
You can spend a lot of time safely toodling through all of the cul-d-sacs and neighbourhoods. (I only did that a little bit on this particular ride.) TWP Road 262 west to Cochrane is also a nice ride.
https://www.strava.com/activities/307180937
Bearspaw Road and Lochend Road have the most traffic…just make sure to stay as far to the right as possible on those roads.
As Keith mentioned, Horse Creek Road is great for cycling as well. The pavement on Grand Valley Road is pretty terrible, but up until that point there is some beautiful asphalt out there.
https://www.strava.com/activities/319786173
http://www.runnerleana.com/category/horse-creek
https://www.strava.com/activities/319786173
Runner Leana recently posted…Tips for Beginner Cyclists: How to Fall in Love with the Bike
Great tips! Here’s a few more. Safety first! Make sure someone knows where you’re riding, and you’ve arranged a way for someone to rescue you if necessary. There’s all sorts of reasons why you might not be able to make it home. And duh, carry a phone, even if you’re going up highwood where there is no cell service. Or wasn’t. Look at a map, know where you’re going, even if you are riding with buddies that know, or say they do. Plan your ride, ride your plan.
It’s easy to get a long way from home or where you left your car. Prepare for what they say the weather will be, then plan for it to be just a bit worse, whatever worse is for you. Carry an extra water bottle. Yes it adds nearly a kilo. Just do it. Carrying the extra is good training and you or a buddy might NEED that water some day. Carry a little extra nutrition. Bring a wet one wipe package so that when (not if) you drop a chain, you can wipe your greasy fingers and keep your bike clean(er). There will almost certainly be times you will want to wipe off portions of your anatomy, and that’s enough said there, I hope. Learn to clean your bike, a clean bike is a happy bike.
Learn how to change a tire yourself, and carry the equipment to do it. Practice in your house so your first time isn’t out on the road, in the rain and cold. Gradually build distance and time on the bike. At first you’re all “this is amazing” the first time you are on a nice bike. Then your butt and legs and hands and feet will start talking to you about the whole experience, and it’s just too bad if you’re 50K from home.
Get a road ID. Wear it. Shut up and do it. Even in daylight wear reflective gear. Give those drivers every chance to see you; some of them need it.
keith recently posted…Still here. Not feeling talkative.
I agree with these and just want to add that your phone allows you to be tracked live. I share my location with my husband so he can just pick up his phone and see where I am at. This gives us both piece of mind. If I am going out of a 80 mile bike ride it is hard for me to guess when I will return – factoring in wind and selfies is not an exact science. If I wasn’t home within a 10 minute of when I guessed, my husband would start to get nervous. Now he can see me making progress and knows when I am on my way home. And it also helps with surprise gatorade visits on hot days when he drives out to meet me!
Andrea, thank you for mentioning that! I forgot that. My husband can track me through my Garmin and the Garmin Connect app on my phone. It is wonderful for peace of mind. I think there are a few other apps that can do that too, but I’m not sure what they are? What do you use?
Runner Leana recently posted…What Makes the Perfect Race Shirt?
I just use my iPhone. You can “share location” with specific people. I guess technically my husband can track me all day long, everyday, lol because I never turn it off. But the iPhone lets you share your location with anyone in your contacts anytime (you can control the on/off).
Keith, yes to knowing how to change a flat and an absolute yes to wearing a RoadID. I never leave home without it.
I used to practice changing my tire in my living room just to get the hang of it. And if you use CO2 canisters to inflate your tire make sure you’ve tried it out in practice before…and always carry more supplies than you think you’ll need.
Runner Leana recently posted…What Makes the Perfect Race Shirt?
I totally want a pair of cycling shorts (even if it’s just for spin bikes) because holy moly does my butt hurt from the bike!
A pair of cycling or tri shorts would definitely help your butt in spin class!
Runner Leana recently posted…2016 Phoenix Marathon Race Report: the day my mind and body broke
Great post! I love cycling. I am looking forward to getting back on the bike 🙂 just about to pull the trigger and buy a proper bike – any tips on using the wind trainer – making it more exciting etc?
Thanks for your comment Sarah! The key to me for making things on the trainer a bit more exciting is to have a good workout to do. If you are looking for ideas Triathlon Magazine has a slew of one hour trainer workouts:
http://triathlon.competitor.com/tag/one-hour-workout
This helps to break things up for me.
Also, having a good playlist is also key for me! Best of luck with purchasing your brand new bike!
Runner Leana recently posted…2016 Phoenix Marathon Race Report: the day my mind and body broke