Beginner - until when?

[ColinJ]

There are very few who lose their loathing of hill ascending!

Now losing the fear of hill descending - that's more like it.

At the moment I seem to have temporarily re-acquired a fear of hill descending, but that's more to do with the present outbreak of deep pot holes than the gradients.

Just keep cycling - you'll soon stop being a beginner and find that you've got fitter as well.

I organise lots of hilly rides round these parts and manage to find plenty of other CycleChatters to join me so I don't know about loathing of climbing being a major problem. Having low enough gears goes a long way in that respect.

The descending thing does seem to be more of a problem though. I consider myself a relatively poor descender but I am much quicker than a lot of the people that I ride with! I can understand why somebody goes down a narrow rutted 20% lane at 5 mph but I can't understand why somebody fears going over 20 mph on a quiet 8% A-road descent - I sometimes ride faster than that on the flat!

 

[Banjo]

I organise lots of hilly rides round these parts and manage to find plenty of other CycleChatters to join me so I don't know about loathing of climbing being a major problem. Having low enough gears goes a long way in that respect.

The descending thing does seem to be more of a problem though. I consider myself a relatively poor descender but I am much quicker than a lot of the people that I ride with! I can understand why somebody goes down a narrow rutted 20% lane at 5 mph but I can't understand why somebody fears going over 20 mph on a quiet 8% A-road descent - I sometimes ride faster than that on the flat!

Have to admit to being scared on fast descents.My bottle starts going at about 30 to 35 on a good surface,depending on the road sometimes much slower if there are parked cars or whatever.

 

[Rob3rt]

Have to admit to being scared on fast descents.My bottle starts going at about 30 to 35 on a good surface,depending on the road sometimes much slower if there are parked cars or whatever.

Braver than me, my bottle starts going at about 25 on the flat (riding fixed) incase a pedestrian walks in the way like a douche or something, lol

 

[Plague]

Braver than me, my bottle starts going at about 25 on the flat (riding fixed) incase a pedestrian walks in the way like a douche or something, lol

Ive been run over by a cyclist (well, I use that term, it was actually just a teenager on a bike, which is still a cyclist, but you know what I mean) and it was the strangest thing ever. Had walked out of a local petrol station shop, which also joins a pavement before joining a busy main road, stepped onto the pavement (from the shop) and around the corner came this bike and WHACK - there was me flat on my back covered in milk. To be fair, the guy was quite shocked and very apologetic and I was more irritated that a) he's broken my milk bottle it was all over my clothes meaning they would stink to high heaven. I got in and all I could say, when asked why I was covered in milk was "sorry love, just been run over...by a guy on a bike!" It was funny afterwards I have to say.

 

[Rob3rt]

Ive been run over by a cyclist (well, I use that term, it was actually just a teenager on a bike, which is still a cyclist, but you know what I mean) and it was the strangest thing ever. Had walked out of a local petrol station shop, which also joins a pavement before joining a busy main road, stepped onto the pavement (from the shop) and around the corner came this bike and WHACK - there was me flat on my back covered in milk. To be fair, the guy was quite shocked and very apologetic and I was more irritated that a) he's broken my milk bottle it was all over my clothes meaning they would stink to high heaven. I got in and all I could say, when asked why I was covered in milk was "sorry love, just been run over...by a guy on a bike!" It was funny afterwards I have to say.

At least it was just following a corner so he wasnt going to fast, and luckily you were okay.

Where I cycle into work there is a cycle path and a pedestrian way side by side through a park, but people often meander about over both or walk 4 wide in groupbs blocking the whole thing, or people try cross without looking. This part is possibly my nicest surfaced area to try get a high top speed, but I always bottle it incase someone does something daft then I destroy them and get the blame.

 

[Shaun]

I noticed that the forum title has changed recently to beginners and riding so i guess that includes all of us one way or another.

... and that's why it was changed ...

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Willo]

... and that's why it was changed ...

Cheers,
Shaun

Makes sense - for me as someone who is a fair weather cyclist who does a bit to keep fit alongside some running, gym etc. I will probably always lean to this area of the forum as the advice I require will never be much beyond the basics. I must say that this is an excellent forum and never feel as though you can't ask what may be the obvious or basic questions. Particularly good that the more experienced riders look in on this area of the forum to help out us less informed

 

[zacklaws]

There probably is'nt a definite point where you stop being a beginner, maybe its when you know enough to stop asking questions? maybe its when you can start advising other beginners? maybe its when you venture out for a ride one day and not give it much thought what your doing? but end of day who cares, its all about enjoying yourself and not being afraid to ask questions, reading and finding out.

One thing though, you never stop learning, today for instance, I thought when I was hurtling down a hill after struggling to the top sweating buckets, shirt open, that I normally zip up the shirt to reduce drag and reduce wind chill, but today I thought for the first time, for some unknown reason that I had better zip up my shirt, in case I crash, that if I break too many bones, that at least my shirt will be fastened to keep me warm till someone finds me embedded in the fence, and I will not die of hypothermia with my shirt undone and unable to zip it up to help keep warm.

 

[Moodyman]

Zacklaws,

I prefer your 'reduce the drag and windchill' reason rather than the 'lying in a fence one'.

I'll be thinking of this everytime I hurtle down a steep hill.

 

[zacklaws]

Your mind plays strange tricks going downhill and its speed related too.

For example, why do I always get an itch on my face that demands scratching the moment I get up to speed downhill, and the faster I go, and the steeper the hill, the more my brain screams out "let go of the bars and scratch that damm itch". I learnt my lesson a while ago when I did, hit a little indentation in the road one handed, got a severe wobble, had a brown stain moment, and vowed never to do it again, but I still get the itches.

Then there's the days you just bottle it for sanity's sake on every hill and ride home wanting new brake pads.

 

[ColinJ]

Your mind plays strange tricks going downhill and its speed related too.

For example, why do I always get an itch on my face that demands scratching the moment I get up to speed downhill, and the faster I go, and the steeper the hill, the more my brain screams out "let go of the bars and scratch that damm itch". I learnt my lesson a while ago when I did, hit a little indentation in the road one handed, got a severe wobble, had a brown stain moment, and vowed never to do it again, but I still get the itches.

Then there's the days you just bottle it for sanity's sake on every hill and ride home wanting new brake pads.

After watching Jens Voight's horrendous crash in the 2009 Tour de France, even I have stopped scratching itches on fast descents!

(That stupid commentator - yeah, like Jens is going to get back on his bike after face-planting at about 50 mph! )

 

[Shaun]

(That stupid commentator - yeah, like Jens is going to get back on his bike after face-planting at about 50 mph! )

Exactly what I thought ... after I'd stopped cringing ... OOHHH I bet that bloody hurt.

 

[Rob3rt]

Broken jaw! Nasty, maybe all these people no-hand cycling around town may re-think after seeing something like that!

 

[ColinJ]

Exactly what I thought ... after I'd stopped cringing ... OOHHH I bet that bloody hurt.

Here is JV in hospital afterwards! What a fantastic attitude - I wouldn't be rushing to get back on a bike after a crash like that!

 

[zacklaws]

Since the theme of the thread has been lost to having crashes, perhaps then, when you have your first high speed crash is the defining point of not being a beginner anymore, and can proudly say "I've done it all, you wanna see my scars"