help advice or encouragement please!

[loops]

Hi!

I have been out for third time today on my first road bike I still can't use the toe clips, I can use one if I stop and put foot in..which is not really what they were designed for! I fell off trying to put two feet in, when i did I then fell off when i needed to put foot down. I still feel like I'm a little wobbly as tyres are so thin compared to my hybrid I use for work which is really sturdy, so I am anxious when riding and steering, I am going very wide to turn a corner which is not really safe! I also have back ache! and seem to be finding it hard to work out the gears...I am hoping this is fairly normal for a beginner, or should I return bike now?!

loops

 

[daSmirnov]

First up, its normal having a transition period when going to a road bike. It'll take time to get used to how it handles.

Have you got flat pedals on your hybrid? Might be worth putting them on your road bike so you're not having to deal with different geometry/gears/pedals all at the same time.

The first 5 miles or so on my road bike were pretty painful on the back, arms and neck. But as long as its sized properly you should get used to it fairly quickly.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Hi!

I have been out for third time today on my first road bike I still can't use the toe clips, I can use one if I stop and put foot in..which is not really what they were designed for! I fell off trying to put two feet in, when i did I then fell off when i needed to put foot down. I still feel like I'm a little wobbly as tyres are so thin compared to my hybrid I use for work which is really sturdy, so I am anxious when riding and steering, I am going very wide to turn a corner which is not really safe! I also have back ache! and seem to be finding it hard to work out the gears...I am hoping this is fairly normal for a beginner, or should I return bike now?!

loops

loops Ride with the straps loose at first, before you have started moving put one foot in, once you have started moving try and get the second one in, either build up some speed then freewheel whilst you put the second one in, or try and get your foot in whilst still moving slowly. When coming to a halt only take one foot out and put that one on the floor. One thing you could do is practise whilst stationary and leant against something, its a learned skill you need to spend some time learning it.

 

[Red Light]

I'd go further and say don't bother putting your feet in until you are comfortable on the bike and have some confidence in riding it. There is a knack to getting the second foot in comprising putting the front of your foot over the front of the upside down pedal and then pulling back. This turns the pedal over and if you get the right starting position you toe will neatly drop into the clip from where you can push it home. Might be easiest to practice sitting on the bike and holding onto a post or wall while you work it out and practice. But don't combine it with riding the bike until you are more settled in your riding.

You might even find it easier to go straight to clipless pedals rather than learning clipped and then learning clipless.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

I also went from a hybrid to a road bike recently and found it took some getting used to: much more responsive (twitchy) handling and using dropped handlebars was a steep learning curve.

I'd second what daSmirnov said about riding with flat pedals first: one thing at a time and all that. If you don't want to swap pedals from the hybrid, you should be able to remove the strap and cage from the road bike's pedals.

I'd also second Red Light's suggestion of ditching the toe clips and using clipless (ie pedals you clip into with cleats on the bottom of your shoes) pedals: toe clips are generally considered to be somewhat dangerous these days! You should be able to get pedals, shoes & cleats for under £100, considerably less if you buy second hand.

Don't give up though, how to fall off is the first lesson most of us learned!

 

[smokeysmoo]

+1 for one step at a time. Just use the pedals you are comfortable with until you build your confidence on your new bike. FWIW when I first got a road bike, (Trek Madone 5.5), I had to slow down to a virtual standstill just to reach down for a water bottle. It felt so twitchy I couldn't believe it. Now I'll ride with no hands and sat upright if need be, (not in a reckless way of course, I sometimes just need to stretch my back out).

Confidence will come. I always found toe clips to be a faff. If you do want to be 'connected', (and I would fully recommend it), once your ready I'd suggest SPD pedals. Although they are marketed as MTB pedals loads of people use them on road bikes, (I use them on my fixed gear bike). They're easy to get used to as they are double sided, inexpensive and just work. Also, SPD shoes are virtually normal to walk in, and almost everything else make you walk like there's something wrong with you, (believe me, I also use Speedplay Zero and Shimano SPD-SL)

 

[vickster]

Stick some normal pedals on as others have said. I only have clipless on my new road bike but my LBS stuck some double sided jobbies on my hybrid while the roadie was being build so I could get used to them. I couldn't get on with straps and clips, far too much to do, while SPDs are actually really quite simple once you know how. The LBS just told me to balance on the bike in the lunge, holding the wall and clip each foot in and out 50 times, tedious but no clipless moment (yet - almost but not quite )

Ref the back ache, did the shop set the bike up properly for you? Is the reach correct, saddle height right, width of the bars right for you? I ride a much bigger hybrid than road bike and I actually get more sore on the hack despite having a shorter stem put on.

Go ride around on quiet roads to get to grips with the bike. I was like you, but a 40 mile ride with some cycle chatters helped no end (gawd did my legs hurt though after!)

Good luck

 

[Matthew_T]

I remember when I have straps on my road bike. I hated having to fiddle around with them (tightening them) whilst in transition. It was very dangerous travelling at 15mph bent down messing with my feet.
I then got SPD's and (after a few falls) got used to them very quickly. If you are having that much trouble with them, then you really need to get SPD's.

With pains and sores, they are typical when learning to use a new bike. I remember when I used to use my MTB (rust bucket now) to go to the shops occasionally. It used to feel very strange after I had been using my road bike all day (I wanted to go a lot faster).

Gears can be very awkward. I still cannot get used to using the chainrings. I normally stick to one chainring, and use the gears on the sprocket. And when I know a hill is coming up, I will change to the small chainring, and use the smaller gears going up it.

You may need to adjust the bike to meet your bodies requirments. Just try it out and see what comes of it.

 

[Hip Priest]

It's normal. I've been going through similar recently, struggling with balance and toe-clips on my new road bike. I've done 75 miles this week and not only is my handling much improved, but I've got the knack of getting into my toeclips now. Practice, practice, practice...you'll get there.

 

[pepecat]

I never had any problem with toe clips. I don't think they're quite tight enough, but that's ok. Sometimes i don't get the foot in to the second clip straight away, but then i just cycle a bit on the flat side and get some speed up and then do the 'flick' and get my foot in. Even now after two years, i still don't get my foot in on the first attempt, but it never bothers me.
Keep at it - you'll get the hang of it soon enough. You can always practice taking your foot out and in again when you're freewheeling down a hill.

As for cornering, again that comes with confidence and practice. I was a bit iffy about it on the road bike at first cos the wheels are so slim, but the tyres are grippier than they look! Keep your inside foot up as you're going round the corner (so if you're turning left, keep your left foot up) so that the pedal doesn't accidentally hit the ground and set you on a wobble!
Handling will come with practice. Having a road bike is a bit like having a racehorse after having being used to riding school pony of a hybrid. They're kinda 'twitchy', if you see what i mean, but you get used to the lightness and speed very quickly!

 

[Rob500]

Hi Loops. Sorry, didn't see this thread before I replied in the 'Intro' section.

Re: The back and neck ache. Hopefully it'll ease as you get used to being out on your bike. But that's good advice from daSmirnov - Was it sized correctly for you?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I remember when I have straps on my road bike. I hated having to fiddle around with them (tightening them) whilst in transition. It was very dangerous travelling at 15mph bent down messing with my feet.
I then got SPD's and (after a few falls) got used to them very quickly. If you are having that much trouble with them, then you really need to get SPD's.

With pains and sores, they are typical when learning to use a new bike. I remember when I used to use my MTB (rust bucket now) to go to the shops occasionally. It used to feel very strange after I had been using my road bike all day (I wanted to go a lot faster).

Gears can be very awkward. I still cannot get used to using the chainrings. I normally stick to one chainring, and use the gears on the sprocket. And when I know a hill is coming up, I will change to the small chainring, and use the smaller gears going up it.

You may need to adjust the bike to meet your bodies requirments. Just try it out and see what comes of it.

Theres no need to keep tightening and loosening them , you only need them really tight for racing. I've been running clips and straps for about twenty years and prefer them to clipless, I have clipless on my geared bike and clips and straps on my fixed. What I found over the years is that there is a sweet spot where they are tight enough, but they aren't that tight I can't ease a foot out if I want. I tighten my straps about once a month.

 

[Norm]

To pick up this one and your note in the Welcome Mat...

Hey!

This is all very new, and am late starter at 45! Have just bought my first road bike and am thinking of taking it back!!
It is a little bit of a wobbly ride as the tyres are soo much thinner than those on my hybrid, though have noticed after a couple of short journeys today I was more in control and more confident...so may be..
I can't reach the breaks from the top position which is more comfortable to ride so am anxious all the time about breaking!
I feel very cramped when riding as my head is so low I am hurting my neck looking up to see road ahead
I used the toe clips and fell off approximately 30 secs later when needed to put foot down due to slipping on wet leaves on a corner..ouch!
I can't work out how to work out where I am on the gears using the lever on left, resulting in me making it harder to get up that hill, instead of easier!!

So once you are up off the floor and have finished laughing..any tips or encouragement would be gratefully received !!!

Take your time and remember that it's meant to be fun. I re-started riding at the age of 45, first with an MTB then, within 8 months, a road bike and a cyclo-cross style bike, so I think I can understand your perspective. (And I bet you'll be looking for the next one soon enough too)

On the pedals, you should be able to take the clips off, or just switch the pedals for those on your other bike, until you get used to it. I was lucky and took no time to acclimatise

You can get brake levers which go on the tops of the bars, also known as interrupter levers or cross-top levers. They were fitted on my cx bike and I found I used them so often that I've fitted them on the road bike as well now. Love them.

Put the left gear lever on the middle ring (if you have a triple at the front, or the smaller ring if it is a double) and leave it alone for now. Just concentrate on the right lever which changes the rear gears. Unless you are on a steep hill (up or down) that should be all you need most of the time anyway. Get used to them before throwing the front cog swapping into the mix.

Is your head still low when you are on the top of the bars? You can get various alternative stems to change it, but I'd suggest sticking with it for a ride or two just to see if you get used to it, which you probably will.

The wobbly ride is down to the bars and weight distribution rather than the tyres. You will have much more over the front tyre and your hands are either close together (on the tops) or in front of the steerer (on the hoods or the drops) and both of these will make the bike feel twitchy. You will get used to it quickly though, and it's just like learning to ride a bike, once your brain has assimilated, you won't need to re-learn.

Finally, see if you can find someone local who is experienced in riding a road bike, just to head out to a coffee / tea stop with you. They may be able to give you some hints'n'tips and you should gain confidence quickly watching someone who are themselves confident, even riding round an empty car park.

 

[loops]

What an amazing and quick response! thanks people!

I will persevere until pay days allow me to consider spd, and i will be spending time on quiet roads practising for a while and hopefully get better rather than give up! It has been really reassuring to find that others have struggled with road bikes to begin with. I am sure I will be asking some pretty silly questions soon

! but again thanks for support and info
loops

 

[loops]

To pick up this one and your note in the Welcome Mat...
Take your time and remember that it's meant to be fun. I re-started riding at the age of 45, first with an MTB then, within 8 months, a road bike and a cyclo-cross style bike, so I think I can understand your perspective. (And I bet you'll be looking for the next one soon enough too)

On the pedals, you should be able to take the clips off, or just switch the pedals for those on your other bike, until you get used to it. I was lucky and took no time to acclimatise

You can get brake levers which go on the tops of the bars, also known as interrupter levers or cross-top levers. They were fitted on my cx bike and I found I used them so often that I've fitted them on the road bike as well now. Love them.

Put the left gear lever on the middle ring (if you have a triple at the front, or the smaller ring if it is a double) and leave it alone for now. Just concentrate on the right lever which changes the rear gears. Unless you are on a steep hill (up or down) that should be all you need most of the time anyway. Get used to them before throwing the front cog swapping into the mix.

Is your head still low when you are on the top of the bars? You can get various alternative stems to change it, but I'd suggest sticking with it for a ride or two just to see if you get used to it, which you probably will.

The wobbly ride is down to the bars and weight distribution rather than the tyres. You will have much more over the front tyre and your hands are either close together (on the tops) or in front of the steerer (on the hoods or the drops) and both of these will make the bike feel twitchy. You will get used to it quickly though, and it's just like learning to ride a bike, once your brain has assimilated, you won't need to re-learn.

Finally, see if you can find someone local who is experienced in riding a road bike, just to head out to a coffee / tea stop with you. They may be able to give you some hints'n'tips and you should gain confidence quickly watching someone who are themselves confident, even riding round an empty car park.

thanks, that all make sense, I live in Sheffield so its hard to ride anywhere without needing to change gears!!