How to Cycle Properly?

[lulubel]

As others have said, just ride the bike, experiment, and do what feels comfortable for you.

Starting cycling is not the same as starting running because you don't have the same impact stresses on your joints. It's much easier because you don't have to worry so much about injury.

Listen to your body. If you tend to ride in a high gear with a slow cadence, and your knees start to hurt, change down a gear or two and pedal faster. If you're getting tired and struggling to ride at the same speed you usually do, take a day or two off to give your body some recovery time. (You can cycle every day as long as you do some slow, easy rides, though.)

 

[ianjmcd]

Start off Doing small rides ie: monday: 5 miles , Tuesday rest day wednesday: 5 Miles : thursday rest day , Friday 5 miles Saturday/sunday 7-10 miles do that for two weeks enjoy it

as for cadence depending on your fitness level at present aim to keep the pedals rotating smooth and constant rpm no matter what gear you are in (although this is also affected by terrain and gradient)

 

[Boris Bajic]

It seems a perfectly reasonable and fair question to me. Those of us who cycled as small children and grew up with bicycles might think some things obvious, but many are not.

I'd be inclined to throw this advice out there and then let you see how you get on:

1. Get a bicycle you think you will enjoy riding. Take advice from the shop, but get some measurements and look at online bike-size advice before speaking to a retailer. There is no such thing as an ideal size for you, but there will be sizes that feel 'righter' than others.

2. Set the thing up properly. Again, there is no ideal set-up for every person, but there are general principles about saddle height, the fore-aft position of the saddle, handlebar height and so on... Using those principles as a guideline and taking advice, find a comfy and efficient position.

3. There was a comparison above with running as a beginner. There are similarities, but you will not have that same 'total collapse' that you can get after a short distance when running for the first time. Take it steadily and build miles, work and hills into your regime. People do use bicycles as part of a fitness or weight-loss programme, but I think the main thing is enjoying it. If you enjoy it, everything else will come.

4. Cadence: It has a part to play, but it is easy to become obsessive about it. It is the RPM of the pedals (or feet). Lots of people like to ride at around 90rpm. Anywhere between 70 and 100 seems to fit a broad notion of 'good cadence'. it will slow up hills if you run out of gears (which you will).

5. Gears: You have 7,8,9,10 or 11 sprockets on the rear wheel, giving you that many gears. On the crank you have two or three chainrings, meaning that you have those rear gears in two or three slightly overlapping sets.

Each bicycle is different and each set of gear ratios has its foibles, but the principle is the same:

If you are happy in a gear, it is the right gear.

There is usually more than one 'right' gear.

The ratios offered by moving between chainrings will overlap. Often, the lowest gear in the middle chainring will correspond with the third-highest gear in the inner chainring... or thereabouts.

Broadly, get out and enjoy riding and it will come to you.

Have fun!

 

[aces_up1504]

Cheers for the constructive replies.

My aim was start with 5 milers and work up, but would want to do it at a pace that will improve my fitness. As suggested until i get out on the bike, i will not know what i am capable of.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Cheers for the constructive replies.

My aim was start with 5 milers and work up, but would want to do it at a pace that will improve my fitness. As suggested until i get out on the bike, i will not know what i am capable of.

I did a ride yesterday (it was a bit broken because I had things to do) I would not of even contemplating when I started, and I found it quite easy, (and but for the traffic and canal/tow path, would have had a better avg sp, mine have been very poor recently), I even set quite a few p.b's. As has been mentioned about cadence its easier to kept it high in a lower gear, as you climb the hills it will drop, but as you increase your capabilities and fitness, you will start to use higher gears at the same cadence. I have found that climbing hills is the best way to increase your fitness.
http://app.strava.com/activities/28637531

 

[on the road]

Cheers for the constructive replies.

My aim was start with 5 milers and work up, but would want to do it at a pace that will improve my fitness. As suggested until i get out on the bike, i will not know what i am capable of.

The best thing to do is just get out on the bike and ride it, you'll know if you're over doing when you're feeling knackered so the next time just go slower or less distance or both. If you're feeling knackered and you're a long way from home then you could always stop to have a rest before making the return journey.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

The best thing to do is just get out on the bike and ride it, you'll know if you're over doing when you're feeling knackered so the next time just go slower or less distance or both. If you're feeling knackered and you're a long way from home then you could always stop to have a rest before making the return journey.

Had to do that a few times (stop) outward leg was easy forgot about the tailwind, the homeward leg was so taxing I had to stop a couple of times, the thing is if I set of into a headwind, I dont seem to get the same benefits on the way home.