My bike wants to go faster than I do...
- Thread starter magictime
- Start date
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Well, I do. So it is. As I say, I don't (yet) have the confidence to ride around in traffic, especially at high speeds.
I have absolutely no idea what this means, which is a shame, because I suspect it has something to do with my original question (about the basics of finding the right gear) rather than being about the value of towpath riding as exercise.
Fixed gear, then you have to keep pedalling
Do you? Why? I mean, I could choose to fix my bike's gear by never changing it, couldn't I, but I don't see how that would get me away from the issue I'm having with having to stop pedalling in order to stop accelerating.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Never ridden it so can't comment on how busy it is however it is likely to be wider and better surfaced than a tow-path with the added bonus of not having a canal on one side of it to fall into.
Never ridden it so can't comment on how busy it is however it is likely to be wider and better surfaced than a tow-path with the added bonus of not having a canal on one side of it to fall into.
Hmm, yes, there is that!
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Much easier to just fit a pair of Schwalbe Marathons.
steveindenmark
Legendary Member
Put it in the very lowest gear on the bike and pedal on the flat.
Or am I missing something?
Or am I missing something?
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
Lots of us have gone through that stage with a new bike, it's fun
.Enjoy this new experience on the towpath and forget about workouts, speed, distance travelled etc. In the meantime concentrate on getting to know your bike and building up your hours in the saddle, as you do this your confidence will increase and eventually you will feel ready to venture on to the road network, a more appropriate place for workouts etc. .
Nothing wrong with workouts and performance cycling, but it all takes time
Well, as I say, in lower gears I find I'm just spinning the pedals rather than pushing the bike along - to feel any resistance, I have to go faster, and then I'm back to the problem of picking up more speed than I want to.
Lots of us have gone through that stage with a new bike, it's fun
Enjoy this new experience on the towpath and forget about workouts, speed, distance travelled etc. In the meantime concentrate on getting to know your bike and building up your hours in the saddle, as you do this your confidence will increase and eventually you will feel ready to venture on to the road network, a more appropriate place for workouts etc. .
Nothing wrong with workouts and performance cycling, but it all takes time
I'm more than happy to forget about workouts for the time being - I'm not quite sure how they've ended up being so much the focus of this thread! I'm just wanting to get the very basics right in terms of finding the right gear to pedal and move at a steady, constant pace on flat ground. Unfortunately the answer seems to be 'you can't do that without riding at a speed that would be antisocial on shared paths'.
Tin Pot
Guru
Your OP - about the fear of speed - combat that fear with faith in the bike.
Its a simple machine designed to allow the wheels run fast and true with a human on top of it - let it do its job.
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
A well-maintained bike is a very efficient machine, so of course it feels very easy riding along slowly on the flat. It is a totally artificial exercise (*groan*) to try to get a good workout riding slowly on the flat!
You simply need to get used to riding your bike, and choosing the right gear and right route for whatever it is that you are trying to do.
Some people take a few weeks to get used to cycling, some a lot less than that. I used to live 1 km from the railway station where I arrived with my first (adult) bike; it only took me half that distance to relax and enjoy the ride home! If it takes you a few weeks, no harm in that - just keep riding and soon you will wonder why you had a problem with it.
You simply need to get used to riding your bike, and choosing the right gear and right route for whatever it is that you are trying to do.
Some people take a few weeks to get used to cycling, some a lot less than that. I used to live 1 km from the railway station where I arrived with my first (adult) bike; it only took me half that distance to relax and enjoy the ride home! If it takes you a few weeks, no harm in that - just keep riding and soon you will wonder why you had a problem with it.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
You just need to build your confidence. Just keep riding at first.
Gert Lush
Senior Member
- Location
- Weston-super-Mare
What you're describing here is single speed. Just having a single speed at the back but by being able to stop pedalling. A fixed gear is like (kinda is but you can get one's with brakes I think) a track bike. When the wheels go round the pedals go round, you have to keep pedalling/
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
No, you should be able to find a gear suitable for towpath cycling, it just takes a little time to get used to your bike. Certainly you cannot expect to get breathless, or achieve any great exercise benefit from cycling slowly, but it is definitely possible
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Sometimes listening to the voice saying slow down is a good thing, i wish i listened when i wiped out and landed upside down when i overcooked a corner on a hill in dovedale.
