Should I start cycling?

[xxDarkRiderxx]

Your never to old. I was 25 when I learnt to swim. Yes definitely learn to ride a bike.

 

[PHL67]

Best thing you could ever do. Gives you time to think and gather thoughts as well as see sights you miss in a car.

 

[_aD]

Yes.

Now I'll go and read your original post.

 

[_aD]

I was out with Portsmouth CTC (Cyclists' Touring Club) on the weekend and was chatting to one of the members who does adult training. We were discussing how off-putting it must be as an adult wanting to learn something that they feel they should already know about, and may feel embarrassed about learning from the very beginning. But this shouldn't be an embarrassment - kudos to you for thinking about taking the plunge! I've met about a dozen of the local CTC folks and they are all really nice, friendly and inclusive people. I am sure that your local club is likely to have similar members - they are just people who love cycling and will be happy to support you on your brave endeavour.

There have been quite a few people just starting out with cycling here on CycleChat recently; people managing their first mile or first three-mile rides. First ride to the shops and back. First commute. First time up that hill without stopping, first time they went to go somewhere and reached for their bike without thinking. Soon enough they start asking about a good cycling GPS for longer rides, a reliable set of pannier bags to carry shopping more comfortably or the best trailer to haul bags of sand up to their Mum's house. Do it!

 

[Doobiesis]

Yes

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Do we think @sarahtheclarke has got the message...? Moreover is this the first CC thread with unequivocal agreement??

 

[User16625]

Yes!
Yes!
You will love it.
25 or 65 it doesn't matter, you'll learn quickly. I cycle because I enjoy it not just for transport. Bikes are some of the best things I've spent money on.

I agree. Until recent years this applied to motorcycling too, but too many speed cams have ruined it for me. I aim to do all journeys by bicycle unless it is otherwise impractical or I am too knackered. I find that you pay through the arse to run a car or motorcycle, and in return for this expense you just get screwed over by the government. Fed up of being at the mercy of fuel prices, insurance and OTT speed enforcement as well as congestion and road works. I can maintain my road bikes myself which saves me a fortune, although I do like to spend quite a bit on my carbon bike. My commuter bike has basically paid for itself, plus it keeps me fit and with much less frustration.

 

[Ern1e]

^^^^ Good call but don't go too cheap either. This thing was awful to ride and would have put me off if I hadn't already been keen (and very stubborn):

View attachment 93001

I thought that it was only me that was daft enough to buy one of those lol, the words I used to describe it where far worse than awful ! don't think a day went by with out something on the thing did not need an adjustment.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I thought that it was only me that was daft enough to buy one of those lol, the words I used to describe it where far worse than awful ! don't think a day went by with out something on the thing did not need an adjustment.

I made the mistake of thinking that this on offer at £60 was a better idea than spending £80+ on the parts needed to fix the previous knockabout bike.

The brakes were a pig to adjust and needed doing on a regular basis........ 'til they broke and had to be replaced of course.

 

[Ern1e]

I made the mistake of thinking that this on offer at £60 was a better idea than spending £80+ on the parts needed to fix the previous knockabout bike.

The brakes were a pig to adjust and needed doing on a regular basis 'til they broke and had to be replaced of course.

Oh my dear lord do I agree on that worst thing I have ever bought total waste of money ! I only had it for a month then gave it yes gave it to a bunch of local kids ! I did not even think of selling it on it was just that "bad"

 

[Andy_R]

Go on ebay, pay what you would for a new bike on a second hand bike, get in touch with the local council (most have sustainable travel teams or work with sustrans), or a local instructor (who probably works with your local council anyway), and arrange a lesson or two. I've taught about 20 adults to ride in the last 5 years and most of them can probably outpace me now! (I spend my working days playing on bikes working really hard with young people who are interested in cycling). Any instructor who is DfT registered will be able to not only teach you to ride, but also be able to make it an enjoyable experience. I taught my nephew, who was 26 at the time, to ride about 4 years ago because he wanted to get fitter and lose some weight before he got married. Last year we did the Coast and Castles ride together (200 miles from Newcastle to Edinburgh)

 

[MichaelW2]

Probably best to pick up a cheap bike for learning, a step through woman's frame with few gears. It won't hurt to get one a bit on the small side.
One you get the hang, sell it and get a proper bike.
Do adult classes teach how to ride, or just how to ride on the road?

Std advice for learners is pick a soft grassy flat park, but not wet grass.
Lesson 1. is stop: how to brake
Lesson 2 is go: how to balance and steer
If you do this in the wrong order.....

When you brake, brace your arms, apply both brakes gradually, not snatching, and stick your (left) foot out as you topple sideways. Dont put your foot down as you are moving.
To start see here.
Improvement is usually rapid and expect to travel at 10-12mph for little effort (like walking).

 

[anothersam]

Should I start cycling? Despite being 25 and very active, I have never ridden a bike and have reached the point that I feel too old to learn...

Like others, my wife was also an adult learner, being about 10 years older than you when she started. (She doesn't count her childhood experience, as she never learned properly then. For example, she couldn't turn. Which rather limited the length of her journeys.) Needless to say, on a cycling forum you're going to be hard pressed to find a naysayer. So I'll be that naysayer.

• As you are now feeling too old, once you gain confidence riding you will feel younger again [see what it did to Ma Walton]. Most people wanted to be older when they were younger. Cycling will tip you into a iterative loop. It isn't as fun as it looked on Groundhog Day, believe me.

• Will cause you to spend more money on bikes than on healthcare. On a population level, that is, seeing as we have the NHS and all. Do you wish to enrich bike manufacturers, or hospital bed manufacturers and drug companies, etc.? Think carefully before you answer, the economy may depend on it.

• May cause you to spit more. This is most uncouth.

• Perhaps most insidious of all, you may find yourself spending more time on cycling forums, which will expose you to more cyclists, who are a troublesome lot always moaning about one thing or another. Should you feel moved to help another cyclist, either here or out on the road (or even offroad <shudder>), you may be caught in a karmic loop.

Those are just the first that come to mind. I'm sure there are many other reasons to avoid cycling.

 

[Gravity Aided]

From the outset, we were given memory, reason, and skill. This made us devise the bicycle, which makes us the most efficient long range travelling mammal (or MAMIL, or MAWIL) the world has seen since its inception. Use the power wisely.

 

[_aD]

Not all cyclists are smug like those above - don't be put off by them. Some of us are smug in other ways.