Get Started Bicycling

 

Now that you have your new bike, what are you going to do to get started bicycling?

 

I suggest you take it very easy at first. I know it's tempting to set out on that long ride you've been anticipating, but that's not a good idea until you are completely comfortable on the bike. If you stay in your neighborhood or near your transportation, he won't wind up out in the boondocks too pooped to pop and realize that you still have to ride home.

 

In a Flat Area

If you live in a relatively flat neighborhood, start riding around the neighborhood. If you live in a hilly neighborhood, take your bike to an area that is flat and practice there for a while. You need to practice starting and stopping, shifting and breaking, fixing a flat tire and a few other things before you get far away from home.

 

Clipless Pedals

If your bike is a modern road bike, it probably has clipless pedals. Believe me, they take some getting used to. Once you're used to them they are great, but at first, it is easy to forget to unlock one shoe before you come to a stop. That always results in an, "Oh Shit" moment, as you realize you don't have a leg to stand on and keel over, firmly attached to your bike.

 

They are easy to get out of. All it takes, is a quick move of your heel to the left or right and you just pop out. It's easy to do and also easy to forget at first.

 

Get Comfortable with Your Brakes

Next, get comfortable with your brakes. The brake controls are the levers at the front of the handlebars. Unless you are riding on an icy, wet or otherwise slippery surface, use both brakes at the same time. If it is slippery, use the back brake gently. In slippery conditions, the front brake could easily stop your front wheel rotation and cause you to lose directional control. That is bad news.

 

If it is remotely slippery where you are riding, think far ahead about braking. On slippery surfaces, bicycle wheels can lock up in an instant if you grab at the brake levers to try to stop quickly. Always keep in mind that painted road markings are very slippery when they are wet.

 

Shifting

Next comes shifting. My bike has 3 chain rings on the front and 10 on the back. That makes 30 gear combinations that I can use. That sounds like a lot of gear combinations, doesn't it. Fortunately, we don't have to think about the gears quite the same as you do in a car or other manual shift vehicle. We use the gears in ranges, not as first, second, third, and fourth, etc. as we normally do in a car.

 

When the pedals aren't giving us enough resistance, we shift up into a higher gear. When they are giving us too much resistance, we shift into a lower gear. It does not matter which gear your are in, you just want to pedal comfortably.

 

The Granny Gear

The third front chain ring on my bike gives me a very low range of gears to help me on the hills. I don't use it often, but when I need it I am sure glad it's there. The nickname for this very low gear is the granny gear. It will increase the cost of your bike, but it is worth it in my opinion.

 

It's a good idea to get very comfortable shifting gears before you get out on the road. If you hear a subtle clicking noise while you are pedaling it is probably because your front derailleur is rubbing against the chain. Moving the shift lever just a little bit normally takes care of this. The clicking is annoying and it is also wearing away at the inside of your derailleur. Too much wear will damage your derailleur permanently.

 

Approaching an Uphill Slope

When approaching an uphill slope, downshift early. If you wait until you are putting a lot of pressure on the pedals to climb the hill, you may over stress the chain. When you finally shift, it puts a lot of pressure on all the drive train components. It also makes it easy to pop the chain right off the chain ring.

 

Therefore, it's also a good idea to practice putting the slipped chain back on the chain rings. It's not hard to do. It is just a little cumbersome and you will get some grease on your hands.

 

Fixing a Flat

The last thing to do is to practice changing your inner tube. If you ride very much, you are going to have a flat tire on the road. So let's assume you have a flat tire while you are riding alone and far from help. And, "Drat", you left your cell phone at home.

 

The first thing you have to do is to take your wheel off. The front wheel is much easier than the back wheel. So let's practice on the back wheel, to get the full experience.

 

If this is a road bike, you probably have brake pads that are very close to the rims. With a fully inflated tire, you cannot take the wheel off the bike without expanding the brake mechanism. There is a small lever or catch of some type, on the brake, that allows you to open it.

 

Take the Wheel Off

Once you have the wheel off, you need to deflate the tire, because you didn't really have a flat here. Take the cap off the stem. The very thin valves are Presta valves. If it is a Presta valve, loosen the knob on top of the valve and press it in to release the air. Otherwise, just press the pin in the center to release the air.

 

You should have several tire levers in your repair kit. Use one of the levers to pry the tire over the rim. Next, do the same thing with another lever several inches away from the first. You should now have a small section of the tire over the outside edge of the rim. Move one of the levers away from the other, along the rim, forcing more of the tire's bead to the outside of the rim. Be careful, not to catch the inner tube with the lever. If you force it, you might puncture the tube and really have a flat.

 

Almost There

You are almost ready. Push the valve through the rim and remove the tube.

Before you reinsert the tube, carefully run your fingers around the inside and outside of the tire. You want to find what might have punctured the tire and remove it. If there is a sharp piece of glass in the tire, you will know it as soon as you air up your tire. Be careful, whatever punctured your tire could easily puncture your skin. ------- "Ouch! Where are the band aids?"

 

Air it Up

Now it is time to put air in the tire. If you have an air pump, hook it up and start pumping. The type you carry on your bike is an emergency devise. You probably won't be able to get 110 PSI in the tire with it. If you use a CO2 cartridge, you can get the tire fully inflated. You can all so mess up and run out of cartridges.

 

The last time I had a flat, I had just given one of the two CO2 cartridges I normally carry to a rider who needed one. Then, when I needed the other, I did not attach it properly to the connection device and lost all of the CO2. Luckily, I was on a large organized ride and a support truck from Bicycles Inc. stopped and helped me out. If I had been alone, I would have been walking.

 

Once the tire is full of air, you can put it back on the bike. Before you tighten the retaining lever, make sure the wheel rotates smoothly and is not canted left or right. Finally, reposition your brake pads and you are ready to go.

 

Good job! Now you are almost a bicycle mechanic.

 

Starting on a Hill

One last thing you should introduce yourself to in a calm environment is getting on your bike and start pedaling straight up a steep hill. If you are on a ride and find yourself struggling up a steep hill and finally can't go another foot without taking a break, where are you going to stop? Of course, you are going to stop right there on that hill. Once you catch your breath, you are going to start wondering how in the world you going to get going again.

 

If you are in a large organized ride, there could easily be a hundred riders a minute going by you. It is dangerous to try to get started while wobbling around or to fall down in front of all of those oncoming riders. It is even more dangerous to do that on a busy street or highway. I would much rather be hit by a bicycle than a speeding car.

 

You Have Three Choices Now:

1. You can walk your bike up the hill to a place where you are comfortable getting back on the bike.

 

2. You can turn your bike around and ride it down to place where can safely turn around and start back up.

 

3. You can start riding straight up the hill. If you start riding straight up the hill, you have two primary objectives. You must maintain your momentum and steer where you want to go. First, make sure you are in a low gear. Then lock one of your shoes on its pedal. Lift that foot up to rotate the crank to the top front portion of its circle of rotation. Look back for a lull in the traffic and start riding.

 

Don't worry about locking the other foot on it's pedal right away. Just put it wherever you can, on the pedal, so that it is ready for the down stroke as soon as the pedal reaches the top of its rotation.

 

After you are comfortable with your forward momentum you can lock that shoe on to the pedal. I just don't want you to be distracted by anything else when all you need to be thinking about is reaching a comfortable forward momentum.

 

Don't forget, lifting the foot you locked in before you started, will continue your forward momentul while you are getting the loose foot into a power position.

 

Great job!

Great job! You are now ready to start lengthening your rides. Get Started Bicycling!