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Beginner Cycling

Caleb K.PRO
Caleb K. Sendmail

Good bike handling tips/drills...

asked over 3 years ago | Report

I am new to cycling. Of course I road bikes when I was a kid but nothing like this. I am still getting used to my Quintana Roo Seduza. This bike is fast.

Can any veterans chime in with good handling tips. I feel I get a little wobbly and shaky when I am down in the aero position.

How do you handle larger bumps/dips in the road.
What is the proper/kind way to pass somebody going slower than you?
Tips on changing gears before a big hill.

Etc.

Answer

11 answers

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  • Kelly K.PRO
    Kelly K. Sendmail

    The advantage of the aero position only kicks in when you are going fast enough. You'll notice that going faster while in aero also improve handling. You should be able to cruise along in a straight line. If you see a bump in the road, or a tight turn up ahead, I try to switch out of aero, and put my hands near the brakes. You'll soon be a pro at switching into and out of aero position.

    Good luck, and enjoy that sweet bike!

    answered over 3 years ago |Report

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  • Ben M.
    Ben M. Sendmail

    I'm a stickler for etiquette when passing. Always, always warn someone when you're passing, and pass on the left. A simple "on your left!" is really all that is needed, but it's courteous (and safe) for everyone involved. I would say the rule applies to anyone you're passing, whether another cyclist, runner, or just a mom on the trail with her stroller.

    As far as gear changing...try to get the gear shifting out of the way before you're really bearing down on the uphill. The shifting will not only mess up your cadence/rhythm, but it's also not great for your cassette and derailleur to be mashing between cogs while you're really driving into the pedals.

    answered over 3 years ago |Report

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  • Ben M.
    Ben M. Sendmail

    I was just thinking of something else as I was cruising around today. Be careful of cross-chaining. The most extreme case of cross-chaining would be if you're in either the smallest or largest cog in both the front and rear at the same time. If you're in the largest cogs, you'll over-tension your chain and stretch out the rear-derailleur tensioner. If you're in the smallest cogs, then you'll be under-tensioned in your chain and you may start skipping teeth. It's also noisy -- you may have already noticed this. Try to keep a straight chain line. An exception to this would be to shift down the smallest cogs in the front and rear when you're done riding to let the rear derailleur spring "rest". I don't always rmember to do this...

    answered over 3 years ago |edited over 3 years ago |Report

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  • Mike P.
    Mike P. Sendmail

    best bike handling drills
    1. bumping - go to a grass field with a friend and practice riding side by side and making light contact, i.e. leaning with shoulders bumping handlebars.
    2. find a road with a stripe on the shoulder. try to ride on the stripe without wandering off.
    3. when you are on an empty road practice looking behind you, including over the shoulder, under your arm, and straight back between your legs.

    usually feeling wobbly is from being tense, loosen your grip, take deep easy breaths. TT bikes are inherently less stable, using aerobars are inherently less stable.

    answered over 3 years ago |Report

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  • Gehr 1.
    Gehr 1. Sendmail

    Learn to ride rollers, it'll help your balance and you'll learn that a bike should have very little weight on the handle bars, most of the rider weight should be on the saddle and therefore through the pedals.......this accounts why going faster (pedaling harder) makes the bike more stable (that and the increased gyroscopic effect of the wheels of course).

    answered over 3 years ago |Report

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  • Gehr 1.
    Gehr 1. Sendmail

    ......oh, I'll also add, Have you been fit on your bike properly?

    answered over 3 years ago |Report

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  • John L.
    John L. Sendmail

    i hate to be this way but i don't warn before i pass. I think it confuses people. There are a lot of dumb people out there. i can't tell you how many times i have yelled clearly, "ON YOUR LEFT!" and actually had them move to their left. what i find works pretty well is either whizzing by them (and getting cold stares) or just clicking my brakes to let them know I am coming ( the metallic sound is nothing like anything you will normally hear)

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Mike P.
    Mike P. Sendmail

    Like others, find a painted line on the road and learn to ride it.

    Learn to not only ride no handed, but control your bike. 90% of the bike is controlled through the saddle, using your core and legs, not through the bars.

    For hills, it really depends on how big and how long it is, but I tend to do better spinning faster right from the bottom, even if I'm at a decent pace.

    Personally, I've avoided the drops all of last season because my gut was too big, unless I was bombing a huge hill. Don't use them till you feel real comfy in them.

    Rollers, if you can get a set, this will help you more than you can imagine.

    Ride, a lot, everywhere, all the time. I noticed a huge improvment in my riding after 100 miles on a road bike. Where I was once nervous about riding a few inches from someone to my side, I now often push a friend up a hill or have them push me, riding 1 handed.

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Patricia K.
    Patricia K. Sendmail

    This sounds silly but when I ride on bike paths with kids and walkers etc. I use the little bell I've installed on the handlebars. It doesn't seem to irritate people and they are familiar with the sound.

    answered over 2 years ago |edited over 2 years ago |Report

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  • Greg S.
    Greg S. Sendmail

    Learn to execute the high speed stop. You do this by using the brakes, of course, but get off the saddle and transfer your weight backwards over the rear wheel. Its a stretched out position but keeps you from going over the handlebars. Also since your front brake does most of the stopping be careful when you're learning this skill.

    As for passing, announcing "On your left/right" is the proper etiquette but I've runners literally jump in front of me when I did this. They get in "The Zone" and are unaware of their surroundings. Also lots of people wear headphones, go figure.

    answered over 2 years ago |Report

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  • Sam B.
    Sam B. Sendmail

    Handling tips, well for me I would say it feels instinctual. Someone else mention about the bike being handled by the hips, legs and core. And I think that is true i just rest the palms of my hands on the bars and don't actually hold the bars very much. The bike is almost and extension of my body rolling underneath me with my legs and core controlling or "bonding" me and the bike.

    As for hill gearing, you don't really want to shift before the hill or you will lose momentum. Just be aware of how you're legs and breathing are and as you start going uphill be in a gear that you can hold all the way to the top. You don't want to have to shift to an easier gear once you're climbing because you lose momentum faster going uphill. The only shift you make should be near the top into a harder gear to power or accelerate over the top.

    answered over 2 years ago |Report

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