slightly neurotic newbie on a hybrid

[Cloudymoor]

Hello to everyone,
Just started riding again after a couple of decades away. I originally had a racer which I found too frightening to deal with. I opted for a hybrid to avoid the dropped handlebars and notice I have a tendency to hold the handlebars too tightly and wobble. (usually when someone is approaching) Whenever racing bikes are coming up from behind and I have to get over to the right, I feel like I can easily end up off the trail. I've been deliberately holding my hands over the brakes instead, to avoid gripping the handlebars too tightly, but I still feel like I'm an accident waiting to happen. I have no front suspension and my hands have been hurting me more than my butt so far, which surprises me. It was only my second day out, but I thought once you rode, you never forget. I'm unsure if time will sort this out or if I'm just too clumsy to be doing this at all.

Thanks for listening!

[boy in a kilt]

It's a pity more new or returning riders don't choose the more sensible hybrid route. I don't own one but I love those things. A bike should be a thing you want to ride, not some shiny toy you are afraid to use.

I'm sure you'll get over your nervousness eventually. SGTiger (my wife) was really scared about going fast when she first started riding. As more road passed under her tires, she went from having her brakes on most of the way down the hill to making me work to keep up with her (I've hit 55mph on a loaded touring bike in the mountains).

[pardes]

You don't sound neurotic at all, just a little hesitant and understandably so. I had the same problem with my hands on the first couple of days and solved it with Ergon GP1-L Grips.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=20412&item=50-3094&slitrk=search&slisearch=true

They made all the difference in keeping my hands from cocking down on the bars. When adjusted just right you won't have any more hand issues.

Pace yourself till you feel more confident. Avoid roads and trails where the rude riders/drivers are and just enjoy yourself.

It's easy to feel clumsy when you start out again. I'm still having issues swinging my right foot over the saddle and off the bike and managed to get my leg caught and had to drop the bike to keep from falling down in a heap with the bike. So I just picked everything up and pedaled away smiling at the downtown observers who all looked perplexed at my dismounting technique.

Happy riding!

[boy in a kilt]

I'll give this a second. I borrowed a bike that had them. They are some of the most comfortable ones I've ever used.

[beccaB]

I have a trek 7.3fx. Do I have to take off the rubber handle grips to install those?

[Zen]

I have the same bike and got those grips at the LBS. They put them on for me.
I got the ones with built in bar ends so I have the option of different hand positions.

Support your local bike shop.

[BarbaraAlys]

When I first started riding I was terrified going 7mph and if someone was approaching me I would shout out "New rider, absolutely no controle! Pass at your own risk!"

And my hands ached. I first got gloves which helped a lot. Then I put gel pads under the bar tape to make it bigger (I found that winding my hand tightly (too tightly) around the smaller size made my hands hurt a lot, but with a larger diameter it was relieved). Just recently I've been able to relax my hands enough to not have this be an issue.

I think that you will get over it with experience, but in the mean time taking steps to relieve the pain is important. As you learn to relax your hands you will find yourself going in a straighter line.

Have you thought about finding a bike club? Clubs that have various levels of riders can be a great way to learn and get over some of the 'newbie' issues.

Barbara

[Flur]

It was only my second day out, but I thought once you rode, you never forget.

Your body doesn't forget, but your mind does ;) When I took out my new bike for a test ride a few months ago, I was afraid of it. The seat felt too high (it wasn't) and I was terrified that a car would come down the road I was on and I'd panic and fall off! But I bought the bike and since we don't have a bike carrier that meant I had to ride it home! :eek: I made it home, and kept going out on the paved bike trails by my house, and it really did all come back to me. Now I'm the one calling "passing on your left" and I'm getting used to riding in traffic.

Stick with it and you'll be surprised at how fast you progress.

[Zen]

When I first started riding I was terrified going 7mph and if someone was approaching me I would shout out "New rider, absolutely no control! Pass at your own risk!"



I said "No brakes!" and "I only know how to turn left" :)

[Cloudymoor]

What an abudance of helpful replies. I'm very grateful and am definitely going to invest in those grips. I opted to NOT buy a bike with front suspension as I thought it would weigh me down too much. For the most part the trailway is flat but when you're out of shape a 2% incline seems insurmountable---especially with only 7 speeds.

[pardes]

I said "No brakes!" and "I only know how to turn left" :)

Oh Zen, that is sooooo funny!

[jenbug]

Hi! I'm a fairly new, clumsy rider on a hybrid too!

I have Repetitive Strain Injury in my hands and forearms so was fairly worried about pain in my hands and wrists. However, I bought some gloves with gel pads in them to reduce road vibration (these ones http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=24347) which have really helped. I've found riding on roads rather than trails much more comfortable on my hands too.

I heard about a friend of a friend who stuck a learner's 'L' plate on her back for a while to warn cars and bikes to give her a wider berth. I think it worked quite well and amused other cyclists!

Stick with it - who cares if we're a bit rubbish? At least we're out there giving it a go!

[DebTX]

So glad to hear their are other newbies out there gripping for dear life!
I learned to ride last year on a hybrid (definitely easier for a terrified new rider) and I remember braking constantly and holding so tight, I went through 2 pair of padded gloves.

This year I bought a road bike, and I'm going through it all over again as I transition. I'm gripping too hard, braking all the time and feeling, once again, like I could easily end up in the ditch when cars or other riders pass by.

I'm confident that one day I'll feel as comfortable on this bike, as I grew to be on my hybrid. I just need to keep getting back in the saddle (20 miles every Saturday and Sunday!)

[wildhawk]

My husband and I are just getting back in bicycling after a few years hiatus. I had injured one of my knees on my trusty old mountain bike and developed carpal tunnel in my wrists from my job as a graphic designer. I type - alot! But after recovery I felt that the mountain bike was just too heavy for our paved rides. So we decided that a hybrid was a good choice for me and purchased a Giant Innova. It has the front end shock absorbers - awesome. But after not riding for so long it felt very scary to me too. My mountain bike was a good solid ride and I knew it so well. But the hybrid seemed odd at first and I too found that I was gripping the handlebars much too tightly and did not feel in control of the bike. Well I can honestly say that time and riding is paying off as I am now getting more confident in my bike. I have picked up speed and we are training on “Florida hills” - lengthy bridges, and some of our local, beautiful paved trails and the bike handles very well now. I still have issues with mounting and dismounting, but that will get better with time and experience too. I reached one of my mini-goals today and got in a 20 mile ride with no problems! Good luck to you as you get more acquainted with your new ride and I would say just give it time. Joining a local bike club is a great idea too. They usually have a nice mix of experienced and inexperienced riders and are very supportive.

[ValLives]

My fingers were tingling after my ride tonight - i'm not really gripping hard, but perhaps putting to much pressure into my hands. This may stem from trying not to put too much weight into my painful fanny! Def going to get a new seat later this week!

[BarbaraAlys]

Everone tells me that if you are feeling excessive pressure on your hands your fit is probably not right. You might look into that. Tingling hands might be pressure on the nerves going through the wrist, too much of that over time could be a problem.

Barbara

[malkin]

Keep up the good work.

The terror I experienced regularly 18 months ago has faded. I'm not sure if it's because of increased strength or experience or possibly because the teeny tiny head injury I sustained a year ago, but I'm riding like a different person this year.

Really! I can start and stop and dodge cars, go up and down hills and sometimes I even go fast (ok, that's relative).

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Most often tingling or numb hands are just a sign that there is too much weight on your hands. However, it can also be caused by clsoing your glove velcro straps too snugly. This happened to me! I found I had to adjust my gloves straps VERY loosely in order to not get tingly hands. Just one little thing to check. ;)

Here's another couple of thoughts-
-Be sure to wear BRIGHT clothing so cars will see you better.

-Do not move over so far to the right that you are afraid of catching the pavement edges with your tires and falling. Drivers and other cyclists are more experienced than you and they'll have no problem going around you. If you are wobbly then leave at least a foot between you and where the pavement drops off.

-This last tip is weird but true. Studies have shown that when cars pass bikers on the road, they give a wider safety margin to bikers dressed in such a way as to be obviously female. Long hair, bright flower prints, pink helmet, a jersey that doesn't cover up your shape, whatever. Seems that drivers associate feminine looking bikers with irratic or beginner biking skills, so they give them a wider berth when they pass around them. :rolleyes: It's unfortunate that things are this way in our world, but there you go, and as a terrified new rider you could use this to your advantage until you gain more confidence on the roads. ;)

[DebTX]

Great tips, Lisa - thanks for sharing that list.
Amazing piece of trivia about driver behavior around female riders. The feminist in me hates the idea, but the newbie cyclist is grateful for anything that keeps me safer!

[Aggie_Ama]

Deb- I find what Lisa said about women cyclist very true and I am in your neck of the woods. When I ride home from work I wear a wrap skirt over my shorts, it is amazing how much nicer the drivers are than when I am not in the skirt. I should just wear it all the time I guess.

[TrekTheKaty]

Hang in there! You'll get better with experience. My sister didn't start riding her hybrid until she was 60. She was very difficult to ride with--she laid on the brakes and swerved a lot. We once had to turn around on a trail, because she was sure she was heading into the ditch (don't stare at the ditch--just look straight ahead. Your bike will go where you are looking). Any trail that crossed a road, also involved turning around.

Now, I can barely keep up with her. She's learned to ride on narrower trails, across and ON country roads. Just the other day, we were in downtown St. Charles and they were setting up for a festival. She rolled right through the middle of everything and then headed off through the grass when she saw a booth she wanted to visit. I just stopped and watched in awe.

The death grip will get better when you get comfortable. Just scan your body every 10 minutes or so, and try to relax those tense muscles.