New Cyclist!!! Need advice.

[Thenise]

Hi all. I'm new here and just got my first road bike. YAY!!!. There are a lot of questions i have about proper form, cycling edicate (rules and hand signals), shifting (when and why), and any other advice would be greatly appreciated. I rode 25 miles today clipless so i guess thats my first accomplishment.

[crazycanuck]

The best thing to do is grab a cuppa & play with the search button! There are heaps and heaps of posts asking your exact question & although i'd love to track down all the posts for you......;)

You can open TE in multiple windows ;)

I think there's also some links on the TE mainpage on the how to section http://www.teamestrogen.com/content/community

[Thenise]

Welcome to TE!

Can you be a little more specific with those questions?

Sure, for hand signals, it there anything else other than left turn, right turn, stop?
I did read some articles about shifting so i think i'm good with that ?

Is there any particular reason a person rides on the drop bars or on top?

I really just looking for ANY tips a beginner should know.

thanks for the reply

[malkin]

For hand signals, I use the standards Left turn, Right turn (just like my mom did in a car when I was little) and one non-standard one--point my left index finger down and over to the left to show I (or "we" on the tandem) am headed right there. Like for a merge to get out of a right turn only lane or something.

I figure if car drivers don't know what I mean to do then they'll at least give me a little space to do it in.

[Thenise]

This may be a little too in-depth, but this page for hand signals is interesting. I'd actually like to hear what other people have to say about this:

http://www.inlandempirecycling.com/Cycling/hand_signals.htm

Drop bars are supposed to be more aerodynamic, so faster, and also more stable in turns. (Someone else chime in here please:)


Not a direct answer, but I think you may find this page useful:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

It sounds like you are comfortable with technical directions, so Sheldon Brown is a great resource.

If you want to read about bike etiquette, look up 'paceline' in Sheldon Brown.



Thanks, great info!! These are the type of tips i'm looking for.

[marni]

for those of us who learned to drive before cars had electronic turn signals, those are all familiar signals.

In addition I have seen a lowered hand, index finger out pointing at a road hazard, and shaken back and forth with fingers spread to indicated gravel, sand, or along with a vocal warning such as glass, gravel, sand etc. I have also seen the arm behind the back with the hand opening and closing as a slow down, caution or stopping signals. Then there is the patting the top of the helmet or waving it over your head when you need assistance. But above and beyond all is the importance of making eye contact with the drivers, being clear in what you are indicating and what you are doing.

As far as riding in the drops, until you are experienced, don't try it in curvy roads or around corners. It is just another riding position, as long as you are able to reach your brakes and stop easily. It takes a bit more arm and core strength and the wrist position is fairly critical, but if you have had a proper fitting, riding in the drops is a good way to lower your wind resistance- just don't do it in a group ride because your panic and reaction time is much longer.

You might also want to check out the bicycling.com site as they also have a lot of beginners code type articles on file.

Mostly just get out and ride, join some beginner rides through a bike shop or club, ask lots of questions, talk to people and stay tuned here, TEMKE (team estrogen members know everything.)

just my few random thoughts

[Eden]

Gotta disagree with Marni (the advice she gives is sound for areo bars, not drops) - around corners, down hills and in groups is *exactly when* you need to be in your drops. It's not just another riding position, nor is it just for less wind resistance. You want to be down there for more stability and more control.

Always ride in your drops when taking a corner at speed and when descending. Get comfortable doing it, because it is the safest place to be in these situations. Racers ride in their drops when going fast in a pack, because of the better control and because it makes it more difficult to hook handlebars with another rider.

[LivetoRide]

I'll chime in with a few tips for climbing: As you grow stronger as a rider and get more comfortable on the bike it's good to mix up your position while climbing (sitting, standing, as well as your hand position). Some riders (expecially on longer, more gradual climbs) like to "sit up" and put their hands on the tops of the bars to ensure maximum lung capacity. Breathing through your nose is important and being relaxed (through your shoulders and upper body, etc.) is key to being a good climber. Another important note is to climb at your own pace; Don't get worried if those you are riding with pass you on a climb. In the low key rides I do, we always slow up at the top of a climb when needed to regroup. While you may not like hills, they're hard to avoid, and you must practice them to become a better climber!

Here's a short article w/ pictures to show a few of the different hand positions. (http://internationalbike.com/tips/cycling-tips-tp69/take-care-of-your-hands-35.htm)

[marni]

Eden, I agree with riding in drops around curves but expressed myself badly by not adding, don't ride in drops on curvy roads until you feel comfortable in the drops. Ditto for aerobars. Thanks for catching me on that.

The article that livetoride linked is great, although there is generally a consensus around here, because of a lot of the road surfaces, that riding on the top of the brakes without having your thumbs wrapped firmly around the handle bar is not a good idea as they can get bounced off of the brake hoods, but that may just be a regional quirk. Keeping the thumb wrapped around is usually the most natural and comfortable at least to my mind.

Lots of good info. Like I keep saying, TEMKE (team estrogen members know everything)

It's all a great big learning curve.