Very new and a little scared

I know, it's a common thing, I'm seeing.

I just bought a new road bike today. I've been toying with getting one for over a year now, and finally bit the bullet. I used to have a Giant hybrid bike that I liked well enough, but never got too into it... I used to do spinning quite frequently, but not so much anymore. I'm in pretty decent shape, and mostly run and lift weights for exercise.

I took a bad, bad spill on a mountain bike (not sure why I even tried that knowing how poor my cycling skills are) over a year ago, and I'm very scared to fall again. Is it inevitable that I will crash again? The mountain bike incident wasn't even on the trail, it was once we got back down to the road and I turned too sharply and spilled over the handlebars and bloodied up my face, breaking the visor on my helmet... needless to say, I'm kind of scared to get into riding, even "just" road riding.

Anyway, I knew it would be this way, and I know there's a learning curve... but I'm not very good! The road bike is a different feel from the hybrid or the mtn bike (which was borrowed), obviously... and I'm sure it will take some time to get used to it. I'm wanting to use the bike for commuting to work as well (about 3 miles... easy!). I chose the road bike because I'd like to become a better cyclist and would like to build up to longer rides of 2-3 hours.

But... I'm scared of riding in busy traffic, which will be part of my commute, unfortunately. I am able to look over my shoulder to see what's behind me, but I am still having a hard time actually seeing what's behind me. Like tonight, I rode a little more than 4 miles, mostly to get used to the bike and the roads. I look behind me, and don't see anything, yet I can hear a car coming behind me shortly thereafter. I really scared myself because at one of those moments, I almost crossed lanes in the street to get to the left for a turn. Good thing I decided to check again, and that I heard the car behind me in time. Does/did anyone have this problem? Maybe I'm not looking for a long enough period of time, or maybe I'm not looking in the right place on the road? I'm not quite sure. It wasn't dark out. I have a feeling I just wasn't comfortable looking over my shoulder for a long enough period of time to see anything coming at me... does this make sense?

Also, I'm having a bad time riding with one hand, like during signaling, or needing to scratch my face or something... Tonight I was just trying to take my hand off for a short moment, and then increasing the length of time that the hand was off the bar each time... but I still feel very uncomfortable with it.

Maybe all of this will just take time, and I need to get used to it... but I would appreciate any help and/or tips you may have!

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Originally Posted by christie1

I know, it's a common thing, I'm seeing.

I just bought a new road bike today. ..........
I took a bad, bad spill on a mountain bike (not sure why I even tried that knowing how poor my cycling skills are) over a year ago, and I'm very scared to fall again. Is it inevitable that I will crash again? The mountain bike incident wasn't even on the trail, it was once we got back down to the road and I turned too sharply and spilled over the handlebars and bloodied up my face, breaking the visor on my helmet... needless to say, I'm kind of scared to get into riding, even "just" road riding.

Anyway, I knew it would be this way, and I know there's a learning curve... but I'm not very good! The road bike is a different feel from the hybrid or the mtn bike (which was borrowed), obviously... and I'm sure it will take some time to get used to it. I'm wanting to use the bike for commuting to work as well (about 3 miles... easy!). I chose the road bike because I'd like to become a better cyclist and would like to build up to longer rides of 2-3 hours.

But... I'm scared of riding in busy traffic, which will be part of my commute, unfortunately. I am able to look over my shoulder to see what's behind me, but I am still having a hard time actually seeing what's behind me....I have a feeling I just wasn't comfortable looking over my shoulder for a long enough period of time to see anything coming at me... does this make sense?

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Congratulations on your new bike! A picture would be nice :)

I wouldn't say "just" road riding, it is all exciting and fun - with different challenges :) I am sorry to hear about your spill, that sounds scary. I am glad that you escaped without serious harm!

I got on a bike for the first time 6 months ago. That learning curve is an interesting one for sure. Have you considered putting a mirror on your bars? Personally I like Mirrcycle and they have one for road bars, it goes on the hoods. They do make several types for road bars and you will find that a good number of us here do use bar-end or helmet/eyeglass mirrors. I use my bar-end mirror to check what is coming up behind me, and then look over my shoulder to see what might be beside me.

Can you find a less busy route to work? I know sometimes that isn't possible. Perhaps give yourself a little time to practice on less-traveled roads before hitting the busy streets?

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Originally Posted by christie1

Also, I'm having a bad time riding with one hand, like during signaling, or needing to scratch my face or something... Tonight I was just trying to take my hand off for a short moment, and then increasing the length of time that the hand was off the bar each time... but I still feel very uncomfortable with it.

Maybe all of this will just take time, and I need to get used to it... but I would appreciate any help and/or tips you may have!

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This will come with time, I have been riding for 6 months and can only now signal properly and drink from my Camelbak (not yet from my bottle). Can you do these things on your mountain or hybrid bikes? I assume that your hybrid bike has mountain bars? If so then your body is in a different position than you are accustomed.

For me at least, the key has been to not over-think/analyze things too much - this is my tendency. It doesn't work :o The very best thing I have found - and very patient TE women kept drilling into my head - is to ride, ride, and ride some more.

I just took a Traffic Skills 101 class that was offered through the American Bicycle League and found it quite helpful - especially on how to maneuver through heavier traffic and dealing with busy intersections. There was also emergency stopping instruction and a few other things to help deal with unexpected situations. It was very inexpensive, perhaps it is being offered in your area?

Yep, my hybrid bike had flat bars, so definitely different positioning than what I have now. There's a trafic skills class about 2 hours away; it's weird because I live in Boise, and there are no classes scheduled for this area (the largest city in the state), only one in a town up in the mountains. I'll keep looking for resources for something similar at least.

Do you have a mirror on both hoods? Or just the left one?

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Originally Posted by christie1

Yep, my hybrid bike had flat bars, so definitely different positioning than what I have now. There's a trafic skills class about 2 hours away; it's weird because I live in Boise, and there are no classes scheduled for this area (the largest city in the state), only one in a town up in the mountains. I'll keep looking for resources for something similar at least.

Do you have a mirror on both hoods? Or just the left one?

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I no longer have road bars on my touring bike, I changed them to 2-inch riser bars - so I have bar-end mirrors on both of my bikes. I just have one mirror, on the left side. There are those who don't consider that to be "cool", but it helps to keep me safe so I don't care about that :D

Hi!

I started with a Giant Hybrid, too! Welcome to the dark side! :)

I just wanted to pop in and say give it time. A road bike definitely handles differently than a hybrid or a mtn bike. It feels different checking behind you for a car, no doubt. But with practice and time, it will be like second nature!

And regarding the bad spill...give that time, too. I lost it at the bottom of a hill a couple years ago, and I'm still scared when I descend. So I go slower. No biggie.

I hope you come to enjoy road riding as much as I have (and so many others here have as well). It's my favorite thing to do...I bet you'll find the love soon!

Congrats! I'm pretty fearful of falling too after some crashes a looong time ago LOL. I recently started commuting (albiet on my old mtb and not my new road bike) and the last mile is all downtown on busy city streets. Terrifying to me at first but I get more confident every day. It just took a little time and like Catrin said, just riding riding riding! A mirror would definitely help. I saw a woman yesterday with a mirror attached to her helmet.

Congrats just on getting back in the saddle :)
I use two mirrors... one on my helmet and another on my drops. The one on my drops is the Italian Road Bike Mirror which I love love love beyond words. Between the two of them I'm pretty confident of what's coming up behind me. That said, however, I always physically look before I decide to move to the left (especially into the turn lane) regardless of what my mirrors show :)

Welcome to the board! I've only been riding a year and a half, and got my "road" bike about 4 months ago. It was definately a progression for me, starting with a Trek cruiser style bike, moving to a Giant commuter bicycle where I was stil upright, but not as much - the Giant is substantially lighter than my Trek, and that took the most time to get used to. First time I rode it at any kind of speed it scared me as it's so much more responsive to any movement I make. Then I got my Fuji in February of this year - a lot lighter bike, but I was already past the weight issue - now it was a different riding position. I was fortunate enough to have a good fit from the beginning with the bike, so I was comfortable physically sitting on it. I had issues with the first pedals I had on it, as they were road pedals and I could not unclip for the life of me- fell over in the parking lot the day I bought it and left to ride home! Changed them out a week later to SPD pedals, and once I was comfortable clipping in and out (with DH holding the bike for me), I started riding on bike paths or on the roads during the weekends or early morning hours when traffic was lowest in order to get used to it. Practice, practice, practice!!! :)

As for traffic, when I started commuting, it did take a while to get used to it. I'm actually a very aggressive and defensive rider (and driver) - whether on the bike, or behind the wheel, I'm always looking out for the next idiot to cut me off or hit me - probably comes from riding a motorcycle. I make eye contact with drivers, especially crosstraffic who are likely to pull out in front of me - a lot of people don't realize how fast a bicycle is travelling and think they can "make it" across the street ahead of you - or they "see right through" you as they're looking at CAR traffic and don't even realize you're there. I will look at the driver, making eye contact, and especially on a downhill if I'm hauling butt, I'll shake my head "NO" at them, so they know I'm continuing straight in front of them, and that I know I have the right of way. No matter what, I always cover my brakes in case I need to stop, and if I see that they are still "creeping" out in front of me, I'll start to slow down in order to make any kind of evasive maneuver if needed.
I will also "take my lane" when coming up on an intersection so the cars behind me know what my intentions are, and don't try to cut me off to turn right in front of me (either intentionally or not) - especially important when there is a right turn lane, make sure you're not along the curb if you're going straight, but get over in the lane to go straight and make your intentions known!! Likewise, I will signal that I'm changing lanes to that straight lane so traffic knows that's where I'm going.
I also ride with head and tail lights on my commuter (and a tail light on my other two bikes), and turn them on DAY OR NIGHT for more visibility. My commute has quite a few shadowed areas and bridges where a driver's visibility is compromised by pupil constriction - the lights help a lot in making yourself seen.
I guess the point of these things are that by making myself visible, and alerting drivers of my intentions, it makes me "feel" more safe. That gives me peace of mind, and makes me more comfortable.
As to your issue of not seeing vehicles, I have that problem. I have an....attention issue :) All joking aside, seriously, I sometimes don't see what's right in front of (or behind) me. Not a good thing! Once you're comfortable with the physical act of looking over your shoulder while moving without pulling to that side, you'll be able to compensate by looking more than once or for a longer period of time to make sure a car isn't there. I've also found that some of my glasses actually obstruct my peripheral vision which forces me to turn even further to really look behind me as opposed to simply turning my head a little and looking out of the side of my eye - I hope that makes sense :) In other words, maybe the car was there all a long, but the arm of your sunglasses blocked it and you couldn't see it until it came closer to you and was in a greater field of your vision. You can also try to make your looks back more useful by looking further back. I try to look down the street, past what's right next to me so I know what's coming. If I'm coming up to an intersection that I need to turn left on, I'll start looking back when I'm like 100 yards or more away from the intersection to see how traffic looks so I know how soon I need to try to get over. That gives me time to adjust my speed in order to get over, I know approximately how many cars I saw back there, and can make my move accordingly.
Lastly, I know a lot of people here do listen to music while riding - I don't. Only if I'm strictly on a separate bike path where there are no cars will I wear an mp3 player. Riding to work in traffic on the street, I keep my ears open as I, like you, also listen for traffic. If I can hear that there's a car coming up behind me, I may not even HAVE to look - I can hear it and know it's there, and probably close enough for me to touch so I wont worry about looking and risk going over into its lane. Use all of your senses especially when you're starting out and aren't as comfortable yet as you will eventually be!!!
It really isn't doing any more than we should be doing when we drive (with the exception of the music!!!) rather it's being more conscience about making sure we're actually doing these things since the threat of physical injury is greater when we aren't surrounded by metal. Just like when we learned to drive the more you do it, the more comfortable you'll be at it. Just get comfy on your bike, practice the movements that you'll need to do on the road off the road first, get visible, then ride, ride, ride :)

a trick I learned for looking back over you left shoulder which has helped me quite a bit.
before you turn your head, make sure you have a clear path ahead, then move your right hand slightly closer to the center, lean your weight slightly onto the right arm, slightly unweight your left arm, bend your left elbow so you don't pull the handle bar to the left and then look back by leaning slightly forward with your weight centered.

I no longer have to move my right hand to towards the center but still do the lean on the right, unweight the left, bend the left and lean forward to look.

In the meantime, practice, practice, practice, on grass if you are afraid of falling.
Ride calmly, assertively and make eye contact.

Best of luck- If I can survive the streets of houston crawling with Humvees and F150 ford pick em ups, all driven by me first Texas Yahoos, anyone can survive anywhere.

Wow, thanks for your responses.... I know it will just take time for me to get more comfortable.

Jenn- I bought a Fuji myself :) Loving it so far, even though I'm also a little scared. I've ridden 10 miles on it since getting it last night, and I am already feeling better about it. Even rode through the traffic this morning to work and back home, unscathed.

This is such a great forum- thanks ladies!! Just what I need to stay motivated, and best of all, keep on riding the bike :)

OK- I have another question, if anyone is still reading...

How long did it take you to feel confident/comfortable on a road bike? 100 miles? 100 hours? I am doing alright, but still not at all comfortable with signalling (bike gets all squirrelly when I try) or with getting out of the saddle while riding.

I went on a midnight ride on a paved bike trail last night (full moon, very bright) with my boyfriend, and scared myself a couple of times when there were bumps that I couldn't see due to shadows... I made it the whole 13-15 miles or so (not exactly sure) without wrecking, but I was a little freaked out at some moments. I am quite slow unless it's very flat and straight, and scared to go downhill too fast. I feel like the skinny tires are getting to my head, and I feel that even when I'm going at a pretty good clip, I'm still doing little balance checks from time to time.

I appreciate all your tips and advice!

Welcome to road bikes! Both my commuter and race bike are road bikes and I love it that way. Yes, it is a different feel and yes, you should be giving yourself plenty of time to get used to it! After all, it's a big change. When I first got clipless pedals at the start of this month, I flipped over the bike about 3 times before I almost gave up. Thankfully, I didn't and I went to a quiet parking lot of a church and rode around.

I would suggest you do something similar because it will help build your confidence and help you adjust to it. Take some tight turns and practice looking around, stopping, starting, etc. It really will be great. If you don't already do group rides on the roads, I would also suggest finding a ride group. I have one and they are super friendly. Chances are the more experienced road bikers will help you as well. You'll learn all sorts of tips/tricks with them.

As for mirrors, definitely get one. I have one that attaches to my glasses. Many in my group have these and others have helmet ones or ones that fit on their handlebars. My preference is the glasses mirror, but everyone is different. It is a must for riding in traffic.

Making your bike as visible as possible, too, may also put your mind at ease. Sometimes it is more about you psyching yourself out than what is actually going on around you.

I've loved bikes since I was a kid, but I've only been seriously riding for a little over a year. Here are some of the things that I've learned along the way.

-- You mentioned being worried about bumps in the road - this is a huge one for me, and it's taken me a while to get used to letting the bike do its thing. The bike really can deal with a lot more than you might think it can. You may want to practice riding on less-than-ideal road conditions in a controlled setting like a parking lot. Like, ride over a stick. Then ride over a bigger stick. You get the idea. Try grass, gravel, torn-up pavement, whatever you want to convince yourself the bike can handle. Of course in general on a road bike you don't want to seek out these conditions, but it's really helpful to know what some of the stuff that you might have to deal with on a commute (sand, dirt, uneven pavement, debris, etc.) feels like in preparation for when you encounter it for real.

-- Practice holding the bars as lightly as possible. Feel how you can steer just by shifting your weight, without needing your hands at all. If you rely too much on the bars for support or balance, it's tough to take one hand off to get a drink or signal a turn. Think about your core and feel how it's supporting you (ab exercises are your friends!). If you ever do spinning classes, that's a excellent place to play with this feeling because you're not afraid of falling, so you can move your weight around and start to understand what's happening with your balance. Once you're comfortable not relying so much on your hands for control and support, it'll be much easier to take a hand off the bar when necessary.

-- When you're trying to see what's behind you but still need to hold a straight line, don't think of it as looking over your shoulder, which I imagine as a sort of horizontal motion, but almost...through your shoulder, if that makes any sense. So don't swivel your head like an owl, but move it down and back. Drop your chin and then turn your head to the side, and then do that on the diagonal in a single motion - that diagonal is what you're going for. It's a small change, but it makes a huge difference because you don't have to fight the inclination to turn your shoulders. This is incredibly helpful when you're riding next to cars or other people since it makes it so much easier to hold a straight line, so I hope I'm describing it well enough!

-- Have you had a bike fit? Even if you had one when you got the bike, you may want to consider another with a really good fitter - if not now, than in a couple of months once you've had some time to get used to what your bike feels like and what you like and don't like - since sometimes the "bike fit included with purchase" variety isn't the best. There's nothing like a bike that feels GOOD for increasing your confidence!

-- Practice, of course! But you knew that. :D And don't pressure yourself - just keep pedaling, and you'll keep moving forward. I had a nasty bike accident (broken jaw, among other things) in the fall of 2008, I got a real road bike only a few months ago, and I just did the Harpoon B2B last weekend (150-mile 1-day ride!). Keep riding, and you'll be amazed at what you and your bike can do.

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Originally Posted by christie1

How long did it take you to feel confident/comfortable on a road bike? 100 miles? 100 hours? I am doing alright, but still not at all comfortable with signalling (bike gets all squirrelly when I try) or with getting out of the saddle while riding.

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For me, I started getting comfortable at about 1000 miles. That was when i was able to stand up while pedaling, take a drink from my water bottle while riding ( i still prefer to stop though), and do traffic arm signaling while riding etc. It was also when i became less nervous in traffic. May I suggest a mirror to help you in traffic a little bit?

Beware of feeling 'too' confident. ;)

I would say I got comfortable with signaling at about 700-1,000 miles. I wasn't able to stand for a couple of years. And I still don't stand on big climbs... it takes too much energy and hurts. I can spin up just about anything, but I do stand on short rollers.
After 10 years, I am still not so good with the bottle. Yea, I know what to do, but my coordination kind of sucks. I still prefer to stop. If it's a flat road and I can slow a bit, I'm OK.
Riding in groups and commuting to work got me over the fear of traffic. While I don't ride in downtown Boston, I do ride in suburban traffic and in some situations I would have never dreamed of just 3-4 years ago. I feel pretty confident, too. I am very cautious and safety oriented, and I don't really care what others think.

There's no set time to get used to doing these things. Take your time - people get hurt when they push themselves too far before they are ready.

As for the bumps, you have to keep a relaxed hold on the bike. Keep soft hands, dont grip too hard, and keep your elbows soft. When we're too stiff and rigid, it jars us even more and harder, thus scaring us even more. When your arms are bent and soft, they will absorb the bumps you go over.

The first several rides I took on my road bike were terrifying. I'm still not entirely comfortable with signaling (hence my preference for bike paths or riding with DBF). Bumps...that's been an issue for me too, and I just try to remember that the bike wants to stay upright as long as it's moving...and to try to relax the death grip. Easier said than done, I know...

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

For me, I started getting comfortable at about 1000 miles. That was when i was able to stand up while pedaling, take a drink from my water bottle while riding ( i still prefer to stop though), and do traffic arm signaling while riding etc. It was also when i became less nervous in traffic. May I suggest a mirror to help you in traffic a little bit?

Beware of feeling 'too' confident. ;)

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Yikes -- are you talking about 1,000 miles to transition from hybrid (or other) to a road bike? That's alarming.

Of course, if I get a road bike, that will be a good excuse for keeping my hybrid for a while, thereby helping other family members get used to the idea of having multiple bikes around.

Reading this thread with interest as I too just purchased my first road bike (riding a hybrid prev) and took it on its first 'real' ride yesterday. Goodness, after about 15km I stopped and my arms were so sore and stiff from holding on for dear life!

I nearly toppled when going across a bridge on the pedestrian section and the wheel went through a vertical 'ridge' in the pavement - those darned skinny tyres seem to want to be eaten up by those sorts of things. Then I had another freakout when I had to turn and wind down a ramp off the bridge - the other cyclists seemed to be looking pretty wary at my wobbliness! It was exciting but quite nerve-wracking how differently it handles from my solid heavy old hybrid - quite squirrely and skittish.

Am really hoping it doesn't take too long to adjust to - have signed up for my first metric century in October and really want to take my lovely light fast road bike along rather than plodding on the hybrid! :)

You'll get used to it. I felt my bike was squirrelly at first--my prior bike experience was the bike I had as a kid and the DangerBike that my friend lent to me to get used to riding a bike again.

I think "comfortable" means different things. I got used to the bike's handling quickly, after 20 or 30 miles. I got a lot more comfortable (in both senses) after I got a new saddle. (That helped with the death grip and sore arms.) I can stand for about five pedal strokes before feeling wobbly. I'm still getting comfortable with taking my hands off the bars for more than a few seconds. Grabbing a water bottle while riding is not going to happen. Don't worry too much. Just keep riding.

I know it's already been mentioned but it's key to not have a death on your bars. Let the bike do what it needs to do in order to allow it to absorb impact. If you are clenching the bar you are transferring every little impact strait into your shoulders. This is why it's important not to ride with your elbows locked too. I have ridden the Avail and it's a super plush ride but it is a compact design so it is very responsive which is absolutely awesome feeling once you get used to it. Just keep in mind the bike has been engineered to be a wonderful piece of machinery just let it do its job and try not to fight it. I would suggest that any new rider try riding with a group, it really is a great place to learn from other riders.

Oh Christie1, thank you so much for starting this thread! I am a huge chicken about my bike-- likely stemming from a fall years ago when foot cages were the trend and I wasn't used to getting my feet out after stopping (very embarrassing fall in college on the first day of classes-- bloody ankles and worse ego-bruise). I am on the same bike, but have taken off the cages and put new tires on (it's a mountain bike that I basically tried to make into a commuter bike)... and it scares the crap out of me!

It makes me feel a lot better knowing that other riders have some fears and also some input about what they do and prefer (the best was knowing I'm not the only one who cannot get a drink from my bottle while riding! Camelback to the rescue!).

No real input here to help-- just a thank you for the post! :) Best of luck out there!!

Yes, I agree totally derosarah, it's great that Christie1 started this conversation - just sharing our experiences helps so much and reassures :) Having other people say 'Hey, I'm feeling like this too!' and also 'This will pass though and it will get better...' is so comforting!

That's why I love this forum so much, it's kept me pushing on to new frontiers with my cycling and given me confidence and knowledge in so many areas.

Thanks everyone for being so great and helpful! :D

Linda

I'm glad it's more than just myself getting some help from this thread!

And it is great to know that I'm not the only one with "issues"....

Thanks ladies!!

I'm also heartened by other people's stories. Generally I don't mind looking like a fool or struggling as I learn new stuff, but it's still reassuring to know that other people have similar experiences and do eventually get the hang of it.