Shifting and hills and falling over oh my!

[Catrin]

Had a great ride today with a couple of friends - it was very helpful to ride with people who have been riding since they were 5 years old! Come to find out, I have misunderstood something about shifting that has caused me to walk up a few more hills than I have probably had to.

You see, I forgot that front and back shifts opposite each other. Or perhaps I never understood it. So I've been confusing my poor Trek. Easy gear on front and hard gear on back. No wonder I've been struggling with hills! This is the thing when you are basically teaching yourself something, sometimes you learn things wrong.

I also fell over....and have a nice knot coming up on my elbow. We were on a rather steep hill, narrow curvy road with rough pavement. My speed dropped to 3.5 mph and there was this minivan who just would not pass me - she was crowding me and this made me nervous.

I should have stopped and walked it before I did, but wound up falling over - in the grass not the road in front of the minivan Hit my elbow on edge of pavement and wrenched my shoulder. I think both are fine, though the elbow will likely be colorful for a time - so I can make up wild stories about what happened A nice long knot is forming beside and over my elbow - so ice and ibuprophen is the name of the game for now.

All in all it was a great 20-mile ride! Even if I was working in the hills more than I actually had to, I wasn't very tired at the end, though I can feel my quads just a little. A great way to spend a few hours on a cool and sunny Indiana afternoon!

[ny biker]

I think both are fine, though the elbow will likely be colorful for a time - so I can make up wild stories about what happened

I always like to tell people I was hurt in a bar fight...

Glad you had fun!

[Biciclista]

i've done that exact same fall. panicking on a steep hill, not used to being clipped in...
so i fell over in the grass next to the road too. but i didn't hit my elbow. I hope it feels better soon!

[Juliegoddess]

I'm glad you are okay! I know...I suspect I'll be doing the same thing when I get my new road bike. I am so used to the gear shifts to be right there at my thumb and finger with my MTB. They are a further reach with the road bike! And THEN to have to try to figure out which one does WHAT!!

One of my first rides on the new bike will be pretty hillly, too...northern Michigan. Kinda scares me, because there are NO hills down here in southeast MI. So, I might be tipping over! I haven't done hills in such a long, LONG time.

[ColoKate]

I'm still working on shifting and getting up hills - had to walk up the same two hills yesterday as I did last weekend

Glad you didn't hurt yourself too much!

[Catrin]

I'm still working on shifting and getting up hills - had to walk up the same two hills yesterday as I did last weekend

Glad you didn't hurt yourself too much!

The elbow will be beautiful before it is over, but nothing serious. and my shoulder a little sore. It was worth it At least I finally figureed out what I've been doing wrong when shifting my Trek. Basically I've been teaching myself, and that can be interesting.

My personal trainer thought it interesting that the person I hired to give me a couple of riding lessons early on never really focused on how to shift. She gave me a very complex diagram from Sheldon Brown's site, but we didn't go over the basics and I didn't know enough to know what to ask. My trainer rectified that yesterday and he focused on my shifting and basics of riding in traffic. It was fun, and very needed.

I have been surprised at the amount of vibration that reaches the handlebars from rough roads though - yesterday I hit a patch so rough that my feet came off the pedals I know my LHT would have handled that patch differently, but it isn't fair to compare a fitness/flat-bar road bike with a steel touring bike.

[Possegal]

Yep, I've done it too. I call it my "controlled fall". As opposed to my "whoa, how did I end up down here" falls. I was able to find a nice pile of leaves to fall over in. I'm much better at unclipping when going slowly now, but figure there will probably still be another controlled fall or two in my future.

[kg32]

My husband rides with a crew of about 6 buys... they're all 6 foot and taller (I'm 5' 4"). So.. the hills that are encountered are always a bit easier for them than me but I've learned what I need to do to get up them and keep up with the men. I've found that I have to count a cadence in my head to keep me pedaling and not falling over (ie, 1-2-3-1-2-3). It helps. Sounds weird, I know... but it keeps my breathing controlled and my feet from slowing down.

I hope your elbow is better. Those "eggs" always hurt so much.