how many seasons and/or miles til experienced?

[SadieKate]

In what issue should I look for this article?

[latelatebloomer]

Great thread. The first month on my road bike (still in my first year), I rode brave and happy and stayed upright until beginner's luck ran out. It ran out on May 15! And then I started to be realistic about how I had not ridden a bike since I was a a child, or done anything else that required any athletic skill orfitness. I am just now seeing how much I have to learn about my balance and ALL the road skills that others seem to take for granted. When I see DH ride no-hands for fun, I just want to cry! I'm still FORCING myself to ride one-handed to signal. (And I make myself signal even if I'm the only human being for miles, just to practice.) So I guess I"m solidly in that awkward stage of learning how much I have to learn.

But those moments of feeling free and strong make it worth hanging in there.

[BeeLady]

SadieKate if u go to the Bicycling Mag website and put "Jeremy" in the search the article will come up. Don't know what issue it is hard copy wise.

[SadieKate]

Thanks. See post #35 before Adventure Girl's wiseacre remarks.

[SadieKate]

In what issue should I look for this article?

Eureka! October 2006. The cover has Floyd in yellow.

[Adventure Girl]

In what issue should I look for this article?

Eureka! October 2006. The cover has Floyd in yellow.

Did you notice that SK answered her own question here?

[Adventure Girl]

Did you notice that SK answered her own question here?

Yes. I noticed that!

[SadieKate]

Yes. I noticed that!

Did anyone notice that AG is being a smartass?

[SadieKate]

Did anyone notice that AG is being a smartass?

Why, yes I did. No one else would answer my question.

[tygab]

I had no idea this thread was taking off the way it did, thanks for all the comments!

It is reassuring to hear that the learning process is continuing for even the experienced cyclists, at least for the most part. I think taking one of these clinics or finding a coach might be a really good idea.

In reality, I had one big goal this year (the PMC), with several implied goals since I had not biked before (get base fitness, learn general riding in road traffic, learn clipless, learn my bike etc etc). Once it was over I could take stock of what I learned from March to August/now, and now that I know this is something I want to continue and improve, this kind of feedback is very helpful in understanding how I can make progress. I guess, at a very high level, this thread could have been titled "what are good things to learn to be a better cyclist" and gotten similar responses. Road riding is a lot more than what I learned as a kid riding a 10 speed.

[random sidebar - I used to ride my ten speed around our neighborhood cul de sacs imagining I was a famous bike racer. This was before I knew anything about the TdF or other races, but I knew racing existed. I had a peugeot hat that I wore regularly, the ones that had the small brims. If there'd been any competitive options for me as a kid in my small town I probably would have loved that.]

It's funny some of the things mentioned here I'd stumbled upon myself, such as getting way back in my seat for uphills, shifting early and 'pacing' my gears. I hated hills at first, because I was lacking either of these techniques. Once I somehow sorted this out I actually got half decent at going up them. Other things mentioned here I don't know if I've innately done or not, like using the hips to turn thing. But it's all very interesting to realize that the opportunity for learning is great, and someone's riding can really benefit from making a bit of effort to learn.

[tygab]

In what issue should I look for this article?

It was online but the link is deactivated. I read it online first then bought the mag cause I wanted to see the full thing.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6...5058-1,00.html