I want to start cycling but I AM SHY!!!

[Celeste]

Lunita,
I think you will suprise yourself once you do get outside and ride. Start small with short trips around your neighborhood; move up to local park trails or loop and soon enough you will be road ready.

Trust me when I say that life is too short to worry about what others think. Like my Dad always said..."If you ride on two wheels, you are bound to fall sometime." This comes from a man who has ridden motorcycles all his life. And yes, he has laid it down a time or two.

I myself have fallen twice on my road bike. Once in front of my hubby and another in front of my Team in Training group. I just laughed it off, got up, brushed my self off and kept on going.

No, nothing has to match. Just be sure that you have all the proper safety gear, so if you do happen to fall, you won't be hurt. Get out there and ride, girl! You won't regret it, promise! Hugs.

[pooks]

Lunita -- you've already done the smartest thing. You're here asking for help. And that's the smartest thing you could EVER do.

Read, and you'll find people who are heavier/older/shyer than you -- or were, and now aren't (which is REALLY inspirational, although if you find someone older who is now younger, you might want to check their ID, ahem).

I had a friend who wrote about her new riding habits on her blog, and it inspired me. I came here and started reading, and was inspired. If I thought it was too hot to ride, somebody in AZ posted that they waited for it to cool down to 105 before they rode.

If I thought it too cold, I read a blog about a guy in Alaska who rode in the winter, too.

I found out of shape people to read about. All kinds of people.

And I just finally decided, I can do this.

When I got on the bike it was SO FUN I suddenly lost a lot of my concerns. But even more than that, I began feeling like a (middle-aged, overweight) jock. Fell off my bike, got back on and kept riding. Wore my cycling clothes into the grocery store even though they are NOT flattering. Slathered on sunscreen and skipped makeup.

Because, you see, I'm a jock. (wink)

You've come to the right place. Now, just do it!

[RolliePollie]

Lunita - I am still scared of falling! But I just fell about 2 hours ago (second fall with new clipless pedals) and it's not as scary or painful or embarassing as I expected. My riding partner today, who has been riding for over 10 years, nearly fell over about 2 minutes after I fell over!

I would say I'm a very self conscious person. I'm always concerned about what other people will think. But I've also learned to just laugh at myself when I do stupid things, which seems to be quite often. I know I have a lot to learn and a lot of cycling skills to develop, but it's SO FUN to get out there, enjoy the beautiful weather, and realize that you really can do it!

Just go for it! You'll do great! You should've seen me on my first couple of rides. I'm still pretty much a disaster area, but the enjoyment far outweighs everything else.

[Celeste]

Just go for it! You'll do great! You should've seen me on my first couple of rides. I'm still pretty much a disaster area, but the enjoyment far outweighs everything else.

Yeah! What she said!! Well put. I feel the same way.

[Starfish]

Yep, just go for it, and then no matter what happens, come back to these forums and tell everyone what happens! If you have a great time, people here will rejoice with you. If you have a less-than-wonderful experience, people here will commiserate and also give tips on what might help the next time.

You can do it!

[Kano]

When I got on the bike it was SO FUN I suddenly lost a lot of my concerns. But even more than that, I began feeling like a (middle-aged, overweight) jock. Fell off my bike, got back on and kept riding. Wore my cycling clothes into the grocery store even though they are NOT flattering. Slathered on sunscreen and skipped makeup.

Because, you see, I'm a jock. (wink)

And remember, Pooks -- not only are we jocks now, we got HARDBODIES with six-packs, never mind that no one else can see them and we gotta look pretty hard too!

Karen in Boise

[Starfish]

And remember, Pooks -- not only are we jocks now, we got HARDBODIES with six-packs, never mind that no one else can see them and we gotta look pretty hard too!

Karen in Boise

This is one of the great things about cycling! I find that although I started out nervous and self-conscious, it has given me so much freedom. I love the sport and the goals I have in it, so now when I go to the gym, for instance, I really don't care what I look like (and I ain't pretty in spandex)...it is all about being able to do my goal ride in August. Same with being out on the bike in my unflattering bike clothes. Same with trying to shed weight...it is all about improving the climbing!

Of course, I think turning 40 last year helped, too. I just don't care anymore...I'm just trying to please myself! I can't help but think if I had had this attitude when I was younger, I wouldn't have hesitated to do so many things, and maybe I would have enjoyed the gym and biking enough to not get this chubby middle-aged body in the first place!

[Kano]

This is one of the great things about cycling! I find that although I started out nervous and self-conscious, it has given me so much freedom. I love the sport and the goals I have in it, so now when I go to the gym, for instance, I really don't care what I look like (and I ain't pretty in spandex)...it is all about being able to do my goal ride in August. Same with being out on the bike in my unflattering bike clothes. Same with trying to shed weight...it is all about improving the climbing!

It was seeing GUYS in bike shorts with flapping bellies atop them that made me decide I could wear my bike shorts in public! The thing about "ain't pretty in spandex" is that, well, okay, maybe not, but all the parts are secured AND we can move in it -- both NECESSARY to getting to the point where the rest of the world sees that gorgeous butt that I know is in there somewhere!

Karen in Boise

[DarcyInOregon]

I think falling in front of people is fun because you can laugh at yourself. If you can laugh at yourself, then you can't be shy about anything.

I have a number of falls that happened in front of people. Maybe my favorite is last summer when I was trying to bike long distances on my heavy hybrid, before I finally decided I needed a road bike. I stopped at mile 14 in this tiny rural farm town to drink and munch. I was perched on my saddle with one foot resting on a curb. I was in front of this little house that had three rose bushes planted in the ground between the curb and the sidewalk. For some reason I toppled off the bike, even though I was at a complete standstill, and I went splat right on top of one of the rose shrubs and my helmet bounced on the sidewalk. I got up and to my dismay I saw that I had flattened the rose bush. Oh my. I have lots of roses in my landscape so I know the bushes can be trimmed and pruned and grow right back, but I still felt very bad about the damage I caused. And yes, the shrub grew back, because I bike through that little town several times a week and I always swivel my head to look at it, but I never stop at the exact spot anymore.

Your falls are not anything to be scared of, unless you cycle at real high speeds. Most of the falls happen while being stopped or going very slow, and the most annoying thing about it is putting holes into the expensive bike clothing. Eventually you remember the falls with as much fondness as the days with the best rides, when the temperature was just right, the sun was out, the body's energy levels were high, the flowers were blooming, the birds were singing, the traffic wasn't too bad, no dogs chased the bike and the ride was just absolutely awesome. You remember those rides, and you remember the falls.

Darcy