scared to death!

[IGGY]

Hi there-this is a conundrum. I am new to biking. I love spinning. My spinning teacher was telling me, YOU should race, YOU should do the mini-tri, YOU should train for a century...blah blah blah. I would come home all ramped up..YES I SHOULD do all those things...but I don't have a bike. Well, now I do. A fuji roubaix. I came home, rode it for 5 minutes, and fell off. Bad fall. elbow to the curb. my elbow has motion now, but it still aches.
So after a few weeks of slings and such, when I so much as sit on my bike, I start shaking. I'm a huge wuss.
I want to OWN THAT BIKE also, I don't want to fail again in front of my husband and nosy neighbors who are all trying to help.
...yes before you ask...first time with clipless pedals.
Thanks for reading!
I plan on joining potomac pedalers here in D.C. area but am afraid to start!

[NbyNW]

It might be a good idea to follow up with your doc about that elbow, if it doesn't seem to be healing properly . . .

I'm not a spinning class person, but it seems to me that two things that you don't get in the gym are balance and steering . . . so maybe try flat pedals while learning those skills in traffic, then transition to clipless when you're more confident? You might also try Power Grips, which might be similar to the straps that they have for stationary bikes.

Maybe if you can borrow a trainer to put your bike on you can get used to the clipless without having to worry about balance . . .

[Blueberry]

Iggy -

Most of us have taken falls on clipless pedals at one point or another. I know some really fast riders who refuse to use them. You *should* do what you want to do. If you want to ride outside, great. jocelynlf has a good point about pedals - why not put flat pedals on the bike, and use those until you're more comfortable. There's a lot more going on outside than there is in the gym, and it takes some getting used to. Maybe even take the bike somewhere else (flat) and try away from neighbors/DH (I don't do well with an audience generally). Good luck - you will get there

CA

[Natural Beauty]

Hey Iggy, You are NOT a wuss! never put yourself down like that...just handle your business. You will own your bike, just make whatever modifications you need to and make it yours! The other posters are totally right, spinning is so different, don't stress about it. Or I really like that word fash....I think it is slang for stress....but you may need to say it with an accent.
These guys on this board really know their stuff and they'll have really good input for you. Just have fun and do what you need to do - for you.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Various people have differing advice I know, but some folks like to get comfortable riding their bikes with regular pedals before they put clipless pedals on. If that would get you riding without being so afraid, then why not?
Heck, go clipless later if you want to!

[CATWOMAN]

Iggy,
I ride at the gym about 5 days a week, not spin just stationary; lately I have had to force myself to try other cardio such as an ArcTrainer just due to loss of interest. However, it is true that there is much more going on outside that you have to pay attention to, but that's what makes it so much more interesting and enjoyable.

After all of the conversation on this board about clipless, I have made the decision to pack my clipless up for now. I have the pedals with the buckle cages (Whatever they're called). They work great for uphill but they don't make me feel attached. I figure as long as I'm happy, riding well, and improving every time, LIFE IS GOOD. Why put something on my bike that makes me feel uncomfortable?

There are days that I still suffer form visions of my fall, which was not due to clipless but my husband running into my back wheel. It is never good to mix flying with cycling.

Try some other less-confining pedal (Ask you LBS) until you develop a love for the sport. The rest will come naturally with YOU are ready.

[sundial]

Iggy--

It's no fun starting out on a new bike only to take a nasty fall. Give your elbow time to heal and when the time is right, you'll know when to get back in the saddle.

When I was starting out with clipless pedals I practiced on the grass in the yard. Then I rode with one foot clipped in and the other unclipped (which is much easier to do with mountain bike shoes ). After that I started riding on the road and practiced clipping and unclipping before I rolled to a stop.

I have different pedals for my bikes and one that I like to use is the Wellgo platform pedals because the pins really grip the sole but allow quick dismounts. Perhaps this is an option for you until you get the feel of your bike? You can always switch back to your SPD's after you get the hang of it.

[beccaB]

I haven't fallen since last year, but I still suffer from stop sign anxiety. There have been a few times recently where my feet get numb and uncliiping doesn't feel like it's going to be successful until the very last minute. I guess it's better than the alternative, which is not riding.

[aicabsolut]

It happens a lot, so you're not alone.

One thing that helped me when getting started clipless was to sit on my bike next to a wall or the back of the couch. Practice clipping in and unclipping, without looking if possible, on one foot over and over. Then go to the other foot. Then back to the first. Get used to the motion, the feeling, and the sound. Unclip before potential stops really early, resting your foot lightly on the pedal in case you don't have to stop (such as when you're approaching a light), so that you can re-engage the clip. For some systems, you might want to be careful with that, too, because some are easier to accidentally re-engage, while other systems take more force on the pedal to clip in.

The Pedalers are a good group, but it sounds like you just need to do some practicing on your own before you start riding with a group in traffic. If you're having a lot of trouble with the pedals, go down to the Mt Vernon trail during off-peak hours or something with some wide, grassy shoulders in parts and practice just starting and stopping. Start off just riding in the grass if you need. It won't hurt so badly . Also, think about doing kind of a tuck-and-roll fall if you DO fall, because that will help you protect your collarbone, among other things. You're obviously athletic if your spin instructor is saying those things to you. Just because you're athletic doesn't mean this stuff will be second nature to you right off the bat. It takes a lot of time and practice. And stiffening up in fear truly makes it worse. So go somewhere that you aren't so afraid to fall. Get a nice, understanding friend to join you if you want. So what if you fall in front of your husband or friends? They ARE trying to help. Your bike skills will improve. They really will.

[latelatebloomer]

Hi, Iggy - I think this is a very common side-trip on the journey to becoming a cyclist, so don't sweat it, there's nothing wrong with you! I had a nasty fall early in my road-biking and dealt with a lot of fear. It WILL pass. I went back to my hybrid for a bit, then one morning in the garage, I knew I was ready for the road bike - with platforms. Some time later, as I got dressed, I felt ready to reach for my bike shoes again and pulled the platform pedals off. I read a quote somewhere from G. Terry herself about how many new cyclists ruin it for themselves by rushing things. so -

Eassssy does it.

ps, I always rode away from the house and practiced stuff like unclipping on a back road. Way back road.

Good luck!

[tulip]

So, when I read your post, your spin instructor says you should do all those things...what do YOU want to do do?

DO you want to ride outside?

[PscyclePath]

There are only two kinds of cyclists, clipless or not. There are those who have fallen, and those who are going to fall at some time in the future.

For the mathematically-inclined, the first group is a subset of the second group.

Everyone starts off new... it's mostly a matter of building your skill and confidence. get out and ride your bike... dance with it, and learn just what you can get away with on it...

Spinning is mostly about building strength and or endurance. It lacks one critical factor in cycling, the need to balance. Sort of like Calvin here:



The way to get good at riding your bike is to go ride your bike!

[IGGY]

So, when I read your post, your spin instructor says you should do all those things...what do YOU want to do do?

DO you want to ride outside?

I don't know! My husband is uber competitive, long distance runner who is amazing, gets up at 4 am to get his training in before his 12 hour work day. I could never keep up with him, and as I don't have competitive-ness inbred in me, I don't understand him fully.
I know that I want to do something that I enjoy, that keeps me motivated, and is group-friendly. Since we move around a lot, I always am lacking in friends.
All my other hobbies are sedentary. (quilting, reading) I am also timid by nature, it took me a few classes to get comfy in cycling, but then I"m the one going, "yah, I LOVE THIS SONG!", or "wooooooooooo"! Once I find a group that can handle my loud voice, I'm not afraid to use it.

Are you a psychiatrist? You hit in on the head in one post. Man, my therapist would have an attack if I told her that! You could be earing 150 an hour for those skills!

[tulip]

Are you a psychiatrist? You hit in on the head in one post. Man, my therapist would have an attack if I told her that! You could be earing 150 an hour for those skills!

No, I'm not, but I'll send you a bill .

Just seems like common sense to me...it's your life, what do you want to do? Of course, you may not know until you try it out for a while.

[denny]

I've never ridden a bike in my life until now at age 40. Got hooked on spinning and my tri friends convinced me to take it outside. As of today:
I have had a total of 6 falls (4 of them moving) with 2 nasty cases of road rashes "ruining my fab legs",as a result. 2 sprained fingers that hasn't healed since April, 3 panic attacks at the very sight or sound of a vehichle. I'm extremely fit but need to work more on core strength for balance. Fellow riders call me chicken butt (bad posture) and I can barely make it up the hills in my local park for a 5.75 mile lap. Why do I hang with it? Because it's really true, the more time you spend in the saddle the easier and more skilled you'll become. We'll eventually get over the panic if we learn to "own" our right not only to the bike, but to the road too. By the way, i've found MTN bike pedals work great for a first time newbie trying to clip in. Hang in there.