slightly neurotic newbie on a hybrid

[DebTX]

So glad to hear their are other newbies out there gripping for dear life!
I learned to ride last year on a hybrid (definitely easier for a terrified new rider) and I remember braking constantly and holding so tight, I went through 2 pair of padded gloves.

This year I bought a road bike, and I'm going through it all over again as I transition. I'm gripping too hard, braking all the time and feeling, once again, like I could easily end up in the ditch when cars or other riders pass by.

I'm confident that one day I'll feel as comfortable on this bike, as I grew to be on my hybrid. I just need to keep getting back in the saddle (20 miles every Saturday and Sunday!)

[wildhawk]

My husband and I are just getting back in bicycling after a few years hiatus. I had injured one of my knees on my trusty old mountain bike and developed carpal tunnel in my wrists from my job as a graphic designer. I type - alot! But after recovery I felt that the mountain bike was just too heavy for our paved rides. So we decided that a hybrid was a good choice for me and purchased a Giant Innova. It has the front end shock absorbers - awesome. But after not riding for so long it felt very scary to me too. My mountain bike was a good solid ride and I knew it so well. But the hybrid seemed odd at first and I too found that I was gripping the handlebars much too tightly and did not feel in control of the bike. Well I can honestly say that time and riding is paying off as I am now getting more confident in my bike. I have picked up speed and we are training on “Florida hills” - lengthy bridges, and some of our local, beautiful paved trails and the bike handles very well now. I still have issues with mounting and dismounting, but that will get better with time and experience too. I reached one of my mini-goals today and got in a 20 mile ride with no problems! Good luck to you as you get more acquainted with your new ride and I would say just give it time. Joining a local bike club is a great idea too. They usually have a nice mix of experienced and inexperienced riders and are very supportive.

[ValLives]

My fingers were tingling after my ride tonight - i'm not really gripping hard, but perhaps putting to much pressure into my hands. This may stem from trying not to put too much weight into my painful fanny! Def going to get a new seat later this week!

[BarbaraAlys]

Everone tells me that if you are feeling excessive pressure on your hands your fit is probably not right. You might look into that. Tingling hands might be pressure on the nerves going through the wrist, too much of that over time could be a problem.

Barbara

[malkin]

Keep up the good work.

The terror I experienced regularly 18 months ago has faded. I'm not sure if it's because of increased strength or experience or possibly because the teeny tiny head injury I sustained a year ago, but I'm riding like a different person this year.

Really! I can start and stop and dodge cars, go up and down hills and sometimes I even go fast (ok, that's relative).

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Most often tingling or numb hands are just a sign that there is too much weight on your hands. However, it can also be caused by clsoing your glove velcro straps too snugly. This happened to me! I found I had to adjust my gloves straps VERY loosely in order to not get tingly hands. Just one little thing to check.

Here's another couple of thoughts-
-Be sure to wear BRIGHT clothing so cars will see you better.

-Do not move over so far to the right that you are afraid of catching the pavement edges with your tires and falling. Drivers and other cyclists are more experienced than you and they'll have no problem going around you. If you are wobbly then leave at least a foot between you and where the pavement drops off.

-This last tip is weird but true. Studies have shown that when cars pass bikers on the road, they give a wider safety margin to bikers dressed in such a way as to be obviously female. Long hair, bright flower prints, pink helmet, a jersey that doesn't cover up your shape, whatever. Seems that drivers associate feminine looking bikers with irratic or beginner biking skills, so they give them a wider berth when they pass around them. It's unfortunate that things are this way in our world, but there you go, and as a terrified new rider you could use this to your advantage until you gain more confidence on the roads.

[DebTX]

Great tips, Lisa - thanks for sharing that list.
Amazing piece of trivia about driver behavior around female riders. The feminist in me hates the idea, but the newbie cyclist is grateful for anything that keeps me safer!

[Aggie_Ama]

Deb- I find what Lisa said about women cyclist very true and I am in your neck of the woods. When I ride home from work I wear a wrap skirt over my shorts, it is amazing how much nicer the drivers are than when I am not in the skirt. I should just wear it all the time I guess.