Need Technical Help!

[Yasmin]

Ok - been riding a mountain bike on the road since Julyish. Was doing fine with it - averaging about 11 mph. Did my first 25 mile ride in September. Really inspired me that I'd like to do longer rides (NO aspiration whatsoever to race). My DH said that if I really wanted to do that - we needed to get road bikes - because there was just no way we were going to do 50 or 100 mile ride on an MTB.

So - I kept hearing about how much easier a road bike is to ride. That my speed would increase without any effort on my part. How much lighter the bike would be. How much easier the hills would be.

I got a Trek Pilot 1.2 w/the Flat bar option. I just was not comfortable being in a laying down position with a true road bike handle bar. Took it out for the first time today.

I'm dying. It was so much harder than it was on the mountain bike! We did our normal 18 mile weekend ride and I only averaged 8 mph! The hills nearly kicked my ***. I didn't have to get off and walk like I did when I first started - but damn close.

So the whole time we're riding - my DH is chatting in my ear about all the things I need to be doing....keeping a constant pedaling speed, not adjusting how I'm pedaling but changing the bike to allow me to keep the same pedaling.....etc etc etc etc.

It's all gobaldy gook to me! I hear what he is saying - I've read the posts on the board - but I just can't get it from someone telling me or reading it. We're out in the boonies - so riding with a group or getting to a LBS is a major trip.

So - does anyone know of a good beginners DVD that would show me basic technique for riding and hill climbing? I need to have someone say the words and then ~show~ me what they mean. I'm still using platform pedals - haven't gotten the nerve to try clipless yet. I know that will help - but I'm just not ready.

Any help will be appreciated. I'm trying not to be discouraged by today's ride. I do recognize that it was my first time on a road bike so there is going to be some getting used to it before I'm comfortable. And maybe my expectations were too high based on what everyone kept telling me. And it certainly didn't help that I need to get the bike tweaked a little bit - the brakes are too wide for me - I could only reach them with the very tips of my fingers so they were really hard to squeeze. And I think the stem or something needs to be changed because my neck and shoulders are really in pain. On my MTB they got me a taller stem and shortened my handlebars and that made all the difference in the world.

I ride a road bike, hybrid bike & mountain bike. If I ride one style mostly & then switch, my body lets me know about it. The suble ergonomic differences can make a huge difference in feel. The road bike is lighter & faster, but there is much less room for error. The other bikes are very forgiving in transit but need more muscle power with each cadence. The hybrid & road bike have cleats, the mountain bike has normal pedals. It took me 2 years of riding before I was confident enough to go with cleats. I would never allow a child to have cleats as they can be potentially dangerous until they are mastered. They're fantastic once you're used to them, however.
Concerning your handlebars, were you "fitted" to your bike professionally? Sounds like there needs to be some adjustment. Handlebar width, I am told, should equal shoulder width.Also, when you're sitting & the crank lever (stem which attaches onto pedals) is parallel to the ground, your medial malleolus (inside lumpy bit of ankle) & medial condyle (inside lumpy bit of knee) should be vertical. Might pay to call in & get it checked. Hope my opinions & experiences help you.
PS isn't it wonderful how husbands/boyfriends tell you how you should be doing things?

[Zen]

I also had difficulty reaching the brake levers with my stubby little fingers. The LBS dude installed shims to shorten the reach.

[equus123]

To answer some of your questions from my perspective:

Your discomfort, back/neck/shoulder pain, lack of handling skills (i.e. wobbling when looking around), and any other thing that makes you feel like an idiot because you can't seem to understand why riding a bike is so difficult or weird or different.......all of these things are just first time experiences. All of that goes away in time. You'll build up the right musculature so you don't have problems (all of this given that your bike fit is okay). You won't be wobbling all over the road. You'll be able to ride on the hoods and in the drops with no problem. All of this just simply takes time to develop. Don't expect to get on a road bike for the first time in your life and ride it like a pro. It doesn't happen that way. You'll develop all of these skills, strengths, and balance but also remember that these are the things that need practice and training to develop. You can't get them any other way then with time.

I believe the same situation applies to the riding and climbing DVDs you asked about. Personally, it doesn't seem necessary for you at this point. All you need to do is spend time on the bike right now. You need to learn how it feels, how you feel, how to handle the bike, how to shift. You need to get all of the basics down first. After a few months then you can look into different types of riding techniques or how to do this or that. The problem with doing that stuff now is that you don't seem to have the basics down to even let you jump to "Step B". Make sure you do "A" first.

Maybe a change in mentality will help. You seem to either have high expectations or too fast a timeline in which things are supposed to occur. Don't rush it. If anything, rushing takes away from the time to develop good behaviors, habits, and techniques. You don't want to build bad habits that will need to be corrected later on down the road. It's harder to do that than just learn it slowly and right from the beginning.

Give it some time!!

[SadieKate]

Is two years enough? Look at the post dates.

[equus123]

so how's the bike handling coming along?

[Zen]

I am having a similar problem with my new (07) Pilot 1.2...I have enough reach for the brakes but in order to shift up to the largest chain ring my wrist is twisted at an impossible angle. I like the option of having the drops if for no other reason but to change positions on long rides. someone posted earlier that they hardly ever ride in the drops and since I feel more in control with a flat bar I'm thinking of trading the drops for flats.

I have ridden the new bike quite a few times but the situation hasn't changed and I see no other option. I'm simply frustrated and dissapointed, I looked forward to getting this bike for a year and this was not a problem that had even occurred to me.

Today is Saturday, the operation will take place Monday or Tuesday so if anyone has any input that could help speak up now!