Very new and a little scared

[christie1]

Wow, thanks for your responses.... I know it will just take time for me to get more comfortable.

Jenn- I bought a Fuji myself Loving it so far, even though I'm also a little scared. I've ridden 10 miles on it since getting it last night, and I am already feeling better about it. Even rode through the traffic this morning to work and back home, unscathed.

This is such a great forum- thanks ladies!! Just what I need to stay motivated, and best of all, keep on riding the bike

[christie1]

OK- I have another question, if anyone is still reading...

How long did it take you to feel confident/comfortable on a road bike? 100 miles? 100 hours? I am doing alright, but still not at all comfortable with signalling (bike gets all squirrelly when I try) or with getting out of the saddle while riding.

I went on a midnight ride on a paved bike trail last night (full moon, very bright) with my boyfriend, and scared myself a couple of times when there were bumps that I couldn't see due to shadows... I made it the whole 13-15 miles or so (not exactly sure) without wrecking, but I was a little freaked out at some moments. I am quite slow unless it's very flat and straight, and scared to go downhill too fast. I feel like the skinny tires are getting to my head, and I feel that even when I'm going at a pretty good clip, I'm still doing little balance checks from time to time.

I appreciate all your tips and advice!

[Libelula]

I've loved bikes since I was a kid, but I've only been seriously riding for a little over a year. Here are some of the things that I've learned along the way.

-- You mentioned being worried about bumps in the road - this is a huge one for me, and it's taken me a while to get used to letting the bike do its thing. The bike really can deal with a lot more than you might think it can. You may want to practice riding on less-than-ideal road conditions in a controlled setting like a parking lot. Like, ride over a stick. Then ride over a bigger stick. You get the idea. Try grass, gravel, torn-up pavement, whatever you want to convince yourself the bike can handle. Of course in general on a road bike you don't want to seek out these conditions, but it's really helpful to know what some of the stuff that you might have to deal with on a commute (sand, dirt, uneven pavement, debris, etc.) feels like in preparation for when you encounter it for real.

-- Practice holding the bars as lightly as possible. Feel how you can steer just by shifting your weight, without needing your hands at all. If you rely too much on the bars for support or balance, it's tough to take one hand off to get a drink or signal a turn. Think about your core and feel how it's supporting you (ab exercises are your friends!). If you ever do spinning classes, that's a excellent place to play with this feeling because you're not afraid of falling, so you can move your weight around and start to understand what's happening with your balance. Once you're comfortable not relying so much on your hands for control and support, it'll be much easier to take a hand off the bar when necessary.

-- When you're trying to see what's behind you but still need to hold a straight line, don't think of it as looking over your shoulder, which I imagine as a sort of horizontal motion, but almost...through your shoulder, if that makes any sense. So don't swivel your head like an owl, but move it down and back. Drop your chin and then turn your head to the side, and then do that on the diagonal in a single motion - that diagonal is what you're going for. It's a small change, but it makes a huge difference because you don't have to fight the inclination to turn your shoulders. This is incredibly helpful when you're riding next to cars or other people since it makes it so much easier to hold a straight line, so I hope I'm describing it well enough!

-- Have you had a bike fit? Even if you had one when you got the bike, you may want to consider another with a really good fitter - if not now, than in a couple of months once you've had some time to get used to what your bike feels like and what you like and don't like - since sometimes the "bike fit included with purchase" variety isn't the best. There's nothing like a bike that feels GOOD for increasing your confidence!

-- Practice, of course! But you knew that. And don't pressure yourself - just keep pedaling, and you'll keep moving forward. I had a nasty bike accident (broken jaw, among other things) in the fall of 2008, I got a real road bike only a few months ago, and I just did the Harpoon B2B last weekend (150-mile 1-day ride!). Keep riding, and you'll be amazed at what you and your bike can do.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

How long did it take you to feel confident/comfortable on a road bike? 100 miles? 100 hours? I am doing alright, but still not at all comfortable with signalling (bike gets all squirrelly when I try) or with getting out of the saddle while riding.

For me, I started getting comfortable at about 1000 miles. That was when i was able to stand up while pedaling, take a drink from my water bottle while riding ( i still prefer to stop though), and do traffic arm signaling while riding etc. It was also when i became less nervous in traffic. May I suggest a mirror to help you in traffic a little bit?

Beware of feeling 'too' confident.

[Crankin]

I would say I got comfortable with signaling at about 700-1,000 miles. I wasn't able to stand for a couple of years. And I still don't stand on big climbs... it takes too much energy and hurts. I can spin up just about anything, but I do stand on short rollers.
After 10 years, I am still not so good with the bottle. Yea, I know what to do, but my coordination kind of sucks. I still prefer to stop. If it's a flat road and I can slow a bit, I'm OK.
Riding in groups and commuting to work got me over the fear of traffic. While I don't ride in downtown Boston, I do ride in suburban traffic and in some situations I would have never dreamed of just 3-4 years ago. I feel pretty confident, too. I am very cautious and safety oriented, and I don't really care what others think.

[JennK13]

There's no set time to get used to doing these things. Take your time - people get hurt when they push themselves too far before they are ready.

As for the bumps, you have to keep a relaxed hold on the bike. Keep soft hands, dont grip too hard, and keep your elbows soft. When we're too stiff and rigid, it jars us even more and harder, thus scaring us even more. When your arms are bent and soft, they will absorb the bumps you go over.

[Owlie]

The first several rides I took on my road bike were terrifying. I'm still not entirely comfortable with signaling (hence my preference for bike paths or riding with DBF). Bumps...that's been an issue for me too, and I just try to remember that the bike wants to stay upright as long as it's moving...and to try to relax the death grip. Easier said than done, I know...

[PamNY]

For me, I started getting comfortable at about 1000 miles. That was when i was able to stand up while pedaling, take a drink from my water bottle while riding ( i still prefer to stop though), and do traffic arm signaling while riding etc. It was also when i became less nervous in traffic. May I suggest a mirror to help you in traffic a little bit?

Beware of feeling 'too' confident.

Yikes -- are you talking about 1,000 miles to transition from hybrid (or other) to a road bike? That's alarming.

Of course, if I get a road bike, that will be a good excuse for keeping my hybrid for a while, thereby helping other family members get used to the idea of having multiple bikes around.

[Librarygirl]

Reading this thread with interest as I too just purchased my first road bike (riding a hybrid prev) and took it on its first 'real' ride yesterday. Goodness, after about 15km I stopped and my arms were so sore and stiff from holding on for dear life!

I nearly toppled when going across a bridge on the pedestrian section and the wheel went through a vertical 'ridge' in the pavement - those darned skinny tyres seem to want to be eaten up by those sorts of things. Then I had another freakout when I had to turn and wind down a ramp off the bridge - the other cyclists seemed to be looking pretty wary at my wobbliness! It was exciting but quite nerve-wracking how differently it handles from my solid heavy old hybrid - quite squirrely and skittish.

Am really hoping it doesn't take too long to adjust to - have signed up for my first metric century in October and really want to take my lovely light fast road bike along rather than plodding on the hybrid!

[Owlie]

You'll get used to it. I felt my bike was squirrelly at first--my prior bike experience was the bike I had as a kid and the DangerBike that my friend lent to me to get used to riding a bike again.

I think "comfortable" means different things. I got used to the bike's handling quickly, after 20 or 30 miles. I got a lot more comfortable (in both senses) after I got a new saddle. (That helped with the death grip and sore arms.) I can stand for about five pedal strokes before feeling wobbly. I'm still getting comfortable with taking my hands off the bars for more than a few seconds. Grabbing a water bottle while riding is not going to happen. Don't worry too much. Just keep riding.

[WindingRoad]

I know it's already been mentioned but it's key to not have a death on your bars. Let the bike do what it needs to do in order to allow it to absorb impact. If you are clenching the bar you are transferring every little impact strait into your shoulders. This is why it's important not to ride with your elbows locked too. I have ridden the Avail and it's a super plush ride but it is a compact design so it is very responsive which is absolutely awesome feeling once you get used to it. Just keep in mind the bike has been engineered to be a wonderful piece of machinery just let it do its job and try not to fight it. I would suggest that any new rider try riding with a group, it really is a great place to learn from other riders.