Total Newbie

[Roadtrip]

Funny thing about the trainer. I've been eying them lately. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Last year a friend and I had a buddy system going and we we have a local recreation center with a small wellness center (small but close), so I joined. Small meant limited equipment, but they had a bike there and one with a fancy computer where you rode a variety of courses... hilly.. flat.. they even tracked your stats where you could view them online. The thing I liked the most was the virtual riders. It kept me motivated to push. As soon as I'd overtake one there was another just up the road.

My friend had a goal to loose 15 pounds before a vacation and once that date arrived, I was riding solo, but I kept going until my paid membership ended. I started to get frustrated as they only had one bike there and it was a total bummer when I'd show up for a ride and the bike was already in use. Four treadmills and only ONE bike. Once I found the right seat height that suited me I was OK. The seat WASN'T comfy at ALL. It was meant to make sure you didn't stay on that thing more then a half hour!!

I DID loose twenty pounds (OK OK-- I gained 5 of that back) in the six months... I'd ride about 7-8 miles in a half hour... so between 14-16 mph... up hills that were often 4-5% grades and one course had a kicker at the end that spiked to 12% just before the finish line.

I'll have to look at that trainer again!!

Shannon

[annabie]

I DID loose twenty pounds (OK OK-- I gained 5 of that back) in the six months... I'd ride about 7-8 miles in a half hour... so between 14-16 mph... up hills that were often 4-5% grades and one course had a kicker at the end that spiked to 12% just before the finish line.

Oh my god, your story is totally great. I also want to lose weight, but I'm just too lazy. Hope that I will get some motivation from you

[Bike Chick]

Good for you, Shannon! Keep pedaling and enjoy that bike.

I learned to ride a bike when I was young but never learned to swim. I did that at age 50 so I can totally relate to how it feels. You keep it up. Baby steps....baby steps.

Annabie, welcome to TE! Do you have a bike?

[bonabiker]

Hello everyone!
Boy, and to think I felt so embarrassed 2 yrs ago when my 5 yr old learned to ride a bike before I did. There I was with my 5 yr old coaching me, "...come on Mommy, you can do it, it's easy... just start pedaling like me!"

That was all the incentive this 41 yr old mommy needed. I learned to ride only 2 1/2yrs ago and 3 bikes later... Now, all our family trips are centered around bike paths so that my 2 kids can ride with us. In 2 short years, we've gone to Cape Cod (2X), RI East Bay path is AMAZING and Lake George. My 2 little kiddies (6&9) can ride a solid 18 miles on any given day - thanks to their "Bike Nazi Mommy" I LOVE my new "toy" - my Specialized Dolce Elite and my farthest solo ride has been 35 miles. It's such a thrill to glance down and see that I can pedal up to my top speed of 28 mph! Not bad for a newbie.

This is without question, one of God's greatest gifts - the ability to ride and enjoy nature all around you.

My advice to any newbie is to just enjoy each minute that you are riding and eventually you'll be zoom along - the key to overcoming any new challenge is to keep smiling. My next goal is to learn how to swim.


Thanks to EVERYONE here. I've been lurking along and all of your stories are so inspiring. I am proud to be a TE member.

[Roadtrip]

Little update: I found a local instructor and I have my first lesson this Saturday down by one of the local trails.

Wooo Hoooo

Shannon

[hebe]

Little update: I found a local instructor and I have my first lesson this Saturday down by one of the local trails.

Wooo Hoooo

Shannon

Fabulous! I hope you have a ball. I love my lessons, and am being frustrated by the atrocious weather and my workaholic dh reducing my practice time. Please post how your lesson goes, won't you?

Bonabiker, I hope to be able to write posts like yours in a couple of years. It was the thought of my daughter learning to ride before me that finally got me going. Good luck with the swimming!

[Roadtrip]

This is going to sound really silly... but I was practicing out in the back yard last night after work and I TOTALLY balanced myself for like 10 feet.

OK. At eleven feet I about fell over... but it's a START.

[hebe]

Brilliant!

[schnitzle]

This is going to sound really silly... but I was practicing out in the back yard last night after work and I TOTALLY balanced myself for like 10 feet.

OK. At eleven feet I about fell over... but it's a START.

That's awesome!!

[Roadtrip]

Update: Lesson One - The instructor started out by teaching some basic pre-ride rules and techniques... ABC's... but useful. Then he got me on the bike and looked at my saddle position and general fit and we adjusted the seat slightly as it the horn was slightly askew. He also showed me how to adjust the quick releases on the wheels to prevent issues with a branch, etc grabbing and opening the quick release loose and causing a crash. The basics.

He then showed me the push off to get enough momentum to be able to KEEP myself balanced and upright. He held the bike as I balanced on the bike in the ready for launch position and we practiced holding myself upright with my right foot up on the pedal at 2 o'clock. We also practiced getting up in the saddle once I pushed off and what to do if I felt I needed to bail out and put my feet down from the in the saddle position.

Then he had me get in position and push off while he and my DH jogged along side me as I peddled with them making sure I wasn't going to fall. We did this a few times going a little further each time. My arms were starting to get tired (as were they from running alongside me) and I was preparing for another go when it happened... from a standing position I started to lean right and couldn't hold it and my right foot caught on the pedal, so by the time the foot did touch down I rolled the ankle and was headed for the deck. Tush a little soar, but otherwise OK and I got my "right of passage" tumble out of the way, and more importantly realized I would be OK even if I did fall over.

We did one more pass with my two helpers guiding and agreed to practice the balanced stand at home and we'd gather for lesson two on Wednesday evening.

The instructor was pleased with my progress and for the first lesson which lasted about an hour, which was concentrated on getting my conformable on and around the bike.

That's it for round one...
Shannon

[Groundhog]

Update: Lesson One - The instructor started out by teaching some basic pre-ride rules and techniques... ABC's... but useful. Then he got my on the bike and looked at my saddle position and general fit and we adjusted the seat slightly as it the horn was slightly askew. He also showed me how to adjust the quick releases on the wheels to prevent issues with a branch, etc grabbing and opening the quick release loose and causing a crash. The basics.

He then showed me the push off to get enough momentum to be able to KEEP myself balanced and upright. He held the bike as I balanced on the bike in the ready for launch position and we practiced holding myself upright with my right foot up on the pedal at 2 o'clock. We also practiced getting up in the saddle once I pushed off and what to do if I felt I needed to bail out and put my feet down from the in the saddle position.

Then he had me get in position and push off while he and my DH jogged along side me as I peddled with them making sure I wasn't going to fall. We did this a few times going a little further each time and my arms were starting to get tired (as were they from running alongside me) and I was preparing for another go when it happened... from a standing position I started to lean right and couldn't hold it and my right foot caught on the pedal, so by the time the foot did touch down I rolled the ankle and was headed for the deck. Tush a little soar, but otherwise OK and I got my "right of passage" tumble out of the way, and more importantly realized I would be OK even if I did fall over.

We did one more pass with my two helpers guiding and agreed to practice the balanced stand at home and we'd gather for lesson two on Wednesday evening.

The instructor was pleased with my progress and for the first lesson which lasted about an hour, which was concentrated on getting my conformable on and around the bike.

That's it for round one...
Shannon

Sounds like you have a great teacher and a supportive DH. Have fun!

[hebe]

Well done!

How do you feel about it? Looking forward to the next lesson?

[stella2]

Shannon, I had to join the forum when I read your thread. Well done, and your bike is lovely I am 51 and just learning to ride a bike, having never been on one in my life before. I had a lesson with a cycling instructor 12 days ago - small bike, pedals off, saddle low, learning to balance. Apparantly, I was doing well, but I found it hard and although we got the pedals on in the lesson, I only got as far as pushing off with one foot. Determined (my middle name), I bought the bike I had in mind for me and just as your theory, it became much easier on a good bike that suited me.

Since then I have done it! I can now cycle along in a relatively straight line, but like Hebe, nerves are holding me back a little, mainly because I struggle to stop in a controlled way. I know how, but I get anxious about it. I fell off on one occasion. Not that bad of course, but instinct seems to tell me that stopping is a risky manoeuvre and I tend to chuck my legs down - sometimes before I have even begun breaking and it's all I can do not to knock myself over because the bike is still going I won't be beaten though. I will be back out there tomorrow.

Shannon and Hebe, we are women, we can do pretty much anything. We can do this

[Roadtrip]

Update Two/Lesson Two:

Quick safety check with the bike and pretty started off where we left off at the end of the last lesson. More pushing off and going a little bit further each time, with my two helpers at my side steadying me, but giving me more and more space.

We stopped briefly to let some cars clear the parking lot we were working in and we rode from the pavement and onto a flat grassy area and even pushed off from the grass. I have to say I'm getting pretty good at the saving part where I grab break and get my feet to solid ground when I feel I'm going to loose control.

I'm still struggling with the launch aspect and getting up to speed, but for the first lesson, I guess I can't really expect to be doing wheelies at this point. We worked for close to an hour and it was getting dark and on what ended up being the last run of the evening when DH dropped far off to my right and the instructor was to my left, but barely hanging on (and I later found out that I he let go all together) when I rode all on my for about 250 feet. After I came to a stop by the cars he gave me a high five and said I was doing it all on my own for the last part of that run. We ended on that high.

The feeling was amazing. The feel of the wind. The feeling of some invisible force working together with your body to move you forward. The feeling that for even a short time I was actually doing something I had feared for nearly thirty years.

It gives me great confidence that I can DO this.

Next lesson Saturday.

Thanks for all the support and kind words!!
Shannon

[Catrin]

Congratulations on the great lesson! It is indeed wonderful to be on the bike and realizing that it is all YOU