Maiden Voyage

[jjcac1]

Okay this past weekend I got my new "Molly" out for the first time! Saturday was a quick ride... extremely cold and my kids watched from the driveway... but at least I worked out the whole clipless pedals & didn't fall.

Then Sunday I got out for a real ride.. a nice 10 miles. This was one thought provoking ride! The first half of the ride was spent figuring out the gears. I had read all the different posts here about gears but reading & doing are 2 different things. I think I got the basics worked out and will continue to work on this.

Then I was constantly paying attention to my body mechanics. Keep my shoulders/arm relaxed, abs tight, don’t lean on the hands… man!

Then I was trying to make sure I was spinning at a cadence of 90! Well that was hopeless! I think I made it up around 90 once or twice (usually going down hill!) I was usually around 70-85. My total speed was around 13. There was a slight wind & slightly hilly ride.

Now on to my questions. It felt like my feet where to close to the bike. Like I need a wider pedal. Does that make sense? Can you get those or is this something my body just needs to get used to?

Second my hands hurt quite a bit, which I figure was normal since this is my first ride, right?

Now about that cadence… is it realistic to think on your first ride out to be going 90? Is this something I can work up to? Was I in the wrong gear?

Thanks for your imput!

[bikerHen]

I'm not an expert, just out there riding. This is my first season with a cadence monitor. When I'm just moving down the trail my cadence is between 65 and 80+. Hills . . . I'm very lucky to stay above 50. We hit a nice, long, straight stretch of trail/road yesterday and I think I was actually spinning for the first time and did hit 90+ with my cadence at 18+ mph. It felt great and I would love to be there all the time, but it's not happening yet. It's definetly a hit or miss thing.

Spinning and high cadence are great. Don't knock yourself trying to hit the high number right now. Work up to it and enjoy the moments when you do hit it right. BikerHen

[DebW]

Give yourself time to get used to the bike, and for your body to develop the muscles required for the riding position. It will take a few weeks for your arms, hands, neck, butt, and feet to feel comfortable on the bike. But, within a couple weeks, they should. If they don't, go back to your LBS and see if the bike fit needs to be adjusted. You might need a different saddle, you might (will) want padded gloves, or maybe the handlebar reach is wrong for you. Regarding pedals, if you're using clipless, then your shoes are really your foot support, not the pedal. Pedals just attach your foot to the bike. But it could be that a different style of pedal or shoe will suit you better. Give it all some time before you start making changes. Consider pedaling cadence a long-term goal. For now, just make sure that you are never in a gear that is really hard to pedal.

[CorsairMac]

I'm not sure what you mean by your feet felt close to the bike: were you hitting anything with your feet - like the chainstay or the cranks? If not, then my suggestion would be to continue riding as they are until you have some miles - then see if they still feel too close to the bike.

Your hands probably hurt because they aren't used to riding, but you do want to make sure you aren't resting your weight on your hands. As with anything new you'll toughen your hands up some the more you ride but your hands, arms, and/or shoulders should never be painful. If they are, you need to be sure and transfer your weight to your sit bones and off your hands.

Cadence: it's not unrealistic to have a 90 cadence your first time out, cadence is how fast you're spinning your feet, not necessarily how fast you're going.....so yes you could be spinning a 90 cadence. If you aren't and it's only your first time out, dont' stress it. As you get used to the bike things will come easier.

Congrats on your first ride tho - isn't there something about being on a bike that is just uplifting and free-ing and relaxing all at the same time.

I loved the line I read somewhere about

a bike is the only vehicle whos passenger is also it's engine!

Enjoy!

[jjcac1]

I guess I felt like if I was standing I would normally have stood with a wide stance but on the bike I feel like my feet are too close together, like I have wide hips and my knees aren't inline w/ my feet? Does that make sense? Almost like that my hips - knees - feet felt more like a V than being perpendicular lines.

But is this something I will just get used to?

[MomOnBike]

I think what you are talking about is referred to as a(the?) Q factor. Don't ask me where the name comes from. Some people just need their feet further apart for whatever reason (wide hips, etc.). It sounds like you may be one of those people.

Some bike shops sell gadgets called knee savers that move your feet further apart by (I think) moving your pedal further from the crank. You might look into them. With a name like knee savers, they might be important.

Something to think about, in any case.

[JoHunter]

Congrats on having a successful (and fall free) maiden voyage! I find it impossible to keep a high cadence because my knees hurt like mad if I try to go more than 80rpm, this is mostly I think to having very short legs and long cranks. I think with time and practice gears will become a piece of cake. I'm still struggling as I have friction downtube shifters so I keep flailing around trying to find the things, then I have to be careful that the chain actually moves smoothly. O_o

What kind of bike is Molly?

[CorsairMac]

I'm still struggling as I have friction downtube shifters so I keep flailing around trying to find the things, then I have to be careful that the chain actually moves smoothly. O_o

Smoothly??......ya mean they're supposed to shift smoothly??....lol my LBS mechanic calls my stem shifters "grind em til ya find em" shifters!

[MomOnBike]

my LBS mechanic calls my stem shifters "grind em til ya find em" shifters!

I don't have problems shifting (mostly) smoothly on stem shifters. My hand just seems to know where the next gear is. Must be a musician/string player thing. I knew all those lessons would be worth something someday...