Afraid to get back on

[rcolli]

So much caring was expressed in all of your responses! I am so glad I found this site. I won't give up! I will get my seat checked, I will look for a riding buddy, I will follow all of the advice given because I can tell you all care about biking tremendously and about others getting the same enjoyment! Pads also sound like a great idea - it'll help eliminate some of the fear of falling. I haven't got back on, but the bike is still in the car. Who knows, maybe today is the day!
Thanks very much for the encouragement. I really appreciate it.
Renee

[Bikingmomof3]

Congratulations on your weight loss. :-) Please do not give up. I too an quite new to bike riding, I have only been doing it for a week. I went on my longest ride last night (7.4 miles) with real hills. I was so proud of myself and I could have continued but my riding partner (husband) was beat.
My bike is quite nice, but now that I am loving biking I am going to see a need to upgrade to a non-comfort style bike. I do not know what style of bike you are using, but mine is a "comfort" style bike. It was the bike I was most likely to get on and it worked like a charm. When I first sat on the bike I was so nervous I thought I was going to be ill (yes, I was that terrified of bike riding). After 1 week my confidence is stronger and I am really enjoying myself. I make small goals for me and have not let myself down yet. Oh, the first few days, my children helped me learn in the cul-de-sac. I was a tad embarrassed at first and then my neighbours started calling out words of encouragement.
I mention all this to show you that you are not alone.

Keep trying. Set small goals, if there is someone who you can ride with, do so. Visit here often for support. I have found the advice given here to be fantastic. I *almost* did not join because I thought I would need to have a racing bike and have logged many, many miles. I am glad I did not hesitate to join. Next year I foresee myself buying a non-comfort bike.

[rcolli]

Hum, interesting - I'm planning to put a "comfort" bike on layaway. I'm using a friends bike right now. What is the difference? What is the advantage / disadvantage to a comfort bike vs. a....... what type would be the opposite? Where do I learn all this stuff?
Thanks
A very new biking woman.
Renee

[Grog]

Usually "comfort" bikes give you more of an upright sitting position. Less aerodynamic and fast, but more comfortable (while you start riding at least, forever for many) and gives you more confidence too.

You could also look towards cruisers, like Townies. They usually have very few gears (think 3 or 7) but they allow you to sit very low and to put your feet on the ground super easily. They also are extremely pretty

Keep reading this forum, make searches (see the "Search" button on top), read the articles on the TE web site, etc. You'll learn A LOT! You can also check out your local library for cycling books and magazines, that might help. But TE is the best source, and the less pretentious by far!!

[Bikingmomof3]

I researched here: http://www.giantforwomen.com/index.p...=BIKE%20FINDER
because this is a brand my LBS carried. My bike is actually not a comfort, but a Mode-no I do not know the difference. I have a 7 speed Suede W. I really, really like my bike. A week ago I would have told anyone they were crazy to suggest I would ever get on a bike, let alone ride a bike.

Another reason I chose Giant (no affiliation) is the size. I am not tall and the bikes are fit for woman. I am sure others are as well. I am too new to the biking world to know. I spent a lot of money (for me) and had I personally tried out other bikes (i.e. rented one) I would have a "Road" bike rather than a "Mode" bike, only because I can tell my desire is much different than I thought it would be. At first I thought I might possibly ride around the neighbourhood with the boys and to and from the stores and library. Now I have future plans of some day being in races and I now need to save up for a second bike.

I doubt I answered any of your questions.

[Kano]

Hum, interesting - I'm planning to put a "comfort" bike on layaway. I'm using a friends bike right now. What is the difference? What is the advantage / disadvantage to a comfort bike vs. a....... what type would be the opposite? Where do I learn all this stuff?Renee

a "discomfort bike?"

the comfort bikes are usually designed so that we ride more upright, compared to the competitive road bikes, for example. I think that the idea is that when you're leaning forward, you have to kink your neck to see where you're going, among other things that maybe make it harder for us to get back on bikes after many years of -- in my case -- slothitude.

I've about decided that the comfort bike is a marketing trick: got me hooked, now I want to buy another bike and go like "the big kids"!!!!!

Karen in Boise

[Bikingmomof3]

I've about decided that the comfort bike is a marketing trick: got me hooked, now I want to buy another bike and go like "the big kids"!!!!!

Karen in Boise

Karen,
I think so too. I already want to upgrade and it has only been a week. I shall be saving and researching for an upgrade as a birthday gift to myself next summer.
I do have to thank the makers on the more upright bike. Had it not been for this design I would have never gotten on a bike.

[vj_pdx]

Hey Renee - A comfort bike is just marketing talk. Here's what one web site says:

Not quite a Mountain Bike, and not quite a Road Bike, the Comfort bikes have one goal in mind - "Comfort." ... These are excellent for riding around the city, campus and town, as well as for commuting purposes. ... These bikes are made to be ridden on roads, bike paths, and can be ridden on some light trails. Comfort Bicycles are designed to give you a more upright riding position, reducing strain on your neck and back.

You should get the bike that makes you want to ride it and that helps you accomplish your goals. That's a combination of looks, function, comfort.

Last year, I got a Townie (a comfort-cruiser). I love the looks, I love the comfort, I get lots of attention riding it. I got it because I wanted to really start riding my bike regularly, and with the Townie, I do. Now, I'm looking to get another bike, a road/utility bike, because my commute home has hills, and the Townie doesn't do well on them. (Though I can't bear the thought of giving up the Townie for errands around the neighborhood!)

(Does this make Townie a gateway bike?

You go, Renee! Hope this helps!

[Grog]

Many others have raised an interesting point that I'd like to underline:

It's very possible that, after riding a bike like a "comfort" bike for a while, especially if it's a decently good one (not a cheap bike from Walmart for example), you'll be hooked and you'll want to get a different bike, a faster bike, etc. (Which will be more expensive, I'm afraid to say...) It's not clear how long this process will take you, but it's quite certain that it will happen.

We are in quite different situations, but my story will give you a hint of what might happen to you eventually. In my case, I had my hybrid (which was a "performance", a trusty Trek 7100 fx, not a "comfort", but the difference is not that huge) for about 2 months before I wanted a road bike. I got the hybrid because I didn't feel very confident riding in the racier position at first. I had been riding beater bikes all my life and the step to a $1000 road bike was quite steep. But I got hooked to speed and wanted MORE of it pretty quickly. I also became a hill-eater, but that's another story.

Despite the fact that I nearly regretted getting the hybrid in the first place, because I "grew" out of it pretty quickly, I think it was the best idea for me. I started with a bike that suited my level of skills, ability, comfort and confidence. That hooked me to cycling. If I had gotten a bike that was racier to begin with, maybe I would have been too uncomfortable to really ride it, and I wouldn't have been hooked.

Bottom line: Get a bike that you're really comfortable on, that you feel confident riding. This will help you build skills and above all confidence. But also be prepared to want to upgrade to a different bike in a few months. That's okay. Start saving now though.

[Geonz]

And if feet-on-the-ground really makes a difference to you, be sure to check out the Breezer bikes, which are designed to fit right but still let you do that. http://www.breezerbikes.com/bikes.cfm

[mimitabby]

When looking at the comfort bikes in the store, pick them up. that's the weight that you will be pushing down the road.

There's a great range of weights between those comfort bikes and the mountain bikes and the hybrid bikes and the road bikes. There's a happy medium for everyone I think.

A lot of those "comfort" bikes have horrendous huge seats on them. I wonder how those work out.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A lot of those "comfort" bikes have horrendous huge seats on them. I wonder how those work out.

I rode on one of those big puffy pillow seats last weekend on a borrowed bike. After one hour my a** was in terrible pain, after two hours it went numb. No THANKS!!! Was releived to get back on a "normal" seat with just a small amount of padding. My new bike is ordered, and it will have a simple Brooks leather saddle on it. Can't WAIT!!!!!

[Bikingmomof3]

Despite the fact that I nearly regretted getting the hybrid in the first place, because I "grew" out of it pretty quickly, I think it was the best idea for me. I started with a bike that suited my level of skills, ability, comfort and confidence. That hooked me to cycling. If I had gotten a bike that was racier to begin with, maybe I would have been too uncomfortable to really ride it, and I wouldn't have been hooked.

Bottom line: Get a bike that you're really comfortable on, that you feel confident riding. This will help you build skills and above all confidence. But also be prepared to want to upgrade to a different bike in a few months. That's okay. Start saving now though.

Thank You! I have been beating myself up for spending $350 on a bike I already want to change. You are right. Had I, a terrified beginner, started on a road bike (yikes, I priced them) I would probably not be confident as I am now. I shall take this year to continue building endurance, skills, and confidence. It will also give me time to save and learn much more about bike, so when I do upgrade I make certain I know what I am getting.

[KSH]

Congrats on your weight loss! Be very proud!

Now, I didn't read all the responses, so please forgive me if I repeat something here.

Here's my advice to you... THINK POSITIVE!

Specifically, you need to say to yourself, "I am going to get on that bike and pedal. I can do it. I won't fall over. I know I can do it.".

You would be amazed at what the MIND can do! This is why they say a lot of sports are mental. You have to make your mind go in the right direction and let your body follow it.

I tell you what, everything new I have tried... I was scared of.

I was terrified of riding my motorcycle (when I was 21 years old!) for about 6 months. But I pressed ahead. Aftter 6 months, I was in love with it. The fear did not win.

I was terrified of SCUBA diving. It was scary being that deep in the water. Again, I did it over and over again, until I conquered my fear.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once her an old counsel, telling a young man, "Always do what you are afraid to do".

I try to live by that motto. Life is scary. Things we do in life are scary. Sometimes we get hurt doing them...but the fear cannot win. You have to tell yourself that. Think positive... and the rest will follow.


Good luck!

[Grog]

Ralph Waldo Emerson once her an old counsel, telling a young man, "Always do what you are afraid to do".

Or Eleonor Roosevelt's "Do every day one thing that scares you." I had this on a coffee mug once. Good way to start the day.