New Road Bike Rider

[Pedal Wench]

I'm gonna be slightly differing in my opinion. 100% agree with swapping pedals - you might never switch to clipless, but at least you're riding!

Now, about being able to reach the ground from the saddle... that's where I'll differ. Most people can't touch their toes - they have to rise up off the saddle and step down with one foot as the bike slows - in front of the saddle. So when you're stopped, you're straddling the top tube, not the saddle. I would love to say to practice this with the seat in that lower position, but it's actually much harder to do this move when the seat is too low. Do you have a trainer that you can use to practice this? If not, go ahead and lower the seat until you're more confident on the bike, and maybe practice stopping this way, even though it takes more leg strength.

[Savra]

Pedal Wench is right as far as the seat goes but I think the point is that if having the seat up makes you not want to ride - lower it down till you are comfortable. But I don't think any of us would recommend keeping it there for too long. It will mess up your knees and it does make it harder to ride with it down.

[featuretile]

I can't believe anyone (like a bike store and Husband) would tell you that you have to have your bike set up like an experienced road biker before you even get used to the bike. When I switched from a hybrid to a road bike, I used flat pedals and had the seat low enough that I could reach the ground with my toes. I got comfortable on the bike really quickly.

I slowly raised the seat up 1/4" at a time as I got more comfortable. I also added half toe-clips with no straps (which I still use). They keep your feet in the right place on the pedal and your feet come off easily, so you do not feel trapped. Maybe some day I'll go clipless. But I am recovering from a bike accident and am really glad I did not have clips at that time.

Then I finally learned how to get off the bike with the seat at the right height. It entails (for me), putting the right foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke and hopping off to land on my left foot. Once I got this down, I was no longer worried about falling over when I had to get off and did not need the lower seat height. It took over a year to figure this out and get comfortable.

So, don't give up or feel like a failure. Take your time and do what feels right for you. Don't listen to those other people and have unrealistic expectations of yourself. After 3 years of riding, I can ride pretty well. It takes time. I have gotten compliments from experienced club riders as 'most improved'.