I often get questions about cycling tips from beginners looking for fast improvements. So I introduce them to the basic training principles and rules for optimal training I know. Training consistently for an extended period is a cornerstone in every cyclist’s success and using some principles for recovery that accelerates the progress.
Nevertheless, it can be good to hear what my readers suggest as cycling tips for beginners.
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When someone starts cycling I usually suggest a few group rides that are good for beginners or get them to do one of the longer challenge rides.
Getting in a well paced bunch teaches them alot about cycling, gives them friends to ride with and makes the starting process alot more fun.
The challenge ride, like around the bay in a day, set them an achievable goal which encourages them to go beyond what they thought their limits were. I am currently trying to get my 60year old mother to register for a 100k ride with the offer of doing it with her.
Five tips.
1. Get fitted for your bicycle. It's worth it.
2. Pedal on lower gears, at higher cadences.
3. Pedal in circles, don't stomp.
4. Hydrate, and make sure to eat before and after rides.
5. Trimming two pounds off your bike can cost hundreds of dollars, trimming two pounds off your body is relatively costless.
My best tip:
Start Slow, End Fast - For beginners, the key is to start with something simple and in an environment where there are not too many hazards or obstacles. As you build up your confidence, you can start to go faster and on more tricky terrain.
Remember, the rabbit may not always win the race, to be slow and steady may just do the trick for you!
Get a riding partner. As with starting any training program, the hardest thing is to just do it. When you set a time to ride, its hard to blow it off when you know your partner will be waiting for you and vice versa. My training partner and I ride before work at 5:30 AM. We meet at a mail box nearby our homes. We never leave each other there waiting.
As a new cyclist myself, I can tell you the MOST important thing is to get your ass out there and just ride. Everything else comes after that, and nothing can possibly come before. Great website!
Thanks, Craig
Numb toes:
Stretch your hamstrings, quads (against a wall), and calfs before riding. This will loosen up your muscles and allow increased blood flow to your feet. Make sure your riding shoes are loose. Now here come the weird tips. If you normally take a shower then try sitting down while you shower. I noticed that after a ride my toes get even more numb if I stand on the hard surface of the bathtub. And finally try Robert Bruce's NEW energy ways on your feet. Those exercises help quite a bit, even though they were designed for something else entirely. Replacing the default paper thin insoles with Superfeet or SOLE is highly recommended as well. A metatarsal pad may also help.
Seat:
The further forward your seat is the easier it will be to overly engage your quads. The further back your seat is the easier it will be to engage your hamstrings through "pulling up and back." You want to find that spot right in the middle.
The worst thing you can do is go out there and push yourself way beyond what your current level of fitness is. Doing this will only injure your body and leave you off the bike for possibly many weeks. Don't forget to rest either. It is worth reminding yourself that "rest requires discipline ”“ the discipline to not over-exert yourself."
Find a cycling buddy to ride with!!!
Riding alone is a beginners nightmare (as is winter cold). Finding someone that you can rely on to go for regular rides with is almost as important as the bike itself. If exercise has always been a chore then staying motivated is essential to avoid latent ambivalence getting the upper hand over you.
Stay disciplined and regular. Four rides a week is a reasonable starting goal.
Cycling should be compulsory, well .... if I had my ay it would!!!
The two most important things to me, as a beginning cyclist and bidding racer, is to get out there and ride, and get out regularly in a group. You'll feel accomplishment by getting the miles under your belt and you'll get a huge amount of motivation from riding with like minded people.
I'm a beginner but experience pain in the neck and shoulders/shoulderblades on long runs >40km. anything i must look at specifically?
For very beginners!
Wear a helmet. Reveiw traffic safety stuff.
Strech your hamstings. and warm you muscles with a quick walk around the block before you get on the bike.
Dress for the weather with stuff you have- Sunscreen, sunglasses for sun. For mild wind gloves and something to keep the ears warm. From there get ready to enjoy exposure to the elements. The exposure is a little more intense on a bike than walking.
Pick a place near your house, bike trail or nice quiet block with some easy elevation to play with. A little car traffic is plenty of stimulation at first. Car exhaust is unpleasant. Just make laps around a block or so at first.
If you haven't ridden much since you were a kid, it is uncomfortable at first and car traffic can be nerve wrecking. 15 minutes is a respectable ride at first. Balancing on a real bike, feeling the wind, and watching the scenery go by is so much more rewarding than riding a stationary bike. Three short rides in a week will give the muscles and senses time to acclimate.
The next week, push a little harder. Make one lap to warm up and aim for 30 to 45 minutes.
The first seven minutes are easy. From 7 to 15 minutes are the most uncomfortable. The helmet is sweaty, the arms are not comfortable, the seat is hard, and the tops of the legs are heavy. Live with it for 8 more minutes. Concentrate on breahing through the nose deep with the mouth closed like you are trying to get air to the quads. Breath a lot and don't be shy about it. Car fumes are not good oxygen! The rest of the body will settle in and help the quads. The lower legs, arms and trunk muscles start coordinating and the tops of the legs get some help. Goofy, but talk nice to yourself and appreciate your efforts. A block for a lap is nice since you only have a short predictable grade to deal with. Go the otherway if you need to to get the wind behind you on the uphill.
From 15 to 30 minutes it is work, but it just feels better. From 30 minutes to 45 to 1 hour it is even more comfortable. Just quit while it is fun and safe and walk a bit to cool down.
Once you can ride for an hour a few times a week, it is time to branch out and invest in some stuff. Schedule, habit, and success have been established and the block lap is any easy way to get on the learning curve.