Learning...

[Hebe]

I hope you're ok Swampy, I think it's a rite of passage as my shins were almost permanently scraped and bruised last summer. That said, I don't think bike handlebars should really do that - can you get anyone to check your bike over, or is it due a 6 week service soon? You could do without stuff like that getting in the way of your learning.

Well done on the progress though - tarmac is so much easier, isn't it? Hang in there, come the spring you'll be riding everywhere. You too, Hatties. If not before.

 

[swampyseifer]

I'm fine! I know I'm going to get the odd scrape and wot-not while learning!

I think the reasons the handlebars spun was, not only because as I've already said I need to adjust the seat to take weight off my palms...but also I do remember loosening the bolts around the handlebar last time to see if I could raise the handlebars...so maybe I didnt tighten them up properly!

 

[swampyseifer]

so peeps...update for you to finish the year on!

Finally got round to riding today (considering i've spent nearly 2 weeks at home, I've been so busy I havent had a chance to go out! Well that and the weather, its been rain and wind everyday!)

So anyway, I took my pocket-size bike toolkit I was given for xmas and used it to undo the handlebars, spin them back round the the right way and then tightened it back up. All sorted. Alas I could not undo the allen-bolt holding the seat in place, that mutha is tight!!! Might need to find someone with a stronger grip to have a go!

Anyway, went back up to the long carpark again...its a good wide long straight thats perfect for riding up and down, there's the occasional drain to throw my balance off but other than that its ok.

All I did was ride up and down, up and down, up and down...trying to concentrate on not neccesarily trying to sit bolt upright, but to try and "feel" the bike through my body and get to a point where its not about making sure I dont lean one way or the other but trying just be smooth about correction when it does happen. I mean i'm sure its actually bloody hard to find a perfectly flat surface, I'm sure on nearly every surface you ride on you're always making continual small changes as the surface will affect your bike in many ways. So yeah, I'm assuming its more about getting used to automatically correcting the deviances of the ride instead of trying to stop any deviance from happening! I hope that made sense...almost sounds a bit Zen when I read it back. "it is not you riding uneven, but the ground beneath your wheels"

Anyway, not much happened to report....oh my trouser leg once again got caught in the spokes and actually tore this time...so I have indeed learned my lesson to ensure I tuck trouser in sock!

Anyway, here is another youtube upload of one of my last runs. watching it back is very good for learning about my riding....cuz on the bike, when I swerve a bit, it feel like so much more of a serve than it looks on video.

Sorry for the windy noise, it just shows how bad it is at the moment. Also, sorry for the over-zooming, the missus is still getting used to our new camera we got at chrimbo!

 

[BrumJim]

Looking good.

You keep looking down, presumably to check that the front wheel is still there. Don't worry - you'll notice if it does go misisng, without even looking!

Try to fix your eyes on a point in the distance, and keep cycling towards it. Stop when you can see the mistakes in the mortaring between the bricks on the wall that you are heading for, or preferably sooner! In that way, you'll set a straighter path, and be able to see cars pulling out in front of you - which hopefully there won't be on that car park.

Good end to the old year, and make sure that the new one starts as well!

 

[CopperCyclist]

If you haven't already done so yourself, compare your recent video to your first one and you can see how much you've improved! I'm with BrumJim - try not to keep looking down and your stability may be improved - but to be honest you don't need advice from any of us, just keep riding and you'll improve naturally!

 

[Hebe]

Brilliant! That looks quite hard work in that wind too. Were you able to sort the seat post, in the end?

 

[I like Skol]

That's great swampy. I haven't checked on your progress for a while but glad to see you are still at it. It looks like you are ready for some challenges now. Once the weather starts to improve there will be no stopping you and no looking back.

 

[swampyseifer]

Yo all...yet again I'm writing about a ride!

Tho to be honest I feel a bit crap because I've had several (at least 6) occasions where I could have gone out in the last 4 or 5 weeks and something always seems to draw me away...its annoying because there is so much I could have learned in those 6 sessions.

Still, moving on from the negative...positive stuff!

Went out this afternoon...first time with my new cyclecomputer. In the end I felt that paying £150+ for things like HR and cadence was a bit pointless when I cant even cycle a mile in one go...so I bought an £8.00 one, all it shows is current speed, trip and odo...all I need really!

So yes anyway, went out but this time I went to a park right near where I live which has a section of grass with a running track...but I thought it would be good for me to practise turning (you'd be suprised how hard I find it to not lean against the bike when I try to turn and that in turn makes it hard to turn!) and keeping the bike under control. By having a clear visual guide (i.e. the track) to follow it was making it kinda easier to see when I was drifting or whatever. Went off onto the grass a few times but also came back on the track as soon as I could.

The only annoying thing is that obviously this track loops round and I thought that would be perfect as I could go round and round without having to stop...however, at one end it raises up sharply, say about 30degrees for around 4 metres, then it levels out for the narrow edge and then goes down at around the same amount to go back onto one of the long straights. I just COUND NOT make it up...I know it sounds pathetic but I couldnt. I so very nearly made it one time as I intentionally pedelled really hard on the approach and was getting upto around 15mph according to the computermabob, but as soon as I hit the rise I got slower and slower, and pedelling became harder and harder and because I'd already whacked meself out on the apprach I just didnt have the puff left to keep going and stopped maybe 2/3rds of a metre from where it levels out!

So yeah, I was out for around 45mins...did 1.17 miles and was probably averaging about 8mph on the flat straights (under my own steam). Still, thats my first mile done...something I could say I never would have thought I would have managed 4 months ago! I guess next target is to be able to do the complete circuit without stopping!

Reading back it sounds so crazy, feeling chuffed for being 29 years old and managing my first mile of riding (not even a continuous mile)...

oh and this is my attempt at a wideangle shot of the park and the track

 

[ianrauk]

friggin' awesome mate. Chuffed for you too. Keep it up. You're getting there.
Keep doing those laps and it will all start to come together.

A very good and sensible call about the computer.
All the expensive gadgets come at a later date when you are knocking out the 50+mile cycle rides

 

[CopperCyclist]

Gears Swampy, gears!

You need to change down to a lower (easier to pedal) gear as you are going up the hill. This will counter it getting harder to pedal and you'll get up there. Remember to then switch back into the higher gear when you get back on the downhill/flat.

If you're doing 15mph, you definitely have easier gears to use in that bike. The best way would be to use the gear changer on the right hand side of your bike, which changes the rear gears - have a play. If that doesn't work for you, using the gear changer on the left changes the front cogs. If you aren't already in the smallest front cog, changing down to a smaller front cog will also make pedalling easier.

 

[gb155]

Lov the op - a really nice read

 

[swampyseifer]

Cheers ian and gb!

Gears Swampy, gears!

You need to change down to a lower (easier to pedal) gear as you are going up the hill. This will counter it getting harder to pedal and you'll get up there. Remember to then switch back into the higher gear when you get back on the downhill/flat.

If you're doing 15mph, you definitely have easier gears to use in that bike. The best way would be to use the gear changer on the right hand side of your bike, which changes the rear gears - have a play. If that doesn't work for you, using the gear changer on the left changes the front cogs. If you aren't already in the smallest front cog, changing down to a smaller front cog will also make pedalling easier.

I was sitting at gear 2front and 5rear for the majority of it...I did try changing the front gear on the approach to the uphill at one point but I think I changed it up to 3, which was rediculously hard and made things worse!

I then went back to the start of the track and did it again but this time I switched the rear gear down to 4...so 2front 4 rear. That was when I did my best attempt at going up the incline...so I guess really I just need to go lower on the rear gear maybe to 3 would be enough...at least I assume changing the front down to 1 is not going to be the best option as that is in theory moving me an entire 7gear equivalent.

TBH I didnt change gears to start with as I didnt really think it was worthy of a gear change, like I say its only a 4 metre or so stretch. I just seemed unneccesary to move two whole gears for 4 metres, then on the flat and then back up two gears when I go back down. Plus, when coming down the other side (which I tried for the fun factor!), my pedals were loose, which I assume means I need to gear up. So really in the space of 15-ish metres I need to switch down two gears and then switch up two gears?

Oh and one more thing with the gears, this may be an obvious question but should I keep pedelling while changing gear? There's quite a hefty clunk that rings through the bike, as in I can feel it and in fact when I changed the rear gear at one point, the clunk was that harsh that I lost control for a second...it felt like the back of the bike bucked about slightly! Just wondering whether its me pedelling when I shouldnt or whether its my cheaply made bike not changing gear smoothly.

 

[BrumJim]

Feel free to change gears frequently. Keeps the mechanism nice and free and gives you good practice. Changing up 2 and down 2 in 15 metres sounds OK if you have a rise to get up. Gear levers were moved form the frame to various positions on the handlebars in order to make frequent gear changes a reasonable proposition.

When I'm on the canals I get these short, sharp rises. I can either pedal furiously to get up to 18 mile/h, and then stand up out of the seat and power up the rise like crazy, or drop 3-4 gears and take it easy. When you get stronger and fitter, the first might be an option, but for the moment, go for the second.

You need to be pedalling to change gear, but not pushing too hard on them. You'll get the feel and timing with practice, but pushing hard whilst changing gear will lead to all sorts of sudden mechical thumps, and at worst, a broken chain. Not that an experienced cyclist would ever make such a mistake.

 

[CopperCyclist]

...at least I assume changing the front down to 1 is not going to be the best option as that is in theory moving me an entire 7gear equivalent.

This is a normal misconception - one I shared too when started riding bikes. Swopping one gear at the front doesn't equate to changing all the gears at the back - in your case all seven. There's actually some overlap. By this I mean you could be in the 'easiest' gear at the front, but select a gear at the back which makes the bike quite hard to pedal, much harder than being in the 'hardest' gear at the front with the 'easiest' rear cog.

It's all down to practise and experimentation at the end of the day - don't worry about giving different gear combos a try, don't worry about swopping up and down loads, you'll end up finding what works for you.

 

[swampyseifer]

Thanks for all the advice!

That is interesting cop! I guess you have to look at gears as a unit, not individually. Like its not front gear 1, 2 and 3 and then rear gear 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Its gear front1 rear 6 or front3 rear 2 etc

I shall have a go tomorrow morning probably, I've got the gym at 12, but I really want to get back out on that track. I think I struck gold with trying that park, as the thought of being able to ride right around the track without stopping is on my mind...