New cyclists that give up after a few weeks

[Reynard]

I couldnt agree more, headwinds are the wore than climbs. They are soul destroying, that's another thing new cyclists are probably unaware of and another reason they give up. Then there is the cold the rain and sun and wind burn, like i said cycling is a hard sport i sometimes wonder why we do it.

Out here you can't escape the wind. You just have to live with it. Can make a real difference on a five mile ride into town. If conditions are favourable (no wind / tailwind) it's half an hour of reasonably easy cycling. If the conditions are pants, it's almost an hour of sheer hell.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Saturday there was a "Ride London Training Ride" £20 for 50 miles 2900 feet of scenery. Sunday there was a sportive 70 miles 5000 feet of scenery, £25 which included Kidds Hill. Selling a training ride is an interesting/audacious business model.

Sunday I did this. 'Twas free. The catering was great (sausage roll at Nigel's Farm Shop and Butchers in Hartfield).

I did see several people going up Kidd's, so maybe they were part of it. One was that very rare bird, someone whom I had to overtake. The other two or three were the more usual people who overtook me.

 

[Smokin Joe]

My sister would make an excellent triathlete. She was an almost international level swimmer as a teenager, is a reasonable runner when she puts her mind to it (which admittidly isn't often) and is some built for endurance sport being thin and reasonably tall. She point blank refuses to get on a bike though; she remembers the cheap, heavy, badly maintained and poorly fitting mountain bikes we rode as children, and nothing I can say will persuade her to try my light, well maintained and properly fitted road bike (we're not too different in size). She's been forever put off riding because she used the wrong bike forvthe wrong job. I doubt she's alone. I went to Halfords for my first bike. I said I wanted something to commute on, and do some utility riding. I came away with a hybrid that was probably closer to a mountain bike than anything else. It was an alright bike but it wasn't a commuter. I imagine many people have, like me, been sold the wrong bike, only to be put off like my sister. I'm just too stupid to give up!

Now that's something I don't agree with. When you start cycling you either decide to love the sensation or you don't, it has nothing to do with the quality or even the fit of the bike unless it is so far out of your size range it is dangerous. My first adult bike (Aged thirteen) was a single speed sit up and beg that must have weighed a ton, but I went everywhere on it and absolutely loved it from the word go. I would suggest that most long term cyclist began life on a bike that they wouldn't look twice at now but it did not put them off, particularly as we knew no better back then anyway. It is when you begin to understand cycling a bit more that you aspire to something better.

The one's who don't last are the newbies who walk into a shop and come out with a Di2 equipped carbon lightweight after paying for a bike fit, plus go head to toe in Rapha gear. After a year or two the novelty has gone and that's their lot. The most annoying thing about them is they then spend the rest of their lives approaching cyclists in cafes and telling them how they used to race years ago (They rode an evening ten and a couple of sportives).

 

[screenman]

All of the people I know who packed up cycling reached 17 and started driving.

 

[BalkanExpress]

I used to cycle everywhere before I learnt how to drive. The bike was transport, first and foremost. Then I fell out of cycling for around 15 years or so, only taking it up again last summer because I was in need of some exercise.

Had planned on buying a new bike, but stuck out the first three and a half months on my old and badly-fitting bike to see if I could stick it prior to splurging.

These last few months I've been looking after my mum following major surgery, and the bike's been my escape, no matter how cold or dark it's been outside. It's been good to just get outside and leave my problems behind for an hour and a half or so. The bike's also been pressed into doing commuting duties as well. Though now that the pressure's off some, it's just been great to get out, especially now that the days are getting longer and the weather's getting better.

Am not worried about times and speeds etc, don't have any gizmos or strava etc. Just enjoy being out on the bike.

@Reynard , I hope your Mum is on the mend.

If you have not read it already you may be interested in this. As it captures perfectly that sense of release which a bike ride can give, even in the most difficult of times.. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-Art...=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Escape+artist+Matt+season

 

[Reynard]

@Reynard , I hope your Mum is on the mend.

Yes, she is, thank you. She had a hip replacement, but she's 87, bless her...

 

[ozboz]

I finished early today , so met up with GF in Chiswick and peddled a short distance to Hammersmith and had some chicken butties and nice hot tea by the river , there were all types of cyclists buzzing about , GF made the comment 'that some people just do not look comfortable on a bike'
maybe thats a reason why they give up ,
whilst in Australia I once owned a Kawasaki KDX ,the one and only motorbike I ever had, and I didnt have it long , now thinking about it and I look back , that was the reason , I didn't feel comfortable on it ,

 

[Cp40Carl]

Strange how there are a lot of cyclists in the U.K. who have an inclination to buy fast bikes and dress up like they're about to cycle in the peloton, although, in the Netherlands, cycling is seen as a practical way of getting about and people commonly wear 'normal' clothes. I would hazard a guess that more people stick with it over there.

I say this as the owner of a 'fast bike' and padded cycling gear. There are a lot of different issues here but I can't help think that there is a tendency to treat cycling as a fad and some sort of club for the privileged few rather than simply encourage as many people as possible to cycle, irrespective of bike, clothes or interest in strava / coffee cake.

 

[Reynard]

Mmmmmm, well I only have the one rideable bike at the moment - my Wiggins roadie, so she serves dual purpose here. One use is as a commuter / utility hack. When I'm doing that, I'm usually riding in normal clothes i.e. jeans and a jacket, plus backpack with gubbins appropriate to the task in hand. Second use is for fitness / pleasure, and then I will break out the lycra.

BTW, my interest in cake is quite independent to my enjoyment of cycling, I assure you...

 

[Cp40Carl]

I guess I was just inspired somewhat by a Chris Boardman documentary I saw recently on cycling in the Netherlands. It was amazing how it is regarded as a practical way of life over there and everyone I saw dressed 'normally' on the commute.

 

[KnackeredBike]

I guess I was just inspired somewhat by a Chris Boardman documentary I saw recently on cycling in the Netherlands. It was amazing how it is regarded as a practical way of life over there and everyone I saw dressed 'normally' on the commute.

Critical mass - at the moment except in a handful of cities cycling is a tiny minority way of transport, councils write nice things about it and do sod all. Lots of multi-million pound road improvements for motorists here whilst the cycling infrastructure crumbles.

People moan about the actual Critical Mass protests ignoring the fact that cars choke our roads with congestion every day.

 

[JoshM]

Now that's something I don't agree with. When you start cycling you either decide to love the sensation or you don't, it has nothing to do with the quality or even the fit of the bike unless it is so far out of your size range it is dangerous. My first adult bike (Aged thirteen) was a single speed sit up and beg that must have weighed a ton, but I went everywhere on it and absolutely loved it from the word go. I would suggest that most long term cyclist began life on a bike that they wouldn't look twice at now but it did not put them off, particularly as we knew no better back then anyway. It is when you begin to understand cycling a bit more that you aspire to something better.

The one's who don't last are the newbies who walk into a shop and come out with a Di2 equipped carbon lightweight after paying for a bike fit, plus go head to toe in Rapha gear. After a year or two the novelty has gone and that's their lot. The most annoying thing about them is they then spend the rest of their lives approaching cyclists in cafes and telling them how they used to race years ago (They rode an evening ten and a couple of sportives).

I can see where you're coming from, perhaps that's true for some, even a lot of people, but I doubt my sister is unique by being put off by riding a bike she found heavy and uncomfortable. I'm not saying that she would suddenly become a cyclist if she had 'the right bike' but I'd argue there's a greater chance of her enjoying it if she rode something appropriate to the type of cycling she was doing. Road cycling (in my opinion) is much more enjoyable on the road bike I've now got than it was on the bike I started on. I happened to enjoy it just enough to not give up, but I believe I'd have been hooked from the start if I'd gone out on my current bike first. I can't believe I'm alone in that.

 

[rugby bloke]

I can see where you're coming from, perhaps that's true for some, even a lot of people, but I doubt my sister is unique by being put off by riding a bike she found heavy and uncomfortable. I'm not saying that she would suddenly become a cyclist if she had 'the right bike' but I'd argue there's a greater chance of her enjoying it if she rode something appropriate to the type of cycling she was doing. Road cycling (in my opinion) is much more enjoyable on the road bike I've now got than it was on the bike I started on. I happened to enjoy it just enough to not give up, but I believe I'd have been hooked from the start if I'd gone out on my current bike first. I can't believe I'm alone in that.

I would agree with the above. When I signed up for my first RideLondon I only had a old a pretty clunky old MTB. I convinced myself that it was all I needed and started the training program. I slogged on for months, getting up to 70 miles and did not want to admit that it was bloody hard work and not a lot of fun. It was only when I admitted defeat and bought a road bike that I appreciated that you could spend all day in the saddle and still feel human at the end.

 

[John the Monkey]

I say this as the owner of a 'fast bike' and padded cycling gear. There are a lot of different issues here but I can't help think that there is a tendency to treat cycling as a fad and some sort of club for the privileged few rather than simply encourage as many people as possible to cycle, irrespective of bike, clothes or interest in strava / coffee cake.

I think it's more that enthusiasts stick with it. Our road culture is pretty hostile, as is the prevailing culture. If you're not in love with cycling, it doesn't take much harassment, intimidation or blithely ignorant endangering of your life for you to jack it in. Particularly when you see how such attitudes and behaviour are connived with and condoned in mass media and wider culture.

I'd average at least one really worrying incident per week on my old commute, possibly more if the old fart in the Land Rover who really hated me was about on the route that week. And that's added to loads of close passes, tailgating &c that you tune out after a while. (30 mile round trip, Wilmslow - Manchester).

 

[Sixmile]

All of the people I know who packed up cycling reached 17 and started driving.

For me it was 18 as it took me a year between passing my test and being able to afford £1,800 for third party fire and theft insurance on a 1.1 Peugeot 106. Dear me, think of the bike I could've had for that!