Survival guide for beginner riders

Recently, my brother has decided to buy a bike and we even went for our first ride together. While preparing it, I wrote down a few “tips” and I realized it could become something helpful for other people who are beginning as well. Of course, to me it was easy because bikes are “my element”, but I still learn a lot everyday. Doing it for my brother added a plus, so I hope you enjoy it too. 

Let’s start with the position. Confidence comes from experience (and I will talk about it later) but also from a sense of stability and comfort while on the saddle.

The first thing is to understand which is our favorite foot, the one we’ll most likely put down when we stop or in case of emergency, the same which we will give us the push when starting riding. 

It might seems stupid talking about it, but it is part of the fundamental process of riding a bike with cycling shoes.

Indeed shoes, riding with clipless (the word itself is quite confusing, clipless shoes are actually the ones that “clip”) pedals can be a pain in the neck for a fresh cyclist but very rewarding in terms of safety while learning. The system to clip in and out is so much easier and gives you more play in terms of movement even if the platform where your feet are is a touch smaller. If you are not bothered so much about aesthetics (MTB shoes are a bit more bulky) please choose MTB shoes and pedals instead of road ones. 

On descents, keep your  hands always on the drop, holding tight the bar but with loosen elbows. By doing this you will avoid any slipping or loss of control, a better power on the brakes and some shock absorption to minimize any road imperfections.

Learning how to modulate the braking, memorizing which hand controls the front and which one controls the rear brake, is also a fundamental part of getting to know your bike to understand how she reacts to braking. 

Some more on how to descend: like in motorbikes, leaning our body left or right according to the side we are turning helps the bike to follow the direction we want. 

If we turn left, the left knee becomes the internal one and it will flex by going up so we avoid touching the left crank arm and the pedal to the ground while on the bend.

For a beginner rider tyre pressure is quite an important thing. Pretty pumped tyres can allow you to go faster but on the flip side they reduce the handling a lot. For this reason I would suggest not to exaggerate with pressure, less air will allow you to absorb better potholes or road imperfections.

Even pros drop their tyre pressures on wet days or while riding off road to improve the handling.

In this process, we are learning how to handle a bike and find ourselves comfortable out there. We are aiming at having some fun, not breaking speed records or winning anything. 

Like everything, cycling is a sport/activity that needs practice, with time we get better and it takes us to challenge ourselves more and more.

Experience is a key factor in cycling. Knowing the route, the roads and the climbs we are tackling in advance is a good way to predict anything unexpected.

By looking a little bit in the distance, it allows us to shift gear in advance and face even a steep climb in a safe way without the risk of snapping a chain or messing the gear.

Attention while riding is also fundamental. Attention to what surrounds us, to the traffic, to any junctions and any obstacles. As a rule of thumb I find it very safe to stay at least 1 meter away from parked cars along the road, just in case someone inside accidentally opens the door without checking the mirror. When we ride new roads, avoid staying too close to the external edge of the lane. If we find ourselves in the situation of dodging a pothole, some broken glass on the ground or any other things and we have simultaneously a car overtaking us we might find ourselves in trouble. 

I always prefer to occupy a little bit more space on the carriage instead of forcing myself to the edge without any escaping options too close to the ditch.

Last but not least, staying present: it’s the only way we’ll be able to manage doing all the previous things I’ve mentioned. Staying present with what’s happening will also bring benefits to our mind, and will allow us to have fun, which is the reason why we ride in the first place, right?