A beginners guide to technique required.....

dcomp

I've posted a few times since I joined the forum last week and have been fortunate to get some incredible advice.

This morning, sadly, I had to post about my first off. Unfortunately, it's going to keep me off my brand new and now slightly damaged bike for at least a few days probably a couple of weeks.

I've read an awful lot of posts and topics and all sorts on the forums over the last week or so and have read an awful lot of comments that mention 'technique' or 'concentrate on improving technique' but, as a new cyclist and who has absolutely caught the bug (which makes the 'off' and subsequent 'out' an even more bitter pill to swallow), I'm not entirely sure I know what they mean. So I guess that's the first question: What do I concentrate on in order that I can improve? Bike upgrades, better pedals, more power in my legs, dropping a stone and better overall fitness does not make me Chris Hoy!

I have some unwanted down-time so I shall make the most of it and read up on as much as I can as well as getting my new pedals fitted and getting out to get shoes fitted....but some assistance on what I should read and what, as a beginner, I could really work on would be most useful.

I coined a phrase talking about a friend of mine last year which I find myself haing to apply to me 12 months on:

'He's got all the kit and none of the caboodle'

Simpy, I have the stuff but don't know how to use it properly.

Thanks in advance,

Dom

Mikey41

First off, fix whats broken and don't worry about upgrading the bike yet, that's the least of us newbies problems

I've been concentrating on finding out what gears I can comfortably spin on the flat, then what gears are best to use on various climbs to be able to maintain that cadence. This is steadily improving my fitness level and gaining strength in my legs. Then it's being smooth on the bike, looking ahead on the road to spot manhole covers (avoid them) and potholes (avoid even more!).

When taking downhill turns, be smooth and remember to keep the inside pedal raised to avoid it hitting the ground. Look well ahead at the turns and slow down more than you think you need to at first, be off the brakes as you lean it in nice and smooth, you only need minimal steering at the bars just like a motorbike.

Just get out there and ride, fitness, strength and losing that stone will take care of themselves soon enough

dcomp

Thanks Mikey, this is a really good start

I've actually been watching cadence a little over the first few days and realised that maintaining this was important, especially as I am really bad at hills, even slight! I was struggling to maintain 5mph up a hill this morning and yet on a flat and with the right gear, I can push 25-28mph.

Gear selection is proving tricky for me when moving from flat to incline. I've never understood gear ratios and the jargon spoken about on hear blows my mind but im having to shift an awful lot through the sprocs to get comfortable.

As for fixing the damage, luckily nothing vital is broken but I'm just p****d that my brand new bike has scratches, scuffs and a couple of small pieces missing!

Gizmodo

I agree with Mikey, get out there (when you can) and fitness, weight loss, strength and stamina will come.

As you said, don't worry about gears, just try to maintain a steady cadence of about 90 rpm - it will seem really high to start with but it means you can go all day. As the road goes up drop down the gears to maintain the rythm and the opposite when the road goes down.

Try these "How to" videos done by BikeRadar.com
http://www.bikeradar.com/beginners/news/article/video-road-cycling-technique-how-to-descend-33933/
http://www.bikeradar.com/beginners/news/article/video-road-cycling-technique-how-to-climb-33931/
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/video-road-cycling-technique-how-to-corner-33808/
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/how-to-train-like-a-pro-rider-34975/

simon_masterson

Make sure that you're assuming a good frontal position; whether on the hoods or in the drops. Pedal smoothly, maintaining regular cadences. Try to spin as fast as you can in the appropriate gear, and learn what the appropriate gear is for the terrain. Try to spin as fast as you can up hills.

But don't worry too much about your bike's scars. It's a tool; a few scuffs will stop you babying it. Paintwork is worth patching, but everything else you'll get over.

dcomp

Gizmodo wrote:

......just try to maintain a steady cadence of about 90 rpm - it will seem really high to start with but it means you can go all day.

90?! Holy crap! I've maxed out at 110! I think my average rpm is about 70 right now!

I'll go and and find the gear I can maintain 90rpm at and report back in a few days (hopefully).

Thanks for replying: great help!

Dom

smidsy

90 is not absolutely necessary - everyone is different. The point is though that a higher cadence rather than a bigger gear is the way to go for prolonged rides. The actual number is not critical as long as you are above 80 you should be fine.

dcomp

Smidsy, that's really interesting. Thank you.

I always assumed that pushing harder in a bigger gear would be better for power and endurance. Thinking about it, i guess it makes sense that higher cadence is going to have the desired effect.

That's why I love these boards.

Thanks!!

ShutUpLegs

Bike handling skills can only be gained by more cycling.

Pross

dcomp wrote:

Smidsy, that's really interesting. Thank you.

I always assumed that pushing harder in a bigger gear would be better for power and endurance. Thinking about it, i guess it makes sense that higher cadence is going to have the desired effect.

That's why I love these boards.

Thanks!!

Riding higher gears at lower cadence or small gears at high cadence will develop different aspects but for general riding around 80 - 90 should be comfortable.

There are various basic techniques that should be worked on such as braking, cornering, group riding, gear selection, climbing, descending etc. These are the sorts of things that Go Ride clubs will coach (often to youngsters but all riders would benefit from them - at the higher levels where everyone is very fit having better technique than your rivals can be all the difference between winning and losing).

I'll have a lot of time on my hands in a few weeks so I will do a thread then giving the various coaching points, things to remember etc. if no-one else has done it by then.

dcomp

Pross wrote:

I'll have a lot of time on my hands in a few weeks so I will do a thread then giving the various coaching points, things to remember etc. if no-one else has done it by then.

Thanks Pross. I'll keep an eye out for that. I want to make sure I cover all the basics properly which is why I thought I'd ask the question!

iampaulb

smidsy wrote:

90 is not absolutely necessary - everyone is different. The point is though that a higher cadence rather than a bigger gear is the way to go for prolonged rides. The actual number is not critical as long as you are above 80 you should be fine.

I found this the other day, after someone said to keep my cadence in the mid 90s. I was flying and i had good stamina for the whole ride. Its also more comfortable.

So if you have a garmin or something, i have the cadence reading on my 1st screen so i can keep tabs. I adjust gearing up or down to keep a cadence of about 96 (which i found most comfortable) on the flats...on my last ride i was averaging 16.5mph with that cadence

karlth

This is all very well, but with a fairly standard 52/42 chainset and a cassette going to 27, the minimum speed it's possible to maintain 90RPM at is 10.9mph.

I know a lot of hills around here where you'd have to be Bradley Wiggins to do that.

Even with my triple 50/39/30 on the largest 25 tooth cog, the minimum speed I can do 90RPM at is 8.4mph. Perhaps I'm just a lightweight, but I can't maintain that up a >10% hill. The advice doesn't match the equipment we have.

smidsy

karlth wrote:

This is all very well, but with a fairly standard 52/42 chainset and a cassette going to 27, the minimum speed it's possible to maintain 90RPM at is 10.9mph.

I know a lot of hills around here where you'd have to be Bradley Wiggins to do that.

Even with my triple 50/39/30 on the largest 25 tooth cog, the minimum speed I can do 90RPM at is 8.4mph. Perhaps I'm just a lightweight, but I can't maintain that up a >10% hill. The advice doesn't match the equipment we have.

You have the wrong legs

bails87

So pedal slower on the hills, but where you can, use a higher cadence.

MichaelW

If you split the skills into
Roadcraft
Bike handling
Performance
and deal with them in that order of priority it may help.

Roadcraft includes your position in the road, your observation and classification of potential difficulties, handling other traffic.
Bike handling skills include riding in an efficient, relaxed position, slow riding, steep descents, corners and cambers, hard and gentle braking, bunny hopping, looking behind, smooth cadence pedalling, clipless pedal use, what MTBers call "body english"ie: weight distribution and responding to bumps and shocks,
Performance: aerodynamic position, applying power smoothly from a stable position, maintaining power output on hills.
A lot of this is learnt from watching good riders on club runs.