when are you no longer a beginner.

elderone

just wondering what the target is to say that your no longer a beginner and have moved up to the next level,what ever that is. :?:

Briggo

elderone wrote:

just wondering what the target is to say that your no longer a beginner and have moved up to the next level,what ever that is. :?:

Once you've passed the exam.

elderone

thats me fooked then

Mikey41

Hmm, that's a tough one. I'm thinking that throughout your first year of proper cycling you're a beginner. Then you've experienced riding in all seasons.

I had a year of cycling regularly when I was 16 but there was nothing like this kind of resource back then and what I have learned now is that I was doing a lot of things wrong!

elderone

Mikey41 wrote:

Hmm, that's a tough one. I'm thinking that throughout your first year of proper cycling you're a beginner. Then you've experienced riding in all seasons.

I had a year of cycling regularly when I was 16 but there was nothing like this kind of resource back then and what I have learned now is that I was doing a lot of things wrong!

thanks for the sensible reply and that makes sense.was wodering whether distance covered came into it aswell.

Mikey41

Distance will come with time anyway if you ride regularly. If I commuted every day for a year, that's 2500 miles straight away, plus any leisure rides I do, so it's easy to rack up miles without realising.

Mike67

I've been road riding for four years now and I'm still regularly learning new stuff.
There's so many aspects to the sport that you'll always be a beginner in some of them.

Only did my first Crit this year, did my first 50 mile TT last, been doing cyclocross for all that time and still haven't figured out how not to fall off

I guess the 'wow I didn't know that' moments just decrease with the years and the hairy scary moments just scare you less

simon_masterson

When instead of asking the silly questions you are answering them.

simona75

Mikey41 wrote:

Hmm, that's a tough one. I'm thinking that throughout your first year of proper cycling you're a beginner. Then you've experienced riding in all seasons.

I had a year of cycling regularly when I was 16 but there was nothing like this kind of resource back then and what I have learned now is that I was doing a lot of things wrong!

I agree, once youve ridden through a winter I think you are no longer a beginner. If you put the bike away for 4-5 months then you are a beginner again come summer

Drumlin

If you have to ask if you're still a beginner, then you probably still are

elderone

Simon Masterson wrote:

When instead of asking the silly questions you are answering them.

In your opinion,to me as a beginner its not a silly question.also i admit asking the so called silly question,you failed to provide a useful answer,there fore you answered a silly question with a silly answer.

elderone

Drumlin wrote:

If you have to ask if you're still a beginner, then you probably still are

oh i have no doubt i am and keen as a keen thing.

Bozman

The good signs are that you'll start watching what you eat, you won't drink the night before, you will spend more time with your bike than your other half, you'll get pi$$ed off when you can't get out on your bike and your friends will comment on how gaunt you're starting to look.

#david2012

Bozman wrote:

The good signs are that you'll start watching what you eat, you won't drink the night before, you will spend more time with your bike than your other half, you'll get pi$$ed off when you can't get out on your bike and your friends will comment on how gaunt you're starting to look.

Well I'm 80% of the way there

elderone

yep me to...

Wacky Racer

Bozman wrote:

The good signs are that you'll start watching what you eat, you won't drink the night before, you will spend more time with your bike than your other half, you'll get pi$$ed off when you can't get out on your bike and your friends will comment on how gaunt you're starting to look.

Looking at your qualification list it was looking good for me, until I got to the gaunt part, and failed abysmally! Bugger!!

simon_masterson

elderone wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

When instead of asking the silly questions you are answering them.

In your opinion,to me as a beginner its not a silly question.also i admit asking the so called silly question,you failed to provide a useful answer,there fore you answered a silly question with a silly answer.

Since when did I claim that your question is silly? :roll:

However I stand by this practice.

alihisgreat

elderone wrote:

just wondering what the target is to say that your no longer a beginner and have moved up to the next level,what ever that is. :?:

when you're able to come back and troll the road beginners.. you know you've made it.

chrisaonabike

Simon Masterson wrote:

When instead of asking the silly questions you are answering them.

Nice answer. As a non-beginner in a couple of other fields, this is exactly right.

Obviously the answers have to command a certain amount of respect from other non-beginners, which may of course involve heated disagreement.

I'm quite enjoying being a cycling beginner at the moment. Everything is exciting and new and hence hugely enjoyable, I have nothing to prove, and everyone is nice.

And I have a fab new bike that's even better and more exciting than the last one I got when I was 15. Sorry, maybe I already told you that bit.. :oops:

CiB

elderone wrote:

just wondering what the target is to say that your no longer a beginner and have moved up to the next level,what ever that is. :?:

When you read a question on here and wonder how someone can possibly not know whatever it is they're asking; when you smile at posts celebrating a first 20, 30, 50 or even 100 mile ride like it's bigger than doing the TdF; when you give the wheels a bit of a wipe down and end up stripping the whole bike down to the washers as it looks like it might need it; when any distance on a bike is doable and the only issue is will you do it in time for whatever you were planning to do later that evening. In short, when biking is something that you just do without having to stop & wonder about it first.

nolight

When you are casually deliberate.
http://www.velominati.com/technology/lo ... eliberate/

DavidJB

I was giving thought to this the other day.

When you first start out you listen to the guys in the LBS...you think they are awesome and you're intimated by their bike knowledge, you ride 5 miles and your arse hurts.

Then you learn a little bit more and you realise that you know probably about as much as most LBS and you might be as fit as some of those guys. And you're smashing out the 30-40 mile rides. (Beginner)

Then as time passes and you are active in forums/cycling social groups. You get fitter and the LBS staff look like clueless, unfit jokers. You're at home in a forum asking questions for a range of topics, you respect the opinion of people of forums about what to buy and how to ride. You might race in 4th cat crits or ride lots of sportives aiming for gold standard. (Intermediate)

Then the years pass and you realise 99% of forumites don't have a clue what they are talking about. You browse the beginners forum and think about how basic the questions are (thats fine btw not having a go!). You take into account other peoples experiences with a product but as a rider you now know exactly what you're looking for in equipment, you know how to ride in a way thats best for you (i.e no questions about when to stand or sit on a hill).
You realise that the bike industry is 99% bullsh!t but still want the best stuff and you spend your every waking moment eating, reading, sleeping, riding cycling. You probably race/TT with good kit at a decent level and have a structured training plan or you're like 60 years old and ride 900 miles a day because you have more slow twitch than a dead badger and you've been riding a bike for 40 years. (Advanced)

You win loads of races, get bikes proivded for you and win the TOB and Brailsford gives you a call (Pro)


Because I get the whines this is of course said with tongue in cheek.

lotus49

This reminds me of a conversation I had with my father about sex when I was a teenager. He said then that you are no longer a beginner once you have forgotten how many times you have done it. I'm not sure that quite applies to cycling though.

Perhaps a better analogy would be a question I saw in an ex-girlfriend's magazine. Someone had written in to the agony aunt to ask how they would know if they had had an orgasm (yes, I do spend a lot of time thinking about sex :-) ), the answer came "If you have to ask, you haven't". That's probably the same here, if you're not sure, you probably still are.

elderone

some great replies lads and good reading.its nice to know im not the only one full of enthusiasm a kken willingness to learn.

Ron Stuart

Cavendish is a beginner at Omega Pharma Quickstep

fudbeer

When you realise its less about the bike and more about the fit.

Snailpace-Bob

Beginner is a relative term.
I think its good to question your ability, your stamina, your technique. It means you still enjoy it and want to improve.
Im sure riders of all experience levels read these posts and learn something from time to time.
I myself had an interesting chat with Wiggo recently and managed to give him a few pointers.

Ron Stuart

Snailpace-Bob wrote:

Beginner is a relative term.
I think its good to question your ability, your stamina, your technique. It means you still enjoy it and want to improve.
Im sure riders of all experience levels read these posts and learn something from time to time.
I myself had an interesting chat with Wiggo recently and managed to give him a few pointers.

To late he had already done the business this season after having this chat with me in the Algarve...


8)

elderone

reckon you should get him on here to tell us the tips you guys gave him lol

Pross

Bozman wrote:

The good signs are that you'll start watching what you eat, you won't drink the night before, you will spend more time with your bike than your other half, you'll get pi$$ed off when you can't get out on your bike and your friends will comment on how gaunt you're starting to look.

Damn, 23 years and still a beginner!

Drumlin

When you've got more cycling clothes than the rest of your wardrobe put together