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What do you say to cycling noobs?

chris_basschris_bass Posts: 4,913
edited July 2017 in Road general
someone at work just asked me the following:

"i'm trying to get back into cycling, i have just spent £500 on some new wheels but what can i do to get faster?"

I did reply "Pedal faster" but then their face dropped, i think they were after some magical pearl of wisdom to help them out. I just basically said get out there and ride your bike a bit (didnt say stop spending money on it but probably should have done!).

What would your tips have been as i think mine weren't really what they were looking for!
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  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,042
    I tend to run a mile when someone talks about "more speed"... I find genuine beginners who want to cycle 4 miles to work a lot more interesting to be honest.

    I'd rather talk about e-bikes and folding bikes than aero bikes...
    left the forum March 2023
  • chris_basschris_bass Posts: 4,913
    I'm 100% with you on that!

    I would never ever class myself as a fast cyclist or someone who wants to cycle any faster
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • lettingthedaysgobylettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    "Ride your bike. Then ride it some more. Then a bit more"
  • bendertherobotbendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    I tell them that to get faster you need to go faster.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • slowbikeslowbike Posts: 8,498
    Chris Bass wrote:
    someone at work just asked me the following:

    "i'm trying to get back into cycling, i have just spent £500 on some new wheels but what can i do to get faster?"

    I did reply "Pedal faster" but then their face dropped, i think they were after some magical pearl of wisdom to help them out. I just basically said get out there and ride your bike a bit (didnt say stop spending money on it but probably should have done!).

    What would your tips have been as i think mine weren't really what they were looking for!

    Your advice was probably spot on - they probably crunch around at 60rpm ... get that up to 80rpm+ and they'll see some benefit ....
    Yes - I could do with doing the same - although I'm not bothered with my speed on the flat - just that up the hills ...

    £500 on new wheels ... oh well - it's their money ... !
  • fat daddyfat daddy Posts: 2,605
    I want to cycle faster as well ... my tips would be

    (1) don't slow down
    (a) learn to corner so you don't keep scrubbing speed on descents
    (b) learn to bunny hop so you can get over speed bumps without braking
    (c) keep pedalling when you over the brow of a hill
    (2) go out earlier - less traffic and its cooler so you can go harder
    (3) don't cycle in town ... it doesn't matter what you do your ave speed will ALWAYS be 14mph
    (4) use strava - when you look at your segment times and realise if you had pedalled a little bit harder on that hill you can knocked a second off ... do that every time and eventually you end up 355/6324
    (5) commute - just spending every day on the bike improves your confidence and handling so you are smoother at the weekends
    (6) join a club full of 20year olds so you die every club ride hauling your 43 year old body behind them gasping to keep up !
  • FlâneurFlâneur Posts: 3,081
    Ride more often and get better. Time investment will give you a return
    Stevo 666 wrote: Come on you Scousers! 20/12/2014
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  • davesnotheredavesnothere Posts: 620
    fat daddy wrote:
    do that every time and eventually you end up 355/6324
    !

    :lol:
    GET WHEEZY - WALNUT LUNG RACING TEAM™
  • singletonsingleton Posts: 2,468
    I improved when I started riding regularly with faster riders.
  • PalladiumPalladium Posts: 81
    Do they commute to work? If not tell them to commute to work, get on that lycra and get into zone 4!

    Get on Strava, that did it for me, when I was a noob my average speed was probably only 26/27 but you improve marginally every ride, you get fitter, now even my slowest rides are done at over 30 :)
  • meursaultmeursault Posts: 1,433
    Get your mates or work mates to go with you and enjoy it. No-one cares how fast or long you can go.
    Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.

    Voltaire
  • PalladiumPalladium Posts: 81
    meursault wrote:
    Get your mates or work mates to go with you and enjoy it. No-one cares how fast or long you can go.

    Friend: "Hey do you have any tips how go faster, as I'm trying to get back into cycling"
    Meursault: "No-one cares how fast or long you can go"

    Top notch advice there, really helpful, I'm sure he would be really appreciative of that answer
  • meursaultmeursault Posts: 1,433
    Palladium wrote:
    meursault wrote:
    Get your mates or work mates to go with you and enjoy it. No-one cares how fast or long you can go.

    Friend: "Hey do you have any tips how go faster, as I'm trying to get back into cycling"
    Meursault: "No-one cares how fast or long you can go"

    Top notch advice there, really helpful, I'm sure he would be really appreciative of that answer

    Prego! Truth hurts.
    Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.

    Voltaire
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,599
    Noobs? Ignore them.
    I only talk to other riding gods.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • chris_basschris_bass Posts: 4,913
    cooldad wrote:
    I only talk to other riding gods.

    I fear you may be on the wrong forum in that case!!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,599
    Sometimes I slum it to see how the other half live.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • mr_mojomr_mojo Posts: 200
    To stop talking up their ability. When they go on about how they smashed the last ride or how they always ride so hard they want to throw up.

    Normally spoken by some mamil who rides a £500 Boardman and is a good two stone overweight.
  • jgsijgsi Posts: 5,062
    Male noobs apparently we talking about here?, the lady noob is awaiting a seismic shift...
    http://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release/ ... 0%99-numbe
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 24,685
    Don't buy upgrades, cycle up grades.
    That, and it is all about the cafe stop with mates, not speed.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • slowbikeslowbike Posts: 8,498
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Don't buy upgrades, cycle up grades.
    Yer - but there's nothing like a new bit of kit to encourage you to go out and use it ....
    PBlakeney wrote:
    That, and it is all about the cafe stop with mates, not speed.
    Only if you're faster than them - otherwise it's all about the speed - to enable you to comfortably ride to that cafe stop without arriving as a pile of quivering jelly....
  • craigus89craigus89 Posts: 887
    meursault wrote:
    No-one cares how fast or long you can go.

    Never a truer word spoken on this forum.
  • tangled_metaltangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Train harder. Get a turbo for winter and hammer it so you're faster for summer. A season of the turbo boredom you'll not worry so much.about your speed. That happened to me.

    Why is speed important to them? Isn't the.enjoyment of being out on a bike enough? I.enjoy my 6mph rides with junior as much as my head down, nothing left in the.tank solo rides. There's only the one.connection between those extremes and that's me, sat on a bike pedalling along.The best part about it IMHO.
  • slowbikeslowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Why is speed important to them? Isn't the.enjoyment of being out on a bike enough? I.enjoy my 6mph rides with junior as much as my head down, nothing left in the.tank solo rides. There's only the one.connection between those extremes and that's me, sat on a bike pedalling along.The best part about it IMHO.

    6mph with Junior is enjoyable because you're able to enjoy the social aspect with your child who can't (yet) do 20mph avg over 120 miles. Similarly I enjoy the 2mph pootle with my 2yo on his balance bike.

    If your solo rides were at the same speed (because you couldn't get any faster) you'd get frustrated I'm sure- especially when you're overtaken by me with my 2yo on the back ... ;)

    I've ridden TTs - and, as you know - that's ballsout effort for a short period - early on I got asked if I had enjoyed it ... to which I replied "not really - it's hard work" - which is the point - it is hard work and no, I didn't "enjoy" the ride - the feeling of being on my last legs, heart pumping like there's no tomorrow and the feeling of my kidneys being left on the road 1/2 mile from the end - none of that is pleasant - none of that is enjoyable - what IS enjoyable about it is the result (assuming it's reasonable!) - knowing that I've achieved the goal or better - so yes - it IS all about the speed - or the increase of it anyway.

    So the question of "How do I get faster" is IMHO, reasonable - as by getting faster you get enjoyment out of riding easier
  • fat daddyfat daddy Posts: 2,605
    Mr_Mojo wrote:
    who rides a £500 Boardman.

    oooh, I never new you were one of those elitist cyclists who judge people on their bike :mrgreen: yes damn them for wanting to go faster ..... tell them its not allowed until they they can afford a £3000 bike
  • fat daddyfat daddy Posts: 2,605
    Craigus89 wrote:
    meursault wrote:
    No-one cares how fast or long you can go.

    Never a truer word spoken on this forum.


    Well, until its on Strava, then suddenly anyone faster or cycling longer is cheating ... and I am going to quit Strava .. WAHHHHHHH toys out pram
  • timothywtimothyw Posts: 2,482
    I don't think I'd really classify anyone spending £500 on wheels as a cycling noob.... well, unless they were the sort of character that throws money at everything, 10 grand hifi with £200 power cables sort of person.

    A cycling noob would be someone who says they are thinking of getting into cycling and has about £250 to spend, which carrera/viking bike/anchor should they get....

    This person sounds more like a Fred/Mamil/all the gear no idea type. A serious dose of HTFU sounds like what they need.
  • N0bodyOfTheGoatN0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 5,784
    Strava to chase your own PBs; HRM; zone 4 hilly rides unless you have a known medical condition; take water and a bit of food for ~30min+ rides; at least two rest days per week.
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
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  • tangled_metaltangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Slowbike wrote:
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Why is speed important to them? Isn't the.enjoyment of being out on a bike enough? I.enjoy my 6mph rides with junior as much as my head down, nothing left in the.tank solo rides. There's only the one.connection between those extremes and that's me, sat on a bike pedalling along.The best part about it IMHO.
    If your solo rides were at the same speed (because you couldn't get any faster) you'd get frustrated I'm sure- especially when you're overtaken by me with my 2yo on the back ... ;)
    Seriously? 8mph is my partner's average speed. No frustration at all even though primary school kids overtake her. I keep saying that our 4 year old is matching his speed to her so he doesn't leave her behind. Speed isn't everything. Being out on a bike is. YMMV!
    PS I'm back from holiday and had the choice of car or bike. I'm usually taking the car but today it's the bike. I'm glad I did that even though my legs wouldn't work. Struggled to keep over 10mph. Still enjoyable.
  • slowbikeslowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    Why is speed important to them? Isn't the.enjoyment of being out on a bike enough? I.enjoy my 6mph rides with junior as much as my head down, nothing left in the.tank solo rides. There's only the one.connection between those extremes and that's me, sat on a bike pedalling along.The best part about it IMHO.
    If your solo rides were at the same speed (because you couldn't get any faster) you'd get frustrated I'm sure- especially when you're overtaken by me with my 2yo on the back ... ;)
    Seriously? 8mph is my partner's average speed. No frustration at all even though primary school kids overtake her. I keep saying that our 4 year old is matching his speed to her so he doesn't leave her behind. Speed isn't everything. Being out on a bike is. YMMV!
    Some people have no competitiveness or drive ... Look at Angelica Bell in Tour de Celeb - quite happy to sit at the back and coast ... so yes - just being sat on the bike can be enjoyment enough. But for many, there is a desire to do things just a bit better/faster ...
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    PS I'm back from holiday and had the choice of car or bike. I'm usually taking the car but today it's the bike. I'm glad I did that even though my legs wouldn't work. Struggled to keep over 10mph. Still enjoyable.
    I came back from holiday (all day driving) and did a TT the following morning - bit slower than last years same course but not much ... helps that I did a couple of rides on holiday :) I didn't "enjoy" the TT - but I was happy that I'd come close to my time - better than I thought I'd achieve given lack of training ... it was a tad over 10mph though ;)
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 24,685
    Slowbike wrote:
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Don't buy upgrades, cycle up grades.
    Yer - but there's nothing like a new bit of kit to encourage you to go out and use it ....
    PBlakeney wrote:
    That, and it is all about the cafe stop with mates, not speed.
    Only if you're faster than them - otherwise it's all about the speed - to enable you to comfortably ride to that cafe stop without arriving as a pile of quivering jelly....
    Mates don't drop mates on a café run. End of.
    That is racing, or being members of a censored club.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
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