comfortable riding a bike

How to get comfortable riding a bike?

Cycling is a great way to exercise, save money, and see the world. But if you’re new to it, you may feel hesitant about taking on that first big ride. We’ve put together some tips for getting comfortable on your bike so you can start cycling with confidence.

Ever thought about riding a bike? Or perhaps tried but got tired after just a few minutes? If you’re wondering whether you should try cycling, then we’ve got some tips to help you get comfortable riding a schwinn hybrid comfort bike.

How to get comfortable riding a bike?

1. Start off with short rides and don’t try to race your friends

Short easy rides will help you find out what bike is right for you – may be a cheap commuter that’s comfortable or one of the expensive ones designed specifically for road cyclists (if this isn’t something that interests you). If you start on a bike that’s too unsettling, two things will happen:

1) You’ll never be able to ride comfortably because that first experience was so bad.

2) Your confidence in cycling as an activity will be knocked. Find a way of getting comfortable with the big bike or else spend lots of money buying another one!

2. Start off slow (most likely not at 10mph…)

Don’t feel you need to ride like a pro. The safest thing you can do is start off slowly (not spurring the pedals forward or standing up!) and let your muscles relax into it naturally, as if riding an old bike on the side of a country lane!

5mph is sometimes great for starting out – especially if this will be enough exercise in itself, without feeling too much effort. Start at that speed and build from there with more time each week.

3. Start with a bike that fits you properly, using the seat post and handlebars to help find your natural, more comfortable riding position

Later in life (regardless of age), any experienced cyclist has “lost their legs” – and this is where many people go wrong during the initial learning process: they try to pedal as fast as possible! This means even if you do get into cycling for fitness or recreation – roads are nothing like pavements and you will lose interest in your bike, feeling defeated by it.

4. Always wear a cycle helmet

Wear the helmet for as long as you’ve got it in your possession – unless there’s some reason why you can’t. If that’s the case, then measure how much your head has grown and bought a new one accordingly. Otherwise, take these words to heart! A little slack is better than no-loos at all, especially since cyclists are more vulnerable than runners (according to most statistics), and very few people actually wear a safety helmet (admittedly, this is the exception, of course). Keep reading

6. Keep plenty of spare tubes and patches

You don’t become stranded without them during winter months or particularly rainy days! This is not an excuse to be seen as a “goody-two-shoes” rider, but for the most part, people who know how risky cycling can be cannot afford to take risks and understand that it is never worth relying on one equipment item when another will stand in (worse) stead.

7. Carry your cycle lock with you at all times on your bike

There’s no chance of thieves getting away with anything by robbing you of your ride. This is relatively safe because you can’t get away with anything more than petty theft if a thief manages to ditch your cycle’s components in a rundown part of the city, but it’s still best to lock it up!

8. Get at least some experience

Riding on lanes or incorporated public paths so that when you begin cycling, there are no surprises and nothing will feel frightfully unnatural for beginners.

9. Speak with a friend or two

Preferably some riders but maybe not just someone who is really pro, and see how the game work. Learn to tell how your average police officer will perceive you as well if they happen to be behind you while cycling! I personally believe that people of (clandestinity) cyclists should stick together – especially in open public spaces like driving lanes, where it’s downright dangerous at times.

10. Turn up the volume

On your stereo and crank out a song (or two) that will not frighten you to death, so you have no reason to turn right off in case someone decides to use their beep-beep!

Safety tips for riding a bike

  1. Wear some padded cycling shorts to protect yourself (or get new ones). Don’t forget that it’s not only your skin or bones you’re playing with but also the real things! It’d be quite a bummer when one day, while on your ride and feel at ease, all of an unexpected stroke of bad luck comes along.
  2. You aren’t looking for other traffic, so it’s not absolutely necessary that you wear lycra just to be safe, but this is what I personally advise. You don’t need cycling shoes because bikes have good soles, and while they are connected to the pedals by rubber straps (or cleats), you can just as well pedal without them. It’s purely a matter of comfort even though it doesn’t look terribly comfortable sometimes!
  3. Take the time to understand traffic lights, colors, and all. There’s plenty of debate about this issue within various online communities. Frankly, I don’t care that much if a cyclist knows how to ride safely on their own or not because it will only take you 5 minutes.
  4. No one really keeps track of where you may have parked your bike, so leave it on a safe adjacent side street or at your workplace. However, there’s no definitive “right” way to do this. You shouldn’t lock the wheels except in case of emergency (or if anyone decided to mug you), but that doesn’t mean that someone would not snatch up an unknown and pretty expensive-looking bicycle because they can see something shiny flying around out there!
  5. Honestly, if you don’t have a parent telling you off every time they see your bike laying on the street side of an intersection, that is where I’d say to stop locking it and leave it at home because honestly, those folks probably wouldn’t even bother looking when crossing there in case someone locked up right beforehand. Not being able to ride around here without locking bikes has been quite convenient for me so far!

Conclusion

In order to get comfortable riding a bike, you must first understand how to ride. If you’ve never ridden before, or if you’ve only ridden on the sidewalk, it’s time to learn how to properly ride a bike. As with any new skill, it will take some practice and patience in order to master riding a bike. But once you do, you’ll be able to go anywhere! Let us know in the comments below if this article helped you learn how to ride a bike!