The Beginners cycling challenge

[deborah]

I look in dismay at the cycling challenges here. MMM says we should all ride our bicycles. Well, I have got one, but when we moved here more than a decade before I retired, we put the bicycles at the back of the junk room, so I haven't reached Step 2 - where the steps are:

Step 0: Research what bicycle you want and how to obtain it (added courtesy of nzmamma)
Step 1: Obtain a bicycle.
Step 2: Locate a place to store it so that you can access it easily to ride every day.
Step 3: Ensure that the bicycle is rideable (including in roadworthy condition)
Step 4: Ensure that you have the minimal appropriate gear to ride your bicycle (helmets if they are compulsory where you live, footwear, trouser clips (could be rubber bands)...)
Step 5: Practice riding your bicycle somewhere safe
Step 6: Start riding it each day - You are a WINNER!!!

Please advise if there are more steps to go from beginner to winner.

Thanks to jordanread and Kmp2 see http://bikeyface.com/2013/05/08/small-steps/
which includes the following (for steps 5 and 6):



So I figure that there might be others like me who have not made it to step 6, and I wondered if anyone was up to a challenge to get to step 6 by the end of the year?

[nzmamma]

I'm in. Still on step 0. Will have to start researching... maybe find a good New Years sale to be taken advantage of?

[minority_finance_mo]

I'm in. Still on step 0. Will have to start researching... maybe find a good New Years sale to be taken advantage of?

Try craigslist, the real everyday low pricing.

[happy]

Well, I'll join. I have a bike, but I probably need step 1b: make sure said bike is in roadworthy condition and find the bike pump.  Its been a while. I've been meaning to start but keep putting it off.

I have a dream of an electric bike so I can do my shopping ( at the bottom of a big hill), but refuse to get one until I am riding more regularly.

[1967mama]

Thanks for posting this challenge!

I am somewhere around Step 4.5 :-)

[nzmamma]

I'm in. Still on step 0. Will have to start researching... maybe find a good New Years sale to be taken advantage of?

Try craigslist, the real everyday low pricing.

Good thinking. We don't have Craigslist here in New Zealand but I am always selling things on our equivalent site... never buy. Will start a watch list now. Now at Stage 0.10 perhaps? ;-)

[jordanread]

Once you all kick ass on this challenge, I can't wait to see you join in the monthly cycling challenges. However, one of the best resources for step 0 - 1 comes from our very own Bakari. Check out Buying bikes from Craigslist.

[Thegoblinchief]

I'll follow the thread if folks need advice/encouragement. :)

Cycling is awesome. My best advice to get from step 5 to step 6 is "pretend your car is broken". When the car isn't even an option is when the mindshift really occurred for me.

[Jon_Snow]

I don't own a bike, mostly because I don't feel comfortable riding one in a city setting. I DO ride a stationary bike at the gym - I do about 10 miles per session, 5 days a week. At most, I might feel a part of this thread in a most peripheral way.

When I think of it, pedalling away furiously for a "theoretical" 10 miles and actually go nowhere seems pretty ridiculous. It IS boring as hell, no matter how good the music in your headphones might be.

[Thegoblinchief]

I don't own a bike, mostly because I don't feel comfortable riding one in a city setting. I DO ride a stationary bike at the gym - I do about 10 miles per session, 5 days a week. At most, I might feel a part of this thread in a most peripheral way.

When I think of it, pedalling away furiously for a "theoretical" 10 miles and actually go nowhere seems pretty ridiculous. It IS boring as hell, no matter how good the music in your headphones might be.

What about riding in a city bothers you? And even if you don't want to ride in traffic, a good trail can be loads more interesting than a gym. BC should have plenty of good trails and bike lanes, yes?

[Jon_Snow]

Certain parts of Vancouver are very bike friendly. Though I love my area, it is not very enlightened when it comes to accommodating cycling. Minimal bike lanes and the drivers are almost universally terrible. Lots of trails yes, but I am just as happy to hike them as bike them.

[jordanread]

All right future cycling challenge participants... How are you all doing with this gauntlet? Is there anything we can do to help? It's check in time!!

[1967mama]

My bike is hanging up in the garage -- ugh!

[Primm]

I have a dream of an electric bike so I can do my shopping ( at the bottom of a big hill), but refuse to get one until I am riding more regularly.

I live at the top of a big hill. I ride my bike to the shops and halfway home, and then get off and push it up the hill. Every time I get just a teensy bit further, and one day I'll make it all the way up.

Just get on your bike and ride, girl!

http://youtu.be/xt0V0_1MS0Q

Link deliberately NOT embedded - NSFW. ;)

[QajakBoy]

I started last April as a very occasional biker to work, but definitely left the bike at home if the weather forecast showed a chance of rain or cold.  But my occasional perusing of the bikers photos (like the one of Kmp2 in the Dec2014 challenge) and bikers comments like Primm inspired me to commit to bike every day to get to work, which I've been doing since the beginning of December.  I was very apprehensive at first, started small, but am now very happy to get on my bike every day.  Kinda surprised myself.  So, go thru the steps and you may surprise yourself too!  Good Luck!

[PMG]

I love this! My brother gave me a used bike for Christmas. I got it out of the car and put it together last weekend, but I couldn't get the nut on the seat to turn, so I sprayed it with WD40 and let it rest.  I need to get proper wrenches to adjust things, I made do with my pliers.  It is supposed to warm up well above freezing this coming weekend, so I hope to take it for an inaugural spin.

What do I need?  I've got a helmet sitting in my amazon shopping cart, I'm just being a tightwad and not spending the money.  I've got leather driving gloves that I would hate to ruin biking, but might be the only way I can handle chilly weather. 

Anyone have advice on where to start with the very basics?  Right now I expect to just bike for fun and health. Long term commuting sounds great, but I'm starting slow.

[jordanread]

I love this! My brother gave me a used bike for Christmas. I got it out of the car and put it together last weekend, but I couldn't get the nut on the seat to turn, so I sprayed it with WD40 and let it rest.  I need to get proper wrenches to adjust things, I made do with my pliers.  It is supposed to warm up well above freezing this coming weekend, so I hope to take it for an inaugural spin.

What do I need?  I've got a helmet sitting in my amazon shopping cart, I'm just being a tightwad and not spending the money.  I've got leather driving gloves that I would hate to ruin biking, but might be the only way I can handle chilly weather. 

Anyone have advice on where to start with the very basics?  Right now I expect to just bike for fun and health. Long term commuting sounds great, but I'm starting slow.

Don't bother with driving gloves. If you are worried about the cold, just use something windproof (even plastic bags could work). My suggestion is to just take it out, and feel it out. Don't bother buying gear until to can find your weaknesses. The latest cycling challenge has some good discussions about gear too. We've got some other people just starting out there too.

[1967mama]

Thought about riding my bike up and down my little street today. That's as far as I got :-P

[Primm]

And why didn't you do it? What stopped you? Fix that, and get out there tomorrow and change it!

[1967mama]

And why didn't you do it? What stopped you? Fix that, and get out there tomorrow and change it!

Hmmm ... pure laziness, I think.  <sigh> I really should do it tomorrow and will try my level best and commit to reporting back here:-)

[Primm]

Hahaha! Honesty. I like it. :)

Yes, report back tomorrow.

[1967mama]

Step 5!! Just got back from riding my bike for a 15 minute ride around our neighbourhood! Yay! Thx for the motivation! It was even spitting rain and cold out but I went anyways--and it felt great! Got 2 boys t get my bike down from the hooks on the garage ceiling so I wouldn't have that excuse. Left it down for tmw! Hope others will give it a try like this overweight almost 48 year old mama!

[jordanread]

Step 5!! Just got back from riding my bike for a 15 minute ride around our neighbourhood! Yay! Thx for the motivation! It was even spitting rain and cold out but I went anyways--and it felt great! Got 2 boys t get my bike down from the hooks on the garage ceiling so I wouldn't have that excuse. Left it down for tmw! Hope others will give it a try like this overweight almost 48 year old mama!

Hell yeah!!! You are rocking it. Doesn't that feel great?

[happy]

I have a dream of an electric bike so I can do my shopping ( at the bottom of a big hill), but refuse to get one until I am riding more regularly.

I live at the top of a big hill. I ride my bike to the shops and halfway home, and then get off and push it up the hill. Every time I get just a teensy bit further, and one day I'll make it all the way up.

Just get on your bike and ride, girl!

http://youtu.be/xt0V0_1MS0Q

Link deliberately NOT embedded - NSFW. ;)

Hehe, um well I laughed at that clip, so I think the link is embedded. Not sure I will get on my bike in the same state O-o.  Once you can use the bike as meaningful transport it does become easier since it becomes embedded in daily life, and that won't happen until I can get up the hill. Anyhow the big hill is just an excuse, I just need to get on the flipping bike and ride around up here. Today?

[1967mama]

Hey Happy,

There's a big hill between me and a Walmart Supercenter :-/

I am planning on practicing on my own streets, with one gentle hill, until I can totally do that little hill without huffing and puffing like I did today.

Looking forward to reporting back in a few months. Its my dream, right now, to be able to ride to walmart and put a few groceries in my white basket.

Plus, its practically a free fitness program.

I have to admit that even though it was REALLY hard to bundle up and go outside today and ride by myself for the first time (in 25 years!), I felt wonderful! The wind on my face was invigorating. The smell of the trees was intoxicating. That 15 minutes or so will carry me through the rest of today.

Tremendously motivating!

[jordanread]

Hey Happy,

There's a big hill between me and a Walmart Supercenter :-/

I am planning on practicing on my own streets, with one gentle hill, until I can totally do that little hill without huffing and puffing like I did today.

Looking forward to reporting back in a few months. Its my dream, right now, to be able to ride to walmart and put a few groceries in my white basket.

Plus, its practically a free fitness program.

I have to admit that even though it was REALLY hard to bundle up and go outside today and ride by myself for the first time (in 25 years!), I felt wonderful! The wind on my face was invigorating. The smell of the trees was intoxicating. That 15 minutes or so will carry me through the rest of today.

Tremendously motivating!

I just mentioned this to someone in a text today: "Even a bad day riding beats the hell out of a day driving"

Way to go!! I'm a bit drunk, so I don't have the words to properly describe how awesome you are. Will update tomorrow.

[Primm]

Step 5!! Just got back from riding my bike for a 15 minute ride around our neighbourhood! Yay! Thx for the motivation! It was even spitting rain and cold out but I went anyways--and it felt great! Got 2 boys t get my bike down from the hooks on the garage ceiling so I wouldn't have that excuse. Left it down for tmw! Hope others will give it a try like this overweight almost 48 year old mama!

Woohoo! And were you smiling? During and afterwards?

Riding my bike makes me smile.

[1967mama]

Yes I was smiling!

And I am now too!

Thanks for the encouragement, primm and jordanread!

[Thegoblinchief]

Yes I was smiling!

And I am now too!

Thanks for the encouragement, primm and jordanread!

Awesome. Keep up the good work, and know that if snags come up you've got a huge community knowledge base to lean on :)

[jordanread]

Yes I was smiling!

And I am now too!

Thanks for the encouragement, primm and jordanread!

Hell yeah!! You've got this!

[1967mama]

2 days in a row! Wahoo!

Had another 15 minute ride today -- made it up my own driveway (hill) which I couldn't do yesterday!

We need progress reports from other beginner cyclists!

[Primm]

That's brilliant! And yes, yes we do.

[Unionville]

I keep my bike in the living room next to the front door.  I don't care if people think that's tacky because I ride it 90% more of the time than when I had it locked outside.

I would not force yourself to ride everyday.  Start out with short trips to run errands and don't be afraid to take it into stores.  Most don't mind, especially if you tell them you are concerned about it getting stolen and if there is not a bike rack.

[jordanread]

I keep my bike in the living room next to the front door.  I don't care if people think that's tacke because I ride it 90% more of the time than when I had it locked outside.

I would not force yourself to ride everyday.  Start out with short trips to run errands and don't be afraid to take it into stores.  Most don't mind, especially if you tell them you are concerned about it getting stolen and if there is not a bike rack.

If there is no bike rack, I always take my bike inside, and then have one of the employees watch it. Like punishment for not having a bike rack. :-)

[1967mama]

If there is no bike rack, I always take my bike inside, and then have one of the employees watch it. Like punishment for not having a bike rack. :-)

Love this!

[Merlion]

Just got a bike. Went for a 20 km ride tonight. It was great.

Used to bike commute to school/work in the US and China, but never got a bike when I moved to Singapore. I'm terrified of drivers here, but there's a park with long bike paths near my place.

Anyone ever commuted in a tropical place (~10-12 km) without access to a shower? I'd like to try, but not sure if it's feasible in a place where it doesn't go below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with 80-90% humidity, even in the middle of the night in the coolest part of the year.

[gaja]

I'm very uncertain whether to go by bike or by foot to work monday. I don't have a car for the next week or so, and DH's very nice electric bike is ready for use in the garage. But the weather forcast is +/- 0 deg C, and I don't have spiked tires. Walked the kids to school the other day, and it was quite icy in the morning. Maybe I'll walk the bike to work, and ride it back home?

The electric bike is genious for lazy people like me. Get a little bit of excercise, but not enough to get sweaty and uncomfortable. Even the steepest hills are no problem.

[morning owl]

I'm in. After not riding my bike for about 10 years, I need to ease in to this one though. Step 1 for me is cancelling my monthly transit pass. (Check, just did this!) Step two is getting my bike in shape and ready for riding. Step three will be making sure my gear is passable, which it should be. Step four -- ride!

However... Caveat time... I won't be doing steps two to four until the weather gets nicer. I need to ease into this in the spring. I am not procrastinating here, but its my way of making sure I can stick to it rather than try it once in minus twenty weather and say no effing way.

[Primm]

Anyone ever commuted in a tropical place (~10-12 km) without access to a shower? I'd like to try, but not sure if it's feasible in a place where it doesn't go below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with 80-90% humidity, even in the middle of the night in the coolest part of the year.

Not helpful but letting you know I feel your pain. I'm in Brisbane but I have a shower at both ends (work and home). I always finish my ride absolutely dripping with sweat though, so I don't know that it would be feasible. All the advice that states "just take a pack of wet wipes and a change of shirt" is obviously from people who have never ridden in the tropics / subtropics. :)

[PMG]

I love this! My brother gave me a used bike for Christmas. I got it out of the car and put it together last weekend, but I couldn't get the nut on the seat to turn, so I sprayed it with WD40 and let it rest.  I need to get proper wrenches to adjust things, I made do with my pliers.  It is supposed to warm up well above freezing this coming weekend, so I hope to take it for an inaugural spin.

What do I need?  I've got a helmet sitting in my amazon shopping cart, I'm just being a tightwad and not spending the money.  I've got leather driving gloves that I would hate to ruin biking, but might be the only way I can handle chilly weather. 

Anyone have advice on where to start with the very basics?  Right now I expect to just bike for fun and health. Long term commuting sounds great, but I'm starting slow.

Don't bother with driving gloves. If you are worried about the cold, just use something windproof (even plastic bags could work). My suggestion is to just take it out, and feel it out. Don't bother buying gear until to can find your weaknesses. The latest cycling challenge has some good discussions about gear too. We've got some other people just starting out there too.

I did it!  whew.  I ended up working this weekend, so things got put off.  I did get a wrench Saturday and fought with the seat, but it was dark and icy.  Today is warm and spring like.  I finally got that seat wrestled down.  Did some reading and measuring about what height to set it at.  It felt pretty good.  I walked down to the park with a railroad bed trail and tried things out on the level ground.  The handlebars are those curved "racing" ones.  Things felt all awkward.  I remember loving that style as a teenager.  I rode a mile and a half.  Maybe two miles.  I practiced braking.  I couldn't get the gears to change!  I need to do some reading up.  It's a different kind of shifter than I had as a kid, it's down on the body of the bike, not on the handlebar. That felt awkward too.  I couldn't see anything moving in the mechanism when I tried shifting while walking the bike. 

Still a success.  I worked up a sweat and got my heart rate up!  Thanks for the encouragement y'all. 

[jordanread]

I love this! My brother gave me a used bike for Christmas. I got it out of the car and put it together last weekend, but I couldn't get the nut on the seat to turn, so I sprayed it with WD40 and let it rest.  I need to get proper wrenches to adjust things, I made do with my pliers.  It is supposed to warm up well above freezing this coming weekend, so I hope to take it for an inaugural spin.

What do I need?  I've got a helmet sitting in my amazon shopping cart, I'm just being a tightwad and not spending the money.  I've got leather driving gloves that I would hate to ruin biking, but might be the only way I can handle chilly weather. 

Anyone have advice on where to start with the very basics?  Right now I expect to just bike for fun and health. Long term commuting sounds great, but I'm starting slow.

Don't bother with driving gloves. If you are worried about the cold, just use something windproof (even plastic bags could work). My suggestion is to just take it out, and feel it out. Don't bother buying gear until to can find your weaknesses. The latest cycling challenge has some good discussions about gear too. We've got some other people just starting out there too.

I did it!  whew.  I ended up working this weekend, so things got put off.  I did get a wrench Saturday and fought with the seat, but it was dark and icy.  Today is warm and spring like.  I finally got that seat wrestled down.  Did some reading and measuring about what height to set it at.  It felt pretty good.  I walked down to the park with a railroad bed trail and tried things out on the level ground.  The handlebars are those curved "racing" ones.  Things felt all awkward.  I remember loving that style as a teenager.  I rode a mile and a half.  Maybe two miles.  I practiced braking.  I couldn't get the gears to change!  I need to do some reading up.  It's a different kind of shifter than I had as a kid, it's down on the body of the bike, not on the handlebar. That felt awkward too.  I couldn't see anything moving in the mechanism when I tried shifting while walking the bike. 

Still a success.  I worked up a sweat and got my heart rate up!  Thanks for the encouragement y'all.

Outstanding!! I have some basic bike maintenance links somewhere, but I'll have to dig them out. You might want to take and upload a picture and attach it to get more help.

[1967mama]

I did it!  whew.   I did get a wrench Saturday and fought with the seat, but it was dark and icy.  Today is warm and spring like.  I finally got that seat wrestled down.  Did some reading and measuring about what height to set it at.  It felt pretty good.  I walked down to the park with a railroad bed trail and tried things out on the level ground.  The handlebars are those curved "racing" ones.  Things felt all awkward.  I remember loving that style as a teenager.  I rode a mile and a half.  Maybe two miles.  I practiced braking.  I couldn't get the gears to change!  I need to do some reading up.  It's a different kind of shifter than I had as a kid, it's down on the body of the bike, not on the handlebar. That felt awkward too.  I couldn't see anything moving in the mechanism when I tried shifting while walking the bike. 

Still a success.  I worked up a sweat and got my heart rate up!  Thanks for the encouragement y'all. 

I hear ya, @PMG! Biking felt weird and awkward to me too. I feel unsteady and unsure of myself. I forget how to gear up/gear down and find myself thinking "Lower numbers = easier pedalling" and things like that. Also, with braking, I keep forgetting which hand is on the front brake and which one is on the rear brake. I thought the old saying was how you never forget how to ride a bicycle! haha! 

Anyhoo, way to go! I should get out there today while its sunny, too!

[Optimiser]

I'm currently sitting at step 3. I have a nice road bike, but I need to replace a shifter before I can ride it.

[1967mama]

Mad at myself for not getting out on my bike today since it was nice out. But we ended up with surprise dinner company so I spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning up the house and preparing a nice meal.

[gaja]

Have biked to work two out of two days this week. Need to get some gloves, but otherwise there were no problems. There was a cm or two of snow on the ground this morning, so I walked the bike down the steepest hills. But it was ridiculously easy. I have never had such a short way (less than a km) to work before, and it is a delight.

[Kmp2]

I started last April as a very occasional biker to work, but definitely left the bike at home if the weather forecast showed a chance of rain or cold.  But my occasional perusing of the bikers photos (like the one of Kmp2 in the Dec2014 challenge)

Yay! So glad I took the time to figure out how to post a picture! And yes I think I owe Jordan another one... but we've been having this lovely warm January weather!

One thing that has worked wonders for me as I moved from a 1/year biker for bike to work day in the summer to a crazy year round one - is packing up to bike and getting everything ready the night before. I have a bike ready outfit all set up, work clothes in my bag already (if I'm going far enough), my badge/purse are in the bottom pocket of my bike pannier... it kind of means it would be more work to dig all that out and put it back in my purse to walk or take the train/bus.

With a little bit of practice, locking up, dressing for biking, putting my lights on etc... take almost no extra time at all now. It's soo much fun :)

[FoundPeace]

I'm just starting to look for a bike. I am having a hard time deciding what type of bike to get though. I'm thinking of buying a road bike because I want to ride it longer distances. What is everyone else have/looking at?

[jordanread]

I'm just starting to look for a bike. I am having a hard time deciding what type of bike to get though. I'm thinking of buying a road bike because I want to ride it longer distances. What is everyone else have/looking at?

It all depends on what you are going to use it for. Are those long distances nice and paved? Is that the only place you are going to ride? A road bike is specialized, so it will limit you somewhat. A hybrid, as the name implies, is good for any kind of general riding. I personally have a hard-tail mountain bike that I use for everything. It's a hell of a workhorse, but not as fast as other options. If I was to do anything with it, I'd try to get lockouts for the front suspension. I do need it on occasion, but not all the time. You can also choose to borrow a bike (or find a cheap one on Craigslist) and ride it around to figure out how it feels to you, and the things you would want to focus on. That would give you a better idea as to what would suit you. Long term goals are great, but if you get limited right off the bat, it's something to be avoided.

[Kmp2]

I have a hybrid commuter bike that I use to carry loads & a toddler, bike to and from work, and for a leisurely bike around town. (Distances of up to 30km)

I also have a road bike, which I used pre-baby occasionally for Triathlons and lovely road rides around the foothills, unfortunately I can't install a rack, or carry heavy loads. And it's hard to find a babysitter for a Saturday afternoon road ride...
That being said it is alot of fun to ride :)

If I were to do it again, I would have bought a touring bike instead, it would've doubled as a race bike, commuter bike, and would handle the weight restrictions on my toddler seat, and would've been nicer for an occasional camping trip than my commuter. (Which I'm just starting to dream about)

[Thegoblinchief]

Hybrid!

Assuming it's got all the necessary mount points for fenders and racks, of course.

Can't beat a hybrid for a first bike purchase. Depending on your area, you can find good used models for a few hundred. Best models include Trek FX, Giant Escape, and Specialized Sirrus.