Be Honest, Were You Always Good At Cycling?



Uawadall

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2015
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I've always been that type of person that is horrible at things at first and become good only by repetition. My first riding experience was very comical. My brother who helped convince me to get a bike came with me to the local bike shop to test ride a bike. I was so anxious to get on, I had to be reminded to wear a helmet. When I got on the bike, I couldn't start the bike by pedaling standing and then sitting back down. I had to walk the bike across the street plenty of times. We went to a culdesac so I can get a feel for the bike, I fell after going around a few times(just a small scrape). We then started going straight and I lost my balance and bumped into him with my bike, he didn't fall, but looked noticeably irritated. When I was at a stop sign, I couldn't restart fast enough and slowed up traffic.I couldn't signal correct, because I clutched the handlebar so hard and couldn't ride one handed.Pretty much, If you needed a license to cycle, I would have had 200 points against me.

After 3 months, I can just jump on my bike and feel comfortable riding anywhere. I'm still learning, but can ride for 30-40 miles. Out of the few people I ride with, i'm one of the fastest and have the best endurance.I can actually cycle on handed comfortably and don't have to stop to grab a water bottle. riding clipless feels totally normal and comfortable. I joined my local bike club 2 weeks ago and many members have told me they feel safer cycling next to me because I let them know when passing(apparently many don't) and that I'm a pretty good rider to be able to keep up with people that have far more experience. Basically, I'm not a danger to myself or others....

Did any of you start out horribly as a cyclist?
 
No, I wasn't always good at cycling at all. In fact, it is only over the past few months that I have really started to understand just how good sport in general can be, and how much better it can make you feel about life in general. I cycle a few times each week, and when I first started I found it very difficult indeed, because my legs just weren't up to the job. Now, though, I can cycle for around an hour in my local area without feeling too much strain from it, and I am hoping to be able to carry on building that up. Soon I want to be able to cycle into my nearest city, as that will save me a lot of money in comparison to when I have to get the bus!
 
That's a really great topic and one that rings true to me. No, I was absolutely terrible at cycling and needed training wheels when starting out as a young lad. Most of my friends at school had no problem riding their bikes, while I was still battling to ride mine without those training wheels. Fortunately, my father was a patient man and he taught me to ride my bike properly during the weekends. I would often lose balance and fall whenever the training wheels came off, but I persevered and eventually became a cyclist for life. :lol:
 
I started early and I enjoyed every bit of the experience as a kid. Each time I switch to a new bike especially those that are for grown ups it makes the experience even more interesting for me and did not feel any difficulty at all. It was not easy learning a new skill like in my case I am not good at maintaining a good balance and taking good care of my bike. It felt like an obligation but I had learned to love it.
 
At first, I started riding a mountain bike because they were a lot cheaper than the road bikes that I saw. I couldn't catch up to my friends and I always fell off when I was about 10. I then got a road bike for my birthday when I was 15. I had to learn how the bike worked and what happens to the bike when you sit on it or stand on it. It was very hard at first and I started to learn more and more about what to do. I am still not the best cyclist. I am an okay cyclist who rides with friends for a couple of hours around the local area. Most of the time however, I would usually ride by myself to a local store for a good 30 min ride per day.
 
I used to be fat, so my endurance sucked. It takes hard work and dedication. It does not even necessarily take a good bike to get good at cycling. It just takes perserverance.
 
I'm not even sure I'm good now!

As Greg LeMond says, it doesn't get any easier, you just go faster. It always seems to suck on a bike when you're training. Especially in the UK, its always wet, and there's always a headwind. You just have to persevere, having a ride logging system like Strava really helps, if you cycle the same routes time and again, looking back months (and even years for some of us) and you'll see you're way faster than when you started. Even if it hurts just the same as your first ride.
 
b3rniemac said:
I'm not even sure I'm good now!

As Greg LeMond says, it doesn't get any easier, you just go faster. It always seems to suck on a bike when you're training. Especially in the UK, its always wet, and there's always a headwind. You just have to persevere, having a ride logging system like Strava really helps, if you cycle the same routes time and again, looking back months (and even years for some of us) and you'll see you're way faster than when you started. Even if it hurts just the same as your first ride.
Everything is relative, I still have a long way to go, but am 10x better than when I started 3 months ago. I guess "good" for this thread means I'm in control of my bike and can ride for a decent amount of time. I'n the cycling club, one group has an average speed of 20-23 miles an hour....I think thats insanely fast..Btw, i'm on strava, just signed up last week. I find it to be very useful
 
More than likely, the average person started out pretty rough and dry rather than being an excellent cyclist. Most people don't start something new and then immediately become an expert at it after all. I mean, we all have to learn how to ride a bike for the first time, and that's not always the easiest endeavor. Put a bike in front of someone who hasn't ridden before, tell them nothing, and then see if they look like a novice or an expert.
 
To be brutally honest, absolutely not. I was horrible when I started but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Everybody has to start somewhere right? For the most part, practice and dedication has helped tremendously. In the beginning I could barely bike two miles and was in the wrong posture. Now, I can do around 15 before I get tired and do it like a lean, mean, efficient machine.
 
I wasn't great at cycling when I first started, but training makes you the master, right? :D
 
No. During my first year I mashed my knees so badly I practically sat my second year out. I thought my knees would never last more than 20 miles in a day, and two or three rides a week.

Around the end of that second year I bought some shoes, built some tubular wheels, replaced the crank that was shedding parts with a new Stronglight 93, and started riding with a racing group. They taught me the how, my mileage increased, and we formed a ABL of A affiliated club. I never won, but I had a fun, healthy time and my knees got better.
 
I was always good cycling. I acclimated to a bike easy, and in high school I would take rides with a friend in excess of 100 miles (not frequently as normal rides were around 30 miles). I have picked up where I left off after a long hiatus.
 
I am not good in cycling because I am not that competitive when it comes to athletic activities. When I was in grade school, my father taught me how to ride a horse. He was a horse trainer and he handled so many race horses. I've had riding lessons for about a year before my wanted forced me to quit. He was afraid that I might figure in a nasty accident. And in biking, it's almost the same although the power lies in my strength unlike when I was atop a horse. But then again, I'm not really that strong so biking for me is just a hobby.
 
What I lacked at first was motivation. I could ride for only 5miles and get tired. I was motivated by a cycling group that I later joined. That made me focused to professional cycling and it really motivated me. I came to learn that you can not cycle alone if you want to succeed.
 
9lines said:
What I lacked at first was motivation. I could ride for only 5miles and get tired. I was motivated by a cycling group that I later joined. That made me focused to professional cycling and it really motivated me. I came to learn that you can not cycle alone if you want to succeed.
I often cycle alone and enjoy it, but it is much more fun cycling with others!
 
I wasn't very good at cycling at the start. I started very slowly at the age of 5 and went up from there. Started at my house, moved to the small bogs behind my house, then to the canal I went and that was there I fell in love with road cycling. Now I can bike miles upon miles and enjoy it!
 
I realized at a young age that I would never win The Tour de France. That realization shattered me and left me a broken man, condemned to wandering the back alleys of Trieste in search of Sterno to silence the voices that taunt me and my failed dream.
 
Wow, I posted this a long time ago and am closing in on my first year of cycling. I've improved since this post, but am still not a good cyclist. I've gotten pretty fast, but still have rookie deficiencies and tendencies. I road an unfamiliar road today and was going at a decent speed 33.5/17.5 mph/1816 ft/ , my bike handling still needs work. My goal for year 2 is to tighten up my high speed cornering,overall handling and pace lining. Getting better at cycling is the fun part!
 
Getting better at cycling is the fun part!

Watch the anime series "Yowamushi Pedal" and season 2 "Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road".

Despite the weird Japanese plots and characters there is much to be learned about cycling and road racing from that cartoon. Ignore the pure corniness and generalizations.

You can find episodes on YouTube and on CrunchyRoll.