road bike ??

[jennifur]

Well, got my road bike on Thanksgiving. I took it for 2 rides so far and love it. Both rides were 15 miles of hills, one hill for 7/10 of a mile. I wanted to kiss the ground when it leveled off. These were harder than any spin class I have ever taken by far. I burned 720 calories on the first ride. I feel like such a beginner and I'm having some fear issues on the downhills. I took two spills simply because I forgot that I was strapped in. I might add that neither of these spills happened on a downhill. I am sporting some very nasty bruises, however this has not dampened my enthusiasm one bit. I need some advice from you more experienced riders. Two problems I'm having
1- can't use the toe cages because I forget I'm stuck in and have fallen- and my plan was to use the clip pedals-now I'm wondering if I can't even manage the cages how am I ever going to use the clips?
2- I am really feeling scared on the downhills and because of this I'm down in the drops trying to hold on to the brakes to slow myself down-this is killing my hands and wrists especially when some of the descents are for a mile. I have ridiculously small hands so in order to hold the brakes it takes a huge amount of stretching.My wrist still hurts hours later. I am trying not to cave and get the interuppter brakes. Will my hands get stronger? Does that downhill fear go away? My husband was zipping down at 36mph and I was holding on for dear life trying to keep it at around 17.
thanks for listening to my long windedness- am I doomed to be a road weenie forever???

 

[JT]

I used to ride all the time, I have a road bike and a mountain bike. To stay gripped onto my bike, I have biking shoes that work for both bikes so my feet don't slip. I would also purchase biking gloves to have a better grip on your handle bars.
For riding the hills, actually you must "roll them out." No coasting and no braking. Just straight pedeling so you could climb the next hill. My first "official" bike tour, a nice young 80 year old woman told me that while she cruised passed me on her Cannon 18 speed road bike that made my bike look like an old Chevy Vega.
Also, make sure you have a bag with you. Whenver I ride alone, I always carry my cell phone with me.

 

[DirtDiva]

Well, got my road bike on Thanksgiving. I took it for 2 rides so far and love it. Both rides were 15 miles of hills, one hill for 7/10 of a mile. I wanted to kiss the ground when it leveled off. These were harder than any spin class I have ever taken by far. I burned 720 calories on the first ride. I feel like such a beginner and I'm having some fear issues on the downhills. I took two spills simply because I forgot that I was strapped in. I might add that neither of these spills happened on a downhill. I am sporting some very nasty bruises, however this has not dampened my enthusiasm one bit. I need some advice from you more experienced riders. Two problems I'm having
1- can't use the toe cages because I forget I'm stuck in and have fallen- and my plan was to use the clip pedals-now I'm wondering if I can't even manage the cages how am I ever going to use the clips?
2- I am really feeling scared on the downhills and because of this I'm down in the drops trying to hold on to the brakes to slow myself down-this is killing my hands and wrists especially when some of the descents are for a mile. I have ridiculously small hands so in order to hold the brakes it takes a huge amount of stretching.My wrist still hurts hours later. I am trying not to cave and get the interuppter brakes. Will my hands get stronger? Does that downhill fear go away? My husband was zipping down at 36mph and I was holding on for dear life trying to keep it at around 17.
thanks for listening to my long windedness- am I doomed to be a road weenie forever???

I would invest in a pair of road shoes (clips) and remove the traps (cages) from your bike. Depending on what type of clips you get, many are adjustable and consistently easier to get out of then traps. Shimano and Crank Brothers make a very good road pedal, I personally will not ride with Speedplay, as they are tricky to disengage in one position, and I just want to put that out, I returned those asap when I figured out why. Anyway...road shoes and pedals have a *platform* for your foot and being clipped in you will get a full 360 degree rotation with less effort as compared to traps. If you have a mountainbike and a roadbike, you can get shoes for just mountainbiking and have the same pedal-style on both bikes and then just have one pair of shoes. Although, it doesn't work the other way around. And beware, walking in road shoes is quite an experience, especially in a convenience store! Although, there are plenty of roadies that will argue that road pedals and shoes are superior over mountainbike pedals because of that platform. Now as far as your hands go, I don't know what type of bike you have, or the brakes levers, or if you have a woman's specific bike, etc., but a woman's hand can have issues with the brake lever span. What I did was have spacers inserted in my Shimano's to decrease the span of the brake lever. They came with my brake set or you can get them at your bike shop. You can also have the brake hoods retaped to stand up a little higher on the bars for hand relief. Getting down in drops, you will get better with this, you'll become more flexible and trust yourself with time. I would also get a good pair of gloves for a better grip and adjust the span of your brake levers. This is where I didn't skimp, brakes are everything to me and went with the best I could afford. Not sure what type of crank you have, if its a double, triple, or compact, but learning to shift is key. Make sure your tire pressure is where it should be, you'd be surprised how much it will take away from a ride. Take some of the info from a spin class and apply it to riding on the road. I've never been in on a spin class, but I'm sure they have some good points on that. Keep your eyes scanning the road in front of you on the downhills, you will go where your eyes *go*.

Regarding a good pair of shoes, women's feet have a smaller heel, so get a woman's shoe. Diadora, Sidi, Shimano, Pearl Izumi are great brands for women, they are lots more, but these come up to me in my experience.

Go as fast as you want to go, don't let anyone pressure you to perform, it will come with time, trust me...Have Fun!

 

[ellesan]

I need some advice from you more experienced riders. Two problems I'm having
1- can't use the toe cages because I forget I'm stuck in and have fallen- and my plan was to use the clip pedals-now I'm wondering if I can't even manage the cages how am I ever going to use the clips?
2- I am really feeling scared on the downhills and because of this I'm down in the drops trying to hold on to the brakes to slow myself down-this is killing my hands and wrists especially when some of the descents are for a mile. I have ridiculously small hands so in order to hold the brakes it takes a huge amount of stretching.My wrist still hurts hours later. I am trying not to cave and get the interuppter brakes. Will my hands get stronger? Does that downhill fear go away? My husband was zipping down at 36mph and I was holding on for dear life trying to keep it at around 17.
thanks for listening to my long windedness- am I doomed to be a road weenie forever???

Congrats on your new baby! I even named by bike (Fiona) Not to worry, the two issues you are having are totally normal.

1. Get rid of the cages! I personally have Shimano clips/pedals. You will LOVE the pedals once you get them...fall a few times...and get adjusted. EVERYONE falls a few times with them, part of being a roadie It's a right of passage. Laughing remembering my first two falls this season. #1 I had a great ride, rode up my driveway and forgot to unclip my pedals--fell in my driveway in front of my neighbor!!
#2 I turned too quickly in front of the sidewalk and before I could think to unclip I ran into the sidewalk in front of about 10 people I definitely had more than a few bumps and bruises this year.

2. As far as braking/downhill issues, I'd suggest:
Getting a bike fit if you didn't already have this done
Getting gloves if you don't already have them
Your hands will get stronger with time for sure
Gear down into the hardest gear and see if that helps
With time you will get adjusted to the speed. I love going over 30 mph, but it also depends on what's around you (cars, traffic, etc.) Being safe is #1, take your time and enjoy!!

Also join a cycle club if possible, you'll learn a ton and get in on some great rides/training. In my area there are two big rides each year that are all women with diffrerent distances (15 miles all the way to century ride). So much fun!

 

[jennifur]

Thanks everyone for your replies. My bike is a WSD and it fits beautifully in every respect except the hand thing. I will see if there is a minor adjustment that can be made. It is really only on the extended downhills where it becomes a problem. I forgot to mention that I do have Shimano shoes and pedals for my spin bike but I had a little mishap on the spin bike and had to remove my shoe AND the pedal to disengage the shoe, so I want to make sure that doesn't happen on the road. The LBS has a group that goes out every Saturday for 20-30 miles at a 15mph average pace. I'm building up to that, yesterday was avg 13mph ( probably would've been higher if I let her go on the downhills). It is a no drop ride so I want to make sure I don't keep everybody waiting. Thanks again for all your advice. It is really appreciated. I can't wait to ride again. Too badI have to wait till next weekend .

 

[lisacohen]

Just had to second the spacers on the brakes to make it easier to brake. I have very small hands too and this made things a whole lot easier and more comfortable!! (And everyone does fall with clips - and cages - so you're in very good company!!)

Congratulations on your new bike!! I hope you have many years of joyful riding on it!

 

[Traildoggie]

I've biked a fair amount and have had serious issues getting used to clipless pedals. I used cages without a problem for 30 years.
this summer we tried Mt bike style Shimano shoe/cleats and I could not get my foot to clip in to save my life. No matter what kind you get it's important to build muscle memory by clipping in and out 50-60 times before actually riding. you can lean against a car or building with a little support to do this.
I gave up on the shimanos and returned them. something wrong with the angle of my foot and the cleat. Got Speedplay cleats. used them most of the summer but fell several times, one time very hard. I like that they make pedaling more efficient but I keep getting caught after I think I'm out of them. I took them off and went back to cages and tennies so I could ride while recovering from the falls.

I'm putting this out there because not everyone is alike. I think cages are simple and easy to get in and out of. I'm debating whether I'll retry bike shoes and cleats again in spring.

Are the "interrupters" or spacers what I call cheater brakes? the bars mid way on the handle bars so you don't have to reach as far forward? I've always had them. I have a very very short torso and they enable me to ride comfortably. I can reach the reg brake position but it's a stretch and the cheaters are much faster for me in an emergency stop.

A fall... for whatever reason... at 36 mph will not be a pretty thing. even a fall at 10-15 can be awful I would not be in a rush to exceed your comfort zone. get a lot of mileage and experience before you try pushing for that kind of speed.

 

[jennifur]

I am going to stop at the bike shop on my way home from work tomorrow and find out about the spacers. Thanks for the tip.I do have the very good fortune of having a spin bike with pedals that are interchangeable with my road bike. I am going to try my clips once again on my spin bike. I had a bad experience where I couldn't unclip, fortunately it was on the spin bike. I'll make some adjustments and see if I can practice. Apparently I'm extremely uncoordinated if I wasn't able to get out of the cages and seriously who gets trapped on a spin bike??????, lol