If you’ve been thinking about how to start road biking, this article will give you all the information you need. You need the best road bike for this and you might be rather skeptical about taking it up as a sport because of the expenses that are presumed to come with it.
You might even have a couple of friends that are actively engaged in this activity, and they might have told you how exhilarating and beneficial the exercise is. You should open your mind to these benefits and enjoy learning the art of bicycling.
Just like any other activity you’re starting for the first time, you would need to gain some basic knowledge that will make your beginner experience easy.
How to Start Road Biking
This article contains detailed steps on how to start road biking so keep reading and apply them on your journey to becoming a great biker.
1. Go to a Local Bike Shop
As a newbie in the world of road biking, you need to find a nice shop where you can purchase your 10-speed bike and all the necessary accessories.
Bike shops will do a lot for you, and make your experience as a biker less stressful. At a bike shop, you can meet people who are experienced bikers.
These guys can show you some helpful tips and tricks. The staff at the shop can also help you to get the proper bike and gear that fits your personal profile.
2. Get the Right Equipment
Maybe you’ve heard of “padded” shorts. These shorts are part of the various gears that you would need as a biker to have a comfortable ride.
Because of the long rides and friction between your bum and the saddle, there are possibilities of getting a sore bum. The padded shorts will greatly minimize this risk.
Other gears that you can get for extra protection and safety are helmets, road cycling gloves, bike bells, biker’s glasses and a Fitbit Versa or Garmin Vivoactive. Make sure that you always try on the gear and measure the size of your bike helmet when you’re about to purchase them at the store. This will ensure that you get a perfect fit that provides you with comfort while biking.
3. Fit Your Bike
Just imagine wearing gear that doesn’t fit and riding on a bike that’s not properly matched with your physique; this would only make you frustrated.
You cannot enjoy biking for miles if you’re uncomfortable. Hence, it’s important for you to take your bike fitting seriously and also use bicycle handlebar tape. There are bike shops that feature professional bike fitting – it could be free or cost a fee.
However, make sure that these guys help you to get adequately matched with a bike that you’re comfortable on.
4. Stay in the Right Form
It’s important for you to make use of the proper forms when biking. You need to know how to remain balanced or stable when you’re on the road bike saddle.
You also need to use the proper pedaling frequency (preferably 60RPM and above). Lastly, ensure that you have a firm grip on the handlebars.
5. Test Yourself
No matter how prepared you might have gotten, you still won’t accomplish anything until you take your bike out on the road, and ride for some time.
Feel free to join a group of experienced cyclists if you’re having first-time jitters and make sure to get a bike GPS tracker for your ride.
6. Learn How to Fix a Flat Bike Tire
Do you know how to fix a flat tire? If your answer is no, then you need to learn how to. It would be frustrating if you were in an inconvenient space when your tire got flat, and you don’t know how to fix it.
As a newbie in the biking game, learning how to fix flats will be a great addition to your experience.
If you’re wondering how to learn, you can always seek professional assistance at your bike shop. You can also reference the Internet for useful information on the subject.
7. Find Out More About the Rules of the Road
The primary rules of engagement for bikers are not so difficult to learn or remember. These rules are something that most of us already learned as children.
Make sure you strictly adhere to all these rules such as installing a bicycle tail light when you’re biking. This will prevent you from getting yourself and other commuters into accidents.
Sidewalks aren’t made for you to ride your bike on. If you’ve been doing that, you should stop immediately. In order to avoid accidents, deploy hand signals whenever you’re required. Always stay observant and closely watch the movement of other vehicles on the road. You can never be too careful.
8. Don’t Take Headphones with You
When you’re riding your bike outside, you need to stay alert. Make sure that your senses are sharp and not inhibited.
Using headphones while biking can affect your sensitivity to your immediate surroundings. Also, make sure you wear a pair of quality cycling sunglasses to improve your vision.
It’s important that this doesn’t happen in case of a sudden event. Exercise as much caution as possible so as to minimize the risk of accidents.
9. Ride with Other Cyclists
It would really help if you could get a group of experienced cyclists to join. These guys would boost your confidence and morale. They would also correct your mistakes and give you helpful tips and tricks. If you’re a senior that wants to get into biking then get the best bike for 60-year-old woman for a comfortable experience.
If you can follow these points on how to start road biking, it would make things easy for you.
10. Take Care of Your Bike
Just like any other gadget, machine, or tool, you’ll have to maintain your bike. Regular maintenance of your bike prevents unnecessary breakdowns and malfunctions.
You need to make use of a warm soap mix when cleaning your cycle. The brush you use for scrubbing shouldn’t be too hard.
With just the right magnitude of hose pressure, spray some water to rinse off the dirt and soap on the bike. If the bike still isn’t wet enough, repeat the wash and rinse process again. Also make sure you stay hydrated by drinking from a bicycle water bottle too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are road bikes hard to ride?
If you feel like riding a bike would be really hard, you are wrong. Riding road bikes is relatively easy thanks to technological advancement. You can be sure of an easy riding experience as long as you follow all the necessary rules.
How far should I cycle as a beginner?
Riding at 12mph would be perfect for you as a newbie. You don’t need to reach professional-biker speeds when you’re just starting. You can also ride as far as 2 miles from your starting point. This is the perfect average distance for beginners.
How much faster is a lighter bike?
The difference in speed between light and heavier bikes isn’t so great. One pound increment in weight only makes the bike 2.5 seconds slower. A ride on the bulkiest bike is only 7.5 seconds slower than the lightest.
Conclusion
With the information provided on how to start road biking, you shouldn’t have many difficulties starting as a beginner.
There’s a lot of fun and benefits that await you on the journey to becoming an experienced road biker. Look for the perfect bike shop that offers all the gears and bike models that you would want to pick from and make sure you get a bike theft alarm as well.
When you’re in the shop, remember to seek advice from the staff and other advanced bikers around. Try to avoid possible distractions when you’re on the road.
Road biking isn’t so difficult as long as you’re willing to practice and learn.