Tag: beginning cycling

Girls on Wheels

So, why do you think there aren’t as many women cyclists?

I was out on a group ride chatting with another woman when she posed this question to me. It’s a great question. How many times have you seen singletons, duos, and full-on pelotons of guys screaming down the road at all hours of daylight? Sure there’s usually a few women sprinkled in there for good measure – but you don’t usually see a lot of swarms of 15+ women barreling down the street like bats out of hell.

I guess I never really thought about it because many of my girlfriends in Colorado cycle.

A couple of thoughts came to me initially:

1. Comfort. Not only on the bike, but with the bike, with traffic, with being away from responsibilities. Taking time (sometimes significant time) for herself.

When I was first buying a bike, I didn’t want to spend too much money on something that would spend a couple of years in the garage. I questioned my commitment to getting out and riding outside of with my kids. I already have so much to do to keep our family running – working, volunteering, chauffeuring the kids to their classes and events, household chores, etc. Is it really in my best interest to take a Saturday morning for myself and ride around town?Did I even WANT to do that?

By starting on a comfort hybrid, I balanced the price with practicality. I wouldn’t secretly hate myself for spending $500 on a bike that was ridden maybe 5 times. Disappointed, but it wouldn’t be a sore spot.

I also was on platform pedals (easy to get on and off) and riding on bike paths (don’t worry about getting hit by a car). Being in a safe environment built confidence in my abilities and allowed the love affair with my bike to grow unhindered by fear.

2. Dress Code. Not everyone looks great in spandex. In fact, I’m not sure anyone looks awesome in spandex – it has a tendency to highlight our flaws and put them on display for all to critique.

But after one ride in all cotton shorts and tank top (and a backpack!), I realized there is value in dressing appropriately for the sport. I picked up a cheap jersey ($35) and a cycling skort ($50) and suddenly it wasn’t so gross to go out and ride. Until you get off the bike, then you realize how sweaty you are and how badly you want a shower.

The good news is now you don’t have to look garish in cycling apparel. There are some great companies out there (TwinSix is my favorite) making kick-ass products. Don’t want clingy jerseys? Get mountain bike apparel – just as wicking but looser fit.

And what I’ve found the more I get out and ride in groups and in events, cycling embraces everyone of all shapes and sizes. No one is looking at your butt because we all have our assets on display (sorry – couldn’t help it).

3. Unspoken “rules”. No one likes to look or act like a noob. But there isn’t infrastructure to guide someone who knows how to ride a bike into the world of cycling. Yes, the basic functionality is the same – balance, put your feet on the pedals, push down with one foot, repeat with the other, and off you go. But cycling is so much more than just riding your bike. Unless you already know someone who cycles and can guide you, it’s going to be trial and error. Which is a turn off for a lot of people.

Attending a beginner’s clinic was so critical to my comfort level with my abilities because I had a safe place to fail first. Beginner clinics aren’t commonly or regularly on the schedule. How cool would it be to have a beginner clinic monthly at the local cycling shop so neophytes to the sport have a safe place to learn good cycling habits and feel confident about their skills before heading out? Keep the fee reasonable, though. Consider offering a women’s only class as well as a mixed class. Work with the local cycling clubs to get the word out and promote – no one will show up if no one knows about it.

4. Other Women. . Many women prefer to do things among their fellow womenkind because the truth is, dudes just don’t get it. And being surrounded by dudes you don’t know can be very intimidating. Guys are (in general) stronger than gals and tend to not have the same issues with getting out on the bike that women do.

I love riding with my guy friends – they are my greatest inspiration to push myself harder, farther, longer. The rides with my girl friends are more socially based – a chance to catch up, talk about everything that’s going on in our lives and the world while enjoying fresh air and sunshine, less about seeing who can go faster or farther.

I am looking for my source, but I read recently that even in two-cyclist families, the women gets out less than the man. It makes sense – many of the women you see out cycling are child-free or their children are grown. The rest of us are usually helping out with homework, science fair projects, sports practices and games, doctor’s appointments, and any number of obligations that come along with being a sherpa to future civilized adults.

I’m very curious now though – what do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments!

Just the Basics

Yesterday I participated in a skills clinic for novice female cyclists organized by my local female-centric cycling club – Sturdy Girls Cycling. I’ve ridden my (super-sexy) road bike for about a month now so it’s a perfect opportunity to break my bad habits before they take hold.

A wide range of women participated – some on hybrids and urban bikes, some preparing for a triathlon or two, some who just bought a bike and others who just wanted to know how to make their ride more efficient. I fit into the latter two categories – my bike is a pretty recent acquisition and I’m still learning how to use her optimally.

We started out the day with a short jaunt to an empty parking lot for basic drills. Like starting and stopping. Riding a straight line. Looking behind you without weaving your bike all over the place. Basic stuff that most of us don’t really think about but can have an impact on your success.

I learned that I did indeed need to switch the foot I un-clip upon stops (and managed to fall spectacularly in the early attempts to remember which foot to un-clip and which way to lean).

the ground is hard.

 

At least I got that out of the way early. And I like to think it broke the ice for the rest of the group – there were a few more falls. But most people don’t seem to have a problem with deciding when to un-clip as they roll to a stop. It’s just me over-thinking it.

Note to self: find your comfort zone anticipating the need to un-clip.

We then headed out for a short ride to learn hill climbing skills. The hills we were climbing were manageable and achievable – all good things when you are working on building confidence on your bike. We discussed gearing and how no one can tell you what gear will feel best except through time and practice – but that you will find a gear or a range of gears that will help you stay in motion.

Hills are your friend!

We also discussed Constant Motion – always keeping your legs moving. This builds your ability to keep going, even on super-tough climbs, because your body is accustomed to staying in motion. You can also work on not only using your muscles but also your cardiovascular and respiratory systems to keep from fatiguing your muscles too quickly.

The biggest take-away for me from the hills/gears section was just that – smooth, fluid motion the entire way up the hill. Not how fast or hard I could mash the hill – but how smoothly I could do it.

I spent the rest of the clinic at the back of the group as we practiced riding in lines of two and three. How to merge, not surge. How to find a bail-out point if you need it (and regroup at the top). Common group-riding lingo like” GAP” and “ON.” Why “UP” means getting into an easier gear and “DOWN” means getting into a harder gear.

Being in the back meant I needed to monitor my cadence to maintain a smooth, silky cadence. It was tough for me – I like to just GO already, to get up the hill as fast as possible, effort be damned! Plus, I hate riding behind someone as close as I really need to in a group ride. So worried someone will stop suddenly, causing me to either hit them or veer off and crash or fall down.

Not like I haven’t fallen down in front of a bunch of strangers a few times now or anything.

Quite frankly, riding in a group formation – listening to the hum of the wind in our spokes, hearing the clink of cartridge changes – is pretty sweet.

We ended the clinic with a brown-bag lunch and bike anatomy lesson. How to clean and lube your chain and cassette. Different hand positions on the handlebars (for those of us with road bikes). The importance of having a bike that fits you – frame first, everything else can be swapped or upgraded. Recommended timeline to buy new tires (2000-2500 miles). Taking the reflectors off your bike (dorky – I’m guilty as charged!) and replacing them with bike lights to stay visible.

One more quick group ride around the park and we all went our separate ways.  It also sounds like there may be a longer group ride scheduled for those of us at the clinic so we can get together again to practice our skills in a low-key ride.

I can’t stress how happy I am that I did this clinic – one of the goals was to feel more confident on your bike and I definitely feel better about my skills and how to handle myself in a group ride environment. I met a bunch of other awesome women who a new to think like me.

Now to go find my next group ride …