Hi, my wife and I due to take part in our first triathlon in August and have come across a major stumbling block in our training programme. During the colder months we have been doing all our bike training in spin sessions at the gym which has been great for working on fitness/posture/discipline but we bought our bikes a couple of weeks ago and my wife is having trouble with gaining confidence riding the bike. It's the first racing bike she's owned and the first time she's had anything with more than 3 gears. She didn't ride much as a child and now at the age of 29, having to get back on 2 wheels is a challenge and is really getting her down. Its a real shame to see as we're both making real progress in other areas.
Can someone please help me to help her learn to control the bike and gain confidence. Are there any useful exercises she can try, i.e. move her hands around the handle bar, riding with one leg? - I really don't know; I'm at a bit of a loss but I want to give her some good advice.
FYI Her bike is a Speacialized Dolce '05 road bike
hoodlum
04-21-05, 04:33 AM
Get her in a quiet area without cars (they tend to amplify those feelings in beginners) and let her put in as much time as it takes to get comfortable. If she is riding clipless pedals, put on a set of platforms for a while, that's one less thing to worry about. Maybe if you could set her up on a trainer for a while, just so she can get the feel for "her" bike and how the shifters and things work without the pressure of being outside where she needs to balance and be aware of her surroundings.
Barn
04-21-05, 07:47 AM
I agree with all of Hoodlum's ideas and would add this one: make sure that she's starting off in a very easy gear to get her legs and the wheels turning so physics will help her keep her balance. If she's pushing too hard a gear to begin with she may not be getting enough momentum to feel stable. (BTW- I'm no scientist, so this is my layman's way of explaining this. If my terminology is off, forgive me.)
Dice183
04-21-05, 08:07 AM
go to a quiet place without cars (as said before) prefferably a grassy place to cushion possiblity of falling...and all i can say is buy a trainer
jennings780
04-21-05, 08:23 AM
I am a long time swimmer and runner who bought a bike (04 Specialized Allez Elite) in January and began riding. I do have a MTN bike that I have ridden occassionally on weekends, so I was not in the same position as your wife.
What I have done to get comfortable on the bike is:
1. I did not start out with clipless pedals. i just had normal old fashioned pedals.
2. I started riding in a park (with a 7.5 mile bike trail loop). I learned to shift and corner and steer and look behind me without weaving and drink while riding at the park. Only after about 10 or 12 rides at the park did I go out onto the road.
3. Maybe have her ride some without you to experiment and not feel any pressure to perform. Its ok to ride at 10mph for awhile and learn to shift and brake etc.
sweetharriet
05-09-05, 12:00 PM
yikes! it might not be just that it's a "racing bike" but that it's not fitting her right. i would have difficulty controlling a bike much bigger than my xs frame, and KNEW when i tried all the bikes i did that that one just fit me, and was actually enjoyable to ride. have you looked into better fit?
Flynn
05-09-05, 12:43 PM
Hi, my wife and I due to take part in our first triathlon in August and have come across a major stumbling block in our training programme. During the colder months we have been doing all our bike training in spin sessions at the gym which has been great for working on fitness/posture/discipline but we bought our bikes a couple of weeks ago and my wife is having trouble with gaining confidence riding the bike. It's the first racing bike she's owned and the first time she's had anything with more than 3 gears. She didn't ride much as a child and now at the age of 29, having to get back on 2 wheels is a challenge and is really getting her down. Its a real shame to see as we're both making real progress in other areas.
Can someone please help me to help her learn to control the bike and gain confidence. Are there any useful exercises she can try, i.e. move her hands around the handle bar, riding with one leg? - I really don't know; I'm at a bit of a loss but I want to give her some good advice.
FYI Her bike is a Speacialized Dolce '05 road bike
My fiancee has had the same problem. She is also riding a 2005 Dolce (A great bike by the way.) As stated in a couple of other threads, make sure she is not using clipless pedals. The feeling of being "locked" into her bike may be what is causing the anxiety as opposed to the bike itself. It is also important to get her on a trainer. This is the best way to learn all of the different gears and how to switch between them. The last thing you want is for your wife to shift into a harder gear while ascending a hill. Once she is comfortable with the gears, take her out to a parking lot or state park where there are not many cars. As with my finacee, it is something that takes time. If she rushes into it and has a bad experience, she'll never get on the bike again. Good luck!
Dr. Moto
05-09-05, 01:59 PM
Am I the only one who thinks it odd that she signed up for a triathlon and is only starting to learn to ride a bike three months before? Sure, lots of people take up cycling late in life, but I don't think very many of them sign up for races until they master the basics of riding. I think she should learn to ride in a non-competitive, non-training setting to get fully comfortable on the bicycle before she tries to compete.
Enthalpic
05-14-05, 05:16 PM
I disagree with the trainer idea. Destroys the balance work she needs. She can already ride a stationary bike as he said. I agree racing might be a little premature. I would hate to see her take out someone else during race season.
MHR
05-14-05, 09:30 PM
In a Tri you have to be able to master self sufficiency.
On the bike that means changing flats, dealing with traffic (moving cars and other bikes), being able to adequately fuel and hydrate your body prior to T2. I would say gain some experience first in these basics. Take swimming: For the "pool only" swimmer overcoming an "open water" swim can be a challange. You have to deal with the fact that there is no stripe on the bottom to follow for starters. You also have the mass start to deal with - which means getting kicked in the face, punched in the back and then there's navigation to the the marks, as well as dealing with currents, waves, and water temperature. Then there is the great unknown - Mother Nature, heat, cold, rain, wind, you have to be able to handle various conditions to make it to the finish line. So as you just start out into Tri's you have to remind yourself if it were easy everyone would be doing them. Confidence in your abilities is key - otherwise your "first experience" may be your "last".
Experience once you have it - can give you strength to try new and more difficult challanges.
As an Ironman Triathlete and Marathon runner I can tell you that there is no greater accomplishment in life than finishing the Ironman. Our montra in Hawaii for the 25th Anniversary of the Ironman Triathlon World Championships was "Anything is Possible". Have faith, dream big, train hard and good thing will happen.
Enthalpic
05-14-05, 10:56 PM
That said tri's are a lot of fun! Trust me
lemurhouse
05-25-05, 07:26 AM
My suggestion would be for her to simply get in a lot of time riding the bike outside, in a low-stress environment. (i.e. bike path, or closed loop) Maybe she's pushing too hard to become proficient immediately, because of the up-coming race in August. This might espescially be the case if she is coming from a background of competing in running or swimming, and wants to get to the same level on the bike asap. I agree with the posts which recommend using platform pedals (or toeclips with running shoes) instead of clipless, until she's more confident on the bike. I think its important that she ride outside, not on a trainer, to get her basic skills and her confidence up to speed. It won't take her long to get the hang of riding if she's on the bike and you give her a few basic pointers re cadence and the like.
Most of all, keep it fun! If the pressure of "getting up to form" in time for the race is causing too much stress, then forget the race and keep riding. On the otherhand, if she's approaching it with a "fun" attitude, I think the August race is a great goal to point to.