General Cycling Discussion - Never let an inexperienced rider borrow your bike...

...unless you like cringing every 30 seconds. OY!

Yesterday I took a friend out riding. He doesn't own a bike and I own two, so I lent him the MTB (the road bike is off-limits to all butts but mine!) and away we went.

Anyway, as with anyone that is new to riding he was a little uncomfortable with the shifting. He basically threw my chain about seven times due to shifting to the wrong chainring or trying to shift while mashing the pedals. He also got caught in a cross-gear way too often which didn't help matters.

It was very disconcerting. :)

My friend weighs as much as I do, but his legs are not accustomed to cycling so he rides very hard in the saddle. Instead of standing up over rough terrain and absorbing some of the impact, he put all of his weight on the saddle. He wound up with a flat rear tire, and even he said it was probably because he was putting all of his weight on that tire. DOH!

All kidding aside, it was a fun time. I do believe I got my friend very intested in cycling - which wasn't all that hard to accomplish, seeing how he is an avid motorcyclist.

And although he laughed at first, by the end of the ride he sure was happy I lent him a pair of cycling shorts. :)

Originally posted by mightypudge .......he sure was happy I lent him a pair of cycling shorts. :) [/B]

Yikes!.......:(

This would be a good reason to have a single-speed around.

Originally posted by mightypudge
And although he laughed at first, by the end of the ride he sure was happy I lent him a pair of cycling shorts. :) [/B]

I would say that is a valid reason for wearing underwear with cycling shorts.

Originally posted by mightypudge
[B
And although he laughed at first, by the end of the ride he sure was happy I lent him a pair of cycling shorts. :) [/B]

You truly are a good friend. (Although if it were me, I'd have probably just given him the shorts. ;) )

I wouldn't go lending shorts was I you

Originally posted by mightypudge
.......
Anyway, as with anyone that is new to riding he was a little uncomfortable with the shifting. He basically threw my chain about seven times due to shifting to the wrong chainring or trying to shift while mashing the pedals. He also got caught in a cross-gear way too often which didn't help matters.

It was very disconcerting. :)

...........

mightypudge, could you tell me where to learn the finer points of shifting and what not to do? I am a new rider and have a new bike that I too am getting familiarized with and would like to know the RIGHT way to use my shifter and gears. The manual that came with the bike helps with how to operate the shifter but not too much on the points you mentioned that your friend was doing. Thanks

Don't shift when you are putting lots of pressure on the pedals, never try to run your big chainring (the gear in front) with your big cog (the gear on the rear wheel) or little to little. These gear combos cause huge strains on the geartrain due to the severe angle they force the chain into. Never, never, never downshift while you are cranking hard up a hill, anticipate the gear you'll need if you can, and if you find that you must shift, ease the pressure off the pedals till the shift is complete.

Last week, had a French friend visit( exchange teacher.). I Let her ride with some friends; since due to surgery- I am not riding right now. She has ridden our hybrid before, but heard she had some shifting problems.
Rode with her last year-thought she did pretty good. She ended up riding like 35 miles. She loved it. Like to expand the joys of cycling to others.
Anyway, lean't her a pair of my wife's cycling shorts. Would be a shame for the crew had she just worn regular shorts, I think! If the shorts smell like Rainbow Fab can it be all that bad? Too bad after the ride the shorts could not still smell like her "Paris" perfume.
What a difference some people make.? Heard one riding friend say, will not lend out his bike to anyone, unless they plunk down a deposit on the value of the bike! I am a little more generous than that. But then that means they ride the hybrid and not my Klein. And I have them ride about local parking lots before we hit the road, if I feel that is needed..

By the way, since I didn't make this clear the first time around; I did give my friend the cyclings shorts. I bought them online and they weren't my size.