Originally Posted by
Norg
I mean literally get on on a bike and ride it, I wasn't joking when I described myself as a beginner
I had bought a bicycle and had started learning the very basics, but had to give it up after around two weeks.
Quick update - my cycling career started again this evening. I took the bike up on the roof of my house to get used to balancing on it and pedal for very short distance. I quickly got the hang of it and took the bike down to the road in front of my house and spent around an hour doing laps around the road (it's a fairly quiet road with relatively few cars). I was extremely pleased with my progress, on the whole. I didn't fall at all, surprisingly, although I was slightly wobbly at times and tended to panic anytime a car came within 20 metres of me
Thank you to everyone for the advice, it was extremely helpful! In terms of the brakes, I found myself automatically using the front brakes (gently) more frequently, although there were instances where I used both. I also followed your advice in terms of the gears - I kept the bike on the middle chainring and didn't really mess around too much with changing gear. I was riding on flat terrain, so I'll try to experiment more with gears once I get some more experience.
I am also a beginning cyclist, having just started pedaling on my own (nobody holding onto the bike) a week and a half ago myself - for the first time in my life. Congrats on your progress. I will also work on using the front brake more often. I took "how to ride for adults" classes and was told to use both brakes - maybe because we were all raw beginners.
You have a very nice looking bike. I also bought a new commuter bike and it, too, has lights that are powered by a dyno-hub. The lights turn on automatically as the sun sets - they are activated by a light sensor. Maybe it is the same for your bike.
My own goal is to be able to cycle within a bike lane or sidewalk. I currently have the tendency to swerve, which would be dangerous if I were trying to ride with cars and pedestrians around. Hopefully the Sheldon Brown articles for beginners will help, but I think the best is just to keep riding my bike as often as possible. Regarding the rack, my bike also has a rack and I am probably going to get a pair of Ortlieb panniers for the rack. They are popular with cyclists in my area for being waterproof and durable.