Originally Posted by
alcjphil
One area that has not yet been discussed is improving your bike handling skills. It is fine to get stronger, but if your speed and strength outstrip your ability to handle higher speeds and longer distances, you can put yourself into dangerous situations. Remember that when you climb a hill, there will be a corresponding downhill where your speed can increase beyond what you are used to. Every year, we give instruction to the new members in our club, not about getting stronger and faster because these happen pretty naturally to people who ride frequently, but about how to handle their bikes in a safe manner, how to stop quickly and safely, how to pedal smoothly and in a straight line. Especially at first, you will improve quickly as your information from a few days of riding demonstrates. However you may not have given enough thought to how you ride. Do you ride in a straight line, or do you wobble side to side? Do you pedal smoothly or is your pedal stroke uneven. Can you stop safely in a panic situation? Are you afraid to go faster than a certain speed? How well you can handle your bike is a very important part of improving as a cyclist. Every year in our club we see new members who are very strong but terrible at handling their bikes, their strength has outstripped their skills
Good points.
To add to that, looking up the road and planning for obstacles (potholes, car doors, animals, kids...) is important. For stationary obstacles, like potholes, rocks, gradually move left or right to avoid them. Don't swerve suddenly at the last minute, which can be dangerous in traffic.