Mentoring the newbies
 

I came aboard BikeForums around 2012 shortly after I bought a new bike and returned to riding after a 25-year lay-off. During those 25 years, everything had changed, including bike comfort & gearing, bike paths and riding techniques.

I was lost. I had a whole lot of issues that I didn’t even know I had, and I signed into the BikeForums’ Fifty Plus arena hoping to learn a few things.

I lucked out. One of the Forum members named Keith lived nearby, and he offered to take me on a weekly no-drop group ride. The first time I rode with him, he taught me not to wear myself out by using nothing but my fastest gears; he taught me about cadence; about rider courtesy; about braking and hill-climbing.

Even though he was a 25-mph rider who rode centuries almost routinely, he stayed with me patiently, week after week, and converted me from a dummy into a confident cyclist who enjoyed his surroundings and was able to ride independently, confidently.

After I get back into good physical condition after a few health issues, I’ve pledged to myself that I’m gonna help anyone I can, the way Keith helped me.

That is great! I always took it upon myself to drop back on group rides and accompany the new or weaker riders. I remember when I was just getting back into it how I felt when in similar situations. Because riding a bike is sometimes not as easy as riding a bike!

...or you can mentor cyclists the more popular way by driving in a car and yelling, honking, tossing things and passing too closely. Just, kidding. I thing you were fortunate to find a guy like Keith, and whoever takes advantage of your offer will also be fortunate.

Our bike club has a number of rides in early summer which are directed toward mentoring newbies. These rides are led by an experienced couple who have frequent pauses to discuss points of safety or anything else relevant to safety or the satisfaction of the cycling experience. I was luck to find the club and this forum.

Excellent. Kudos to Keith. This is how we all should act regardless of the subject in life.

Good job man! That's the only way to ensure there are safe, smart riders out there...that will ride with us! :)

My story: After a lifetime of being a casual "utility cyclist" I got dragged kicking & screaming into joining a recreational enthusiast cycling club by my wife when I was 45 years old. That first year we participated in the Club's introductory training program that instructs people new to group cycling on the techniques for cooperative paceline riding. It was a godsend. It was eye-opening. The second year, we participated in the Club's A-level training program, a 12-week series which expands upon the previous year's instruction and applies it to high-speed close-proximity cooperative paceline riding. And again, it was a godsend. It was eye-opening.

And ever since then I've been trying to pay back the Club...by paying it forward: The third year I was recruited to be one of the volunteer instructors in their A-level training program, and I've been leading that series ever since, going on 10 years now. I spend 12 weeks every Spring teaching neophyte cyclists how to ride safely, smartly, efficiently, predictably...we try to turn them into Great Wheels®. I figure if I can lead that training series for another decade I'll maybe have begun to repay my debt to the Club for turning me on to this sport and teaching me how to ride.

Mentor whenever/wherever you can. It's good karma.

You really need to tread lightly. Mentoring/ helping newbies is really tricky business. Proceed with extreme caution. You really have to be amply sure that the newbie is receptive to advise coming from you. Definitely ask if they would like any input. If you just jump in and start throwing out advise, there can be serious backlash, I have experienced it myself.

Brian25 you definitely have a good point about the backlash to giving out advice. "Amply sure" and "receptive" are well spoken words. I don't give advice unless I am asked...:) Also I am on three different forums...photography. unicyclist, and this forum. The tone is so totally different. On the photography forum you have to be extremely careful that you don't anger someone who has been on the forum for a long time....Most are VERY set in the equipment they use and how things are done...The unicyclist forum is the exact opposite. Folks are extremely helpful...always trying to get together to have fun and ride. Sharing ideas and crazy stories, videos....I realize it is usually a younger crowd....usually when unicyclist meet there is an immediate bond. I know there are not nearly as many as cyclists.