AlexCyclistRoch

Not really surprising. She probably did the typical newbie mistake and rode it almost exclusively in top gear, mashing along and probably over-straining her leg muscles. Also, most young people these days are grossly out of shape, and often obese, as well. That's what happens when helicopter parents allow their kids to live protected lives as couch potatoes. Frankly, I'd be surprised if after 2 more rides, she just finds riding 'too hard' and never uses the bike again. That's what usually happens.

FWIW, there is an elderly lady (80+ years old) who I used to see often on the local MUT, riding an old, classic heavy cruiser-type bike (women's step-through frame, probably 3-speed hub, balloon tires, chrome fenders, weighed 40 lbs or more) who could keep up an honest 13 mph for miles. I know, I paced her once for 3 miles (before passing here and getting up to my more usual 15-16 mph pace). So, I would say that just to avoid embarrassment, you should strive to achieve a pace somewhere higher than 'granny' can.....

And, also, I assume that riding the school bus is an option? You really need to be careful about overloading on a bike that doesn't have panniers. On days when you need to carry a lot of stuff, the bus makes more sense. If you ride when it's still dark, you MUST have lights front and rear. Also, a helmet is a requirement in every state for young riders. When I was in high school, I rode because I lived just too close to school to have a bus. Also, my first stolen bike happened when parked at school. Always carry a GOOD lock.

Maelochs

I cannot agree, Mr. Roach. You may not have much respect for most young people (which I can understand---I don't have much respect for people in general) but this young lady seems like one of the good ones.

Fib

I see you are the kind of person who sees a few, or I guess in this case, a lot of bad people in a group (this group would be the young people), and assume that all the people in that group are the same. I'm grossly out of shape and possibly obese? Hah, I can agree on the first one. I did let myself get out of shape, but I am no where hear obese. I'm actually quite small for somebody age, I think. 118lbs. But guess what? I'm not like a lot of the "young people" I'm trying to get back in shape. Oh, and I'm doing this so I can continue to get my education btw.

Oh yeah, before you assume stuff, you should think a little more. Have you thought maybe I go to a charter school that doesn't have a school bus? See, if you actually thought about the different types of schools there are, and the different situations families are in... You'd realize that it is possibly for my decision to ride my bike to school could actually make quite a bit of sense. I go to a public charter school about 6-7 miles from my house, we don't have a school bus. I don't have to go every day, but I usually do because I get a lot of help from my teachers, which I need. Also, my backpack isn't very heavy because I only need to take a binder, 3-4 units (which are just 60-70 page packets), and a pencil bag with me. So, doesn't add on much weight. I and my bike can handle it

No, I won't be getting myself to around as fast as "granny" can go because 1. From what I've learned over the last few days, I'm pretty sure some bikes actually can't get to that speed, and I think my bike is one of the ones that can't. 2. I don't give a crap if a grandma can go faster than me. That's pretty awesome that she can do that, good for her. But I'm not comparing myself to others. My great grandma was still running when she was like 80 or something, she's around like 90 now and still alive. Pretty awesome to me. My mom's side if the family is has healthy genes, while my biological father's side of the family, doesn't. Obesity runs through my biological father's side of the family actually, but you know, my mom has always taught me to be prepared for stuff that could possibly happen, usually negative stuff... Like gaining a lot of weight, which is a possibility for me since it's in my bio dad's genes. So, I'm doing my best to get back in shape and keep myself from getting obese in the future. Hey, look at that! I think!!

I won't be giving up after 2 more rides, or 1, or 5 or any because guess what? I enjoy riding my bike, I enjoy the challenge to continue riding even though I can only do 1 mile, which I know makes me "grossly out of shape", I enjoy making my parents proud by riding my bike and trying to get back in shape, I enjoy seeing people like you who think I'm stupid, and gonna give up... Oh I can't wait till I prove you wrong!

Yes, I know I need to wear a helmet. I have one, and I've been wearing it everytime I ride (surprise!!). I also know that my bike could get stolen, but, you didn't know that I don't just leaving laying outside for hours for people to steal, and you didn't know that I don't plan to ride to school until I have a lock for it. Oh, by the way, I have lights for my bike too. You know, in case I end up being out after dark for whatever reason. Wouldn't wanna get run over or something because somebody in a car couldn't see me!

Thank you for replying, and for your honesty I really appreciate it, it motivates me to prove you, and people like you wrong.

Fib

Thank you, I appreciate you responding and I guess kinda defending me in a way... And the fact that you can see I'm not like the kind of people that guy is talking about.

52telecaster

Hope you are enjoying your bike!

Fib

Thank you. I am!

shelbyfv

Back to school tomorrow? I know you miss your social life.

Fib

No. 99% of the people at my school are jerks like some people on here, you seem to be acting like a bit of a jerk too. I find it funny how a lot of adults say "Your generation is messed up!!" and blame us, when really, it's them because they sit there and put us down all the time. "Your generation is messed up" "They're all wusses" "Kids these days are stupid" and all that crap. Adults these days are pretty fricken messed up thinking just because they're an adult they can say whatever they want, and it's not supposed to hurt us. It's also messed up because a lot of adults seem to think that just because we're younger than them we don't have feelings or we're not allowed to have feelings. I simply joined this website so I could find some help with my bike. Most people who were responding were actually pretty nice, but I'm noticing like almost everybody on here are way older than me, aka adults, and I'm beginning to get a little Disappointed. I'm supposed to look up to people like you? People who sit at there computer, or on their phone or something and just insult and bully kids?? Really??? My generation really is doomed!!

shelbyfv

Now we are cranking- welcome back!

52telecaster

Its not doomed as long as your representing it. I'm proud to have met you fib.

Maelochs

Yeah, she is a good one.

I figured out a while back people don't get a lot more intelligent past about 12 or 15. Some get smarter due to analyzing experience, but in terms of reasoning ability most people don't get much more intelligent .. and as we age we lose a lot of perception because we tend to overlook what we always see, to look in the same ways all the time .. . we forget that for growing minds, everything is new, so they see the stuff we overlook and ignore.

It's funny too that adults don't remember their own childhoods .. when the adults then said pretty much all the same things we are saying now (well, what some are saying.) What's even funnier is adults seem to blame the kids ... well, folks We Raised Them ... if you mistreat a dog and it bites you, you don't blame the dog, but if you raise kids badly, you blame the kids?

Fact is, people haven't changed a Whole lot from generation to generation ... people in ancient Egypt were about the same as we are now, they just had simpler technology. Their brains weren't much different ... and back then, I bet the adults hated what the kids did.

Problem with me is I am still an adolescent in an adult body, so I remember what I heard growing up ... same sh!7 I hear from "adults" today.

Funny too ... I know some super kids, really fine human beings ... mostly have really awesome human beings for parents. They also listen to music their parents hate and like things their parents wished they didn't like ... just like our parents and their parents and parents forever.

Thing is, the good kids' parents are smart enough to see their own faults and don't blame the kids for being individuals, and also for being social creatures. They accept who their children are and guide them, instead of trying to mold them into something they are not.

"Crazy Kids! Get off my lawn!" is meant to be humorous and self-deprecating. It is absolutely hilarious when people (including some posters here) seem to think it is right and justified.

Cracks me right up.

I was super-fit until I was 40, when I got a desk job. I then spent 14 hours a day at a computer, and then four hours watching TV and eating, and in a few years I went from single-digit body fat to being morbidly obese.

Meanwhile I kept in touch with the cycling world, and saw lots of young riders who were super fit---sure, they spent a lot of time on their phones, but also on their bikes.

I finally decided to start riding again, and to get healthy again, and it has been exceedingly hard ... but oddly enough, no one ever said “All those adults today, they are all obese and lazy and spend all their time staring at a screen ... ” which honestly, most of us do.

Why do we crap on our kids but completely accept the same behavior in ourselves? Particularly, since we teach kids through our actions as well as our words?

Whatever.

Some percentage of people live physically healthy lives, some percentage doesn’t. Some live mentally and emotionally healthy lives; most, it seems to me, don’t.

People who have it together mentally and emotionally seem to live the Best lives—and they seem to be least likely to hinder someone else’s efforts.

People who crap on “kids nowadays” are secretly lamenting all the bad choices they made in their own lives, is what I think.

I own my bad choices. This leaves me free to encourage people whenever they make good choices. Others will do whatever.

Same as it ever was ....

Maelochs

Yeah actually, your generation might be doomed ... because of bad choices made by My generation and a couple of the intervening generations.

You have my sincere apologies for the steaming pile of crap we have handed you ... I Hope your generation can fix even a fraction of the mistakes we have made and keep making.

Either way ... keep doing what makes you happy. As I said above, you seem like one of the good ones. And good people are rare and underappreciated.

You don't seem like the type to give up because a few peoples disrespect you ... so you don't really need my encouragement.

I offer it anyway.

Fib

Thank you, I think you're my favorite person on here. You're really smart and nice. I don't think my generation will be able to fix anything, that's the sad reality to be honest. People follow eachother. And kids follow their parents. Everything their parents do. That's why adults now are still the same they have been for years, because that's how their parents were. And it's going to continue on like this probably forever. Luckily there are the few good parents who raise good kids. The only reason you see me as one of the good ones is because of my parents. I wouldn't be like this if I had different parents. They're the ones who have taught me to think the way I do, they taught me how to respond the way I do to negative people, and they're the ones who taught me to just keep going. It is, of course, from my experiences too. I know I don't know everything about life and all that, but I believe I know a lot, and still have a lot more to learn as I get older. 2016 was the hardest year of my life so far and it's the year I've learned and matured the most, because you learn from your mistakes, and struggles especially when you have people, and your parents, by your side. I feel like that sounds like some new year inspiration lol that's not how I meant for it to turn out.

52telecaster

You rock! If your looking for inspiring reading please consider Elly Blue's "Bikeonomics".
I may have misspelled the title but I think she might inspire as a woman and just a plain smart person.

Hang in there Fib.

Fib

Thank you I'll check it out.

Hardrock23

Probably the best thing Iv read on this site so far.

And that bold part + 1. That goes through my head every time i read or hear something about my generation lol Who raised us???



But even still, we are all our own person and can choose to live and see things differently no matter what was taught or drilled into us growing up...if we want to.

Fib

You're right. We can choose to live and see things differently, but that's where the "People follow eachother" part comes in, or at least that's my oppinion. People just usually follow what other people do if it's something people like. Take the bottle flip thing for example, a kid flipped a bottle in his school's talent show because he thought it was cool/funny... When other people saw the audience's reaction, they saw that they liked it and everybody started doing it. Usually the good people in the world are the ones who either decided to live differently, or actually had good parents.

mlau

Fib,

First off, I didn't know that you were a lady.

Secondly, I wouldn't stress about going to school particularly fast.
Rather, I'd recommend finding ways to make biking more fun. Since you're riding to school, it's not like you need to be in a race or all sweaty.

Here's a few things that I've found that have improved my satisfaction
- get a basket: nice to haul extra stuff like cookies, lunch, gym bag, a trumpet case, etc
- get a bell you like: it's much nicer than hollering "behind you" and brings a smile to my face
- get a seat that feels comfy: as a lady, your pelvis is shaped differently than dudes. Having proper support will make more sense as you ride more.
- good tires: if you're riding pavement on knobby tires, you're robbing yourself of the sweetness of low rolling resistance tires. On my 20 inch tire Xootr Swift, my Schwalbe big apples are arguably my best upgrades.
- fenders: not getting a big wet black stripe up one's back.

I don't really see your bike as a road bike (by American standards), but as a hybrid bike. These are zippy, fun, but not as fast and fragile as a carbon fiber Pinarello.

Oh, and the generation-snubbing thing happens everywhere.
I was just on a dental forum where I got annoyed at some 48 year old woman's thread "what is wring(sp) with millennials." There were a bunch of people crapping on my generation, and it was pretty annoying.

For 16, you're pretty well sorted out. Keep it up!

mlau

Fib,

After rereading the thread, I think that I'll chime in a few things. I'll try not to be patronizing, since I still remember how it was at 16.

1. Approach riding as a journey.
Don't obsess over meeting a time, speed, or distance. Enjoy watching the sun break over some emerald leaves. Listen to the birds on the way to school/library/etc. If you're tired/thirsty, take a break.
When I was a student at Davis, I really didn't notice that my cardiovascular health was significantly better after 4 years biking everywhere.

2. Involve friends.
Cycling culture is huge (at least in the SF Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, Davis) because it involves friends. Cycling seems to attract the nicest, coolest, independent types.
I especially find that ladies don't care about if you have the newest dura-ace equipped bike. Rather, they like being able to hit a cafe, grocery store, movies without worrying about parking...and feel great that they don't have to worry about traffic or harming the environment.
Get your friends to join you. It's more fun, and you're more likely to keep doing it!

3. Feel good about what you do
You are in a great growth stage in life (before your final growth stage). Your bicycling will greatly help you avoid diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis. I've found (both with personal experience, imperical observation, medical journals) that childhood asthma can be reduced/eliminated with regular cardiovascular activity.
You're doing something great for the environment. You are modeling a non-polluting way to live.
You're developing independence and self-sufficiency. Instead of relying on your parent's car, you can do your own thing (which is huge). You'll likely develop some basic skills as you ride your bike (changing a flat tire, tuning your bike, etc). It's a great feeling to know that you can go to the grocery/library/friend's whenever and wherever you feel like it.

4. Make things fun
For me, my bike is a giant reflector. Google the bright bike project.
This makes rides much safer. This is also fun-- New Year's Eve 2011, There were a bunch of drunk dudes/lasses freaking out over my glowing bike after the fireworks on pier 39, SF. The champagne afterwards was great.
I also use my folding bike as a way to encourage patients to get a bike when I pay housecalls. There's few things as great as seeing another grown man frolicking on my bike "It's like riding on a giant marshmallow!!! It's so fast!."

Anyways, welcome to the family.
I think that you'll love it a lot.

decentdrummer91

Hey bud, welcome to the forum. On a side note, you got treated much nicer than me when I first joined.

Don't feel bad if people are going faster than you, don't feel like you have to compete too much. Ride at a pace that you know kind of pushes the limit for you, but yet it's still doable. It's a 7.5 mile ride to my work, and depending on how fast I ride, it will take 20-30 mins. But I have a road bike which is a lot lighter than yours. That's just to give you an idea of what's possible. I wish you the best of luck.

shelbyfv

At least you got the "bud" part right.

Fib

Thank you, I'm trying not to worry much about how fast I'll get there because that actually is really pointless. Since I go to a public charter school I only have to actually go to the school twice a week. Because I have trouble with my homework, and really bad with actually doing my work at home (I procrastinate too much), I go to the school every day because the teachers and tutors are there, plus at the school doing your work is more enforced I guess you could say. But, since I'm volunteeraly going every day I don't have to be there at a specific time. I try to get there when my school opens (9am) but it doesn't matter if I get there at 9:30, 10 whatever time. The only downside to getting there later is then that takes from my time to be there doing my work and getting help with my homework, because there are still other students like me who go everyday to get help, so then that also includes waiting until the teacher isn't busy for a few minutes to help me. I guess that's why I was so worried about time, I think very deeply into stuff... sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. Usually bad. Anyway, I go back to school tomorrow and I have procrastinated all break so I have to go do homework.

Ironfish653

Fib- This is a good thing that you want to do. Mlau, Maelochs, and the the others have lots of good advice there.

Take little steps. Have fun. Ride because you want to, not because you 'have to'

Don't sweat the little details, the more you do it, the more they'll become second nature.

Take little steps. Have fun. This is a good thing.

snow_venture52

Hey Fib! I think it's great you're biking to school and back! Everyone here has great advice so don't let one or two negative comments set you back.

I didn't start really commuting by bike til I was 22 and I wish I'd started back in school before that. It's important to set healthy (and by extension, fun!)mental and physical standards for ourselves and exercising, particularly going anywhere under our own steam, is very empowering.

Do you ride anywhere with other people? I personally enjoy the solo rides as it gives you a guaranteed hour or more a day to unplug, work out, and the the world as it is. Having said that, biking with other people is it's own reward and I've had some great times going out with friends on our bikes. It's a tad safer too. Have you found any cool things or places while you were biking to school you never noticed before? Independently exploring your city and countryside alike is a great side effect of travelling by bike. I hope you see all kinds of funny and beautiful things!

I'd recommend getting a rear rack with panniers for your bike in case you ever wanted to haul more things. Front racks are certainly a thing too but im not fond of how they seem to interfere with steering, especially with a heavy load attached. I used to use a backpack(and still do if I know I'm not, say, getting groceries or things) but started having back issues bc if it. Not saying you will but something to think about as you continue your cycling. Let the bike bear the weight not your back!

I cannot recommend the Bell memory foam comfort seat highly enough. I've had one for nearly 8 years and it's still intact and sits as comfortably as the day I bought it. They even have some with lights attached for rear lighting!

In the summer I usually bring a small toiletry bag with face wash, deodorant, toothpaste (Id have to work early so just did the washing up at work ), etc you want. Same with a sports bra and change of clothes. Id hang out my bike clothes somewhere private to dry out. It can get pretty sweaty here where I live so I packed each morning like I was staying at a friend's. But the friend is your bike.

But yeah, everyone on here is pretty on point with the advice.Stay driven, pace yourself, have fun, and don't worry if your times vary, that could be due to traffic, headwinds, shoot, even being tired. Everything's allowed on a bike. It's a great therapy tool.

Good luck and ride safe!

52telecaster

+100