thatguy512

Hey BF i just got my first road bike from BD a dawes lightning 2300.I just assembled it(front wheel,front breaks,stem,handlebars.I learned pretty much most of that as i went .Since i personally assembled it im kinda scared to ride it haha.Tomorrow i plan to go and get some bike shoes since my bike came with SPD's and im dying to try those out and i might get a helmet to since i've seen too many videos where people just stop and fall .Now that i have a rode bike how do people muster up the courage to bike in the street?

surfer777

well...you could always ride on the sidewalk and then ride on the street and feel the difference. The street is a much smoother ride and if there are bike lanes you have no reason to worry!

thatguy512

yeah well im worried about cars.I've read that you should ride where the right side tires would normally go instead of as far right as possible because if a car tries to pass you you could get pushed into glass or sewer drains.What type of physical level should i be at to be able to ride in the streets without holding back traffic?Especially going up hill

Mikevt1

congrats on the new bike. I recently went through the same thing buying a road bike after a 30 yr. layoff in that area. I had the advantage of having a friend from a LBS help me with the purchase and setup of the my bike (I bought online as well). I did, on his advice, practice in my driveway just getting into and out of my spd clips. I held onto my car and just clipped in and out for a while until it felt natural. My first ride went well until the very end when I was comfortable and became involved in the scenery and came to a complete stop completely forgetting about my clips. I slowly fell over while trying desperately to pull out my foot. I fell sideways into the street directly into a stopped police car. I felt stupid but lesson learned. Riding in the streets was a bit intimidating at first. I just planned my routes with limited traffic first to give me a break in period. I actually scouted routes to ensure road conditions and traffic levels were good. It's only been two months but I'm much more comfortable. I still don't like an 80,000 lb semi rig going by at 60 mph only a couple of feet away but I try to stay visible (bright shirts, etc) and do what is expected of me (ie hold my lanes and don't dart around). Ride safe and enjoy the new bike.

bbattle

Dave Moulton's blog is full of instructions on riding in traffic and how to be visible to cars.

Here is a link to his articles on riding on the roads: https://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com...fensive-riding

rumrunn6

take it to a shop and have them check your work and also the spoke tensions. as for riding in the road I have found that Sunday mornings are quiet.

bbattle

Except when the church crowd gets out. Then it's Katy bar the door as they make the mad dash to Cracker Barrel or to Costco for the free buffet.

ErichM

There aren't really hard and fast rules about a lot of this stuff, just preference. For me personally if the shoulder is huge I'll ride fully on it, if it is a tiny shoulder I'll tend to ride the white line so that I have room to move to the right if I need to avoid a pothole or something. I try to avoid roads with no shoulders at all, unless they aren't very busy. You generally aren't going to be able to move with the traffic entirely, if I'm in a position where I'm in the way of traffic I try to muster the energy to do about 20-21 MPH where possible so you're at least not basically standing still in the road.

If I'm on a 4 lane road (which I try to avoid, because they're generally much busier, but sometimes unavoidable) I'll take the whole lane because otherwise people will often try to squeeze through.

As far as being scared of getting hit, my advice is to just not think about it. Yeah it will be a really bad day if you get hit by a car, but I love this sport and the risks that go with it aren't enough to keep me from it, so why dwell on the risks if you're going to do it anyway?

I mostly ride in the country, so I haven't actually even had any close calls with cars yet. I have had close calls on the MUP though (glorified sidewalk).

hurley1718

Congrats on your first bike. If your yard is big enough do some riding in it so you can get used to the spd's. I was worried at first when I started riding on the road, but after a few times you get used to the cars. Enjoy your bike.

surfer777

Yeah I wouldn't worry about slowing traffic, if you think about it, most cyclists are going slower than traffic most of the time anyways so everyone has about the same effect on traffic. It is when you start to drift into traffic that the problems occur, so if you stay in the bike lane or signal and look before you drift into their lane you shouldn't run into problems. You gotta start somewhere, I figure as long as you can ride a bike you can ride in the road. Maybe practice keeping a straight line on a road with little traffic before you venture out into heavier traffic areas. But I think you'll find that as you ride in the road your worries and fears will go away. Good luck!

tagaproject6

You haven't ridden on the streets at all? This is a great time to check out your local cycling scene. See if there are any group rides in your area that cater to beginners. You should be able to find a nice group of people that will be more than willing to help you out.

badhat

cars dont kill you cuz they dont like you they kill you when they cant see you.

so when the choice is between riding where you are annoying but visible or innocuous and less visible, always ride where youre visible and drivers can deal.

thatguy512

yeah i read the guide that bbattle posted and it had great info about staying visible when riding in the street

Nope never ridden in the street unless it was an empty neighborhood.Where should i start to look for groups like that?I've never actually been to any of my LBS unless you consider performance local.

I dont quite understand then.If im riding in the road and the cars are at a speeds thats faster than mine do i let them pass me or do i take up the whole lane if theres no shoulder at all.

great article helped me feel more confident about trying to ride in the street.

hooligancyclist

Performance might be an okay shop if they know any local clubs or rides. A better bet is to go with a local shop that gets a lot of customers that focus on the kind of riding you want to do. There might even be a ride at your level that leaves the shop a couple days a week. I'd just ask the salesperson if there are any rides or clubs that you could ride with and learn at a beginner's level. If you are like most people and not a lone wolf, you can find great camaraderie in a riding buddy or a group of buddies. It is likely there are several shops in your area, so why not try them all?
In my case, I live next to a town that has several shops and clubs and racing teams, and the next town over where I attend school has 5-6 big shops and many teams and clubs. My racing team is a larger one, has 80 members and the club I am in has 1400 members. There's even a local pro team, one based here which is called BMC. One of their guys won the TDF this year. Another local rider here is named Levi, I've ridden with him on training rides. He knows a guy around your neck of the woods called Lance.
Tight community.

WHOOOSSHHH...

Everything you have read is true. Best to carry a miners helmet(with attached light), and rope with you just in case this occurs....

jrhii

Don't forget to check the local laws regarding cycling on the streets. Helmet laws, lighting and reflectors, signal laws, as well as any particular changes in regards to intersection protocal.

JRoller

Post some pictures!

thatguy512

your making me feel like im dumb now...