Grow Your Own Magazine

You know when people want to reassure you that you'll still be able to do something and they say 'it's like riding a bike, you never really forget'?

Well I clearly remember my ten year old self joyfully riding my trusty Sturmy Archer up hill and down dale in the 1970s... but can I ride the bike I've just got from our local version of Freecycle? Can I heck!

I wanted a bike to cut the time it takes to get to the lottie. My child free times are extremely scarce and it seems a waste to spend 40 mins each way on walking there on the rare times I have a babysitter and can really get on. I picked it up today and wheeled it the four miles home (excuse: had the kids with me and didn't want to leave them in a cloud of dust) but I've just had a go in the garden and I'm rubbish! It's just as well that the green manure will be dug in soon and that the caterpillars had finished off the last of the red cabbages It's not even as if it's a Tour de France style high seat, skinny tyred one either - it's a Granny shopper style with two baskets!

Can you get stabilisers for grown-ups???

I remember riding a bike when I was a bairn with no back tyre and no brakes! You stopped yourself while travelling downhill by jamming your welly on the front wheel! I had a left welly with worn section the shape of the front tyre in the sole.

I can't believe anyone would forget how to ride a bike, it's just a case of re-gaining your confidence.
If I ride a bike these days it's 'pedestrians look out' as there is far too much traffic on the road, so I use the path instead.

Just think of the Nike? advert " Just do it............"

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Snadger's right, it'll come back to you, don't worry! We went on a centerparc holiday a few years ago and all hired bikes, it took me about a day to really get going again, but after that I was fine. Except for the sore ass...

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Sounds like Snadger got my first bike after I finished with it!!! I learned to ride it by getting on at the top of a long hill - after a few feet I realised there were no brakes - I had a choice, learn to ride or fall off on the road.

I didn't ride a bike for many many years but sort of can ride one now - a bit wobbly at first but it does come back - all a matter of confidence. You will be fine with practice.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I'm hoping its just a matter of confidence Seahorse. I've not ridden a bike for years & years, too much vehicular traffic....but we've a break in North Devon in April and I fancy hiring a bike to ride the Tarka Trail - the bit around Bideford/Barnstaple is flat and free of traffic.

So keep telling yourself its fun and don't even think of falling off, pedal like crazy!!!

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Oh, it'll come back to you! Try these to make it a bit easier:

• pumped tyres, as hard as an orange
• lowest gear so you don't wobble on "take off" - then a higher gear as you gain speed. When you stop, always change down to a low gear first.
• lower the seat until you gain your confidence

i always have trouble if I swap bikes, from my racer-type to a granny-type

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Good to hear it's (hopefully!) just a confidence thing! Fortunately there's a back way to my lottie, largely on paved public footpaths, so if I do come off it'll be into a pile of scrub, not under the wheels of a juggernaut!

I've already got the seat as low as it will go (due to being a short @r$e) but I'll definitely try the pumped up tyres and I'll see if I can identify the lowest gear!

Its the easiest one!

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

It is a confidence thing, I was the same when I bought a bike about 12 years ago after about 15 years out the saddle. Took me a while to get the basic balance thing and then a bit longer to gain confidence in traffic and now I'm quite happy and know what routes are good or bad around our way. One thing, our local council is currently preparing a cycle map of the town which is fab, colour coded routes for how much experience you have, ie red for roads where you'd need more talent cos the traffic is faster or there are pinch points down to green (I think) for the sort of places where you'd be happy letting your kids go - note that these aren't all just the roads with cycle paths as some of them are more dangerous than the road proper!

One query, why a low gear, I've always found that in a lower gear (unless you're going up a steep hill) your legs are going round really fast and you're hardly moving and I end up weaving all over the place, have always found a higher gear much better for balance as you're moving faster - can't remember the physics now but wheels are more stable at faster speeds and you can steer more easily.

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Edit - or not says Alison - and actually thinking about it, in a higher gear you don't peddle as much and so can concentate on 'free-wheeling'. I'm with Alison. Anymore theories???

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

[quote=Seahorse;164407]I've just had a go in the garden and I'm rubbish!

Did you have enough room in the garden to get going properly? It's hard to ride in a small area - you really need a trip on a long straight-ish smooth-ish path to help build your confidence.

During the summer I took my daughter (aged 7) to an open flat grassy area nearby where she could practise riding without her stabilisers. When she fell off she had a soft landing. The ground's probably too wet for this at the moment but somewhere with lots of space should help.

Good luck!

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Julie

No, I didn't really have enough room to get into the swing of it - I guess only a 'push off' and three or so pedals. I'm going to try and find somewhere secluded (to spare my blushes ) but with a longer stretch to have a go at. I think if my six year old can ride a bike, I really should be able to as well!!!

Seahorse, honestly you don't forget you just lose your confidence. I'm 57 years young now and I used to ride a pushbike regularly from about 10 -11 years old. Done the no-brakes thing too. Then followed a gap of many years, working bringing up kids etc. Around 3 years ago I treated myself to a brand new bike (Granny style according to my beloved children) and first ride I was absolutely terrified. What you need is a big wide open space (car park is good, specially after everyone else has gone home). Garden is no good as you don't have the space to get up a bit of speed and get your balance. Since starting riding again I have fallen off a few times (usually due to granddaughter stopping her bike right in front of me at VERY short notice) but it's been OK. Keep trying, it's worth it and once you get going you will enjoy it. By the way, get yourself some panniers - it's amazing what you can pack into them. Saves balancing stuff.

...and if you do it when it's dry underfoot (ha ha - fat chance!) then your brakes might actually work. I'm a fair weather cyclist for this reason!

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sun 30/11/2008......Indoor Allotmenteering too!.....

Yes, I meant when you are starting off at low speed. I should have been more clearer !

this is a great little book (possibly free from your library?)
TSO Online Bookshop - Bookshop

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

OMG this struck a chord with me.. I discovered a few years back that I too can't ride a bike any more... mind you, I was never totally comfortable on a bike when I was little, I just didn't want to miss out on what my mates were doing

I think you've hit the nail on the head her Snadg

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Try googling "cycle training" and your location. Lots of local authorities offer subsidised or even free classes to help you get your confidence back. Usually you practice somewhere away from traffic gthen the instructor takes you out in traffic to help you with road sense.

London Boroughs definitely do it and Transport for London does good maps for those of you in London.

Cycling | Transport for London

Also their journey planner also lets you pick cycling as an option for any specifc journey you want to do

King Ken is certainly one to encourage cycling. Not sure of his idea to get all cyclists registered and displayed their reg. number though.

I got back into cyling after a 15 year gap and found it difficult at first, even though I'd been on a motorbike for that time (not constantly!!). Wobbled all over the place. Wouldn't be without one now.

They say as long as you are doing over 20mph you will be very stable.

That's a tad ambitious
15mph is going at a good clip. You're likely to average about 10mph (which is still faster than a car's average speed in London).
I only get over 20mph if I'm going downhill with the wind behind me.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

20 mph

I don't intend cycling on the roads btw. I'm sure I'll get my confidence back well enough to be reasonably safe but there are too many idiot drivers for me to feel happy about it. Luckily I can get almost all the way to the lottie on a paved cycleway and an 'access only' back road that has hardly any traffic.

By the end of the summer you'll be cycling along with a bucket dangling from one handlebar and a full plastic bag off the other, a rucksack on your back and a fork and spade strapped behind the seat

You'll be wondering how on earth you could be wobbly now