Originally Posted by
Porter20
Oh my. You have fun with that. I'm gonna continue with my pointless rides through the countryside. At least I know what it will take to be a better bike rider.
Seriously, thanks for the answer on the interval question bc I have read about them a bunch on the board, but had no idea what they are. Right now, I am still in the early stages where I am just fastinated by riding my bike, but in a little while I am sure I will be looking for ways to be better!
When you're just starting out, focus on building base miles for a few months. Once you have these, you can start pushing harder. While you're doing this, here are a few things you can work on that will also help you get better:
- Cadence: Learn to spin at a cadence that works well for you. For casual riding, the range I've seen is 80-100 and for higher performance, 90-110 or higher. Over the years I've ended up being most comfortable around 90 rpms for distance riding.
- Group skills: If you're interested in riding with groups, it's never too early to start. Beginning group rides will help you learn not only how to ride in a group, but you'll make new friends and there will often be people who can help you with overall riding skills.
- Basic bike care: All the little things you can do to keep your bike running in tip-top shape. If you can learn to adjust your brakes and shifting, keep the wheels trued, and proper cleaning and lube of everything, such as the chain, your bike will be more pleasant to ride and it'll save you down time of having to take it to the shop to fix a minor problem.
Edit: And one final thing, there is no such thing as a "pointless ride through the countryside".
I live for countryside rides.
