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What are some things you had to find out the hard way when you started cycling?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

What are some things you had to find out the hard way when you started cycling?

Old 09-22-08, 05:00 AM
  #1  
kelsey by metro
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What are some things you had to find out the hard way when you started cycling?

(Maintenance or on the road) For instance, today I cleaned my chain for the first time with one of Park Tool's chain cleaner. I don't have a work stand so I had my roommate hold my bike while I cranked backwards. I made a huge mess on the floor (some of the citrus cleaner managed to get on my wheels) and the chain kept falling off (I also didn't have the chain in the smallest cog, which I just found out would have made my task easier).
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Old 09-22-08, 05:10 AM
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There are seams between pavement sections on the road that will swallow a 23c tire and turn your racing bike into a slot car that is doomed to crash. Watch out for those.
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Old 09-22-08, 06:03 AM
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Originally Posted by patentcad
There are seams between pavement sections on the road that will swallow a 23c tire and turn your racing bike into a slot car that is doomed to crash. Watch out for those.
my buddy hit one of those on the Pulaski bridge, went from 22mph to 0mph in an instant, flipped over and - yup, completely ****ed up his collarbone.

the worst part about that was that it was his third or fourth day riding after recovering from another injury.

the other broken collarbone.
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Old 09-22-08, 06:08 AM
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Originally Posted by kelsey by metro
(Maintenance or on the road) For instance, today I cleaned my chain for the first time with one of Park Tool's chain cleaner. I don't have a work stand so I had my roommate hold my bike while I cranked backwards. I made a huge mess on the floor (some of the citrus cleaner managed to get on my wheels) and the chain kept falling off (I also didn't have the chain in the smallest cog, which I just found out would have made my task easier).
\

you used a chain cleaner indoors?
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Old 09-22-08, 06:48 AM
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When in doubt have a foot out if you're stopping.
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Old 09-22-08, 06:57 AM
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ALWAYS bring some food or at least a gel.
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Old 09-22-08, 07:20 AM
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Don't reach down and remove that little stick from your spokes while riding. Your hand will get jammed between the fork and the spokes and you'll end up on your %*#.
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Old 09-22-08, 07:38 AM
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Originally Posted by gear
Don't reach down and remove that little stick from your spokes while riding. Your hand will get jammed between the fork and the spokes and you'll end up on your %*#.
ouch. now that just sounds ridiculous. why would you even try doing that?
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Old 09-22-08, 07:43 AM
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going sideways doesn't work
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Old 09-22-08, 07:44 AM
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Old 09-22-08, 07:47 AM
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Never ride on a crappy seat. When I first started riding my seat wasn't suited for my butt-bones at all. And it resulted in a constant forward position where most of the pressure was on my junk opposed to butt-bones.

After a long hill climb I felt slight tingly / numb feeling, which concerned me greatly. There are tons of nerves that run through that area that I never really thought about before.
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Old 09-22-08, 07:48 AM
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When I started cycling the most difficult thing I had to come to terms with was that there would never be enough hours in the day in which to do it.
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Old 09-22-08, 07:49 AM
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I read an article years ago that listed five things you must learn how to do as a cyclist: 1) jump your bike over an object in the road, 2) ride in a straight line, 3) look behind while riding while maintaining a straight line, 4) counter-steer into turns, 5) change a flat.
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Old 09-22-08, 07:55 AM
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Originally Posted by bigtea
1) jump your bike over an object in the road
I highly doubt I could bunny-hop over an object on my road bike... maybe it means like being able to pop your tire above something, like a curb?.
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Old 09-22-08, 07:57 AM
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Buy the bike shorts.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Pookie4G
Buy the bike shorts.
But start out with one of those dopey gel pads that bungee cord to your seat first.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Shipht
I highly doubt I could bunny-hop over an object on my road bike... maybe it means like being able to pop your tire above something, like a curb?.
I like your style Shipht.

You Think Different.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by bigtea
1) jump your bike over an object in the road
This is really important.. especially in city riding. Yesterday I was cruising down riverside drive around 20mph and there is an 18 inch long ditch style pothole that crosses the entire street. Just a little bunny hop (easy while clipped in) got me just over it, otherwise it could have been a rim bender, or just really pissed me off, especially on my new carbon ride.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:10 AM
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Cars are faster and hurt more than you might think, stay away from them.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by geist
ALWAYS bring some food or at least a gel.
Yeah. That sounds like you're stating the obvious but it took me a long to time learn that I REQUIRED fuel to keep the engine running on lengthy rides.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:16 AM
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When Dad takes the training wheels off and you fall on the grass, don't put your hand out to break your fall because it might land on top of a bee who WILL sting you.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:26 AM
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Two things I learned:

The easiest way to get reeeaaaalllllly fast up a hill is to get chased by a snarling, frothing Rottweiller. The other is that your labrador retrievers will lick you to death when you fall on your clipless pedals for the first time in your driveway and you've fallen in such a way that your laying on one arm and the other is tethered by your glove to the brake lever and you're laying there, humiliated like a helpless slug.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:27 AM
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you will spend more money than you have
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Old 09-22-08, 08:27 AM
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When riding behind another rider, long hair and a great figure does not qualify said rider as a female.
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Old 09-22-08, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by nycwtorres
you will spend more money than you have
i cannot agree more
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