Learning to Ride a Road Bike – An Adventure in Hitting the Ground

I have been road cycling for 13 years now.  It has been an incredible journey.  My bike has literally changed my life.

Before I met my bike (my beloved Trek 2000), I was the most unathletic person ever!!!  I wouldn’t have believed for a second that I was one day going to be riding a fast bike on highways and up to the tops of mountains.  I was completely uncomfortable with my physical being, and afraid of adventure.

Right after I married my husband, James, he bought us road bikes.  It had been a passion of his in his younger years, and he was keen to re-immerse himself.  I really had absolutely no idea what I was getting into.

The first time I took my road bike out, it was terrifying.  You have to believe me when I say that I had no athletic abilities.  My sense of my body was non-existent.  I didn’t know how to co-ordinate anything.  My new road bike had pedals with special shoes that clip into them.  This presented a big challenge for me.  I kept forgetting that my feet were attached!!  I would come to a halt and rapidly hit the pavement before I remembered.  I felt like a complete ass.  I felt really incapable.

This was really embarrassing and really frustrating for me.  I wanted to be able to do this!  So, I ended up coming up with a strategy.  I would repeat the words in my head anytime I wanted to stop:  (1) Slow down, (2) release one foot, (3) halt and lower foot to ground, (4) lean on foot.

I really did this.  I repeated this over and over and kept practicing on one quiet street near home until I got it.

If you want to ride a fast bike but you are afraid, I really encourage you to try this.  Take the bike on a quiet street, and simply go up and down.  Either use the steps that I have mentioned, or create your own.  Don’t give up.

If there is something else you want to do that you are afraid of doing, apply a similar strategy.  Bite off a small piece, and figure out a way to do it.

I went from a quite street to the peak of a famous European mountain within months.  Don’t give up on yourself.  You can do this!!!

The expert in anything was once a beginner.

{All photos by Christopher Aune}