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Riding Tips
Starting
If you are unused to toe clips/straps or
clipless pedals, practise getting your feet
into the pedals. Do this in a quiet area
away from traffic. This will help to avoid
any potentially dangerous wobbles when
starting off in traffic or at the start of a
road race.
Stopping
Again if you have not used toe
clips/straps or clipless pedals, practise
taking your feet out of the pedals in a
quiet area traffic free. It is instinctive
to lift the foot off the pedal and when you
are not used to the twisting action required
for clipless pedals, it can cause a
momentary panic and you may topple over. It
is best to do this in a traffic free
environment rather than at a set of traffic
lights.
When stopping, apply the back brake
slightly before the front and try to apply
an even an equal pressure to both brakes.
Riding in a Group
A lot of the riding you will do will be
in the company of others so it is important
to learn how to do this. Sitting behind the
rider in front (slipstreaming) will save you
energy. With practise you will be able to
stay 6-8 inches (or closer) behind. Make
sure that your front wheel does not overlap
the back wheel of the rider ahead of you.
Avoid sharp braking or sudden movements such
as getting out of the saddle as this has the
effect of throwing the bike backwards which
can be dangerous to the rider behind. Look
out for obstacles or pot holes in the road
and point these out to the riders behind.
Cornering
Cornering is something you should
practise, especially if you intend to race.
Try to follow an experienced rider and
watch the line they take. Fix your line, go
in at the right speed and accelerate out of
the corner. Brake before the corner - not on
it. Once you have your line, try to look at
where you want to go rather than at the
nearside kerb, because in missing the
latter, you will probably find that your
bike is not going where you want it to go.
This may then entail a sudden change in
direction with the consequent danger of a
crash. Transfer your weight to the outside
pedal, which in lowering your centre of
gravity will give maximum tyre adhesion.
This is particularly important when
descending where you must also be alert to
the need to take the correct line for the
next corner whilst already coping with one.
When cornering, try and avoid man-hole
covers, drains, studs, road markings, black
tar strips, leaves etc. especially in the
wet as these all become very slippery. Also
watch for the tell tale signs of oil
spillage and black ice.
Climbing
There are two climbing styles. One is
sitting in the saddle with your hands on the
top of the handlebars and sitting well back
on the saddle. This is suited to long
shallower climbs. Try to keep an even
pedalling rhythm in the correct gear. Too
big a gear will cause back ache and knee
problems, too small will cause
breathlessness.
The other method is out of the saddle
with the hands on the brake hoods. This is
known as ‘honking’. This is more suited to
the shorter, steeper hills and may be
tackled on a higher gear.
General Tips
Keeping your tyres pumped up to the
correct pressure will reduce rolling
resistance and help to avoid ‘impact’
punctures (characterised by two slits either
side of the inner tube), although letting a
little air out the tyre will help adhesion
on wet roads.
Keep your chain well lubricated as this
will stop rusting, reduce wear, and reduce
friction. |
