Wanted: A rider. Teach LdnGrrl how to ride day

debatable

Pray tell.

Can't really offer any help (too lazy) but I can sit here and shout encouragement??

You're farrrr away Ben, but feel free whilst I ride and cry.

Nothing to tell really, I just think it is luck rather than judgement that I haven't had a big accident yet. I think if you think too much and are a nervy rider then you are more likely to have an accident than someone with less skill but who rides in a more bold and confident manner. I guess it is hard to advise as I have no experience of being deaf but I think you couldn't go far wrong doing it the way you are. Start off slow then hit the big shitstorm that is London. Or just choose nicer, more quiet places to ride.

oh and lol at quickvit!

LdnGrrl - got to say that as a newbie I'm impressed with the rate of your posting - almost Hippyesque in volume, but far more friends no doubt (looks at my own pathetic count on both fronts).

A shame this post didn't appear earlier this summer (just coming to the end of my holidays). Can appreciate that you aren't in the best place to gain confidence as I used to work in Northwood and despite its quiet roads they weren't exactly cycle friendly.

As for the balancing, I'm not sure how people could help in this regard. Are you comfortable on your bike - saddle height, stem length etc?

With regard to confidence, I feel that it has to come from you. I was knocked off my bike 10 years ago and broke my spine. Getting back on my bike was no problem as I was knocked out and couldn't remember the collision. However, I then started feeling conscious of vehicles approaching from behind. I now wear a cycle helmet and I'm fairly wary of my surroundings. My own feeling is that cycling is a far more visual activity - you can prepare for what will come ahead and from the side of you, but not from behind.

Just cycle I guess (what shit advice) you'll gain confidence I'm sure.

BTW you appear to cycle a Gitane - so did I, it was a lovely bike.

Good luck

hmm Blackbird Hill is akin to the A40 fr trafficitous! ffs!!! now you could just get up Salmon Street and freewheel down to Kingsbury....

One of the Prime Coaching peeps- Brian Wright, runs a women's session at Hillngdon circuit on a Friday @ 2, that would allow you to wobble round in safety on a non traffic road. If you can get there it'd be a help to you, 2pm is usually a working time for most peeps though...

There are the Thursday 18.30 kick off sessions at Hillngdon too, (get there before then,) sessions too, its for an hour and you'd be ok.

Now a regular female rider- Mad Mel is partially deaf, as is another female colleague, and I'd want to be sure you can hear what's around you, otherwise its dangerous for you and A N Others- its called spacial awareness. Please don't think for one nano second I'm trying to put you down, but your safety on the roads IS paramount.

I just think Blackbird Hill during rush hour etc isn't a good place to start, and I can't think of anywhere suitable nearby. From memory there's a park in Wembley which may be ok for riding, otherwise its a car ride out to eg Hillingdon circuit- alongside the Hayes by-pass, and futher out there's Black Park in Iver, off road but gravel paths etc.

You need help for sure, but the right help to build up fitness and skills. All do-able. And I salute you for puttng yourself forward on here.

Sometimes you just have to get on a bike and do it in short steady steps- ride to A and back, ride to B and back, etc. Canal towpath's are nice a quiet.

I'd like to help, but its a question of it being effective, and my time is very limited, I was a BC Coach but chose to stop, some know that, and some have guessed that anyway.

I'd love to help you out Lil ;)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUtc5Q7hCjs"]YouTube
- pedo bear[/ame]

It's piss poor, BTW, that those cycling advocacy organisations have failed to reply. You'd expect at least a cursory notification of receiving your enquiry within 48hrs.

Aye pretty shit that.

PMd

LdnGrrl - got to say that as a newbie I'm impressed with the rate of your posting - almost Hippyesque in volume, but far more friends no doubt (looks at my own pathetic count on both fronts).

A shame this post didn't appear earlier this summer (just coming to the end of my holidays). Can appreciate that you aren't in the best place to gain confidence as I used to work in Northwood and despite its quiet roads they weren't exactly cycle friendly.

As for the balancing, I'm not sure how people could help in this regard. Are you comfortable on your bike - saddle height, stem length etc?

With regard to confidence, I feel that it has to come from you. I was knocked off my bike 10 years ago and broke my spine. Getting back on my bike was no problem as I was knocked out and couldn't remember the collision. However, I then started feeling conscious of vehicles approaching from behind. I now wear a cycle helmet and I'm fairly wary of my surroundings. My own feeling is that cycling is a far more visual activity - you can prepare for what will come ahead and from the side of you, but not from behind.

Just cycle I guess (what shit advice) you'll gain confidence I'm sure.

BTW you appear to cycle a Gitane - so did I, it was a lovely bike.

Good luck

Repost on the posting volume :P
But thank you for your advice, and yes cycle, cycle and cycle is what I plan to do, with someone telling me to HFTU.

Don't think my bike is entirely comfortable, which reminds me I should ask if anyone could bring some tools with them for adjusting seat/stem etc.
Thanks though

hmm Blackbird Hill is akin to the A40 fr trafficitous! ffs!!! now you could just get up Salmon Street and freewheel down to Kingsbury....

One of the Prime Coaching peeps- Brian Wright, runs a women's session at Hillngdon circuit on a Friday @ 2, that would allow you to wobble round in safety on a non traffic road. If you can get there it'd be a help to you, 2pm is usually a working time for most peeps though...

There are the Thursday 18.30 kick off sessions at Hillngdon too, (get there before then,) sessions too, its for an hour and you'd be ok.

Now a regular female rider- Mad Mel is partially deaf, as is another female colleague, and I'd want to be sure you can hear what's around you, otherwise its dangerous for you and A N Others- its called spacial awareness. Please don't think for one nano second I'm trying to put you down, but your safety on the roads IS paramount.

I just think Blackbird Hill during rush hour etc isn't a good place to start, and I can't think of anywhere suitable nearby. From memory there's a park in Wembley which may be ok for riding, otherwise its a car ride out to eg Hillingdon circuit- alongside the Hayes by-pass, and futher out there's Black Park in Iver, off road but gravel paths etc.

You need help for sure, but the right help to build up fitness and skills. All do-able. And I salute you for puttng yourself forward on here.

Sometimes you just have to get on a bike and do it in short steady steps- ride to A and back, ride to B and back, etc. Canal towpath's are nice a quiet.

I'd like to help, but its a question of it being effective, and my time is very limited, I was a BC Coach but chose to stop, some know that, and some have guessed that anyway.

Kingsbury can be as busy, but if you go into the "village" it's quiter though, but the hill going up Salamon st? Masssssive :P

However I do have a brent welsharp park bottom of my road , (Massive park, sailing clubs) if that's any help?

I should say my bike is currently geared at the moment until I either get the parts to swap about on that or get my pug up and running.

I have no clue where Hilligdon is, and I don't drive :(

There is a canal path that goes from Alperton to Shepherds bush. I think.

I can hear with my hearing aid on, but when I am concertating I tend to focus on what's the front of me and somehow background noises get zoned out?

Thanks for your tips though and will take that to condiseration

and help me to build my confidence and riding skills up.

Great to ride with friends for this but also don't rule out any cycle training if you do get a response back from anyone.

I've been cycling on roads since doing cycling proficiency at school when I was 8 (in the 80's), and at least the last fifteen years every day in a busy city. I recently had the chance to take an "urban skills" cycling lesson in Bristol. I wasn;'t really sure I needed to do a lesson but it was a lesson designed for experienced riders, just working on skills and methods for dealing with traffic around you. Although I thought I was very experienced riding in traffic it really helped give me extra confidence and fine tuned what I was already doing. I've had more cars give me room and even give way to me since doing the training.

Not sure what is available to you in London but there should be something.

May be able to find something through the following link? ..
http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=175

Great to ride with friends for this but also don't rule out any cycle training if you do get a response back from anyone.

I've been cycling on roads since doing cycling proficiency at school when I was 8 (in the 80's), and at least the last fifteen years every day in a busy city. I recently had the chance to take an "urban skills" cycling lesson in Bristol. I wasn;'t really sure I needed to do a lesson but it was a lesson designed for experienced riders, just working on skills and methods for dealing with traffic around you. Although I thought I was very experienced riding in traffic it really helped give me extra confidence and fine tuned what I was already doing. I've had more cars give me room and even give way to me since doing the training.

Not sure what is available to you in London but there should be something.

May be able to find something through the following link? ..
http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=175

Oh no, I definitely won't ingore any cycle training when I do get a response, though someone from here is gunna put me through disabled bikebility training thing.
Someone's already linked that, and have been in contact a while ago, but thank you.

It's building up confidence that makes you safe. And being safe that builds up confidence. I guess it's a chicken and egg conundrum to get the ball rolling at first.

Give me a shout if you haven't had a million people offering to help out already. I guess it might be worth riding with a few people. Maybe we all have different riding styles.

You all definitely have different riding styles, reading most of your posts on here have shown that, and that's what I was hoping to achieve, to experiment with all styles?
And yeah it kinda sucks but Id rather get some help from people than do it on my own and struggle, which I have been.

And will do, thanks!

Teach LgnGrrl how to ride.............. hmmmm.

Don't understand what this is about really, also different riding styles?

My style is I push on the pedals and I go forwards!

Teach LgnGrrl how to ride.............. hmmmm.

Don't understand what this is about really, also different riding styles?

My style is I push on the pedals and I go forwards!

It's LdnGrrl, and try reading thoroughly, every each post, maybe you'll get it. Or stop being some kind of troll.

I'm not doing much yet this weekend, I'd be happy to go for a ride with you, and if you want a helmet I have a spare that I could give you for free.

Only thing is, I have torn some muscles in my shoulder and am off the bike today (and yesterday), so I may not be in comission for this weekend, but I think I will.

I'd advise finding a friend, getting on the train to brighton, cycling along the coast towards seaford or something, cycle lanes most of the way, or you can go under the cliffs for a bit just past the marina, get to seaford, eat fish and chips at trawlers, cycle back to brighton, buy some drink, drink it on the beach, get the train back to london. Don't do this on a bank holiday. Oh, and I thought this was pretty good if you can get someone with a clue to measure you, came up slightly big in seattube and BB to saddle but good for a startig point http://competitivecyclist.com/. Good to be cautious on the roads, I'm not, but I got cut up by a taxi the other day, I jumped off my bike, and he ran over it. totally fucked, just spent money on it too. grr.

Is it cycling on busy streets in London, or cycling at all that concerns you? 'Balancing' implies that you might not be comfortable on a bike at all. In which case, go to the park.

If it's just the London roads, it's normal to be nervous at first. I remember cycling in London for the first time, when I was 18, after growing up in the sticks and just cycling on country roads. I rode from my sister's in Finsbury Park to Covent Garden. It was shitting terrifying. I'd been told to 'ride as if no-one can see you', which is terrible advice; I was quivering in the gutter the whole way. But by the end of that journey I was pretty much ok. I suspect you have to just throw yourself in to the deep end; there's no getting around that first ride on your own, really.

Good luck with that.

Counter-intuitive I know but act with confidence and it will be afforded to you by other road-users(most of the time).

I should try the park first, then when you are tearing around that with ease hit the open road?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uaDQuBOZ40

I'd be inclined to say one of the most important techniques to learn will be looking over your shoulder. Your eyes are your only real sense when cycling, so getting this practised will benefit you a hundred fold, in confidence and safety. Knowing what's coming up behind you is so important in my book - buses are quiet from behind as the engine is in the back, and all too often they creep up on you (even more important for you).

I remember seeing you (didn't meet you however) at the Euro Polo comp, and remember you are a fellow glasses wearer? I have thick arm glasses, and can't wear them driving or cycling as they create black spots, so I have started to wear contacts which improve my situation massively.

I would also recommend reading this http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069837 for some useful snippets of information.

I'll spend a few hours out on the road with you Growler.
i have time between work and Polo on Monday and Thursday so be happy to come out from around 4ish and teach you some basics on positioning, eye contact and respecting fellow road users.
If we keep it near Battersea it's a stones throw from Polo

then i'll take you to polo and show you how to throw your ass off your bike at speed....

This may sound backward- but I'd say learning how to handle the bike at low speeds is extremely important, as is braking confidently without pulling an endo.

A bike becomes stable at higher speeds, at lower speeds it wants to have a lie down, which is inconvenient when you typically perform some tricky manouvers at a low speed.

When I were a nipper I spent hours in the car park of a local church (always empty) just practicing balance- things like making the bike travel forward at a crawl without pedaling but just by moving your weight around and so forth.

I think it would be worse for your cycling confidence to wobble out into traffic at too early a point- basic skills must be learned first.

Sorry if this comes over as patronising, if you can already balance at a near standstill with ease and confidence by all means hit the roads this weekend.

If not please go to the park.