However, I find myself in a place in my riding that I have not been in for a long while (almost since I started riding seriously back in the 90′s) – working back up my mileage endurance to handle multi hour rides on weekends.

Last weekend, we headed up to a southeast US favorite – Raccoon Mountain. This 18 mile or so loop is atop a ridge in the Tennessee canyons outside of Chattanooga and they hold some of the best single track the area has to offer. Additionally, there are built in tech sections that are great for sessioning and tuning in your technical riding ability. About 12 miles in, my legs decided they were done and I bonked. It was almost as if you could hear them go BOOM through the woods and it was the first time I have bonked in 12 miles in longer than I can remember.

Working Up To Longer Miles

New riders and riders coming back from injury run into an interesting predicament. You love riding, you want to more of it, but you do not have the endurance for several hour long hammers in on the road or trail. For riders coming back off of injury, you have memories of those days but no ability to make it happen at this time.

So what do we have to do?

We need to start conditioning our bodies to get to handle longer times in the saddle. It is an incremental change that is fueled by two key ingredients.

1. Consistent Riding
2. The Will To Not Get Frustrated

The only thing that will get you riding longer miles is stretching what you consider normal and doing that consistently. Whether it is hitting shorter rides harder or slowly extending your mileage when you can, you (talking to myself here as well) need to start extending your riding to push your threshold farther. While I wish there was a magic bullet or some super secret underground method for doing it quickly, the reality is that you have to work to get your body to create a new “normal”.

For most riders, this is not an easy thing to accomplish given other life obligations. Some of us have families, jobs and other outside factors that make getting in more longer rides difficult. But – as I mentioned earlier – the key is to stretch yourself. You need to hit that climb harder, bring your average speed up on the road and keep pushing your fitness to be better (within reason…don’t push to explosion). Even shorter distances with higher efforts will help your milage on the weekend.

For me, I have found that weekly rides that are on a certain day greatly help my endurance while being able to balance life’s obligations. If you have one or two rides after work that you can depend on, that will bring the consistency to your riding that is required to push the limit of your time wall.

But most importantly…

You have to remember not to get frustrated through the process…because it is a process. It is almost as if I am going through a mental battle on the trail. My mind remembers being able to push harder but my legs and body can’t get the job done. I want to be able to jump right back on an attack trails and road rides like I did at the injury point, but my endurance and strength is not even close. Somehow, I have to keep reminding myself on the trail that it is ok and it is better to be on the bike or off…this is just another stage in the process.

Some days it is easier said than done, but – for the most part – it is easy to get stoked when I get out of self loathing enough to turn my eyes up and see what is front of me. Single track ready to be ripped and fresh asphalt ready to be carved is the best therapy no matter my riding ability is at the time. When you keep that in focus, the rest comes with time.

On October 2, 2011, some friends of mine and I headed up to Pisgah National Forest for a special ride. My wife was scheduled to have our first baby that coming Tuesday, so this was a chance to get out for one last weekend before our son came.

The weather was perfect, the trails were in incredible condition and everything was primed for a really good weekend out on the trails.

Except for one thing.

My back was starting to act up and in a serious way. This had been a long time in the making. What started off as a dull pain was starting to get worse. I shrugged it off as typical cycling pains for weeks and by the time we got to the top of the first climb of the weekend, I was seriously wondering if I was going to make it down.

At that point my back was in so much pain that even any simple sitting hurt. I couldn’t bend forward and pain was shooting down the back of my legs. I rode as softly as I could to the bottom and started my trip home for the weekend. My riding was done.

Over the next couple of weeks, we acclimated to our new lives as parents and I scheduled a doctor’s appointment to see what the hell was going on with my back. An x-ray pointed out that I had Degenerative Disc Disease in my lower two vertebra in my back. While this sounds more serious than it really is, the long story short is that the discs in my back are deteriorating. As they get smaller, they are pushing out of my spine and causing pressure against my sciatic nerve (the source of the shooting pain down my legs).

The treatment at this point…physical therapy.

The idea here is to do compression stretching to push what is left of my discs back into my spine, get them to set, and then strengthen my core to the point it acts like a back brace to support my back. The bad news…basically zero activity during this time.

The 141 Days of Inactivity

I wrote earlier this week what cycling was to me. It is more than just an activity. It is my source of health both physically and mentally. I would imagine that most of you reading this can agree with that statement. This 141 days was the longest period I have ever had off a bike since 1993 and I started to go a little crazy.

Luckily, I did have a new son that was keeping us pretty occupied and I was able to get away in the car for mountain passes to keep a little bit of adrenaline flowing through the body, but it wasn’t the same.

When you are off the bike for long periods, there is a disconnect with a life you once knew. What started with sharing experiences with friends turned into vicariously living them through pictures and posts on Facebook. While you say you are going to still hang out and keep in touch through times like this, the reality is that much of my activities with my friends were centered around weekday and weekend rides. I don’t blame them for not wanting to just hang out somewhere when the weather this winter has been insanely warm. I’d be out riding too.

The next couple of months consisted of going to the physical therapist twice a week. With a series of compression stretches, core workouts and electrical muscle stimulation therapy, we were able to get my back feeling better. But…I was starting to notice that the complete lack of physical activity was not only starting to make me gain weight, but that it could actually be making matters worse.

This week, I made the decision to break the 141 day off the bike streak and get out with two friends on the road bikes. This non-impact riding would allow me to not only test my back, but do so in a way that we were always close to a way to get home.

Out on the ride, my back felt surprisingly well. There were only two instances where I felt a twinge and it was on starts from stops. While on the bike and standing climbing, everything just seemed to work out ok outside of the fact that my legs felt like they had zero power. A little over 20 miles later, I was back at the car and had completed my first ride in months. It felt incredible and I slept better that night than I have in a long time.

The next day, everything seemed to flow as normal and I didn’t notice any increased pain. The plan now is to continue road riding and continue building core strength to get my body back into shape. The reality is that big drops to flat and other freeride maneuvers on the mountain bike are probably no longer in my riding due to back issues that are not going to just disappear and go away, but it is looking like my favorite style (big mountain AM) is within the realm of possibilities this year.

It was a long stint, but now I can see the light on the end of the horizon…and I can finally pedal towards it.

It is…by far…one of the best illustrations I have seen to date on driver/road biker relations. I can not begin to tell you how many rides I have been on where a road biker will yell, scream, cuss and throw things at drivers that come too close.

Yes…the driver was in the wrong…but so was the reaction.

For some reason, some road bikers believe they are doing some sort of good by flying off the handle at drivers of cars and trucks. In reality, all they are doing is further making the relationship between drivers and road bikers even worse. Do you really think you are making a difference by acting like a lunatic? All you are really doing is proving the wrongful thinking of the driver that road bikers are crazy and wreckless.

Furthermore, the road biker seems to conveniently forget that by acting this way, they are also fueling the stereotype that road bikers are angry assholes on the road and that makes it harder for the rest of us (and more unsafe) that just want to get out and enjoy the open road.

Just like the illustration says, we need to not fight fire with fire. We need to give the reaction that is unexpected. Have you ever tried talking to a driver nicely about what happened?

“Hey man, I know you probably didn’t mean to, but you go really close to us back there. Can you please leave just a little bit more room next time? I would hate to see something go wrong.”

If they still get mad at that point, then it is their own issues but you didn’t make the situation worse by being a jackass which would further justify their anger. Let’s lose the angry roadie attitude once and for all. Let’s finally do our part in driver/road biker relations by leading by example and not through hate.

We can raise awareness and try to get legislation passed, but until we step up and act how we would like to be treated…nothing will change.

Thanks to modern technology and Facebook, not only can we know with deadly accuracy what you are doing on a daily basis, but we are now made aware of when you are “off the bike” as the news hits the timeline.

“Off The Bike”

A few weeks ago, several of us were sitting back and pondering this phenomenon that happens when a rider has an injury or life changing experience that brings them “off the bike” for a period of time. Telegraph lines start beeping spreading the word like wild fire. Facebook timelines get filled with “are you ok, I heard you are off the bike”. You almost expect the 6 o’clock news to cover the story as the entire local bike scene is rocked by the news.

Innocent bystanders (non-cycling people) don’t seem to get it. What do you mean you are “off the bike”? It is just a bike…so what?

They don’t get it. They aren’t going to get it either. Our entire existence just got changed in one catastrophic event. What am I going to do on the weekends now? What am I going to talk to my friends about? What about all of the inside jokes I’ll be missing?

Side Effects Of “Off the Bike”

Being off the bike also comes with financial burdens. As we all know, one deadly side effect of being “off the bike” is increased exposure to UGI. Upgradeitus is a dangerous virus that once caught can change your entire quiver in one fell swoop. With this extra “off the bike” time, venerable riders are unable to get the fix which allows the virus to come in and take over the mind and body.

At one point in time, I had heard about an underground cure to UGI that was suppressed by the big three in the biking industry. One can imagine why a cure to UGI would effect the profits of online retailers and big box manufacturers, but I do believe you can still find versions on the black market that are not full strength. These diluted grades can at least keep you to a derailleur or set of brakes at the worst.

“Off the Bike” also increases the susceptibility of loved ones to contract “you are annoying me” syndrome. While this is a common occurrence for cyclists and outsiders alike, the presence of “off the bike” has a positive correlation with “you are annoying me” that doctors have not quite figured out. Do not be surprised if your happy wife is now kicking you out of the house. As you already know, this can increase the negative side effects of “off the bike” as you suddenly find yourself with nothing to do outside of your front door. Panic sets in and UGI gets to its highest as you wonder aimlessly from bike shop to bike shop looking for a fix.

Other side effects include insomnia, depression, unexpected weight gain, decrease in stamina and restlessness. If these side effects last for more than 72 hours, you should consult your local bike shop.

“Off the Bike” is very serious and should be handled appropriately. Even if the medical field and other non-cyclists might play down your new illness, you have to make sure to consult experts in the field until you are able to get back “on the bike”. Symptoms and side effects should being to wear off during mile 1 and being completely out of your system by one Saturday afternoon ride.

Good luck.

To make things more organized…there have been some big changes made to the Bike198 family of websites over the weekend. Now…mountain, road and commuter sites are all on Bike198.com instead of having their own separate subdomains. This does several things for you guys…

• Makes things easier to find and search across all disciplines.
• Creates a combined feed for those that want to keep track of everything going on at Bike198.

It also makes our life much easier by bringing everything to a single site with a single login to update everything we have going on in the cycling world.

If you are already signed up for one of the newsletters or RSS feeds, nothing changes for you there. You are still subscribed the same way you were before (mountain, road or urban). If you would like to sign up for the combined RSS feed or one of the other feeds, the links are below.

• Bike198 Combined Feed
• Mountain Biking Feed
• Road Biking Feed
• Commuter Biking Feed

The Bike198 Forums

You will also notice that we started to style the Bike198 forums to match the rest of the site. This will continue to be integrated more for a seamless experience between the two.

The forums have gotten off to a great start…but we need your help. We want to have a growing community centered around Bike198 and the dedication to all things biking, so we need you to register for the forums…if you haven’t already…and tell your riding friends about it as well on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, local forums or where ever else you hangout online.

Thank you for the continued support! Tell your friends about the new forum…let’s get this thing really rolling!

Over the past couple of weeks, our riding group has seen its share of injuries. Off the top of my head, there is one separated shoulder, one ti repaired broken collar bone, a knee that possibly has something torn in it, a broken back, a new baby, 2 pregnant wives and my latest sickness that laid me flat out for over 10 days (still not all the way out). While this is a lot at once, it is pretty normal amongst large groups of cycling friends.

What is one unifying characteristic that unites us all together?

We are all impatient and want to get back on the bike as quickly as possible. Now…for those with the life circumstances, it isn’t that big of a deal other than coming to the gripping realization that all fo that time off the bike does in fact add up. For those of us in injury and sickness mode, the stir crazy, “I am going to jump out of my skin if I don’t get back on my bike soon” feeling often entices us to do something stupid…like I did this weekend.

Riding Is More Than Just Spinning Wheels

As mountain bikers and cyclists, we have come to rely on our sport to fill certain needs in our lives that are outside of staying in shape and having fun with friends. We have used our pedal power to calm fears, relieve stress, collect thoughts and give us that much needed alone time that doesn’t come often these days.

When you strip that away from a cyclist, cabin fever sets in. We do anything we possibly can to get back on the bike as quickly as possible. Often times, we push the limits too early which in some situations…does nothing but prolong our time out of the saddle.

This past weekend, I did something incredibly dumb.

After having a fever, extremely sore throat and aching body all week long, I decided enough was enough and got on the bike Thursday night for our regular Thursday night road ride. I ended up having to cut the ride short and could barely hold myself on the bike by the end of it. My body just wasn’t ready to exert that kind of effort…I was not done being sick.

Now any normal person would call it a weekend and admit defeat (that would have been the smart thing to do). However, like any other obsessed cyclist, I figured 48 hours would meld what ails me and I went with friends on another 52 mile road ride in the mountains. In my mind, I was being smart by not getting on the mountain bike as the heat and exhaustion might be too much for me at the time. I woke up first thing Saturday morning with a terrible sore throat and no voice. This was starting off well…

After 52 of the hardest miles I have ever ridden in my life, I realized that getting out on the bike that soon was a dumb idea. I am pretty sure I looked dead by the time I got back to the car.

It was too soon, but I needed a ride. Something weird happens when obsessed cyclists are off the bike. We think the bike is what will make us better. Have you ever heard the phrase “well maybe you’ll blow it out?” I know I have used it on more than one occasion and it is the belief that doctor’s orders are wrong about rest and we should actually stress our bodies to the max to expel these daemons! In reality, it is a phrase we use to make an excuse to get out and ride.

Self Awareness Is A Hard Trait to Have

We are incredibly active as cyclists. Everything we do is high energy and with a lot of things in life…that is a very good thing. It makes us passionate about our jobs, our lives and our families. We are a community of do’ers that like to take action to get things done.

On the other side of the coin, it also makes us completely unaware when it comes to self awareness and when we are actually ready to get back in the saddle after injury or sickness. We look for excuses, reasons and justifications on why it is ok to get out for a short ride no matter what the doctors say. We look to riding as the cure and not the symptom that started the chain of events. We often base our mental health on how many miles were logged that week.

In many ways, this is not a bad thing, but when it goes wrong…it goes really wrong and we end up setting ourselves backwards more than forwards.

From someone that is as guilty of it as anyone, I urge cyclists to have a little bit more patience and self awareness (those that know me are laughing their asses off by this point. Pot? Kettle?). We can set ourselves back with impatience. In some cases, it can be to the detriment of our own health and the lives of those around us.

Sometimes a couple more days off the bike can mean a great deal in the road to recovery.

The time every rider looks forward to during the winter is finally here…daylight savings time. The beginning of the peak riding season is upon us as the daylight hours get longer, the snow melts and flowers start to bloom. Finally, we are able to start up our regular weekday rides without lights thanks to the increased exposure to sun. For mountain bikers, it is like being a kid at Christmas.

Regular Weekday Rides: The Cure For The Common Week

In our area, we have two rides that my friends and I hit up on a regular basis.

Dirt and Wings

What started as about 4 of us getting together every Tuesday at our local trail and then finishing it off with Wild Wings afterwards has turned into a pretty big, regular ride during the week. Now with about 20 or so showing up regularly for the ride and almost that many for food afterwards, we have basically created a regular ride during the week on accident…and it’s awesome. The local trail is close enough for everyone to get to after work and it gives us a dedicated night during the week that we know we are putting rubber to dirt.

The area has a small, light FR area that I like to session over and over again to get in some climbing and keep my tech skills on par for the weekends. Here is a quick video I put together several years ago during one of the rides while testing out the ContourHD…

Ride and Puke™

Our regular Thursday night hammer comes thanks to the Roswell, GA “Bike Roswell” group and is a road ride that basically separates the group out by pain. This weekly hammer affectionately named the Ride and Puke™ by those of us that do it on a regular basis is our way of staying in shape through to the fall. With fast sprints, steep climbs and friendly competition, our legs are ready for the weekend epics.

If you can’t already tell…I am pretty stoked to get started. This time of year brings in perfect riding weather and the ability to keep the pedals cranking all week long.

Where are your regular rides during the week?

Image by Samwise The Brave

Heading down the unbeaten tracks, no motor traffic for miles, no exhaust fumes to deal with, superb views and a lot of camaraderie. Wonderful – especially in the summer months! In the winter months the challenge just gets harder and a lot muddier but not any less fun.

Mountain bikes are generally heavy, durable with a strong suspension and wide studded tyres for added grip and friction. The straight handlebars are designed for total control. Marvellous machines – for mountains.

Not quite right

But when you hit the roads something just doesn’t feel quite right. The pedalling suddenly feels like extra effort. You are not taking advantage of the sheer speeds combined with comfort levels than only a road bike can bring.

A road bike is all about perfection, speed, the gentle hum of those slick tyres as you race along. You’ll soon find yourself wanting to join races or, heaven forbid, ride in groups.

The light, streamlined frame with components built to reduce weight in any way possible. Suspension and traction are done away with – dismissed as an impediment to speed.

The new riding position is bent right down over the top bar. The guts and strength needed for mountain biking are replaced with fitness and a propensity for pain.

To switch or not to switch? That is the question

So should you make the switch? The investment can be quite heavy. The lighter road bikes are expensive and if you are not sure you’ll get into it then you may hesitate. That’s not forgetting all the additional gear you’ll need. It’s not just the bike that needs to be streamlined, it’s also the cyclist. Tight fitting clothes, cycling shoes.

Most people will dabble with the dark side through commuting to work. Although this can be done on a mountain bike people will often eye a road bike purchase. The enjoyment of the challenge on the road can push people to take it further.

There is another option

Of course there is always a half-way alternative. A hybrid bike. Still capable of tackling some trails whilst not dragging you along on the road. These normally feature flat handlebars but thinner tires and a lighter frame. This remains my preferred bike for most rides but doesn’t quite achieve the same enjoyment as a road bike.

You could also opt for changing your mountain bike. Whilst you’ll never achieve a full road bike, especially with a heavy frame, you can make your mountain bike more suitable for the road. The first is to switch for a pair of thinner, slick and ideally puncture proof tires that help achieve better rollability. This will also probably mean however a new set of wheels will needed to fit the thinner tire width.

Additionally, clipless pedals that allow you to maximise the return on your pedalling effort can easily be installed to a mountain bike.

Have you made the switch? Or have you always enjoyed both road and mountain biking? Leave a comment below..

This post was written by Andreas. He blogs over at London Cyclist and covers everything from product reviews to cycling editorials. He has been a long time friend of Bike198 so check his site out when you get a chance.

The Blistering Cold Road Ride In The Rain

Saturday started off with a road ride with a couple of friends. While we knew the temps were going to be down in the 30′s, what we were not expecting was the rain that we woke up to. I swear one of these days I am just going to quit this whole online thing and become a weatherman because all they have to do is guess, be wrong and get paid really well for it. I had already laid out my riding clothes the evening before so I knew as long as I got my gear together, on and took a few pedal strokes, I would be on the bike at least so there was no turning back. I was right and started off down the road with cars kicking up 30 degree dirty water in my face. It was awesome.

Four of us headed out and got in about 45 miles before the rain and cold started to create that numb pain that you can only get on a bike. Ever get that feeling that you need to sit and defrost in your living room because a hot shower would just hurt too much? That was my experience on Saturday and after 20 minutes of sitting in dry clothes petting the dogs…I cleaned up and took stock of what we just accomplished. It is not everyday that you suit up for a rain ride for 45 miles in temps in the 30′s. That was a new one for me and it stretched my abilities even though the ride wasn’t that long. Conditions just take a toll after awhile…

The Mountain Bike Ride That Caused Me To See Things

To keep with the insanity for the weekend, another group of 4 of us decided it was a good idea to hit 30 miles of some of the hardest trail in Georgia on Sunday. Thinking it would be a good idea to put in a later start time with the hope that the temperature would rise some, we opted for 10am. We were wrong about the temperatures but that was probably a good thing as the ground was frozen instead of muddy. With about 50 layers of riding clothes on, we headed up the first climb ready (so we thought) for what was in store.

The trail of the day was Snake Creek. Known for its rock gardens, this trail is a ridge ride full of steep up and downs within some of the rockiest trail in Georgia. On tap for the day was an out and back on the hardest 15 miles of the trail. After picking our way through the first 15 miles of the day, we arrived to the radio towers half frozen when the reality of the situation set in (for me at least)…we are only 1/2 way through the day and we are already 2:45 in. It’s ok though…I had to go find my ego somewhere around mile 12 anyway. I dropped it.

Luckily, gravity played more of a roll coming back and many of the rock gardens that we had to climb got the added benefit of momentum on the way down which made the more technical side (the first miles coming back) a blast to run through for those of us that are really into technical riding. After we got past the wall that we had to climb walk up the last time through, there were several more sections of hike-a-bike that I remembered blasting down and thinking…this is going to be hell coming back. I was right and the calves started burning like crazy as we pushed bikes up some crazy terrain. On the second section of pushing, the wall hit and my fitness was spent. Since I had been on the road for several weeks traveling, my body was just not ready for two days of grueling pain. However, it was time to sack up and finish the ride because the only other option was laying on the side of the trail dead.

The earphones went in and I let the loud hard rock blaring into my ears help with the pedal strokes until finally we were at the last downhill of the day. Ironically, this is the same downhill that I had voiced I needed to be in front for the finish. I couldn’t find my ego…and it was time to take my place at the back as my vision was now getting blurry and my arms were so tired that it was going to take everything in me not to wreck…much less lead the charge down the hill. We finished up the ride with zero mechanicals and all body parts in place…and it was still sub 40 degrees outside.

Pushing The Limits Of What You Consider Normal

For many riders, the weekend I had could have been just another weekend on the road and out in the woods. For others…it could be almost unimaginable to put in over 70 miles in terrible conditions. Every rider has a baseline they work off of and that is what they consider normal riding.

In the metro Atlanta area, we hear a lot of complaining about trails being too hard…there being too many rocks…or just complaining about the conditions and not being able to ride. This past weekend, I took my baseline of what I considered normal and raised it a bit to increase my skills and ability to ride a bike. Did I increase my technical ability? Probably not…but I did increase my fitness and threshold for weather conditions. There will be other rides on other trails that test my riding abilities and each time I extend those (safely hopefully) I increase what I consider normal on the bike.

I do not believe that mountain biking, road biking or even urban biking should be as easy as riding a bike.

I do believe that trails should be constructed within an area that allows for progression within the sport. Just like at a ski resort, they should not all be double blacks or bunny slopes. It is up to the rider to ride within their limitations and test themselves to become a better rider over time. By testing ourselves and extending what we consider normal on the bike, we are able to continue to enjoy the sport of cycling. Just because you can’t do something today does not mean that you won’t be able to do it tomorrow.

If you want to get faster…ride with people that are faster than you are.

If you want to become a better technical rider…ride harder trails.

If you want to be able to ride longer distances…start riding longer rides.

Stretching your limits in life and on the bike is a good thing. Sometimes it takes pain and stress to figure out what you are really made of. If you make the decision to never stretch what you consider normal, you are making the decision to never get better at anything you do. Next time you are on your bike, look for that obstacle or feature that you want to be able to do. Find a way to either work up to that point or get the courage to try it. There is only one way to do it and that is to try…

Images by Laurie Phillips

As the saying goes, “the couple that plays together, stays together” and for those of us that are obsessed with all things cycling, we can find that the time to play together can become a scarce commodity as we juggle the balance between work, family and riding. Before we got married, my wife had very little experience riding a bike as a sport or for pleasure. At the time, she wanted to get into mountain biking so we went that route. However, the demands on a woman’s body to start a family can lead to worry of injury while on the trail, so to share my obsession with all things pedal powered…we started getting her ready to try out the road bike.

Riding the road together has become a part of our weekly schedule and I did it in a way that she didn’t hate me by the end of the process. The following tips can really be applied to any beginner on a road bike, but is increasingly important for significant others (yes…if you are trying to get your husband into the sport too) as couples are far more sensitive to advice from each other than they are from outsiders.

How To Get Your Wife To Road Bike Without Divorcing You

So you have decided to jump into it and share road biking with your wife (or friend, girlfriend or anyone else that doesn’t ride currently). Here are some tips to get you rolling with minimal arguments.

The Equipment

First, it all starts with the bike. If you are planning to take a trip to the local Wal-Mart and spend 100 bucks on a 50 pound road bike because you don’t want to spend too much money on something she might not like, be ready for her to be pissed and not enjoy it. Would you like riding a Wal-Mart special? Probably not…so expecting a beginner that has less skills than you do to enjoy it is a stretch.

Especially for women, a proper fitting bike that doesn’t weigh as much as their car is very important. For my wife, we went the used route and made sure it fit her perfectly. Luckily for me, it was also a chance to upgrade my bike and funnel the old parts down to my wife’s ride. This way…I killed two birds with one stone! You can watch eBay, Craigslist and online forum classifieds like the ones on RoadBikeReview.com to find a high quality, used road bike at a great price. You can also watch for sales and deals at your local bike shop or places like Performance Bike.

Ideally, you would want to have something like SRAM Apex or Shimano 105 as the component group on the low end. While these are budget groupos, they still perform incredibly well for the price and will really drive down the price of the bike in the used market.

Special Note For A Woman’s Bike: A quality, woman specific saddle (like the ones from Terry) is almost a must unless you can find one around your house that she absolutely loves. Men and women are created very differently in that area so comfort is a must. If you are going to invest in anything…put the money into a really good saddle as an uncomfortable lower region will be a deal killer for riding.

The Gear

Next on the list is to get a few items that increase comfort on the road. A comfortable pair of riding shorts, jersey, gloves and a helmet that fits go a long way in overall comfort once the miles start packing on. Be sure to pay close attention to the chamois in the shorts to make sure they are made for more beginner riders and not racers. With a little bit of extra padding in that area, overall comfort should increase as newer riders have to condition their rears to more miles and riding.

The First Couple Of Road Bike Rides

My #1 goal when I took my wife out for her first road rides was to make sure it was fun. If riding wasn’t fun for her…what motivation would she have to do it again? The best way I can explain this process is the exact steps I took with my wife. So here is our story.

Initially, we started out in a field practicing clipping in and out of the clipless pedals to make sure she was comfortable with the bike and the process before we ever hit pavement. The easiest way to get this accomplished is to ride around on a flat field practicing it over and over again. If they fall over…they hit grass instead of asphalt. We also got her a pair of dual sided pedals to make this process much easier and quicker to pick up (mountain bike pedals or dual entry road pedals). Once she was completely comfortable with the clicking in and out process, we were ready to take this show on the road.

For our first break-in ride, we headed down to a local greenway (sidewalk in the woods for recreational purposes) and put in about 10-15 miles worth of spinning. During this time, I watched her as she rode to make sure the fit on the bike was correct and all of the components were functioning properly. With a flat, short mile ride, you are able to iron out the details that you can’t do in the garage without cars and other distractions. After the ride, we made adjustments to a couple of parts (narrower bars, cleat placement, etc.) and the bike was ready for more mileage.

For the second ride, we headed up to a similar section of recreational area, but this one was much longer and more conducive to road biking. With wider lanes and long distances, we were able to get in about 30 miles and practice some road biking techniques before we went to play in traffic. By the end of the ride, grabbing the water bottle and drafting were second nature. We got a chance to see how the saddle and other fit/comfort items would do on the bike over longer mileage. I also watched water and food intake and explained when/where to eat and drink.

For the third ride, it was time to play in traffic. I picked some low traffic areas around our house as a break-in and we headed out on a 18 mile spin. I kept the mileage lower than the second ride on purpose as the hills and traffic add another stress element to the ride. While we were riding, I alternated riding in front and behind her to get her used to drafting on the road, staying as close to the white line as possible and cars passing her. By mixing up the situations, we were able to get comfortable with as many riding scenarios as possible. I also called out everything I saw on the road and explained the why and how of tasks like taking the lane as we did them.

Now…she is the one telling me to pick up the pace and traffic is a worry of the past. We successfully passed the beginning, nervous stage of riding and are now into building up endurance, distance and speed…all of the fun parts of riding the road.

Recap: The Cliff Notes For Breaking In New Riders

So what have we learned through my experience with my wife that you can apply to getting new riders to get on the road?

• Equipment Matters – Getting the right equipment from the beginning drastically increases the chances of success. If you are not ready to drop the coin, try to beg and borrow your friends to get a quality rig to get the stoke rolling. If you plan on jumping out with the new rider in gym shorts and a heavy POS…be ready to have them not enjoy it at all.
• It Has To Be Fun – We ride bikes because we love it. If you didn’t like riding, would you do it? You have to try not to be too discouraging. The new rider is already going to think you are criticizing their every move (especially if it is your wife), so offer up words of encouragement and throw in little contests here and there to make it interesting and fun.
• Get Essential Skills Nailed Down Before You Play In Traffic – You have to get certain skills on the bike nailed down in a non-traffic area before hitting the road with cars. Things like coming to a stop, using clipless pedals, drinking while riding, drafting and other essential skills need to be second nature before you add the element of cars.
• Assume Nothing – If you have been riding for a length of time, there are certain things you do while riding that are second nature and happen without thought. When you are riding with new riders, you have to take all assumptions and throw them out the window. Explain everything…
• Work Up Over Time – As I did with my wife, work up the riding progression and do not throw a 50 mile ride in traffic on in the first month. By progressively working up the rides on distance and distractions, the comfort level of the rider will move along faster. Would you want to get thrown into a CAT 1 crit tonight? Unless you are a CAT 1 racer…probably not. You have to treat the new rider in the same way. What is easy for you may not be easy for the new rider. Riding is all about progression.

Road biking is a sport that brings people closer together when done correctly. By taking the correct steps in the beginning, you can bring another member of your family or friends into the sport.