Cyclists: Talk me off the ledge

[kams]

I am one month away from my first tri, and I am sh!tt!ng bricks over the bike leg.

As background, I've recreationally ridden a mountain bike my whole life, and I do 180 minutes of spin weekly (2 90mins or 3 60 mins). I love, love, love it. DH bought me a new Cannondale Synapse for my birthday and signed me up for a tri.

So, I've had a few falls as I've been getting used to the clipless pedals, NBD. When I finally got the courage to go on a real ride a few weeks ago, my chain was clicking like crazy. I took the bike in to my LBS, and they said it just needed stretched. They took care of it.

This morning on my ride it started clicking again. I went to change gears, and the chain just fell off. I put the chain back on, but was so nervous that I turned around and came home.

From that little bit of info, is it obvious that I'm doing something wrong? Should I take the bike back in? Am I seriously this lame? All I want to do is go out and ride for 2 hours with the wind in my damn face, and it is just not happening for me.

[katinthehat]

I have a new bike as well and can tell you that lots of little things go wrong over the first few months as the cables (and chains and everything else) get stretched out and used to being used. Just keep taking it back to the LBS if you can't fix things yourself and have them show you what's wrong so that if it happens again, you can feel a bit more secure in knowing the fix for it.

[Susie]

If it's just the chain, it's messy to put back on but it's not hard. Once you learn to do it, it's a pain but NBD. It shouldn't be happening often.

As far as longer rides, I know this isn't really helpful, but you've gotta just get out there and do it. Why turn around and go home after the chain falls off? You put it back on to get home, right? So why not keep riding? At some point you just have to make a decision that you're going to do this. If you can't do that, there's no magic pill that'll do it for you. The more miles you log, the more times you clip in and out, and the more minor fixes you do yourself, the more comfortable you'll get. Maybe get a book from the library on basic bike maintenance, so you understand and aren't intimidated by all the moving parts. (Also, can you change a flat? You should be able to if you're going out on long rides.)

[kams]

Thanks, Kat. These little things are making me so tentative and nervous. I need to buck up and stop finding every excuse to turn around and come home. I'm confident in my fitness level, but I'm so nervous that I just can't handle the bike.

I appreciate the advice. I'll take it back in today. Maybe I'll bring them cookies or something since I'm sure they're going to think I'm pretty high maintanance. I really should see if there is some kind of mechanical workshop or something so that I can be more confident in knowing how my bike works and how to fix it. You're so right about that.

Good luck this weekend. I hope you'll let us know how it goes!

[kams]

May 11, 2012 12:46:16 GMT -5 Susie said:

If it's just the chain, it's messy to put back on but it's not hard. Once you learn to do it, it's a pain but NBD. It shouldn't be happening often.

As far as longer rides, I know this isn't really helpful, but you've gotta just get out there and do it. Why turn around and go home after the chain falls off? You put it back on to get home, right? So why not keep riding? At some point you just have to make a decision that you're going to do this. If you can't do that, there's no magic pill that'll do it for you. The more miles you log, the more times you clip in and out, and the more minor fixes you do yourself, the more comfortable you'll get. Maybe get a book from the library on basic bike maintenance, so you understand and aren't intimidated by all the moving parts. (Also, can you change a flat? You should be able to if you're going out on long rides.)

I know you are absolutely right. I fell pretty hard yesterday, so I suppose I was in a bad place this morning to begin with.

The chain was easy to fix, I'm just unsure about what I did to make it fall off. I need to be sure I avoid doing that if I am, in fact, the reason it's falling off.

And the clicking of the chain/gears is normal? I worry that I'm going to mess up the bike when I ride it like that.

A book is a good idea, too. I've got to get my act together. Yesterday.

[katandkevin]

You don't need to take them cookies. I took my bike back a ton at first because like Kat said, things get stretched out from being used.

You do have to develop the confidence to just do it. It is intimidating to start but once you do, you will feel great. All the things you are describing are totally normal. My gears click when I ride sometimes. I just shift up to a different gear and then back down if necessary. It happens to everyone I have ever ridden with, sometimes things just don't shift smoothly.

Get your bike looked and and then get back out there and ride.

[kams]

May 11, 2012 13:10:52 GMT -5 katandkevin said:

You don't need to take them cookies. I took my bike back a ton at first because like Kat said, things get stretched out from being used.

You do have to develop the confidence to just do it. It is intimidating to start but once you do, you will feel great. All the things you are describing are totally normal. My gears click when I ride sometimes. I just shift up to a different gear and then back down if necessary. It happens to everyone I have ever ridden with, sometimes things just don't shift smoothly.

Get your bike looked and and then get back out there and ride.

Exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you.

[katinthehat]

Also, I ride a local mostly closed to traffic loop that's 1.13 miles. That makes it really easy for me to say, just one more loop just one more loop just one more loop when I want to quit. I've even cried a few times out there because I just want to quit. My ride last week when my stupid quick release lever fell off comes to mind.

Having a short route might help you out a bit in the confidence part. I was supposed to go on a 20 mile ride with my husband and my dad helpfully suggested that we just go five out and five back in one direction then go five out and five back the other direction. Thankfully we did that because I was so nervous and tense that making it 10 miles on the road felt like making it 100 miles.

It's just really hard to be good at something, like running (and by good, I just mean not a newbie!) then to do something that makes you feel like a gangly, awkward teenager all over again.

[kams]

May 11, 2012 16:09:18 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

Also, I ride a local mostly closed to traffic loop that's 1.13 miles. That makes it really easy for me to say, just one more loop just one more loop just one more loop when I want to quit. I've even cried a few times out there because I just want to quit. My ride last week when my stupid quick release lever fell off comes to mind.

Having a short route might help you out a bit in the confidence part. I was supposed to go on a 20 mile ride with my husband and my dad helpfully suggested that we just go five out and five back in one direction then go five out and five back the other direction. Thankfully we did that because I was so nervous and tense that making it 10 miles on the road felt like making it 100 miles.

It's just really hard to be good at something, like running (and by good, I just mean not a newbie!) then to do something that makes you feel like a gangly, awkward teenager all over again.

That's it. I'm moving to Houston and going on my rides with you.

A shorter trip is a great option. I am less than half a mile from the old Route 66, which has something like 62 miles of uninterrupted bike lane. A HALF MILE FROM MY FRONT DOOR. It's a dream. However, it will remain in my dreams until I can get over it. I think I will take your advice and aim for more like 4 or 5 out, 4/5 back on repeat for now.

Knowing you're having some of these same feelings is so encouraging to me. I'm actually really embarrassed about this. I've loved spinning for so long, have always "ridden a bike", and am finally back in decent shape since the birth of my daughter, but this really is a very new and scary challenge for me. Thanks for your help through all of this. I'm seriously dying to hear your race report! Go get 'em!

[katinthehat]

oh no, I totally get your feelings. I did a bit of riding on the trainer before I got out on the road and I was like, oh, I've got this. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

It's hard, it really is. I just keep trying to remind myself that it took me 19 months to move from 12:00 minute miles in running to 10:00 minute miles and it's going to take a year or two in cycling as well.

[trigal]

Chiming in a bit late here...

Cycling takes a long time to figure out, so cut yourself some slack! It can take longer to build confidence and a base than it does for running. Just stick with it, using baby steps, and you'll get there!

[kams]

Thanks so much, trigal.

So, here's the update: this morning I woke up & decided to just do it. It was really windy, so I spent 5 minutes in my driveway arguing with myself over it, but I replayed everything you all had said and decided to go for it.

I only had 40 minutes, so I did 8 miles. Slllooooowww. The wind was in my face for most of the climbs, and the speed going downhill made me nervous. I'm certain I will be knocking some significant time off soon, but I'm still really happy that I was able to just get out there.

Thanks for all of your encouragement.

[trigal]

[katinthehat]

woohoo!