Perfect Practice makes Perfect. Photo: FixedGear from Flickr
We love success stories. Part of the reason that we have so many success stories at KGS Bikes is this is what we set out to do in every client relationship.
Every cyclist has something that can be improved. Improvement in some things is easier than others. Many cyclists, particularly women, have issues with confidence that can make riding in fast groups, cornering, descending and heavy traffic more than a little bit scary.
Overcoming these fears is not easy, and it seems like a Catch-22 sometimes, because the fear is not only keeping you from enjoying the activity that you want to enjoy, but it can magnify the chances of something going wrong, which reinforces the fear!
The best way to get around this problem is to do a little analysis. Is the problem due to a lack of technique, or is there another external problem? Let’s take cornering, for instance. Most bikes are set up with too much weight on the rider’s hands. This puts too much weight on the front wheel and makes the balance of the bike wrong for stable cornering. It is not just a “go out and practice” issue, as the bike really is unstable. Compounding the issue, since more weight is on the hands and you need to “stiff arm” the way you hold onto the bars because your triceps aren’t strong enough to hold you comfortably for long periods, and you have difficulty steering with precision as well. No wonder many women, who have less upper body strength than men, complain of instability in cornering.
Another issue could be improved by simple practice. Clipping into and getting out of the pedals is something that if done wrong, can cause big problems on the road, but once the technique is practiced enough, the confidence comes from competence. Time spent in the parking lot clipping in, popping out, learning to do so with either left foot or right foot, staying in the saddle while balancing, etc., can make for happy intersection moments.
At the end of the day, objectively assessing your skills and weaknesses can go a long way towards improving your quality of cycling. Have a question on techniques you would like to have addressed? Leave a comment!
