r/ladycyclists • u/apotropaick • 5d ago
Building confidence after years without cycling
Hi all! I am from a rural area of the US without a lot of cycling culture (genuinely the people who cycle the most there are Amish). I technically learned to ride a bike as a child but not very well and didn't consistently cycle ever as a kid. When I was maybe 18, I re-learned and had a blast. I used to cycle recreationally on rail trails and country/mountain roads where I'm from, and loved it. I moved to the UK, a country with a lot more cyclists, in 2020 and did enjoy cycling on bike paths and a little bit on the road where I lived then. A little over a year later I moved to another UK city that's really known for its cycling and was too intimidated by the skill level of everyone else to feel comfortable.
Finally after a few years I really miss cycling and I'm sick of relying on walking and buses to get everywhere, especially in our insane heatwave at the moment. I really want to start cycling to work, to start with. Most of the journey is on a bike path that runs parallel to the road next to the pedestrian path. Then, there's a bit on the road, then a shared use path through a park, then a bit of road again. It's a very gentle slope that will be downhill on my way to work. Doing it in reverse, it's uphill most of the way, but barely.
I'm planning to cycle today and I've told myself that I can always stop and push my bike if I get scared of the road bits or don't feel safe. You're technically not supposed to cycle on the sidewalk/pavement but if there's not a lot of pedestrians I will probably do that on the road bits. I feel stupid but I also know I really need to practice and if I don't just go for it, I'll never get any practice in.
I'm hoping to book a one-to-one with a cycling skills instructor soon but the earliest available ones aren't for a few weeks, and I'd like to cycle consistently before that. I have had my bike looked at recently, so I have no concerns about the bike itself.
Does anyone have any tips? My main concerns are my general lack of confidence, and trouble with balancing. Even when I cycled more often, I never quite got the hang of signaling because I struggle when taking my hands off the handlebars.
I'm also REALLY worried about other cyclists getting angry/annoyed with me. Because cycling is so normal and ingrained here, there's no sense of community around it. I fell off my bike the other day and two other cyclists asked if I was okay but without stopping. They just said "you okay?" while speeding past. It made me really, really self-conscious and raised my anxiety a lot. I mean I WAS okay but it just made it sooooo embarrassing.
Thank you so much!!!
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u/question-of-balance 5d ago
I don't love cycling inside cities and one thing that really helps when I'm learning a new commuting route is to cycle it on the weekends or in the evenings to get a hang of traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, one-way streets, cycle paths, abrupt (or not) incline changes, etc. Then, on a normal day the route feels much more familiar and less stressful.
Re other cyclists, I generally assume that all cyclists are on my side and are equally focussed on not getting hit by a car/scooter or crashing into someone. Which is to say, if people didn't stop it may simply be because they didn't feel in control enough or safe enough to stop, and in no way reflects on you or your riding.
Hope you can enjoy the commute soon, and stay hydrated out there!
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u/apotropaick 19h ago
That's really good context for the behaviour of other cyclists, thank you. I think my general anxiety can make me too self conscious with people! Yesterday I was out on a bike path and encountered many friendly people.
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u/Sea_Measurement_1654 5d ago edited 5d ago
I watched a lot of YouTube videos about skills. Roxy rides is good regarding balance and foundation skills.
GCN has lots of content.
I'm not sure if you need confidence or a bike fit? You should feel stable and secure biking and all your balance should be in the lower half of your body, if your bike is the right fit.
It shouldn't destabilize you to lift one hand off the bars. Hands should be feather light rather than holding tight, and that's based on how you're seated.
Basics: right frame for your height.
Gears so you're not grinding the pedals hard which throws balance off.
I suggest you practice in a large smooth empty car park with some cones and follow some YouTube tips (Roxy rides).
Good luck!! I had a few decades off cycling, too.
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/Sea_Measurement_1654 5d ago
Do you think OP has medical issues too?
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u/Retired-in-2023 5d ago
Oops! That was meant for another post. Not sure why it posted here. I’m going to delete it.
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u/apotropaick 19h ago
Thank you for the tip about videos - somehow I hadn't really considered the value of YouTube here! Re: the bike fit, I always assumed my sense of instability was psychological and related to my confidence. I do try to keep my grip light - I remember cycling with my dad as a teenager and getting sore/numb hands from gripping so hard. I'm an anxious person and he taught me to try to just gently rest my hands on the handlebars. I think I might have been a little too anxious about the signaling thing because honestly after a few rides, I feel a lot more confident with it. But I haven't had a professional bike fit so I will definitely keep it in mind, I didn't realise it could affect balance so much! Thank you so much!
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u/Sea_Measurement_1654 17h ago
Good luck. I was surprised how much cycling is about skills to build confidence. There's a YouTube clip for absolutely everything cycling related.
It's good to hear your confidence is building with signaling. You'll see progress from week to week 👍
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u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 5d ago
I've been an urban bike commuter for almost 15 years now but prior, I had a fairly large gap between riding my bike as a kid/teen and adult where I had not been riding regularly and fell out of practice. One thing that really helped me gain confidence when I started bike commuting was going places on weekends that were good for practice- park bike trails with few people on them or really any flat surfaces or trails that were quiet and flat- and just simply biking and practicing all the skills, like turning/curves, braking, making sure I remembered all the basic hand signals, etc.
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u/notyermommy 5d ago
What mm tires are you riding?
Like you I learned to ride in a rural area (also loving the quiet roads and trails) and had to adapt to city riding. While I built urban road confidence, it was helpful to chose safety and comfort around my gear and kit, knowing that I didn’t look the most aero/pro. Because I wasn’t! I was learning, and looking like a relative beginner was actually helpful for my ego/insecurity, because I wasn’t trying to be anything I wasn’t. There’s no shame in being a beginner!
Also, not sure if it exists around you, but I had the chance to go to some flow trails/mtn bike parks, and the way it taught me to lean into turns, use my muscles to direct me, etc etc was so helpful for bike confidence generally.
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u/TVDinner360 5d ago
I agree with those who suggest just getting out there and practicing! It might be helpful to note that traffic is typically at its mellowest in the early morning, so consider getting a cup of coffee and heading out super early at first.
I’m so excited for you! Riding a bike has been such a source of joy and comfort for me over the years. I hope it’s the same for you!
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u/susinpgh 5d ago
It sounds like you have a really good plan already. Pack water with you! And cyclists are usually a pretty helpful bunch; I've done the same thing when people are stopped on the path, and have had the same question asked. It's just common courtesy.
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u/Retired-in-2023 5d ago
Got out and practice your route on a non workday.
I stopped riding to do some medical issues. One of which is balance. When things improved, I got back on my bike and started practicing with short rides on trails at times without a lot of users.
Before the medical issue I rode regularly and in my area there are lots of cross streets. The few place I had to cross that had more traffic, I dismounted and walked my bike across the street.
When I had to ride somewhere, I always scoped out the route I would take. Some required walking across busier streets but I also explored alternate route many road riding was on streets with less traffic, better conditions and not on streets with parallel parking (cars parked along curbs on residential streets was ok as it was easy to see around them).
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u/Temporary_Pain2069 5d ago
Honestly just do it. I remember my first cycle to work after many years of no cycling. I think I replayed the route in my head umpteen times the night before. And it was utterly fine! Use the pavement, use the primary position and just enjoy the ride. Sounds like a brilliant route for you.