Cycling for beginners (part 1)

I personally like to cycle because I consider it as a meditation on the move, but on the other hand, bicycling contains a number of complex techniques so below we bring some basic tips that are  good for people who are just starting with cycling, and for the start we will learn about pedaling and changing the speed.

Pedaling on a road bicycle

A lot of debates arise around pedaling itself. On the one hand, bicyclists who advocate the technique of using the entire pedal wake, ie with the maximum force, swing down and up, while others believe that this driving technique creates problems.

They think that this technique does not increase the maximum strength and can cause serious injury. Specifically, the maximum pressure on the pedal leads to high pressure on the thighs and hips – muscles designed to lift the weight of the leg against gravity when running, walking or pedaling.

As the muscles are tired, the tightness in them increases, which can lead to back and hips pain. In addition, at a recommended speed of 80-90 rpm (pedal speed per minute), the muscular system can not deactivate and activate certain muscle groups sufficiently rapidly.

Recommended speed is 80-90 rpm.

In other words, when the left foot pushes the pedal, the right leg can not be fast enough to create negative pressure on the pedal (to relax), let alone create force in the upward direction.

Better pedaling technique would be to steer your downward pedaling power at the point when your leg is at 12 o’clock. At 3 o’clock you need to get maximum power and to release power when your leg is at 6 o’clock.

Gears and changing speeds on road bicycles

A common mistake with new bikers is incorrectly changing speeds. When transferring power from one gear to another, it is of great importance to switch gears so that you do not lose the power of your legs and the energy you need.

Gear power transfer in fact serves to maintain a steady pace of pedaling. Overweight transmission will reduce the strength of your legs and raise your heart rate, while a heavier, lower transfer will increase the power of your legs and quickly expend energy.

Most of the road bikes are equipped with a standard front drive of two gears – the outer 50 teeth and the inner one with 32 teeth, while the rear drive consists of cassettes with different ranges: 11/32, 12/27, 12/23, 11/28, etc.

It is of great importance to avoid two extremities at the front and rear drive, ie you do not want the front and rear drives to be on a large or small gear at the same time. This will extend the chain, increase its resistance and damage the bicycle gears.

When changing speed, beginners can slip the chain because they often change the front speed under constant load. It’s best to take a fraction of a second to ease the pressure to get a more fluid power transmission just like changing the car’s speed. First you press the clutch pedal (clutch), and then change the speed.

The key to effective speed change is prediction of the situation. If you know what’s ahead you can easily prepare for the upcoming situation (climb, roadblock, wet surface).

For example, if you are approaching the rise, change the rear panel so that the chain is somewhere in the middle gear, and as soon as you “step” up, lower the front speed. If you change speeds at high loads, you would lose momentum and be forced to invest more power and energy to change speeds.

Source:

https://rog-joma.hr/blog/cestovni-biciklizam-tehnike-voznje-biciklom/

This post is also available in: Croatian