Bicycling for Beginners -- A New Beginning

Bicycling for Beginners is intended to help those interested in getting started cycling but could use a few tips, tricks and ideas to jump start a new and exciting way to view the world. I have been riding a bike for most of my life, as a child and as an adult and can attest that cycling is highly underrated in America.

There are few activities that are inexpensive, exploratory, aerobic, low impact and provide such a great sense of freedom, as when riding a bicycle. Most people in America start their love affair with bicycles when they get their first bike at Christmas. For me it was learning to ride a neighbor’s bike when I was four years old. I got my first two-wheeler at six years. It is one of my few memories from that period. I had to stand on a curb to get going, and could barely reach the pedals due to the center crossbar in my groin.

As with any activity, you need to keep at it to reap the full rewards. It’s best to decide a program that you can fit into your normal daily schedule without overtaxing your available bandwidth. Take it slow at first so that you can build on the enjoyment. Over time, you will be self motivated to push yourself and spend more time on your bike each week. It comes naturally, you don’t need a coach.

Biking has so many dimensions to it that you can keep changing your program or activity whenever you feel the need to do something new. I know people who own half a dozen bikes because they enjoy multiple cycling activities such as road racing, mountain biking, tandem riding, track riding, recumbent riding, touring, BMX, or beach cruising. If you feel you are in a rut on the road, change it up and do a little mountain biking.

As a beginner, you probably won’t start out with more than one bike. In fact, you may not even have one bicycle presently, so you will have to acquire one. In a future article I will present a buying guide of sorts that will put forward low, medium and high cost options for selecting and purchasing a bicycle. The good news is that bike technology has improved dramatically over the last couple of decades which means that for very little money, you can get yourself an excellent bicycle with high quality, low weight components and frame.

If you are committed to give cycling a try, you will find a friend and guide in this series of articles. Bicycling is a great sport for beginners as you probably already know how to make it move. You just need a little help with making it safe and efficient. I can help with that as others helped me along the way. One of the best ways to get started is by getting others to join you in your excursions. Or you can ride with one of the local bike clubs. They usually have every level of rider and arrange rides to suit the full range of experience and enthusiasm.

So stay tuned and get ready to add a whole new dimension to your life with Bicycling for Beginners.