8 Things Not To Do When You're New To Road Cycling

What mistakes did you make when you first started cycling?

I feel like every time I do a ride, I have a headwind and when I turn around, the wind turns around.

To all of you experienced cyclists out there. Please don’t ignore some obviously new cyclists, kind of just give them a simple, “hi” or a wave and it’ll motivate them a ton just from you acknowledging them. I personally am an amateur and just went biking, I was feeling unmotivated cus I was on a steep hill, then an experienced looking cyclist rode passed me and gave me a simple nod, that itself motivated me to finish the climb and get to that nice nice decent

Three kinds of wind: crushing headwind, brutal crosswind, and "Wow, I feel great!"

I got my clipless pedals and shoes arrived on Christmas day. I heard the horror stories of people not being able to clip out and stacking it. I practiced a few times on Christmas day in my neighborhood and began to wonder... How could anyone not get out in time? 27th December, back to work... Down a huge hill to work. Full stop at the junction at the bottom onto main road, rush hour, unclipped right foot in preparation... Eventually realising I'm leaning left... Straight onto my side on the path, teddy bear roll onto the grass. Cars beeping in approval, people shouting and celebrating. I had to just lay there and laugh. So many people about.

Don't stop cycling when you are new to cycling...

My first mistake was spending too much time binge watching GCN. Instead of actually hopping on my bike 😅😂

Not to mention those days you head out with a miserable headwind only to get to the turn and realise damn, that was the tailwind 😄

“It never gets easier, you just get faster” – Greg LeMond “Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” – Eddy Merckx "If I have the exact same equipment as Team Ineos, I'll be as good as them" - Middle-age dentist when considering their first bike

Not sure its been mentioned, but the biggest thing I suffered from as a newbie is underestimating the importance of proper tire inflation. I had so many flat tires as a result of under inflation I became an expert at fixing them. Now, to make sure I always leave with the correct pressure, I deflate my tires on purpose (not completely) returning from a ride, just to make sure I inflate and pressure check before every ride.

Who else is not new to cycling but watching this because this is GCN?

My very athletic niece decided to try cycling, after seeing how fit I had stayed doing it for many years. She spent the money on a nice bike, helmet, good shoes and clipless pedals. I don't think she rode more than a few times. She hated how her quads burned. AND she could NOT get used to getting out of her pedals and kept falling over. I kept telling her it would all get better with a little more practice, but her cycling career was over before it started. Stay with it!

One of the most common mistakes I tend to see and help new cyclists with is gearing. Seems like everyone new to cycling thinks it's got to be difficult, like a real huff and puff to climb a hill. No! Just find the right gear and get going at what ever speed works best for you. The more often you cycle, the faster that speed will be. Have fun with it!

I'd add: BRING LIGHTS!!!

I am non english speaker but they explain some tips very easily so i can understand those well.And also very informative. Thx :) from korea.

One more tip, running helps a lot to increase endurance. I literally went from cycling 50km to 103km after running for 1 month.

That big soft comfy saddle makes the difference between riding for 2 hours versus 5 minutes. When you are calorie challenged like I am, you need a soft saddle! No shame in being pain-free, guys!

3:05 are we not going to mention the size difference in frames ??? 😂

I like the 'new' GCN crew. They do quite well. And eventually, they will be a bit older and develop interesting quirks and funny jokes :3 Thx m8s!

Simply love all GCN videos! Such passionated bikers and laidback videos, that are technical and fun to watch! Cheers from Brazil!