Before hopping on for a ride, make sure your bike fits
Getting back on two wheels for the first time in years — or even decades — means relearning skills needed to navigate traffic safely and comfortably
If you think you’re seeing more bikes on the road since COVID-19 hit, you’re not mistaken. With flexible work schedules, months with no access to the gym and public transit a last resort during the pandemic, Canadians have been getting back on two wheels in record numbers.
Pierre Poulet, of Cycle Robert in the Montreal borough of Lasalle, has sold 375 bikes in the past two months.
“All I have left is extra-small and extra-large bikes, or ones that cost $1,600,” said Poulet, who has been selling bikes for 38 years. “Everything between $500 and $1,000 is gone.”
Poulet says the shortage of inventory is affecting bike sellers across the country. And with lineups to get in the door due to physical distancing rules, people are buying their bikes off the rack from big-box stores instead of smaller specialty shops. That means there are a lot of novice
cyclists out there with ill-fitting bikes, the wrong gear and little in the way of professional advice when it comes to maintaining, handling and riding a road bike.
“I see women riding men’s bikes and using men’s saddles, which can be very uncomfortable, and people with bikes that are too small or too big,” said Poulet. “I’m getting people showing up with their bike still in the box, or with a bike they bought from a neighbour that isn’t worth fixing.”
It’s a mistake to think that just because you spent your childhood cruising around the neighbourhood with your buddies, you can hop on a road bike as a middle-aged adult and suddenly become king of the road.
That old saying “it’s just like riding a bike” doesn’t hold true for anyone whose last time on two wheels is easier to measure in decades than years. Sharing the road with cars while figuring out how to change gears and avoid potholes is a learned skill, not something that comes naturally the first few times.
Hélène Carrière is an experienced cyclist who has been riding with the Beaconsfield Cycling Club for 15 years. She says a good bike fit is the first step to being comfortable
I see women riding men’s bikes and using men’s saddles, which can be very uncomfortable, and people with bikes that are too small or too big.
and efficient on a bicycle. And while it’s normal for novices to experience some body fatigue and soreness after a long ride, a correct fit helps minimize the aches and pains of getting back on the bike.
Staff at most specialty bike stores can usually guide you to the right size and arrange for
a personal fitting to adjust the seat and handlebars, but that type of service is tough with physical distancing requirements and the high volume of sales that stores have been experiencing. Poulet, one of the best bike fitters in the Montreal area, hasn’t done a fitting in three months.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to bike-fit again,” said Poulet. “Two and a half to three hours in a confined space with a cyclist who is sweating and breathing hard isn’t possible right now.”
Poulet says a bike isn’t the right size if you straddle the bar and can lift it six to eight inches, need to lift the heel of your supporting leg to get your other leg over the bar, or have to jack the seat or handlebars up to their maximum height.
It’s also common for an ill-fitting bike to result in knee or lower back pain, which can usually be solved with a few minor adjustments.
Carrière joins Poulet in highlighting the importance of buying a Csa-approved helmet (with a snug fit and straps correctly adjusted) and a set of lights for the front and rear of the bike, which should be turned on day and night.
Also important is a seat bag that contains a spare inner tube, tire levers, mini-air pump and a small “multi tool” with multiple Allen keys.
“Even if you don’t know how to change a flat tire, you at least have the stuff if someone stops to help you,” said Carrière.
Not to be forgotten is a water bottle — two if you’re going on a long ride — your phone and sunscreen. And depending how long you’re out there, an energy bar to tide you over.
“Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to the back of your neck, which is exposed all the time,” said Carrière.
When it comes to gear, there’s an ongoing debate as to whether novice cyclists should “clip in” while getting used to negotiating their bike and surrounding environment. Cycling-specific shoes that clip to the pedals not only spruce up your technique, they make pedalling more efficient and speed and power more readily available. But before you head out for your first ride attached to the pedals, practise clipping in and out on a quiet street until you can release your feet quickly and easily.
Cycling shorts and a jersey are great additions, but aren’t absolutely necessary as long as you have technical sportswear that’s lightweight and breathable. That said, for any rides over an hour, padded shorts can be a cyclist’s best friend.
The final word from Carrière is on safety, and she says it’s worth repeating for veterans and novices alike.
“Cyclists can stay safe by respecting stop signs, pedestrian crosswalks and other rules of the road,” she said. “The cyclist’s common enemies are car doors opening, and drivers making abrupt U-turns and other manoeuvres without being aware of their surroundings.
Ride aware and be defensive at all times.
“You are responsible for your safety.”