BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
THE FIRST PEDAL STROKE IS THE HARDEST, BUT THOSE OBSTACLES HOLDING YOU BACK FROM CYCLING ARE REALLY JUST INCONVENIENT SPEED BUMPS...
THERE’S LITTLE DOUBT THE ‘ROAD’ IN ROAD CYCLING HAS BECOME A REAL ISSUE PUTTING MANY OFF TAKING UP THE SPORT
It’s no secret that, over the past decade, cycling’s popularity has grown at an unprecedented rate. Huge numbers of men and women, inspired by the likes of Bradley Wiggins and Laura Kenny, are clambering into cleats, climbing onto bikes and hitting the highways.
There is, as you might expect, a ‘but…’ to this. It seems our enthusiastic crop of new cyclists aren’t all having smooth riding experiences. Time and again, new riders are robbed of their enthusiasm by a series of, often unnecessary, bumps in the road, ranging from road safety fears to the unwelcoming attitude of some clubs, and these need to be addressed head on.
Pioneering cycle clothing brand Fat Lad At The Back has been at the vanguard of the response to these concerns. FLAB’s social rides, led by regional ‘FLambassadors’, show the sport in its best light - welcoming and supportive of new riders.
Cycling Plus spoke to Ade Horne, Fat Lad At The Back’s community projects manager, along with Theresa Peacock, Steve Wadey and Dean Nicholson (three fellow FLambassadors and social ride leaders) to get their insight into beating the barriers that face rookie cyclists.
Lack of road confidence
Most of us lacked confidence the first time we took our bikes on the roads. For a newbie, clipping in and pedalling alongside speeding traffic can feel like entering a war zone – a war where everyone else is wearing tonnes of armour and your only protection is a polystyrene hat and a small pad covering your privates.
“I do remember when I first started going out on the roads,” recalls Ade. “I was freaked out about it. You just feel so vulnerable in the traffic.” There’s little doubt the ‘road’ in road cycling has become a real issue putting many off taking up, and progressing in, the sport.
“They worry about busy roads. About cars passing too closely,” says Steve, of those who join his rides. “They’re perfectly understandable concerns. Talk to any cyclist and they’ll give you an example of a close pass, a dangerous manoeuvre.”
Advice
1: Ride in a group. You’ll learn good habits and build confidence. 2: Graduate from quiet to busier roads. Learn the basics on less busy routes before you take on the challenges of traffic. 3: Know your Highway Code. “I found informing myself of what the Highway Code is and what I can and can’t do, as a cyclist, really helpful,” says Dean. “So when people start throwing arguments at you, you can come across as intelligent. Normally, if you bombard somebody with
intelligence they tend to shut up.” 4: Have a positive state of mind. “I think you’ve just got to hold your own,” says Theresa. “Have a stiff upper lip and keep going, because otherwise you wouldn’t get on a bike again.”
Getti ng ki t t o f i t
Most of us have been there: “I hope it fits, I hope it fits!” we mutter, squeezing into new kit. A mantra which, if it does just about fit, is replaced with “Please don’t let it split!” – a worst-case scenario in a sport where many go commando. Yes, finding cycling kit for those of us who are larger than Chris Froome is an issue. For some reason, average kit seems much smaller than the ‘average’ people trying to wear it. Add into the mix the revealing nature of skin-tight clothing and it’s easy to see a big barrier for bodyconscious new riders.
“Lycra is totally unforgiving,” sighs Ade. “Having to put a skintight jersey on and go out there is quite scary.”
“Finding a top for me to put on without tearing the sleeves was tricky,” says Steve. “You end up sizing up, with material flapping around where it shouldn’t.”
As every cyclist knows, even with correctly fitting bike kit, stepping out in Lycra can be a big deal: “It takes a lot of bottle,” says Ade.
Dean, who at his heaviest was 23 stone, agrees. “I felt very self-aware, that people were probably looking at me. It made me realise just how big I was.”
Advice
1: Search for the right kit. Brands like Fat Lad At The Back are pioneers in creating kit for larger cyclists. Wearing kit that actually fits you will instantly increase your confidence on the bike. 2: Stop caring what others think. “You have to reach that point where you just don’t care any more,” says Ade. Steve agrees, spelling out the FLAB philosophy: “You’re going to go out and ride. You’re going to have appropriate gear to do it in and you don’t really care what other people think about you.”
Expensive gear
“Cycling’s slightly less expensive than getting into Formula One!” Cycling Plus overheard one rider say recently. The sport does have a reputation as an easy way to spend a lot of money, so the costs involved can be prohibitive. “I bought an entry level bike for £500,” says Ade, “I nearly fell over – £500 for a bike!”
Theresa agrees, remembering back to her concerns around buying a first bike: “You don’t know initially what you want or need. So, when you look at costing, it can be anything from £200 to a hell of a lot more.”
Advice
1: Decide what you actually need. “There are ways,” says Steve, “of keeping the costs down.” Central to this economising is making the distinction between the bike you want and the bike you need. “If you decide to come into the sport,” he continues, “£500 can get you a good enough bike to get started.” 2: Shop around. “Amazon is a great place to buy reasonably priced gear,” Dean explains, “also Lidl and Aldi of all places. You can get stuff all over the place that’s half the price of the named brand.” 3: Running kit is usually cheaper. “Running tights and tops are often cheaper than cycle-specific stuff,” explains Steve. “You don’t need £125 bib shorts when £20 ones from Decathlon will do you perfectly well while you find your feet, build your fitness and the distances you are covering.” 4: Look into Cyclescheme.
FOR MANY CYCLISTS THEIR DIRTY SECRET IS THEY DON’T REALLY KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT THE ‘BITS’ ON THEIR BIKE
All from FLAB agree that the government scheme – which allows you to get up to £1000 of bike and accessories through your employer – is a great way of making cycling more affordable. For more details see cyclescheme.co.uk
Technical understanding
For many cyclists their dirty secret is they don’t really know that much about the ‘bits’ on their bike. The headset, derailleur et al are as much of a mystery as how you’d go about fixing them. New riders certainly find their own lack of technical knowledge worrying.
“A frequent concern is what to do if they get a puncture,” says Ade, of the rookies she meets. In fact, the FLambassadors are agreed that a lack of technical knowledge is putting new cyclists off riding. Advice 1: Learn the basics. New riders should try to learn about their bikes, with BikeRadar’s YouTube channel a good place to start. “The knowledge is out there,” says Steve, “it’s a case of looking in the right places.” 2: Ride in a group. This way, if a mechanical failure happens, new riders can pick up hints and tips from more experienced ones. 3: Use your local bike shop. “More and more are offering basic service training,” says Steve. “Some have women-only sessions. If you are in a bike a shop and you don’t understand what they’re saying, before you part with your cash, I’d suggest you go somewhere else…”
Joining a club
Some say the pros make cycling look easy, whereas some local cycling clubs make it look hard! The attitude of some clubs (and their members) to new riders has put some off the sport.
“I’m not a big fan of ‘proper’ cycling clubs,” Dean explains. “I used to feel kind of intimidated: ‘Oh you haven’t got a very expensive bike’ or ‘You’re a bit fat’ – you know what I mean?”
“I turned up,” says Ade, “the bloke looked me up and down – he didn’t even do it discreetly. ‘How far have you ridden?’ he asked. ‘I rode 25 miles last week,’ I replied. He sniggered and said: ‘It wouldn’t be worth getting out of bed for anything less would it?’”
Steve had similar experiences. “You come along to a beginner’s ride and find yourself being turned inside out for two or three hours as it goes off at a pace that no beginner would be able to cope with.”
Advice
1: Find the right club for you. “Some clubs are great,” says Dean, “and for those who want to do that, fantastic. I’m more about enjoying the bike ride in a different sense.”
Steve has a strong positive relationship with a club now, and some of his social riders have graduated to joining it. 2: Try social rides. The FLambassadors recommend less formal events, such as the FLAB social rides found on letsride.co.uk, as an introduction to group riding. “We’ll do whatever needs to be done to get people out and enjoying a bike ride,” says Dean, proudly.
“We just want people to join in,” agrees Ade, “to experience how much fun cycling can be.”
To find out more about the Fat Lad At The Back social rides check out letsride.co.uk.