Get Comfortable, Rider

Moving beyond missteps to more enjoyment on the bike

Ishowed up to the cyclocross practice in green work pants, rolled up well above my ankles to keep the legs away from the cranks and chainring. I was wearing those pants not to inject a bit of courier fashion into CX. No, I was just new to ’cross and racing in general. My bike was so new that I hadn’t yet gone down with it. (That would soon change.) At the time, those trousers seemed like the best choice I had: they were durable and warm enough for the evening practice in late fall.

No one said anything, at least nothing I can recall so many years later. A few weeks after my “debut,” I showed up in basic tights. A more seasoned rider said, “Those should be a lot better than the jeans you were wearing.” Another night, an organizer passed me a light rain jacket that was forgotten in the equipment trailer. The jacket was fluorescent green and four sizes too big. It billowed like a spinnaker when I got up to speed.

These newbie forays in cycling gear came to mind after I read Cheryl Maclachlan’s story ‘ What I Wish I Knew When I Started Cycling’ (p.36). It’s a great feature with advice for new cyclists as well as stories that will make all riders smile because we’ve all been there: new to cycling and trying to figure it out. (There are a lot of folks getting into bikes now either for the first time or for the first time in a long time.) While my experiences aren't as dramatic as an embrocation misapplication, they’re missteps nonetheless.

Also going back in time, I once met a friend for a ride. He wasn’t totally new to cycling. He for sure knew a thing or two about a thing or two, which is why I was surprised that he wore regular walking shorts and a T-shirt for our road ride. Why? I asked in a way that I hoped conveyed my actual curiosity and no judgement. To sum up his reasoning: he felt some i mpostor syndrome wearing full road kit. While a jersey and bib shorts would have matched with his bike, it didn’t match with how he felt that he fit in with the sport, both fitness-wise and culturally. He still felt like an outsider.

I think I offered some overly simplistic advice, such as, fake it until you make it. No one will notice you don’t feel right in new bib shorts. I know, physically, my friend would have felt more comfortable in the right kit. But mentally, he just wasn’t there yet.

“We’ve all been there: new to cycling and trying to figure it out.”

I know for many riders who’ve been cycling for a while, part of what attracted them to cycling, a sport that used to be more on the fringes of North American culture, was its slight mysteriousness. It was a puzzle to figure out, which draws some in. But with cycling booming right now, I hope articles like Maclachlan’s help all riders – with advice and good-natured humour – to feel more welcome and comfortable so they can enjoy the ride.