Some handy hints for getting on your bike
So, you’ve decided to get fitter, you want a greener, cheaper way of travelling and cycling ticks all those boxes – but you’re still not sure what to do? Well, don’t worry because the Big Wheel is on hand with a few handy hints to get you started.
Firstly, although it is important to get lots of exercise, doing it all at once is not the best way to get into cycling. You don’t want to try and cycle a marathon only to find that you can’t walk for a week afterwards!
So the key is a little and often. You could start out with just going for a leisurely bike ride in the evening or at a weekend and gradually build up to cycling to work. Or start out by cycling to work just one day a week and, when that starts to feel easy, try cycling two days a week and so on. If you want to cycle to work but the distance seems too long why not invest in a folding bike? That way, you can cycle part of the way and get the bus for the rest, or cycle there but get the bus back. Just do whatever works for you – if you push yourself too hard you’re more likely to give up.
Of course fitness might not be the problem: not everyone feels confident with cycling on the road. But help is at hand! Local cycle training group Ridewise offer free training to everyone – whether you’re 6 or 60. And they can train you to whatever level you need – so if you just want to cycle on quiet roads they won’t teach you how to handle busier road with complicated junctions (although they can teach you that too!).
Some people also find it helpful to start out with a friend, so they’ve got moral support when the going gets tough and because it makes cycling more fun. If you want to do this try to pick someone with similar abilities to you or it may prove difficult. And, if you don’t know anyone who wants to give cycling a try, have a look at our events page for information about groups who organise social rides.
If you need information on what you might need when cycling or how best to choose a bike we’ve also got lots of useful information on our handy hints page.
