Road bike newbie... help!

[polexiaaphrodesia]

Hi all, would love to get some advice from any seasoned road cyclists out there.

I've always enjoyed cycling and pre DC used to go out on my hybrid a lot. Hybrid was very cheap and is very heavy and frankly I'd like to upgrade to a nice road bike. I'm a keen spin biker but now getting rather fed up with being in the garage with the spiders and the lawnmower! I also like the idea of a hobby for me that gives me a bit of a break from work/family for a couple of hours at the weekend especially as I came to realise recently that DH has tons of hobbies (guitar, warhammer, gym and running) whereas my hobby was Mumsnet

My question is, how on earth do you get into being on the road on a road bike, clipped in, with MAMILs and cars zooming past you? I'd say that my fitness is reasonable and we live in Berks which is fairly flat so good for beginners.

Writing this seems totally ridiculous and I can't imagine many men having the same worries so I'm sure the advice is to get myself to a bike shop to try some out but as cycling seems very male dominated I don't have friends I could go out on rides with to build up my confidence I'm calling on you ladies of Mumsnet for some ideas!

Reading this, i sound a bit pathetic. I'm not (I promise!) but just feel like its a bit harder for women to get into cycling than running for instance!

Assume every motorist is trying to kill you. That’s the (slightly tongue in cheek) advice given to baby bikers on L-plates and it works just as well for pedal cyclists. In practice it means never assume they have seen you, never assume they will give way to you, even if they should. It’s called “defensive riding” if you want to google it.

Many local cycle groups will buddy you up with a more experienced road cyclist to get you a bit of experience.

The roads being so quiet at the moment is a double-edged sword, it’s nice and quiet most of the time but a few motorists are taking the opportunity to speed :(

Maybe avoid the clips for road use? Are they really essential?

I'd definitely suggest that you don't try to get used to roads and get used to clipping in at the same time. Maybe start out with some flat pedals while you get used to navigating, signalling and road position?

Cycling UK runs special courses* to help women get more into road cycling.

*covid permitting, all that.

no end of other dedicated advice for women wanting to road cycle. Our sleepy little town group runs 3 Sunday groups at different speeds. Social cycling clubs in Berkshire. For myself

how on earth do you get into being on the road on a road bike, clipped in Clipping in is easy. At least SPDs. Toe cages aren't great, I can't recommend toe cages.

MAMILs They don't bite. . Most send friendly waves. I do my own thing. They do theirs.

cars zooming past you I avoid roads like that.

Start on flat pedals, and google “Breeze Rides”- women led, women only rides.

I got used to clips quite quickly, cycling round a local caravan park. Had them adjusted so they're quite loose to clip in & out. I've fallen over a few times (😂) but my pride hurt more than anything else. I prepare for junctions a long time in advance, & need to get fitter for big hills!
Traffic, hate it. I go out early.

I don't mind cycling on my own, I have a few local routes I know well, & I don't feel pressured into going further or faster than I'm happy with. Plus I can sneak out for an hr at my own convenience rather than having to liaise with others.
Something that's really helped me is having extra brake levers on the top of my drop handlebars, if you can picture it. I'm quite small, with short arms & small hands, so not having to always stretch out for the brakes on my drops gives me a lot more confidence. But I do like the drops for the variety of positions to ease aching in back & arse.

@Ihaventgottimeforthissoubds like you might need to tweak your position a bit, or swap some components (eg shorter stem, narrower bars, put some spacers under the bars). You can also adjust the levers (fit spacers - YouTube it on GCN) which will bring them in. You need to be able to comfortably ride on the hoods and drops whilst being able to comfortably operate the brakes/ gears. That sounds like a bit of a safety issue as you won’t have adequate stability, which will ultimately decrease confidence. I’m cringing at the thought of descending on the bars. It’ll also put your balance out as you need more weight over the front wheel. It shouldn’t make any difference what proportions you are as you can always set the bike up to suit. Always. Loads of decent info online about bike fitting. The only people I know of that use the bar levers are cyclo cross racers. I’ve had a terrible job with getting bikes that fit perfectly and then swapping components. I have to ride a slightly smaller frame which means shorter cranks. I have a child’s width bar. My bikes all feel like part of my body though. The only time I ride on the bars is occasionally climbing.

When I first started using SPDs, I had dual sided pedals so I could just do one side and get confident. You can also adjust them so that they clip is really loose.
A bike that fits you is really important, and it won't necessarily be a womans bike. If you are near Worcestershire, my local bike shop is absolutely amazing for finding you the right bike at your price point, and sometimes that means they build you a bike from scratch to get all the components the right size

I did quite a bit of riding on my road bike before I got the clip in pedals. They take a bit of getting used to so definitely get used to the bike first. I’ve never fallen off with mine but I scared myself a few times.

Where I live is hilly and semi rural. I cycle by myself and do get overtaken by men quite a bit but I also overtake men on mountain bikes often too. The male cyclists I see are always very friendly and say hello. They seem to love seeing a solo female cyclist. I usually do about 45-60 mins so I’m never that far from home partly because I’m still nervous about getting a puncture which is something I feel quite pathetic about so I need to get over it.

In terms of cleats, yes they are much better. You peddle more efficiently and much safer as you are more stable on the bike.

What I did early days was buy some shimano touring peddles. They have serrated platform one side and SPD fitting the other side. I would buy either touring shoes, or, if you wanna look a bit cooler, mountain bike shoes. Fit the SPD.

This is the type of peddle:

www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/shimano-m324-combination-pedals/rp-prod5937

This is an SPD cleat:

www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-spd-mtb-cleats?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5300019300&kpid=5300019300&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+All+Products&utm_medium=base&&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mckv%7Cs5NsgF9Ik_dm%7Cmcrid%7C490894957148%7Cmkw%7C%7Cmmt%7C%7Cmrd%7C5300019300uk%7Cmslid%7C%7C&mkwid=s5NsgF9Ik_dm&pcrid=490894957148&prd=5300019300uk&pgrid=58852352866&ptaid=pla-521370601574&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0-6ABhDMARIsAFVdQv_2j6nSu-gulnAWFwDFDCfDO-Lt6tNSthVRbCTJ26BRGOk2pO3SLuwaAjH6EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I wouldn’t recommend going straight into road shoes. They have a solid sole so you can’t walk easily. You can’t really peddle that easily if you aren’t cleared in.

With the touring peddle you can ride on the platform side (MTB or touring shoes are rubbery so will grip) to move off. Once you feel comfortable Flip the pedal over with your toe (easy) and clip in. When you are approaching lights/ junction etc. Un clip your lead foot, peddle on platform side. The more confident and used to clipping and unclipping the easier it becomes. Until it’s second nature and you do it at the last mili-second as you stop. You’ll do it on autopilot.

You can adjust the peddle tension to minimum, so they are easy to get in and out of. As you become more confident you can tighten it.

Once you’ve nailed it proceed to road shoes and peddles.

This was what I did... I’ve never fallen as I’ve forgotten or left it too late. Oh and when I’ve crashed (a fair few times - MTB and race road and cyclo cross so it’s err ‘normal’) there’s always been disengagement. I’ve never landed still attached.

toomuchleopard
**
I spent an afternoon early days, taking back wheel off, then taking the tyre off, changing tube, tyre back on, wheel back in. I did it over and over until I felt I’d nailed it. It’s soooo worth it as when the puncture pixies do get you, you’ll be super confident and be on your way in no time. I always carry spare tube (wrapped in cling film to protect it), levers, patches, pump and multi tool. N’owt worse than a walk of shame home in the pissing rain.

All motorists, especially van drivers, are willing to kill you entirely out of their own laziness (ie not getting out of the way enough, impatient to get past)
Clippy pedals are way better than they used to be - I have been trapped in them years ago but they have improved a lot!
I ignore other cyclists. I'm polite regarding road etiquette but I will blank MAMILs etc cos I don't want their comments (I have had them).
The best investment you can make is probably padded arse bib tights - your botty will thank you!

Thank you all for your comments! I will take some time to read and digest (and Google!) I've found the Velo Vixen group on FB so have been having a look at all their lovely bikes and advice.

It depends what cycling you want to do in future, but I use mainly my Shimano M530 pedals (mountain bike clips) with trainer-type shoes as I have a hip problem that means I struggle to unclip on one side and have come a cropper a few times (my pride prompts me to say that I was competitive junior so it's not through lack of experience). But I generally find them great because I can use them on my bike when I go to the shop, cycle to a local landmark for a stroll, cycle to the bus stop, cycle to work etc., etc.

They're great in traffic as if you need to emergency stop, you can literally jump pull your foot out.

Oh and I have a Lapierre road bike with top brakes as someone else mentioned and I love them. Again, makes the bike more versatile.

You might need to try a few cycling shops but there are non-macho ones out there (personally, I'd avoid Halfords though). I have found local independents better with advice.

Another vote for independents. I’m an odd shape and my local indie cycle shop actually got and built 4 different bikes for me to try before we found the one that was right.

I am north Hants and happy to meet up once we're allowed if you want to have a little cycle?

I started cycling longer distances on a hybrid (Boardman) too, and after a while I got toe clips fitted on my pedals. These are the little cages that fit around the toe of your shoe.

Then when I progressed to a road bike (Bianchi) I got SPDs fitted (dual sided) and mountain bike shoes as I was told these are easier to walk around in.

In my opinion this progression from toe clips to cleats really helped me as I was already used to mentally preparing for a junction/stopping. The motion to unclip has changed but the mentality is the same.

I have had this bike for 6 years and still have the SPD tension at its lowest so it's easy to clip in and out. Have never fallen off or got stuck, fortunately.

I don't cycle as much as pre kids but have found that I need to tinker with the saddle, my seating position requirements have obviously changed after two kids...

Local bike shops are usually really knowledgeable and happy to help.

Good luck and let me know if you ever want to cycle together. (Shouldn't be too bad even in covid times as it would be easy to stay 2m apart)

@noodlmcdoodl that’s a good plan I’ll definitely do it. Love cycling but hate the mechanical side of it

I got a gravel bike, and got used to riding on the roads around here with normal pedals, wearing trainers. It meant I was concentrating purely on riding with traffic around me (having not ridden much for years).

After a few weeks/ month I got some mountain bike shoes and the corresponding pedals. As pp said the shoes are good for walking around in and look almost normal, and the pedals aren’t too bad to get used to.

I spent a good 30 minutes to an hour, with the bike propped in the hall between the stairs a wall so I was balanced, and clipped the shoes in and out constantly. Then I went out and rode on a quiet road around the park, again constantly clipping in and out.

Then I was confident enough to go for a proper ride the next day.

It’s worth remembering that it will seem both an unnatural action, and very stiff at first. But the cleats will loosen, making it easier, and the motion of twisting your ankle with become second nature.

I’ve just upgraded to a proper road bike, with proper road shoes and pedals. They’re stiffer and no good for walking any distance in but will be a bit better for power transfer.

A pp recommended GCN for maintenance videos. They also have a really good one from June last year where one of the presenters teaches his wife to use clipless pedals. It’s called clipless pedals explained.

As others have said take it one stage at a time.
There is nothing wrong with putting a set of flat pedals on a road bike. Whilst you are getting used to a new bike and environment you don't want to be worrying about the pedals.
At the moment I have flat mountain bike pedals with pins on one of my road bikes as I'm recovering from a fractured foot and I can't physically unclip at present. I've bought a pair of flat soled mountain bike shoes to use with them. They've got a stiffer sole than normal trainers and the soles are sort of sticky so they grip the pins on the pedals. I don't like them as much as my normal pedals but they're quite a good compromise for the time being, and definitely better than riding in trainers which are too flexible.
If you do want to get shoes and pedals with cleats I would recommend that you start with a 2 bolt mountain bike system rather than 3 bolt road cleats. MTB pedals are double sided so you don't need to worry which way up the pedal is - you can clip in to either side. With road pedals you can only clip in to one side so you often need to flip the pedal round with your foot before you clip in. That movement becomes second nature with a bit of practice but when you are first starting out, MTB pedals are easier. There's usually a little screw on one side of the pedal with which you can adjust the tightness of the pedal. To start with, set it as loose as posdible as that makes it easier to clip in and out.
The other advantage of MTB pedals is that they shed mud and dirt much more easily. I tend to use MTB pedals and shoes on my winter road bike for that reason. (Rural area....lots of mud and 💩 on the roads here!) Plus the cleats are recessed into the soles so MTB shoes are easier to walk in than road shoes.
The only real disadvantage to MTB pedals is that the area of contact between foot and pedal is quite small. In theory at least, this reduces power transfer, though how much difference that makes to the average recreational rider is debatable. More important is that you can find you get "hot spots" on the soles of your feet on long rides. Road pedals spread the load over a bigger area of your foot and are more comfortable on longer rides. I find I am ok with MTB pedals for about 30 miles but after that they can get a bit uncomfortable. Overall though, I would still recommend them for your first set.
Oh, and at some point you almost certainly will have an embarrassing failure to clip out incident - everyone does eventually! I've even seen pro cyclists do it. The good news though is that it tends to occur when virtually stationary so it is normally only your ego that gets damaged! As with many things, the fear of it happening is worse than the actual occurrence.
As others have said, Breeze rides are a great way to get started, once they are up and running again, and GCN on youtube have hundreds of videos that explain stuff really clearly.
Your biggest problem at the moment might be finding a bike if you are planning to buy new. There is a shortage of components at present, due to a combination of decreased output from factories and increased demand for bikes, both due to the pandemic. Unfortunately there are long waiting times for lots of models. You might be better off looking for something second hand, though that's always a bit of a minefield, especially if you don't know exactly what you are looking for. I've noticed a lot of bikes coming up for sale in our area recently. I think maybe people who bought new around the first lockdown havr now gone off the idea and are selling, so there are some good buys to be had if you are lucky enough to spot something the right size etc.
Best of luck with it all - it's a great hobby.

Your current bike probably isn't heavy because it's a hybrid, but because it's old.
The rider position on a road bike is very different and I don't feel safe like that so I use my hybrid as the rider position suits me better and lets me see more of what's coming up.
I've cycled 50 miles on a hybrid no problem.
And I'd second the advice about getting used to riding on roads before you commit yourself to being clipped in

@noodlmcdoodl you're probably right I do need to look at the set up, but tbh I don't have the time or cash to invest in sorting it yet. I rarely go more than 25km either so it's no urgency! It's really my DDs bike, which she's just grown into, so we will furtle with it when she rides it more. & I will buy a gravel bike 😁

Loving this thread! So many great ideas. The key is we all started out at the wobbly phase and progressed. I look at where I’ve come from and it’s quite incredible, although it’s happened/ evolved so slowly I’ve not noticed.

@Ihaventgottimeforthis I reckon you could do a lot for very little cash. For example a lot of the changes can be made with swapping bits off other bikes. Also check out cycling buy swap sell on Facebook and local club pages. Most cyclist will have a loft (🙈🙄) full of components, which they’ll probably never use again but can’t bear to bin! If a club mate or friend or acquaintance ever wanted anything I’d happily donate or let them try out different options (eg stem sizes). So well worth checking. The cycling community is ace, we all look out for and help each other. Everyone is keen to encourage and support others, as we were all new once too.