BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

That's wonderful, great job. I'm sure you'll get lots of ideas on here but for now I just wanted to say congratulations!

Ride with others. Since you're that new, it probably isn't a good idea to get out in traffic solo, as you said.

A few other ideas I would suggest:

1) Practice evasive maneuvers in an empty parking lot, even if it's just big figure-8s around an empty can and a paper bag. Get used to the feeling of making quick turns at some speed. The real-world use is dodging potholes.

2) Practice looking over your shoulder or checking a mirror for traffic behind you, while maintaining a straight course of travel.

3) Get used to the difference between your front and rear brakes. Both of them should be able to bring you to a stop quickly, but the front brake has the ability to throw you over the bars if applied too tightly. I also ride a motorcycle, and have been riding two wheels, motorized and not, for decades. I've learned, rear brake for anticipated stops, front brake for quick stops, both for panic stops, keeping in mind the over-the-bars thought above. Learning to shift yourself backwards with your arms in a panic situation will help you use both brakes safely in such situations.

These are things you will be doing constantly, so it's wise to get good at them in a zero-pressure situation.

When you feel up to it, try adding more difficult situations, like trying to pedal through gravel, how to read the road for gravel and other hazards in a curve, and maintain solid control with your right hand while signaling a turn with your left.

Just wanted to add my congratulations as well. I think that's fantastic! Never too late to try something new. I'm happy for you that you're finally getting your taste of freedom on a bike. It's all good. Don't rush yourself to get out on the roads. There are lots of great trails in the area to ride. If you want to try something outside the city the Montour Trail is a great local asset. It's also not too far a drive to go out to the trail head at Boston and get on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) where you can ride for miles and miles on a crushed limestone bed. It's a beautiful trail. Eventually you'll be ready to ride it all the way to Cumberland, Md. It goes through Ohiopyle State Park so that's another good place to drive to and then ride for a bit. Very scenic and you and your wife could pack a picnic and have a really nice afternoon adventure. What ever you do, don't let anyone talk you into riding in places outside your comfort zone. You know what you're ready for and the idea is to have a good time -- not to get stressed out or worse. Happy riding!

Just thought of another idea for you as far as getting practice... When I was first learning to drive I used to go to the parking lot at North Park Pool when it was closed for the season. Places like that where you have room to do all the turning and maneuvering you want to. Another good place to ride is in a cemetery. However with both of those ideas you still may encounter occasional vehicle traffic so I'd still go with trails until you feel more confident.

Wonderful--many congratulations!

The South Side trail is nice--it's narrower than the Jail Trail and doesn't have great sight lines in places, so you'll just have to be ready to avoid other trail traffic coming around turns.

Another nice city trail is the trail from Millvale to the North Side--I haven't been on it in a while, but last time I was, it was nice and smooth, without too much traffic until you get down toward the North Shore.

Hope to see you and your wife at a ride sometime!

Congrats! Check out the map, it's a good resource. http://map.bike-pgh.org/#c=trail

Be aware of the dogs off leash in Frick, less of a problem if you're riding the singletrack.

I will add my congratulations to you also. You have just learned a skill that is fun, practical and will serve you well for much of the rest of your life. It's amazing how the brain suddenly figures out this riding thing at some point and off you go.

You have also found the best place in the area for information, cameraderie and encouragement. Lots of knowledgable, good folks here.

I'm going to jump ahead a little bit. I'll just ask you to file this away for future. WHen you are ready to try road riding (and I bet it will be sooner than you think right now), consider going down to the BikePGH office (shameless plug for the management here) and pick up one of their maps. It's really well done, and it will show you a plethora of streets in the East End as well as all over the city that are low traffic so you can comfortably learn and practice street riding.

The trail heading east from the Hot Metal Bridge on the Soithside (heading toward Keystone Metals) is probably the best choice after the jail trail. Usually less traffic than other segments and no blind bends or seriously rough spots. North shore between Millvale and town has a lot of large potholes/mud holes and right now there are many construction vehicles where they're working on the 31st St bridge. Nice section of trail when the construction is finished - and when the holes get filled in again.

^Ooh, I'm glad you posted up-to-date info on the Millvale/North Shore trail--knowing Pittsburgh's ever-changing pothole/construction scene I probably shouldn't recommend trails I haven't ridden in the past year...

Seeing as you live in Sq. Hill, consider heading down to the Waterfront, and picking up the new section of the Great Allegeny Passage. Just head towards Eat N Park, and look for yhe trail between there and the river. Then head east/south (towards Lowes). A nice wide paved trail extends all the way to Mckeesport. Only about a year old, so in great shape.

Oh, and my congrats to you as well!

I rolled video for the trip in a couple days ago, including the section between Millvale and the 9th St Bridge. A beginner isn't going to be flying along at the speed I'm traveling, but it would be helpful to see what the trail looks like, and how to navigate through the very active work area at the 31SB.

When I get the video ready, I'll post another link.

since you live in Sq. Hill

a good place to ride around might be Homewood Cemetery.

it is not flat, so you can start to get used to hills

there is little or no traffic and you can get used to riding on "open' roads

If you try the trails in Frick park - stay to the main trails, at least for now. The smaller trails will be too advanced for a someone just starting.

@Joanne I was hoping you wouldn't be offended by the update. When you said you hadn't ridden it in a while I guessed that you weren't aware of the 31st St bridge mess. You were right, though - it's another nice trail segment.

^Not at all, @srpit--I appreciate it!

Welcome and congrats!

Here is the video of riding the trail inbound from (just this side of) Millvale, down to the 9th Street Bridge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ryv4-MwQC8

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I'm hoping the rain tomorrow waits until the evening like the forecast currently shows - been working all weekend and I am off tomorrow and anxious to ride. My goal is to start at the Eliza Furnace Trail's Greenfield lot, bike all the way downtown, and return. I'll let you know how that works out!

I just got back from a morning ride from the Greenfield parking lot on the Eliza Furnace Trail to 1st and Grant downtown, and back. 5.8mi, and my odometer app says I managed about 13mph - definitely my best ride yet.

Now I have noodle legs!

Great job nlesgold! I concur with trying out the GAP at the Pump House trailhead in the Waterfront. Just drive past Lowe's and look for the parking lot to your left. You can ride the trail from there either direction. If you go towards McKeesport you can challenge yourself with a few ramps and small rolling "hills"; could be a good way to test your skills once you work up to that.

Way to go! And don't worry about the legs, they will get strong really quickly. I love this thread - keep the updates coming.

Congrats, Nleggold!

Two traffic exercises I recommend for doing in parking lots.

1) Looking over your shoulder without swerving (Important even if you have mirrors).

2) Emergency braking. Usually best on a slight downhill to get your speed up. Just stop as fast as you can.

I third riding the Steel Valley trail from the pump house. Beautiful views and a few small hills and some turns to practice on.

Excellent job today! I'm no expert, but in my experience making sure I get some protein helps with the "noodle legs". Chocolate milk asap after the workout was recommended to me. Really does seem to help me whenever I push myself to that point.

chocolate milk is one of the world's most wonderful post-workout drinks.

My favorite recovery drink ever: smoothie of hemp milk, chocolate powder, banana, vanilla, and sweetner. amazing. sometimes add some frozen raspberries.

@sarapgh2 My favorite recovery drink ever: smoothie of hemp milk,

I've had some amazing hemp, too!

super helpful with recovery!

I just got back a bit ago from a ride that went a lot farther than I meant it to! My intention was to start at the Greenfield lot, ride the Eliza Furnace Trail to Hot Metal, cross the river over to the South Side, ride down to Station Square, cross over at Smithfield to Downtown, and ride back on the Furnace Trail to Greenfield where I started. That went more or less smoothly until I got to Station Square. Regarding the South Side Trail, I will agree with those who say it is a really pretty ride, especially with the Fall colors abounding. It's a little more winding and uneven in some places, and the detour to Carson was a real pain. Since part of my goal in riding is to just build up strength and conditioning, I think I get a better ride on the jail trail, but I did appreciate getting practice with different road conditions and circumstances.

The challenge when I got to Station Square is that I missed the turnoff to go up to the bridge! I ended up biking along all of Station Square and getting very confused. When I paused to look at my trail map, I met up with a very pleasant older gentleman who had been riding the same route with a yellow recumbent reverse-trike (very cool ride), and he offered to lead me up to the Fort Pitt Bridge and over to Point State Park. I ended up following him up to Carson and around to the bridge, which honestly was not at all a ride I was comfortable with - I mostly walked/ran the bike on the Carson St. sidewalk in order to keep up with him. Then the bridge crossing, and... that pedestrian walkway is really not meant for bikes! Also the downhill part was tough for me to control along the narrow walkway. The view was fantastic, however!

I got off at the Point and separated from my guide, and proceeded to try to figure out how to get back to the Furnace trail. I was laboring under the misapprehension that there would be an easily biked connection between the park and the trail, and so explored nearly every path out of the park, including riding down to the riverbank, somehow finding my way to the Mon wharf parking lot, riding all the way to the end of the lot and back when I realized there was no outlet, riding around the Point several times, and eventually giving up and walking the bike along the Boulevard of the Allies to Grant which apparently is the "trail connector" despite having no bike lanes. Yow!

It was such a relief to finally get back to the trail. I knew I had it easy from there, except that I'd already biked and walked close to 8 miles, further than my furthest ride before today. I made it back to Greenfield without anything eventful happening, thankfully, though that last mile was tough.

Then it was a quick drive to Squirrel Hill, where I got a red bean milk tea at Rose Tea Cafe and took the bike back to Biketek to get it tuned a little - I bumped into a pole partway through the ride and later realized my wheel and handlebars were slightly misaligned. Now I am relaxing at home, glad to be through with that crazy ride... and looking forward to the next! I plugged the route I took into a google maps pedometer as best I could and it came up with about 10 miles of distance, not including a lot of the riding around the point and the riverbank. So, previous distance record is shattered rather handily! No points for speed, though - it was more than 2 hours between when I left and when I made it home.

Sounds like a great ride. The city just recently started adding signs on the trails, so eventually there should be a sign for the turn you missed to get up to the Smithfield Street bridge. (It's too narrow to be a proper bike path, which makes it easy to miss. But you can walk your bike through it easily enough.)

The bike connection from Point State Park to the Eliza Furnace Trail is some years in the future, still awaiting construction funding.

Welcome to the fold.

I love your story and predict that at this time next year, you will have crushed all your previous records!

New territory is always hairy the first time and some of the trail connections are kind of crummy. Pat yourself on the back for not letting the unfamiliarity stop you.

Huzzah!

That's terrific, nlesgold! I think navigating the Ft Pitt bridge for your first time was probably an event in itself. Sorry you ended up stranded at the Point without any guidance on how to get back. I think you were wise to walk through town at this point. While Blvd of the Allies usually isn't too hairy (outside of rush hour stuff) I've had a few close encounters on it and I don't think that's the place to get initiated into road riding. Not that I'm any sort of expert at road riding. I feel comfortable giving you advice only because I'm not that far removed from my first road riding session and I completely understand where you're at. You did very well today! I think the speed thing is irrelevant. Worry about that later - or not at all. Ride to enjoy it and forget the artificial measurements of success. The success is achieved simply by being out there and having fun. You probably did closer to 11 miles and whether you rode it all or walked part of it I think it's all good. Congratulations!

You might want to consider the October Flock. It might push your boundaries a little, but I believe you'll find it worthwhile. (And I'm the guy that advises super granny gears and gloves inside of mittens and stuff.) It's a very protected, secure way to get out on the streets.

nlesgold -- That's quite a tale. Sometimes biking hands you an adventure/challenge when you weren't expecting it. That's just part of biking.

The thing I'm seeing is that you rose to the challenge, worked your way through it and came out the other side successfully. Yes, you rode further than you ever have, but that's because you rose to the occasion.

The important thing is that you weren't put off by this little baptism under fire. You are still looking forward to the next ride.

Sir, I salute you! You have beome a cyclist. I think that's why Ken Kaminski said above, welcome to the fold.

I too would suggest the Flock ride on Friday. Since costumes are going to be the rule, the attention will likely be focused on them, and Flock rides are never fast. You'll fit in well. Looking back, I see that the first words I said in my first post to you were "Ride with others." Since you've now gotten a taste of riding, getting together to talk and ride with some of the people you've been conversing with would be a logical next step.

Lordy. That sounds stressful, but very cool, too. I swear stuff like that happens to me almost every time I try a brand new route, no matter how well I try to plan. I think it makes me love cycling even more (once I'm safely back home, that is). Getting into a hairy spot with a car is a giant pain in the arse. With a bike, though? Hop on the sidewalk and walk for a while...pick it up and haul it up a staircase...even shove it in someone's care if you need to have someone pick you up. Sweet freedom.

That's a cool story, congrats. BTW I don't like riding on the Ft Pitt bridge, being that close to a low rail, ugh. Glad you managed though, sounds like fun and hope you keep it up!

That sounds like a great little mini-adventure!

Some people are faced with challenges and vow never to to X thing again. Others faced with challenges can't wait to get out and face the next one. You seem to come down on the right side of that fence. Before you realize it you may be setting out for Tierra del Fuego.

Check out some of the ride ideas that have been outlined on the "help me devise a fun bikey adventure..." thread.

Second to Edmond's comments about facing challenges, and also to his suggestion about ride ideas.

Now I am relaxing at home, glad to be through with that crazy ride... and looking forward to the next!

this right here!

Thanks for all the great replies!

I definitely don't intend to bike over Fort Pitt on purpose any time in the foreseeable future. It was OK for the guy on his trike, since he didn't have to worry about stability, but the pedestrian path was (a) for pedestrians, and (b) too narrow for me to be comfortable and feel safe.

I can't do Flock on Friday, unfortunately, since I won't be off work til well after it starts. Also, I still need to get some lights and better reflectors before I take the bike out after dark. It does sound like a pretty great ride, though, so I will look forward to joining it sometime in the future - looks like I don't have a work conflict for the November ride.

With a work-enforced bike break today and Friday, I am hoping Saturday's not too rainy in the morning. What I'd like for my next ride would probably be something like going from Greenfield to the South Side up to the detour to Carson, turn around instead and go back to the Eliza Furnace trail, head downtown, then back to Greenfield. A healthy ride that hopefully won't have anything unexpected.

The one thing that surprises me is that my legs aren't killing me today the way they were after some of my earlier rides. They were worn out yesterday, but I had a ton of protein at lunch and dinner, and that seems to have helped a lot. My back's a bit sore, probably from walking the bike, which was more than a little awkward - I'm still not sure what the most comfortable way to do that is.

I remain very enthusiastic about more and longer/faster rides, as I build up strength and gain experience and skill. I have to be honest - I was not a particularly athletic kid, and other than walking, about the only physical activities I enjoyed were ultimate frisbee and fencing. Although I've been going to the JCC gym this year with my wife and doing elliptical and rower, bicycling is the first time in my life I've really enjoyed and had fun with an intense cardiac workout, and I am really valuing that.

Walk on the side that doesn't have the chain. Try picking it up and carrying it for a bit. Maybe even carry it up and back down a small staircase. There are several places in the city where a staircase is a nice alternative to a stiff on-street climb, and you're using a different set of muscles.

it takes a bit of practice, but in my experience, the best way to walk with a bike without contorting yourself in ways you can't maintain is to hold the saddle with one hand and walk next to it. the bike wants to remain upright, so you just have to get used to not trying to knock it over. this is essentially the same thing as riding with no hands, except without the potential for chewing on some pavement.

it's pretty comfortable, and you can walk a good long way this way. as an added bonus, you won't constantly bang your legs with the pedals. and it doesn't put the strain on your wrist that holding the stem while walking does.

@nlesgold.

I haven't played ultimate frisbee, but my impression is that it's pretty fun - and it is about as aerobic as you can get. Am I wrong?

Ultimate is a good time, and can be pretty intense. The biggest difference between ultimate and other team sports for me is that I can actually throw a frisbee semi-accurately and catch one fairly well, which was not generally true for balls in sports that used them. Also it's mostly non-contact which I approved of. You can certainly get a very intense workout playing ultimate but I never played enough for that to really impact my condition.

Good morning! I'm back from my earliest and longest (intentional) ride to date, just over 11 miles.

This was was, for the most part, straightforward and not too adventurous - Eliza Furnace Trail, Greenfield to down and back, twice. Started around 8, took a break after the first "lap", finished the second just after 9am.

Considering that I did this deliberately and without anyone pushing or prompting me, I am trying to figure how who am I, and what have I done with Noah?

I said "mostly" straightforward, because after I got done with the second trip and rested a bit, I wanted to do a little cooldown riding in the vacant UPMC parking lot and practice stuff like turns, stops, and figure 8s. That was going well until I took a turn a little too tightly and had my rear wheel go out from under me. I managed to step off and not take any personal damage, but afterward I found that I had a slipped chain, a (mostly cosmetically) bent right pedal, and a rear flat. Since I haven't actually learned any bike maintenance yet (it is something I do intend to look into, though), I'll be heading back to biketek to get them to look at it when they open at 11.

At the time I was thinking pure user error, although once I realized I had a flat, I'm wasn't sure if blowing the tire was why I lost control, or if it happened as part of the fall. Either way I'll try to be more careful.

I am feeling more comfortable with turns and also with biking with only one hand on the handlebars, though, so that's progress. I'm hoping to get the bike fixed and ready for me to take another ride tomorrow.

Probably the flat caused the fall, or they're unrelated. I've fallen off my bike lots of times, and its never made my never go flat.

And so it begins. Soon, the quest for beating one's personal best will lead to 30-mile road rides, then 60-mile road rides...then things start getting silly.

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this so much...speaking as an adult-onset cyclist myself, it's easy to forget just how much joy (and sweat, and blood, and chain marks on the calf) one can take in the first journeys. And that joy is worth preserving.

My hunch is that you got a slow- to medium-speed leak somewhere in your ride, which did not much affect your straight-line motion. (You can ride a bike with barely 15 pounds of air in the tire, but 60 to 80 is usually recommended. On a velvet parking lot, you can ride it almost flat and not notice.) But when you started making tight turns, the tire went out from under you, and you wrecked. And then noticed the flat.

The guy at Biketek diagnosed it as a pinch flat, and swapped in a new tube. That, truing the wheel, and some chain tweaks have me back in the game. I've been keeping my tires pressurized.

So, the biking has been rather impaired this week due to catching a cold. I did do some more riding after the repairs on Saturday, just a couple miles with my wife to bring the day's total over 13, then around 4 miles on Sunday the next day, both on the jail trail. Monday and Tuesday were work, and Wednesday I could tell I was sick, but wanted to ride anyway. This may have been a mistake. 5 miles, not too strenuous, with my wife, and afterward I had pretty much no energy left. Yesterday I basically rested the entire day, and today I am hoping to maybe go to Schenley park and try some of the trails there. I'll be sure to report if that actually happens, and otherwise it'll have to be Monday.

My wife suggested that a rule for biking when sick might be, "not if whatever is bothering you is below the neck". Any thoughts on when a ride is probably a terrible idea?

@nlesgold, the "below the neck" rule is the rule that I use myself, so that sounds about right.

yep. "below the neck." Though usually I talk myself into ignoring it if I really want to ride.

As you can see, I survived.

First, sorry you're under the weather, hope it clears soon. I'm a terrible klutz who ~barely~ learned to ride as a kid and then never really rode anywhere and got better.

In terms of riding in the street, which up till recently was more or less an inconceivable thing to me, one thing that definitely helped for me was riding with a neighbor at night when the streets were almost completely empty.

I live in squirrel hill too and would happy to join you on a night ride when you're feeling better. You'll want a front light, reflective vest, and rear blinker.

I got everything but the front light locally. The front light I got at action-led-lights.com since I was unhappy with the prices/brightness of what I saw locally.

Anyways, let me know and happy riding!

Been a while, but I am back on the horse. Riding got disrupted by being sick, and some business around Superstorm Sandy, but I've done a couple rides recently. Between poor planning and fuzzy thinking from working nights, I forgot about the November Flock, which is a shame - if there's one in December I will try to give it a go.

Last Sunday I had my first straight up, uncontrolled fall off my bike. Went for a ride on the South Side trail in the opposite direction from Downtown, which I thought was really pleasant, but after I stopped to rest a bit and turn around for the return ride, my start went wrong and I ended up tipping over and catching myself on my hands. Thought for about an hour that I might've broken something in my hand or wrist, but I got a brace on it pretty quickly after I got home, and it was completely fine within a few days. My starts are still a bit clumsy - fundamentally it's just something I haven't practiced a lot, since I am still so new to riding. Riding the three miles back to the car with a bum hand was challenging but plausible - I was glad not to have to walk it back the whole way.

Today I went out for a simple ride from Greenfield to downtown and back on the jail trail, and that was entirely uneventful. I'm looking forward to more riding.

Congrats on your first solid fall, this means you're getting somewhere:) Seriously though, it happens to us all, even the most experienced. Try doing it in front of a bunch of witnesses, that is the best!

@nlesgold: give this article a read, and see if it helps any. a lot of people don't really know how to properly start the bike going forward. or how to stop it, for that matter.

Come out on Saturday to one of the Dirty Dozen hills if you want to see some truly amazing falls by quite experienced cyclists. Once you see that, I am confident that you will have the inspiration to keep trying juuuust a bit beyond your confidence zone, each time you ride. Not a lot, not enough to get badly hurt or do something unsafe. If nothing else, take notes on how to fall.

@HiddenVariable I would not trust this article at all. One of the finest technique to mount/dismount are "The Cowboy Mount" and "The Flying Leap". You see it a lot in CX( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2RNqf7R5AY ). More advanced technique to dismount is modified "The Cowboy Dismount" -- you care your leg over saddle, move it to front, and continue to ride while other leg is still clipped-in and your leg crossed. You have to practice a lot to do it flawlessly but it worth it.

Hi, I am a very late 30's female and have never learned to ride a bike. Never been on one at all. This summer I want to do this!!!!! Any ideas who I can find to help teach me (not something I want people to know I cannot do) - it seems it is going to be really hard to learn as an adult since the blissfulness of youthful ignorance of pain is long gone! I've googled and it seems in larger cities like Boston this is easy to hire someone who provides a bike and helmet but I cannot see it here in Pittsburgh. I do live North so I was thinking the park and ride lot at the cinema on a weekend would be ideal (big space / few cars/people). I don't want to invest in a bike until I can try it out without causing the sales folks internal damage with all the laughing they'll do watching me......

There is a place called Golden Triangle bike rentals that has a few locations along the (car free!) trails. They have bikes with comfortable upright handlebars and helmets are part of the deal (last summer it was ~$8/hr. I was fortunate to learn as a kid, but I have heard the "balance bike" approach works with adults, too. In a nutshell, lower the seat enough that you can kind of walk, then glide yourself along. In short, you learn to balance and steer before you worry one whit about pedaling. After a while, you raise the seat to a height that is friendlier to your knees :-) and start pedaling with the confidence that you can balance already. Here's a good story that ran a few years ago in the New York Times about adult learners. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/for-adult-learners-bike-riding-isnt-as-easy-as-it-looks/ Also, there is a traffic-free cycling oval with a big flat paved area in the middle that is free to use. It is on Washington Blvd...The Bud Harris Cycling Track.

Hey newbie, this is a great thing that you want to do! If you don't find some other means of learning between now and spring, I volunteer. I am a very patient and non-judgemental man, 30+ years riding experience, taught 2 kids to ride and they are splendid riders. I would be quite enthusiastic about getting an adult beginner going. I have a couple of spare bikes that would be perfect for learning on, no charge. You would need to buy a simple helmet. Meeting at North Park or the Harris oval Pseudacris mentioned would work. I could probably find someone to vouch that I am not a psycho for your peace of mind as well. Let me know.

Hey Newbie, I started riding in August of 2011. I bought a hybrid type bike and started riding on the local river trails and sections of the GAP Trail. Use whatever type of bike you like. I think the best thing is to find a friend to ride and learn with. They do not have to be an expert. It's much better if they are a friend.

I too live north (not far from CCAC North) and would be willing to help.

Hey, newbie! Congratulations on your decision to (finally) learn to ride a bike! The process of making that decision and then seeking help in learning probably took a fair amount of courage. I admire that. You've had a couple of offers of assistance from this board, and will probably have a few more. That's the sort of community you have found here. I just wanted to vouch for Stu and Edmonds as "assistants" in your endeavor. If I had to name 5 people in this City that I would recommend for this sort of task, they'd both be on it. They are both experienced riders, but not "overachievers" in terms of their expectations of themselves, or of others. They both have older kids, so understand the teaching and the learning processes. They are both also avidly pro-empowerment, so will be encouraging throughout the learning process. They are both are pretty mild mannered and easy to get along with. I think those are all qualities I would be wondering about as I sought a "teacher" for a project like this. I wish you luck in this effort. It's a worthy one. Even if you find in the end that cycling is not one of your favorite passtimes, you willhave conquered one new skill. That's commendable! Keep us posted, please. And, to the rest of you out there, I am not suggesting that you are NOT good instructors. Two people had made almost immediate offers of assistance, and I thought it would be hlepful to our newbie to know a little more about the people making the offers. In doing so I was drawing on my experiences in watching people learn how to drive a car. Some people (and some relationships) are simply better suited to taking on the teaching role than others. The wrong instructor can sometimes make the process more arduous than it need be. And, as a woman, if two guys I didn't know offered to help, I'd want a little assurance that they were ok guys. Hope everyone is cool with that.

Aww, shucks

How wonderful--I am so excited for you! One thing I've found in getting deeper and deeper into cycling as an adult is that I'm always just getting over learning something new, or just planning to learn the next thing (e.g., climbing hills more effectively, riding with clipless pedals, towing/transporting things, riding in groups--it's endless). It sounds like you're feeling a little bad about not having the opportunity to learn as a kid, but honestly, it's really exhilarating to have a brand new fellow traveler! I second what Swalfoort says about Edmonds and Stu. I have also seen with learners of all ages that a small hill on a bike trail with a nice patch of grass at the bottom can really help in the beginning. Parking lots are usually flat, which makes things a bit more difficult--a small rise that gives you a little (but not too much) momentum can help you stay upright, first as you learn to balance, and then as you learn to pedal and brake. At the bottom you just run off into the grass and put your feet down--and if you take a tumble your landing is softer. We used junction hollow trail for that for our sons (but not during bike rush hour). Best of luck--hope to see you here on the boards and out on a ride!

Balance vastly improves with just a tiny bit of forward velocity. The difference between .5-1mph and even just 3-4mph is night and day. Starting with a little gravity on your side helps you carry stabilizing speed from your initial push longer, maybe even for the whole length of that gentle slope. Once you've done that a decent number times you will start to get a far more balanced feeling and it will be much easier to contemplate taking your feet off the foot dragging level and putting them on the pedals.

I'll help too! I'll hand out in the back ground attempting to use my roller-blades. The comic relief will help you to forget your anxiety about learning to ride. LOL

Pseudacris wrote:oval

I think the Oval is the best place to learn. internal circle is almost ideal, big, flat and absolutely no cars. And a lot of bikers. :) BTW PMTCC has plans (not finilized yet) to offer a basic class to teach beginners some "how to" (avoidance, turning, looking backwards, etc). Preliminary it's going to happen at UPMC parking lot at the end of EFT during weekend. As soon I have more details I'll post them on the board.

PMTCC will have "bicycling 101" on April 3rd, 2013 from 11:00 am till 3:00 pm at the Oval.

Correction. Event is scheduled for April 20th, 2013. BIKE 101&102 @ The Oval When: Saturday, Apr 20, 2013 Where: 1401 Washington Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA (map)