Taking your life in your hands

[Steve Maskery]

A couple of months ago I was given a bicycle. Now I haven't ridden one for 20 years and that was the first time for another 20 years, so basically I've not ridden since I was a teenager.
This bike is a Giant, which I gather is quite a good brand, and apart from a bit of rust on the chromework, appears to be in quite good condition.
It had a flat tyre when it arrived and last weekend I took it round to my mate Stuart to fix it because I couldn't pump the darn thing up. He did it in minutes. Grr.

Anyway, this afternoon I decided to have a go. Good grief, it's a wonder I'm still alive.

The first thing was that I got my foot caught in the pedal thingy as I started off and fell off after about 4 feet. I discovered in the process that it is too big for me, I can't touch the ground. The guy who gave it to me was a few inches taller than I am. But I could adjust the saddle down a bit and that helped.

I decided to ride into town. It is exactly 1km and level all the way. I got going and discovered that roads are very bumpy. What are all the holes for?

I couldn't quite work out how to use the gears, but worked out that the big lever moves the chain to the big cog. Except one didn't. The bang I heard when I first started off was the cable to the bottom sprocket snapping.

So I got to town and back, in far too low a gear, and managed to avoid falling off. But only just, I certainly wasn't in full control when I had to stop. On the way back I found my bicycle clip that had come off soon after I started. I'd straightened it out a bit because it was too tight and obviously it is now not tight enough.

What do I do? I did quite enjoy the feeling of travelling, but it seemed very dangerous really, and not entirely because of other road users. And it was hardly comfortable. Do I get a new cable and have another go? I don't feel I can sell the bike as it was given to me. But I still think it is too big and I might be more successful if I did get rid of it and buy a slightly smaller frame.

Steve, now living on borrowed time.

 

[Charlie Woody]

Persevere! Try lowering the saddle & handlebars to get a more comfortable position. If you can sit on it a touch the ground with toes of both feet it should feel better.

Rather than practice on a road could you take the bike to a an off road cycle path so you can get more used to it without having to worry about cars, lorries etc, still need to watch out for cyclists & pedestrians.

I think you are correct that Giant is a good make, so worth the effort of getting used to it. Plus at that price you can't go wrong!!!

 

[Steve Maskery]

That's the trouble, Charlie. The saddle is as low as it will go and I still can't touch the ground without leaning at a perilous angle. I think it is called "Giant" for a reason.

It's a cross between a road bike and a racer. Narrow tyres but straight handlebars.

Whoever it was who coined the phrase, "You never forget, it's like riding a bike", didn't know what they were talking about.

 

[JustBen]

I thought you never forget how to ride a bike?......

 

[Baldhead]

I'm with Charlie, practice makes perfect, I bet in a weeks time you'll be bunny hoping the curbs and pulling wheelies :lol:

On a more serious point, buy a decent quality cycle helmet, I saw the remains of a very damaged one after a bad fall at the bottom of a steep hill, it certainly saved the riders life.

Baldhead (an ex-cyclist)

 

[Steve Maskery]

I wasn't wearing a cycling helmet, but I was wearing a hard hat. It looks like a baseball cap but has a liner. No chin-strap though, so I accept that if I tumble it may not stay on. It's good advice, I accept.

BH, you have seen my videos. Do you really see me doing wheelies? In your dreams, buddy. It would have to be a tyre for a pantechnicon to take the strain.
S

 

[RogerS]

......
On a more serious point, buy a decent quality cycle helmet,....

Jury is out on these http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... rgeon.html

 

[doorframe]

Steve, with many seats the 'fitting' can be turned upside-down to give you about 1 1/2 inch lower seat. Its hard to explain, but have a look at the pinch bolt under the seat and hopefully it'll make sense. I'm one of this world's short ass's so I've tried any trick to lower the seat.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I can see that in your picture, but mine looks like this:

I think it is about as low as it can go.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:?: If it is deemed neccessary to wear a motorcycle helmet on a moped at 30mph, what good does anyone thing a piddling piece of extruded plastic is going to do in an accident quite possibly faster than that?

 

[Alex H]

If you have a local bike shop (preferably NOT a national chain) - take it to them and ask;

Is this bike OK for me?

Can you do a service for me so that's it's in some sort of decent shape before i take it out on the roads?

Helmets are a source of extreme controversy - you either like them or not - your choice.

Regards

Alex (Tourer and Tandem cyclist for a very long time )

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

If you want to continue cycling (and its a good thing in the main) then I would call your friend and tell him his generosity has ignited a latent passion in you ie that of cycling. Explain the dimensions are a poor fit but that you're decided on continuing with the cycling. Give him first refusal for his bike back but if he doesn't object trade it in at your local dealer and get one that's right for you.

The problem is that if you cycle on a bike where you cant touch both toes on the ground....you're going to die if using on roads. That amount of instability is, in my view, totally unacceptable on a road vehicle. So if its for you, get the rught bike.

My wife and I went through a spate of cycling quite a bit and you can get gel saddles that accommodate a, how can I put this, somewhat more "well distributed" rear end so its more comfortable.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I think that is all good advice, thank you gentlemen.

 

[Stu_2]

......
On a more serious point, buy a decent quality cycle helmet,....

Jury is out on these http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... rgeon.html

Read about his comments the other day, and thought what a load of pineapples :shock:

While they probably won't be much use in a head-on with a car, they can definitely be a life saver in a average fall. I've broken one in the woods quite a few years ago, when i nutted a tree stump. Average lid, probably about £30, so not a pro one, but it did its job that day.

A mountain bike helmet is a good bet. The majority of them offer better protection around the back of the head.

+1 for the smaller independent bike shops. In general, the people working there will really know what they're talking about. Also, if most of your riding will be on the road (or a decent stable surface), avoid the big knobbly off-road tyres. I use Continental TravelCONTACT tyres on roads, towpaths, woods etc. I only switch to off-road tyres when I know I'm going mud-plugging. There's a massive difference to way your bike will feel and handle.

Hope that helps.

Have fun

Cheers
Stu

 

[cambournepete]

......
On a more serious point, buy a decent quality cycle helmet,....

Jury is out on these http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... rgeon.html

Jury might be out, but I'd rather head but a road or a kerb stone wearing one than not wearing one.
If they're so useless why are they mandatory in some countries?
He might be a neurosurgeon, but I don't think he knows much about cycle helmets...

 

[Harbo]

About 15yrs ago a friend and keen cyclist had a "minor" accident whilst cycling and pushing another bike he'd collected from a shop.
Wearing no helmet he hit the kerb and damaged his brain. He's still paralysed from the waist down!

I'd say wear a helmet - they must offer some protection !?

Rod

 

[KevM]

About 15 years ago I was riding on a forest track, rode through a large puddle and that's the last thing I remember for a while. When I came to it was explained to me that the puddle was in fact a wheel swallowing pot-hole. Long story short, I had pivoted over the front wheel, landed on a rock and took most of the impact on my forehead.

I was badly concussed with 2 cracked vertebrae, broken clavicle, broken ribs - and badly wounded pride. The helmet was trashed, with some spectacular compression lines in the absorbent material (polystyrene?), but it had done its job; the manufacturer (Specialized, I think*) replaced it as part of their policy to replace all accident damaged helmets. I was hospitalised for a couple of days and had a pretty ropey time of it for a couple of weeks, but from my single data point perspective I'm pretty certain it saved me from worse.

It does make me think of the (perhaps mythical?) story regarding helmets in WWI; allegedly the helmets were initially frowned upon because of the increased rate of head and facial injuries suffered by those men who wore helmets - as opposed to those who wore forage caps and never troubled the medics further.

Edit: Either Specialized have changed their policy, or I'm wearing my rose-tinted specs; the current policy appears to be to replace a helmet for 50% of purchase price within 2 years of purchase.

Helmet crash replacement Policy
If a helmet is damaged during a crash within 2 years after the purchase date, the
Specialized dealer will replace this helmet for 50% of the original purchase price.
Therefore, the dealer needs an original proof of purchase and the damaged helmet.

Still, better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick.

 

[RogerS]

......
On a more serious point, buy a decent quality cycle helmet,....

Jury is out on these http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... rgeon.html

Jury might be out, but I'd rather head but a road or a kerb stone wearing one than not wearing one.
If they're so useless why are they mandatory in some countries?
He might be a neurosurgeon, but I don't think he knows much about cycle helmets...

Of course. He knows damn all being a neurosurgeon and none of his patients are cyclists. And those academics at Bath University....heck, what do they know ?

Henry Marsh, who works at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, said that many of his patients who have been involved in bike accidents have been wearing helmets that were ‘too flimsy’ to be beneficial.
He made the comments while speaking at the Hay Festival during a discussion with Ian McEwan, whose 2005 novel Saturday featured a neurosurgeon.
He cited evidence from the University of Bath that suggests that wearing a helmet may even put cyclists at greater risk. The research showed that drivers get around 3 inches closer to cyclists who wear helmets because they perceive them as safer.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

...or that cyclists wearing helmets cycle 3" closer to cars?

 

[KevM]

The first thing was that I got my foot caught in the pedal thingy as I started off and fell off after about 4 feet.

Loads of good advice on frame size in the thread so far, it really is important to be comfortable on the bike to build confidence. By the sound of it you may also have toe-clips on the pedals? For casual riding and an (no slight intended) inexperienced rider, toe-clips are probably more of a hindrance than a help; they should be simple to remove with the removal of a couple of bolts.

On the frame size issue, there's not much you can do with the frame, but surely you've got an old pair of brothel creepers lying around somewhere? I think a sensible brogue is probably the way to go.