Like a Bike
Posted in Uncategorized
June 9, 2008
I am looking for examples of exercises people can do to build balance skills without having to own a bike. I have lots of figure skating and in-line skating experience however, anecdotal evidence points to using kick scooters
I think for those who don’t want to remove the pedals on their childrens’ bikes or don’t have bikes yet but are looking to build balance on two wheels, a kick scooter would probably be the most sensible choice — they’re relatively inexpensive and even if someone didn’t want to buy one, they’re popular enough so finding one to borrow probably wouldn’t be a big deal. However, looking at the Like a Bikes, there’s something about them that makes me smile.
Most toy stores are plastic peddlers but, growing up, one of my fave places to go to was the FAO Schwarz at Union Square. There was a toy with fantastic displays of everything from the latest fads to good old fashioned wooden toys, it was a great showcase of the old and the new in childrens’ imaginations. Somehow, I think the Like a Bike would have fit perfectly in. It has a lot of charm and makes for a very nostalgiac first bike.
Who wears short shorts?
Posted in Uncategorized
June 7, 2008
Ganked from CyclePig, Coach Levi’s tutorial on How to Shave Your Legs: A Guide for First Timers.
Whoah, men shaving their legs? That is awesome. That is sexy. How do I get my (mostly not into sports) boyfriend started!? And then it hits me…
Wait… Wait wait!… Men shave their legs but… not their arms? That just looks so wrong! Why put all that effort into making your legs easier-for-roadrash-cleanup and aerodynamic only to totally forget about your arms? Do men cyclists ride with shorts and long sleeve shirts? So, to all you silken-legged yet fuzzy-armed men out there: If I am staring at you, it is not because I think you’re a geek or gay or something. It is because I am apalled at your lack of aesthetics that prevents you from recognizing how off-kilter you look.
Anyways. Some tips:
- It doesn’t grow back thicker. If it did, I wouldn’t do it. It only seems thicker when it grows back because it 1) hasn’t been worn down by the elements and whatever abuse you put your skin through and 2) it’s short enough to feel more prickly.
- I second sticking with mens’ razors. I think womens’ razors have handles better suited for being held in a wet shower but mens’ razors are made of harder metals because mens’ hairs are thicker. Though, if you must have that better-for-shower handle and therefore don’t mind using changing blades after every limb, then by all means go ahead.
- Any ultra-moisturizing liquid body wash will do instead of shaving cream/gel — unless mens’ creams/gels are, like blades, much superior to womens’ creams/gels. In that case, let me know.
- I like to shave against the grain whenever possible, including arms, shins, calves, thighs, hamstrings, back of knees. Kneecaps are tricky, whatever gets the job done without nicks is my approach for that area.
- If you have time and money to burn, a trip to a salon for a wax job means going longer between hair removal sessions. Pain is only a fleeting moment.
- Nair… It made my skin feel funky. But obviously it must work for other people if the depilatory industry, the Nair brand included, is still going strong.
- Post shave, aloe and moisture are your best friends. Whether in a cream or lotion or gel, any would be fine. Much cheaper than aftershave.
- Regarding hard to reach spots, it helps to be flexible.
As for you men out there already shaving, how far do you go? Do you stop at where the bike shorts start? Or do you go all the way and do a brazilian shave? Somewhere in between? And what about gawkers or rude comments? Any tips for preventing n00bs from cutting themselves and accidentally committing suicide?
This is fascinating. Really. Honest.
My Next Vehicle
Posted in Uncategorized
June 6, 2008
Found through StreetsBlog.org, The Next Vehicle I Buy Will Be a Bicycle. According to this CNN poll, 18% are looking at bicycles as their next transportation purchase. Of course, it’s one thing to say so and yet another thing to do so. However, this poll is one of the signs of a growing trend in buying bicycles and using them for transportation and not recreation.
My personal story, driving to Silicon Valley for work has put over 100,000 miles on my car in the five years I’ve owned it. Recently, I figured out that by driving to a train station, taking the train down and bicycling the rest of the way, I can cut the miles from 20,000 last year to less than 7,000 this year. And it added only ten to twenty minutes to my commute. I don’t see myself going car-free but I am, slowly but surely, working on conquering the hills where I live so that I can be at least car-independent. And a little less bus riding would be nice too. :-)
A nice goal would be less than 5,000 miles per year. Or anything to get the car to last to its 20th birthday. And the dream is, by then more cities will have made much more progress towards “complete streets” — urban planning that favors pedestrians, bicycles and public transport over cars. And in the meantime, I hope my next vehicle will be another bicycle.
Driving the Bike on the Streets
Posted in Uncategorized
June 4, 2008
Yes, it can be scary.
However, that’s why there are rules of the road. And it’s not all about the “Stay as far to the right as possible to avoid cars” warnings that I think people are erroneously told. Found through SF Cyclotouring, a YouTube video on cyclist rights and duties, illustrated with real-world, on the street examples:
Rights and Duties of Cyclists
Overcoming Untrue Pre-conceptions and Prejudices
Growing up, I didn’t learn to ride a bike because it was ingrained in me that cars are dangerous — unless you’re inside one. Bikes were things others stuffed into the back of the station wagon to be driven to the Golden Gate Park on Sundays when JFK drive is closed off to traffic. Otherwise, bikes on the street? Only reckless bike messeners did that! Flash forward to the future, to a few months ago, and I made the decision that I wouldn’t be trapped in a park. I wanted freedom.
The YouTube video I link to above is one that I was shown when I took a class on street skills for cyclists. I have limits: I won’t be driving my bike on El Camino Real where the traffic regularly zooms at 35 – 45 mph nor will I be driving on roads leading towards freeways where motorists like to speed up.
However, it’s done a lot to boost some confidence in me so that, I at least feel comfortable on streets that have sharrows (PDF link) on them. And at times, I feel brave enough to go on streets where cars have stop-and-go traffic to deal with.
What I want to get at here is that I was looking for a transportation alternative to the car but, to do that with the bicycle, I needed to do start looking at the bicycle as a mode of vehicle transportation. But to do that, I needed to know the responsibilities of a cyclist in order to know the rights of a cyclist.
Learning How to Ride a Bicycle… As an Adult (Part II)
Posted in Uncategorized
June 3, 2008
The Next Step: A Class
Continued from previous where I talked about my first steps strides on a bike. Realizing that I was going to hit a wall teaching myself with tips from one generous friend. I sought out a class.
A Learn to Bike Class for Adults
Now, San Francisco has this anti-bicycle injunction meaning no money can be spent on physical bicycle facilities — lanes, sharrows, bike parking, etc — until an environmental review are completed. Luckily for me — and other people like me who want to learn how to ride a bike or like the future me that want to learn street bicycling skills — that applies only to physical facilities which leaves The City and SFBC free to host bicyclist education. And lucky for me, the SFBC was hosting a class that following Sunday so of course I signed up.
Turns out, I had good instincts. The first thing they did with students’ bikes was lower the saddles. They also removed the pedals so that students wouldn’t trip over them. I should have thought of that but oh well. With the saddles lowered and pedals off, students would learn balance and braking. Then steering. Later in the day, the pedals then would be put back on and they’d be taught how to mount and dismount.
That learning how to mount/dismount was where I and another student were at so we got put on a fast track straight to that. No more keeping the seat down, I was told to raise mine otherwise, the unergonimicness of it was going to slowly kill my leg joints.
Stop. Start. Lather, Rinse, Repeat
As for learning how to mount/dismount, these skills are hard! For mounting, you’re most stable when you’re out of the seat — your knees are flexible and you can use them to make little adjustments to your balance. However, the seat feels like a comfort. All newbies wants to plop down in the saddle as soon as possible. If anyone has been on a water bed or shaky bridge, you then know it is much more comfortable to sit on one than to walk on one.
Anyways, the instructor had us coasting out of the saddle to get the feel for balancing on the pedals. Eventually the goal was to be able to mount the pedals and wait a moment before sitting on the saddle. Eventually, we could mount the bike properly: One foot on the ground and one on a pedal, push off with the ground foot while putting weight on the pedal foot so you get forward propulson from two places. Get that ground foot onto a pedal, find that balance, and tada!
As for dismounting, with the saddle raised, no more using the feet to balance, we actually had to learn to pop out of the saddle to be able to put one foot on the ground, while keeping the other on a pedal to be ready in place for mounting again. However, popping out of the saddle is something that many many newbies resist. So the instructor spent a few hours on these skills. So we took it slowly at first, starting out at low speeds and coming to a complete stop, and then getting out of the saddle. Gradually more speed was worked in and timing became quicker and eventually we found that moment to pop out of the saddle.
Next up, learning how to shift gears. One cannot stay in first gear forever. And more practice on hand signals which eventually included hand signals while looking backwards to look for upcoming traffic. All those figure skating lessons I had with my coach yelling at me to steer with my hips so that I can turn my head to look for other skaters… Darn, I should have paid more attention to that.
After the Basics, What Next
I think that to get really comfortable on a bike, there should be practice everyday. Your mileage may vary but for me, it took the next few weeks. As for practice, these are the skills you’ll need to get to par immediately: Keeping a line, looking behind while keeping a line, making hand signals and keeping a line. And the next skills to learn after that are the rock dodge, quick turn, and quick stop.
But more important than that, to get from Point A to Point B, one needs to know how to navigate the streets. Bicycling Street Smarts is a nifty little booklet on dealing with traffic. If one can’t attend classes such as SFBC’s Street Skills and On the Road, the booklet is a great place to start. Navigating the streets of San Francisco isn’t too scary but, it does involve clearing a few mental hurdles and learning laws and tactics — topics which I want this blog to cover more of in the future.
I think that, if riding a bicycle were as simple as finding balance, everyone would do it. But people don’t because they’re scared because they don’t know what bicyclists’ rights are, or how to negotiate with traffic. Everyone wants safety but that covers a wide range of topics from technique to equipment to laws.
I am lucky that the SFBC’s classes were accessible to me however, I was lucky. After not finding anything in my county, on a whim, I wondered if I’d have better luck in San Francisco. And I’m guessing, that there are many people who are having much less luck that I have had. So, there are a few posts I have planned for the next few days however, if there are any burning questions, leave me a comment.
Learning How to Ride a Bicycle… As an Adult (Part I)
Posted in Uncategorized
June 2, 2008
The First Step: Getting on the Saddle.
Continuing from yesterday: A good friend of mine was enthusiastic and prolly, seeing her enthusiasm to teach me helped lessen the dampers I later got. To hear, “I can’t fathom an adult learning how to ride a bike…” it’s much easier to confront that with, “Well. I did.” Anyways, my friend grew up in Davis, CA and if you’ve ever been there, you know that bikes rule. On a side note, I wonder if freshmen to be step onto the campus, see what goes on and conclude, “When in Rome, it’s time to finally learn to ride the darn thing.”
So with the car equipped with the bike — I drove the car and my friend to Crissy Field.
First Priorities: Balancing on the Bicycle’s Saddle and Braking
Without training wheels, I instinctively put the saddle all the way down so that I could sit on it with my feet touching the ground.
And the moment of truth: I pushed off with my feet. For a few inches, it felt exhilarating. And it felt safe with my feet there to catch me for balance. Feeling encouraged, I tried to find the pedals but, I couldn’t find the pedals for a few minutes. For the next half hour, it was a mix of finding them and not finding them but, so long as my feet could find the ground, I was still safe. At some point during this hour, I realized, this was a good time to practice braking.
My friend was right beside me, encouraging me that since I was getting braking down, going faster meant an easier time with balance. Within the next few hours, two feet without putting my feet down turned into five feet, turned into 10 feet turned into small distances where she’d run a fifty yards ahead1 and I’d catch up to her.
By then, I could find the pedals without looking down however, keeping my feet on the pedals was a challenge. Unexpected bumps would throw my feet off them and it would take me a few moments before finding them again. It wasn’t until I did some googling on pedaling technique did I learn the importance of a making sure your feet move in a circular motion and not a downward motion.
Looking Forward: The Need for a Class
After it all, looking back on the day, I thought that maybe a class would help. I could teach myself and learn from my mistakes but, as the saying which I quoted yesterday goes: “And smart people learn from other people’s mistakes.” I could put myself into a setting where people were making mistakes that I might be making and didn’t know it and there would be coaches there who would have seen it all and can pass on their wisdom before we make the same mistakes.
So stay tuned tomorrow as I go over tricky things like mounting, dismounting, shifting gears and riding a straight line while looking backwards and making hand signals.
—
- She left her bike back home in Davis.
Learning How to Ride a Bicycle… As an Adult (Introduction)
Posted in Uncategorized
June 1, 2008
Introduction: Life-long Learning and Living
“Oh my god, I can’t believe you just learned how to ride a bike. That is so weird.” That is what a friend of mine said, realizing that, I never did learn to ride as a kid. She assumed that I had forgotten and was re-learning and, in the weeks leading up to my first lesson, on occasion responded to my panic attacks with, “You know, they say, ‘It’s like getting back on a bike’ for a reason…” not realizing that, I can’t really get back on something I’ve never been on. To her, it was unfathomable that an adult would learn from scratch and be successful at it.
I wish though, that I could dispel the notion that if you didn’t learn as a child, then you shouldn’t try. I’m an advocate of life-long learning and I think that there are many adults out there that do want to learn. And I’ll bet, a lot of people have motivations similar to mine — high gas prices, growing waistline, rising body fat percentage, stressfulness of traffic, rising parking prices.
I think that, a lot of people have the motivation. But what people don’t have is a support network to guid them. I once heard a woman say, “I went to the bike store near me to ask if they knew of any bicycling lessons and the woman behind the counter said, ‘At your age?’ and she shook her head like I was pathetic.” Things like that demotivate people.
So, I’m here. I am not a bike instructor. Far from it, I am definitely still learning. But there’s a saying:
Stupid people never learn from their mistakes. Average people learn from their mistakes. And smart people learn from other people’s mistakes.
So I’m here so that you can learn from my mistakes or at least be better able to analyze your own mistakes. In the few months I’ve been cycling, people have told me, “Maybe I should get back on my bike” and “If she can learn, maybe I should at least try.” For people getting back on the bike, it’s merely a case of giving the bike a tune-up and a few laps around the block to get that muscle memory back. But for those learning, there is very little support and I want to be a part of that. So stay tuned, and tomorrow, I’ll post about my very first day on the bike.
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