Getting Ready For First Bike Ride

One thing we have noticed during the lockdown years, is the number of people coming back to cycling as a recreational activity, either after a break of many years - as well as more people than ever getting into cycling for the first time. Whether that’s on a mountain bike or a road bike, heading out for that first ride can be incredibly daunting - but with a few simple tips and things to remember, you can have a fantastic first ride, leaving you itching to get out again.

Prepare Your Bike

Although bikes are usually pretty much squared away by bike shops - there are a few simple things you can check to ensure that you have complete confidence in your machine. Ensure that your tyres are properly inflated, preferably using a track pump for the correct pressure. Also spend a little time cycling through the gears, and getting used to the biting points on the brakes - allowing you to know what to expect as you change gears, as well as bring the bike to a stop.

It’s also a good idea to carry out a little bit of preventative maintenance -

Know Your Limits

Whilst we do not want to start this post on a bit of a downer, understand your limits on your bike - and you can enjoy the bike more, building confidence and skills with every ride. Limits depend on a number of factors, including your fitness levels and skill levels on a bike.

If riding a road bike for the first time in a while, don’t pick the hardest route you can find - with the highest ascents and fastest descents, also don’t plan a massively long ride - head out with the aim of enjoying the ride, and the rest will follow. 5 miles is a good first ride distance for both mountain bikes and road bikes, allowing you to judge distance and plan a good route.

Prepare Your Kit

A bike helmet is one of the most important pieces of kit that you use when on the bike, if you are new to cycling - it's very easy to make rookie mistakes, like putting a cycling helmet on backwards! Once you have the helmet on the right way round, ensure that it sits level on your head - and does move forwards or backwards too much.

Plan Your Route

If you are getting used to riding a bike for the first time, or after a long pause - ride somewhere quiet, to get a proper feel for the bike, how it handles and how it performs. As we have mentioned above, keep your route a sensible distance and length - and consider driving somewhere first, with quieter roads or areas of off road - instead of setting off on the bike from your doorstep. It’s always a good idea to think about finding a local cafe to visit, and there are plenty of bike friendly cafes - just remember to pack a bike lock.

Online apps such as Strava, Komoot and Ride are all great for planning rides, and you can see who the local cycling legends are and the routes and sections they use to test themselves. Bike Computers and GPS usually have some navigation software compatibility, and smartphone bar mounts are also an option.

Wear The Right Gear

There’s a stack of content on our blog, covering the best bits of clothing to wear for both road cycling and mountain biking. In this post, we will give a condensed version - the most important item to wear is a helmet, with many riders choosing a helmet with MIPS technology. After the helmet, the second most important piece of clothing is bib shorts. Bib Shorts provide essential comfort and padding, protecting your sensitive areas which come into contact with the bike saddle. Bib shorts also do not have elastic which supports them, meaning no elastic will cut into your waist when cycling.

Those not wanting to choose tight fitting cycling clothing, will do well to choose looser and baggier cycling clothing - which remains comfortable and efficient, whilst providing a bit more breathing room. Avoid wearing cotton t-shirts which do not wick sweat away, as this is a surefire way to have a very uncomfortable bike ride.

Carry The Right Equipment

Although we have covered the importance of choosing a relatively short, and relatively easy route to ride - you still need to carry essential equipment to keep you on the road. A multi tool is handy for making small adjustments on the bike, such as saddle angle and height. Front and rear lights class as important equipment, if riding early or late in the day. It’s also worth packing a spare inner tube, tyre levers and a small pump. A waterproof jacket or gilet is also a good idea - although this may sound a lot, it really isnt - and there are easy to use luggage options to help carry this kit.

Nutrition

Getting yourself ready for your first bike ride, will allow you to not only enjoy maximum benefit from your exercises session, but also allow you to remain safe and focussed on the bike. A relatively light, but carb heavy meal before a ride is recommended, and there are plenty of energy bars and gels available, to carry with you on the bike for instant energy.

Ride With A Mate

If you have a friend to ride with, so much the better! Riding with friends can be a fantastic social activity, as well as a useful tool to have in case anything goes wrong! If you are not riding with a friend, let somebody know where you are riding, so somebody knows the approximate area of where you are.