Learning to Ride a Bike (from Tales from the Bike Shop)

When I worked at UC Cyclery, I had the great fortune of being able to help newer riders work through their fears of getting on a bike. Here's Jake's story - one of my favorites - from June 2008.

Jake - My Customer of the Day
Jake came in today with his grandparents. Jake is eleven, and has not yet had his growth spurt. He's a good-natured, kind, loving kid, witnessed by his encouragement and support of his younger sister who also learned to ride a bike tonight, and his respect and love for his father. Jake is my customer of the day.

When he first came in with his grandparents and they told me that he needed a new bike, I turned and talked directly to Jake, and asked if he would like try an XS adult bike rather than a 24"-wheeled kid's bike. He was certainly big enough.

"No," he insisted, "I like this one better," he said as he moved timidly to the smaller bike that was clearly too small for him. Jake is a little pudgy, and probably not very active. I found out later that his grandfather, who is here on vacation from Montreal, rides a bike every day. I create an image in my mind of the grandfather who comes into town, discovers his sedentary overweight grandson, and determines to do something about it. So he drags him to the bike shop determined to get the boy on a bike. This is where come in.

"Well, if you like this [smaller] bike, let me take it to the mechanic so he can get it ready for a testride. How about that?" I ask Jake.
"Oh, no. I don't need to ride it. It'll be fine," he tells me.

He's afraid of riding the bike.

"What's the thing that's keeping you from riding the bike?" I ask.
He hesitates, then confesses, "Um, I have the wrong shoes."

I look at his shoes. He's wearing Crocs.
"OK, so if you had better shoes, would that be OK?"

"Well... not really. I don't need to ride the bike..."
I drag his main hesitation out of him.
"I might fall," he says.
"Well, what will happen if you fall?" I ask.
"I dunno, I get hurt a little," he says.
"And then what?" I ask.
"Um, maybe I bleed..." he says, almost as a question.
"Then what?" I ask, prodding him to look further.
"I dunno..." he shrugs.
"Do you get back on the bike?" I ask.
"I dunno... I guess," he says, confused.

"So, the worst that can happen is that you fall, you get hurt, but then you get back on the bike. Right? Has that happened before?" I ask.

"Well, yeah, and it was really um, kinda scary," he confesses.

"OK," I tell him. "Well, that sounds really normal. Lots of people who fall and get hurt are afraid. I think everybody is. But, you know how that chocolate cream cake in the window of the bakery looks soooo good, but it never really tastes as good as we think it will?"
"Um, yeah..." he says.
"Well, things are always exaggerated in our minds. The desserts always taste better, and the falls always seem more painful, but it's never as intense in reality as it is in our minds. Right?"
"Wow. I guess so," he says.

"So, if I gave you some elbow and knee pads that I have in my car, so it wouldn't hurt if you fall, and if you came back here in better shoes, would you take a test ride?"

He searches for a flaw in my argument, but can find none. I assure him that with elbow and knee pads, he will not get hurt, that I fall all the time and I'm OK. He agrees to come back later in the day with his father.

Meanwhile, his grandmother has stood and listened to this exchange in something akin to awe. She asks me how long I will be at the shop today. I tell her till 8pm.

I help Jake choose a helmet, one with colors he likes, and set it aside for him. He and his grandparents leave, and I all but forget about them until almost 7pm, when they return to the shop, this time with Dad, Grandad, and the younger sister Abby, who is about seven.

Jake is ready for the ride now. He readily dons the elbow pads and knee pads that I retrieve from my trunk. I show him how to put his pedal at 2 o'clock for maximum impetus. But despite all my coaxing and coaching, he begins to get discouraged, has almost half a dozen false starts and suddenly cries in frustration, "I can't!" I ask him for one more good effort, and this time, I hold him steady as he pedals a few strokes in the parking lot. He comes to a stop, his eyes wide.

"Wow. I almost did it," he says, amazed.
"Yes! You did! Do it again!" I tell him.

He starts again, and this time, I let go, allowing him to ride by himself. He does it. He comes to a stop triumphant in front of his father. "Dad!! I did it!!" he calls.

This kid has not been on a bike since he was five years old. His dad is really trying to contain himself, while I hold nothing back and literally jump up and down and give Jake a high-five. It is now that I tell him he should try the XS adult bike.

"You think I can?" he asks.

"Dude! You looked so good on the 24"-bike, I think it's really going to be a better fit..." I tell him. I glance at the father, who takes a deep breath and purses his lips. He really wants his son on the bigger bike, but knows he can't push him.

Jake gets on the XS Hardrock and rides it like a champ. "I'm doing it!! I'm doing it!!"

These are the moments that make my job sweet. My day can hardly get any better at this point. A boy who was afraid of bikes now can't wait to go ride the new one he will be getting.

The father looks at me and says, "So, Abby here has never ridden a bike. Can you teach her too?"

I prepare a 20-inch girls bike with coaster brakes for Abby. She is fearless, and although she has several false starts, she takes instruction well and is soon riding well, as long as she doesn't have to turn or brake... which will come in time.

Amusingly, Jake has been attempting to coach her with his new-found knowledge as one who has *ahem* been riding longer than her. His dad quiets him, telling him, "Let Laura tell her..."

After Abby has mastered starting and stopping, and Jake tells her what a fine job she's done, I turn to Jake and say, "Your sister has learned very well from your example." He smiles.

"She probably learns a lot from you, right?" I ask.
"Well, sure," he admits.
"Do you know what you can learn from her?" I ask him.
"What?" he asks.
"She had a number of false starts, and messed up a lot of times..." I say.
"Haha... yeah," he laughs.
"But she never got discouraged, did she?" I ask him.
His smile fades, as he realizes this.
"She knows it's OK to make mistakes. You could try to learn that from her," I tell him with an encouraging smile.
He casts his eyes down, then looks back at me and nods with a tight-lipped smile.

God bless him, I too am a first-born who has to get everything RIGHT the first time!! My younger brother was always messing up, but it never mattered for him. If only I had been able to learn from him early on, and see his flexibility to get it wrong as a strength...


Haha... somewhere along the way I developed this compulsive need to make it easier on subsequent generations, seeking out first-borns and letting them know it's OK NOT to get it right the first time.

Today, Jake was my customer of the day, for his spirit, courage, and intellectual fortitude.

Update - I ran into Jake's father at UC Cyclery one Sunday afternoon in 2011 when I happened to stop by the shop. He said Jake was riding his bike often, and Jake's sister commented that he was "really good, too."
 

Flat-changing Clinic part 3 - What's in your Camelbak?

This is Part 3 of the 3-part series on Bicycle Maintenance: Tires and Flat-changing.


One of the most frequent questions I get from attendees at my clinics is: 


What should I carry when I ride?

Five things you should absolutely have when you ride. 

1. Mobile phone
2. Copy of your picture ID, emergency contact info, blood type, known allergies
3. Spare tube, Tire levers
4. Pump and/or CO2 inflater head and 2 cartridges
5. Emergency cash

In addition to these things, I carry a few more items. Here's my road saddlebag.

SADDLEBAG CONTENTS (ROAD RIDE)

Laura's saddlebag, clockwise from the top: KINeSYS sunscreen, Purell mini, tire levers, mechanic gloves, photo ID, emergency contact card, pocket knife, Elete electrolyte concentrate single, $20, spare tube, 2 CO2 cartridges, MicroFlate Nano CO2 inflater head, patch kit, Allen wrenches, small bottle of  Elete Tablytes, Clif Chocolate Cherry turbo shots.

List of additional items you might carry, that I do carry on the road, in addition to the 5 basics:

• hex wrenches
• nutrition (gel, bar, etc.)
• electrolyte tablets (e.g., Elete Tablytes)
• tube patch kit
• pocketknife - helpful to remove glass from a tire among other things
• mechanic gloves - when it's a grimy job and you still have hours to go
• sunscreen mini bottle - to re-apply as needed
• Purell mini bottle 

Mountain bike rides are different, because you can me in remote areas without access to emergency assistance. I carry quite a bit in my CamelBak when I'm mountain biking. Here are the additional items you might carry, that I do carry on the trail. The only things I've never had to use are the space blanket, photo ID and medical info card.

CAMELBAK CONTENTS (MTN RIDE)

Laura's CamelBak contents: medical bag (bandages, medical tape, alcohol, maxi pad - a great sterile dressing for a deep cut or a large scrape, anti-bacterial ointment, Benedryl, etc.), photo ID, emergency cash, spare tube, bag of many-sized nuts and bolts, chain break tool, space blanket, spare cleats and screws, electrical tape, duct tape, shock pump, SRAM quick link, energy towel (to cool off someone suffering from heat exhaustion), CO2 cartridges, tire levers, tube patches, CO2 MicroFlate Nano inflater head, hex wrenches, knife, nail clippers, Sharpie, chain lube, Elete electrolyte supplement, spare derailleur hanger, Sportlegs (prevents lactic acid buildup), sports nutrition, tweezers to remove cactus needles, 2 small combs to remove cactus bulbs, large bandage, personal medical and emergency contact info.

In addition to the 5 basic items, here are the things I carry in my CamelBak.

For the bike:

• hex wrenches
• tube patch kit
• chain lube
• SRAM quick link
• bag of many-sized nuts and bolts 
• chain break tool 
• shock pump 
• spare derailleur hanger

For the body

• sports nutrition (gel, bar, etc.)
• electrolyte tablets (e.g., Elete Tablytes)
• Sportlegs
• energy towel (to cool off someone suffering from heat exhaustion)

For random emergencies

• folding knife
• Sharpie
• spare cleats and screws
• electrical tape, duct tape 
• medical bag - bandages, large bandage, medical tape, alcohol, mechanic gloves, maxi pad - a great starile dressing for a deep cut or a large scrape, anti-bacterial ointment, Benedryl, sunscreen, nail clippers, etc. 
• tweezers to remove cactus needles, 2 small combs to remove cactus bulbs (we are in the desert)
• emergency cash
• photo ID, medical information card with emergency contact info, blood type, known allergies
• space blanket

While you don't necessarily need to carry items for any emergency, if you know how to use these things, they really come in handy when you need them. 

Have a great ride!

Please feel free to leave comments about thing you find useful, things you carry on the trail, or helpful suggestions for riders.

Riding with Children: Bonita (South SD)

Bonita, CA, just south of San Diego (near CA-54 and I-805) is another great place to ride with children. When my eight-year-old friend Esther was visiting me from New Mexico, I borrowed a Trail-a-bike, hooked it up to my bike, and off we went on our trail adventure!


The Bonita Bike Path is a great ride to do with kids, even if they are on their own bikes and not hooked up to yours, because you are on a dedicated bike path and not riding in traffic. If you don't want to cross Willow Street with children on bikes, park your car at Rohr Park and ride around the golf course to get to the bike path.

Route from Donny's Cafe (link goes to MapMyRide.com)

Location: Start at Donny's Cafe or Rohr Park
Distance: 6 miles out and back to the horse stables
Elevation gain: Almost flat
Riding time: 1-1.5 hours
Road conditions: dirt path
Traffic conditions: pedestrians, horses, bikes
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: knobby tires work best
Kid-friendly: Yes
Notes: Rest rooms at Donny's Cafe or the Bonita Library. Mostly shaded route.

Esther and I took off from Donny's Cafe, cutting through the Kaiser parking lot, and carefully crossing Willow St to get to the bike path. The bike path skirts the Bonita Golf Course and runs along Bonita Road.

Although the ride can be done on a bike with slick tires, it's best to have knobby tires, so you will have better traction in the dirt.

Once we arrived at the stables, we parked our bikes and asked the owners if we could walk through the stable and look at the horses.

Inside, we found chickens running about. It was more than we expected to find at the end of our bike trail.

From the start of our ride at Donny's Cafe down to the stables was about 3 miles. The horse stable was a good half-way point to get off the bike and stretch our legs a bit. We had some water, then got back on the bike to return home.

It was a very fun, healthy, and interesting way to spend the afternoon.

Riding with Children: Lake Miramar

One of the questions I am often asked is: Where can I ride with my kids?

We in San Diego are very fortunate to have a number of dedicated bike paths throughout the county. Over the next few months, Jane and I will be exploring some of San Diego's many great places to ride.

Lake Miramar
Location: Near I-15 and Mira Mesa Blvd.
Distance: 5 miles around the lake
Elevation gain: Almost flat
Riding time: 30 minutes
Road conditions: Paved road/path
Traffic conditions: Usually light
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: Any bicycle
Kid-friendly: Yes
Notes: Very little shade along the route. Recommended riding in the morning or early evening, or on overcast days.

Lake Miramar, located near Mira Mesa, is a great place to take a relaxing ride alone, with friends, or with children. The five-mile paved path is wide enough in most places for two cyclists to ride abreast against oncoming pedestrian and cycling traffic.


The road is virtually flat all the way around the reservoir. Two parking areas are available, a smaller area located just as you enter the park, and a parking area for RV's and boat trailers about 400 yards down the road. Restrooms and water fountains are located along the interior parking area. Additionally, you will find a port-a-john about one mile from the parking area, on the north-west side of the reservoir. Lake Miramar is a great place for a picnic, with a picnic area on the north side of the reservoir.

Lake Miramar is an ideal place for adults and children to practice skills and techniques essential to riding safely on the road, since you are in a controlled environment with no vehicular traffic.

Drills you can do while riding (Wow! What a great idea!)
Riding in a straight line without deviation. If the path is clear in both directions, try riding the white or yellow line.
Taking a hand off the handlebars to reach for a waterbottle. Replace the bottle without looking down.
Practice riding in close proximity to your riding partner by gently putting a hand on his shoulder as you ride.

These drills will help you to become a better, more confident rider.

Jane and Laura at Lake Miramar, Jan 2009

Resources: MyBikeSite.com (Lake Miramar) - info on trail conditions, routes, and a place to share your stories

Now pack up the kids and go have fun!

Cycling and an Instant Community

(cross-posted from the Bruise Chronicles)

One of the great things about riding a bike is that you have an instant community of people who share your interest for cycling and the outdoors. Regardless of your skill level, you can find people to ride with and learn from if you just look around a bit. Wait, wait! I know what you're saying: But I'm slow/not very good... there's not really anyone for me to ride with.

Au contraire!

When I learned how to mountain bike, I had the good fortune of being about as self-aware as a puppy running in a park. I had no idea that I was going out riding for my first time with a couple of guys who were Cat 1 (Expert level) downhill racers. Even if I had known, it would not have occurred to me that I might be slowing them down, and that they might enjoy their ride more without me tagging along and crashing all the time. They asked me to go riding, so I went.

Good thing I was more excited about mountain biking than worried about what other people were thinking, because the assumption that I would be a damper on their fun would have been completely wrong.

People of different abilities do things together all the time, and the more skilled have just as much fun as the novices. For example, my mom enjoys the outdoors, but is not very athletic. But if she asked me to take her hiking, I would jump at the chance. Not because I could show her how nimble-footed I am, or how much gear I can carry, or how I could make it to the top first. No way. I would enjoy just being with her, doing something challenging together, and I would delight in her triumphs up the hill. We might not even make it up to the top, but that wouldn't be important. The important part is just getting outside with good company.

Similarly, when someone of greater ability than you asks you to go bike riding, it's not because your he is looking for a hammer-fest training ride and wants to see how fast he can drop you. Especially if it's someone who knows he is a better or faster rider than you. Most people enjoy the company, and truly don't mind helping others along or waiting for them.

There will always be people better than you who will be delightful to ride with, as well as others who are miserable to ride with. Don't let your fears about holding people up, or a past bad experience with a particular rider interfere with your getting out on the bike with others. Of course, you should know what you're getting yourself into and be careful not to get in over your head, but also know that when someone asks you to ride, she usually hopes you will come along.

If you are the one doing the asking, tell the more experienced rider that you want to do a relaxed ride, and what duration you'd like the ride to be. If your hammer-head friend turns you down with no encouragement, she may be one of those who only takes long hard rides; don't take it personally. You might ask her if she knows someone you could ride with.

Finally, if you are looking for someone to ride with and simply know no one, here are a few resources:

Women's specific:

• San Diego Team LUNA Chix (click on San Diego on the map)
• South Bay Women on Wheels (WoW) Facebook page

For any cyclist looking for road or mountain riders: Bike Meet-up
Just enter your ZIP code on the right for the list of groups in your area. Or try this one.

Good list of Bike Clubs

If you've tried these places and still can't find a person or a group, contact me. I'll find you someone to ride with or gather a group of people myself. :)

Now go outside and play!

Laura is a member of the San Diego Team LUNA Chix, a group of eight women who organize and lead local bike rides, sports skills and informational clinics, and host charitable events benefiting the Breast Cancer Fund. For information on LUNA Chix bike rides, please see: teamlunachix.com, and click on San Diego.

Introduction

I swoop into the bike shop where I work part time and make a bee-line for my mechanic and good buddy Steve.

"Steve! Have I told you about my new business?" I ask excitedly.

"Um, no?" he timorously responds, hardly looking up from the tire he is changing.

"OK! So, it's called Sunny Rides, LLC, and the division I'm focusing on right now is Sunny Safe Commute. It's a bicycle commuter consultant and coaching business."

"Mmm-hmm," he says as he pops the tire onto the rim.

"So! If you don't have a bike, but want one for commuting," I pause just long enough to take a quick breath, "I'll help you choose your bike and make sure it does all the things you want to do with it besides commute. I'll teach you how to ride and make sure you're good with the shifting and everything. If you already have a bike, I can help you map out your route and teach you to change a flat tire. Oh, and I can also do all the homework that people hate to do, like locate bike lockers, or safe places to lock your bike, or find a gym that offers just a shower pass."

I pause, awaiting praise at my brilliance or, more realistically, some kind of grunt in the affirmative that tells me he's still listening.

"Uh-HUH," he says. I take this as my cue to continue.

"Yes! And I'll have a Ride with Confidence Class for people who want to feel safer on the bike, and also a Fix-a-Flat class. What do you think?"

He stands up from his work and looks at me, his face void of expression. He pauses and smiles a tight-lipped smile and says, "You need a website, and a commercial."

"What do you mean a commercial?" I ask.

"Exactly what you just did from the time you walked in. That needs to be your commercial," he says.

My eyes grow wide and I bounce just slightly on my toes, "Cool! So you think I can launch this business on my enthusiasm alone?"

He takes a deep breath and nods, "Yeah. That's exactly what I mean."

Well, it will be a while till I get the commercial, but in the mean time, I'm working on the website. We hope to be up and running soon.

Big shout out to the people who have brought me to this point, encouraged me to start my own business, and continue to inspire me to great heights.

-Laura (Sunny) Drexler