Being cyclist is fun, but isn’t always easy, mostly at the beginning, when you’re starting to cycling, for that, and for motivate yourself, today we will talk about the mistakes you should avoid when cycling.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, advanced or just want to pedal for a while. We all make mistakes, that even though can be solved, can be decisive to don’t be discouraged and left the bike, and of course that’s exactly what we don’t want.
Adjust your seat and don’t worry, we will ride slowly to learn as much as we can. Let’s go!
Mistakes you should avoid when cycling, which ones have you made?
When practicing urban cycling, this provides many advantages, from physical changes and improves to your health, to psychological benefits. However, to enjoy this, is necessary to avoid the most common mistakes among cyclists.
Hereunder we detail some mistakes to avoid when cycling. List all the ones you have committed to work on them and solve them, and also the ones you haven’t committed to avoid them.
Failure to check bike before leaving
Unbelievable, but sometimes even the most experimented cyclist will go out before checking if its bicycle is in good condition or not. One of the main mistakes we make, is think that our bike will never get a flat tire or break down. Just because it is new or has the best replacement parts, it is not exempt from a breakdown. Always check tires aren’t flat, with low pressure or have loosen pieces. Believe us, there’s nothing worse than your bike breaking down halfway.
Not carrying tools
Another mistake you should avoid and a very important one, is not carrying tools on your bike rides. You should always take a small basic kit of tools, from allen wrench to patches for wheels and a portable air pump. In this way if you have a mishap and your bike can be fixed, you can continue as nothing happened. As mentioned on the first point, there’s nothing worse than you bike breaking down halfway without possibilities of fixing it.
Now knowing how to patch a tire
Relax, maybe you’re starting on cycling or you are starting to compete in the tour de France. It doesn’t matter your level; you must know that sooner or later your tire can be flat and you won’t have anyone close to help you. That’s why yes or yes you must learn to do it, that’s the basic knowledge you need to have when cycling. A pretty fast and easy procedure, besides, it isn’t expensive to buy patches and adhesive to do it. Believe us, can save you in some occasions, on Google you can find easy tutorials to learn.
Ride with a flat tire, one of the greatest mistakes you must avoid before cycling
Ok, let’s suppose that your tire is flat and you are far from home, let’s say you know how to patch it, but you don’t have the tools, or you have the tools, but you don’t know how to fix it, or even worse, let’s imagine you don’t have the tools and you don’t know how to do it. In this case, you must get off the bike and walk with it, but never ride with a flat tire. The reason? If tire keeps spinning with your weight, is probably that the object that cause the puncture (wire, nail or other thing) pass for all the bike inner tube. If this happens, you will pass from having a puncture to have 10.
Not having a cellphone
This isn’t a mistake of cycling, but if you have an accident as the already mentioned or a more severe, will always be necessary to have a form of communication that allow you to contact with others. If you decide to adventure in a long journey, the best would be having a cellphone. In this way you can contact someone known and ask for help.
Use the cellphone while cycling
When cycling of course you must have a cellphone to communicate, that doesn’t mean you must use phone while riding. By using it can distract you from the road, and if you have bad luck, then will be necessary to use it to communicate your emergency.
Listening to music with headphones
One of the greatest mistakes to avoid when cycling, whether is for music or make a call. Its always necessary to listen your surroundings. Sometimes, without looking behind we already know there’s a bike or a truck close to us, to over overcome us, and all through the sound these have. Listening to music with headphones will make your ride more enjoyable, but less safe.
Not wearing the helmet, one of the biggest mistakes to avoid
Whether is a short or long distance, is essential to use helmet. We don’t lie when we say that in a fall, helmet can save your life. At the moment a car run over to someone in bike, most of deaths don’t occurs due the impact of car against cyclist, but when the head of cyclist impact against pavement, or other object when falling. For that, you must choose a helmet that adapts to you.
Not carrying water neither food
In the same way as helmet, whether is a short journey, its important to take a snack, as a sandwich and a beverage to be hydrated, can be water or a juice. As good condition you may have, we don’t know in what moment we can have low blood glucose or just feeling exhausted by the expenditure of energy. We have to recover with a light food during cycling.
Not respect the transit regulations
It’s important to know the cycling regulations of your city. Exist places where authority can just caution you, in certain zones you may receive fines for not using bike way or ride on sidewalk. In addition, you can cause or suffer an accident because you don’t respect those regulations.
Not using comfortable clothes
Even though the professional cycling clothes are for those who cover many miles at week, isn’t bad to ride with comfortable clothes. Regularly, the specialized costumes will help you to sweat less and be dry. However, isn’t necessary to have one of them for cycling. You can just wear clothes that allow you a good mobility when cycling, and that makes you sweat less. This includes wear the correct footwear; on the other hand, wear reflective elements or clothes to be more visible at night.
