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Why am I so slow at cycling? (discuss.online)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca
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Today I did my first 20 mile (33km) ride on my hardtail XC bike. I learned how to ride a bike about 1.5 months ago, but I've been riding pretty consistently since I learned. I ride exclusively in the city, it's a very walkable city, but the paths aren't always the best. I did 33km in 2 hours 53 minutes, not including breaks for water or to eat.

I see people saying that 10MP/H (16KM/H) average is a good average to shoot for, but i can't even get my average above 7.1MPH (11.5KM/H), even on shorter rides. What am I doing wrong here? How are people going so freaking fast on bikes in cities?

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[–] 9 points 1 year ago (4 children)

You learned how to ride a bike a month and a half ago and you're already talking about going down stairs? I'm not gonna tell you you're wrong, but I will say that's pretty damn adventurous!

I'd suggest getting some more experience so you develop some feel for how different tire pressures work (and more importantly, how shifting your weight forwards and backwards works and other bike-control stuff like that) before trying that. But then again, I've been riding since I was a kid and I still shy away from stairs so what do I know?

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I've gone down stairs, but only the kind that are sort of long (as in three stairs, but the space between the stairs is long as opposed to the three stairs being one after the other. It is pretty scary as I have trouble getting over the back wheel (maybe my saddle is too wide?The reviews I read about the bike said the saddle that came with it was terrible, so I've been riding on this saddle).

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I have trouble getting over the back wheel (maybe my saddle is too wide?)

    I think it's more likely your saddle is too high or your handlebar reach is too long.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago

    Saddle seems to be the right height according to the basic fit test I've seen (pedaling with heel should have almost full knee lockout. Could be my handlebar reach is too long, especially considering I had my handlebar sweep upside down until a kind person here pointed that out to me :D

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