So a few weeks ago now I started biking to and from work (not as great an achievement as it sounds, it's only about 2.5k ~1.5miles each way).

Anyway, as I slowly peddled in this morning (legs are tired from hill training last night) I started thinking about how you push the pedals. I don't have clips or the little things that hold your foot in place (my bike is about 8 years old and I originally got it in about grade 7 or 8).

So, for those of you who do have those, or just put way more miles on your bike then I am, how are you suppose to push? Should it be with the front of your foot? Middle? back? In between somewhere?

I think it is with the front of the foot.

I know I always got laughed at for cycling almost flat footed with the pedal in the middle of my foot.

Will be good to hear what the pros advise

Definitely with the front of the foot. The ball of your foot should be on the pedal. THis allows you to engage your calves more, and also to not be extending your hips awkwardly as you pedal.

You want to think of pushing the pedals in a circle, not just the downward push. This makes you more efficient and again, allows for less awkward movement of the legs, a smoother progression. I found it made a huge difference for me when I started riding this way.

Good luck, have fun, and be ultra careful. Cars are shady. Have an excellent ride for me, I do miss bike commuting so!

Agreed. Also, ditto on the circle motion, but if you don't have cages or shoes that attach to the pedals, this is not possible. If you want to be able to engage more muscles and be more efficient, to cages are a pretty good way to go. You don't have to get special shoes or worry about not being able to get your foot out and crashing.

Oh, and also, you want your heel to be down.

Have fun!

Thanks everyone. As I was so tired pedaling this morning it really made me think if i was doing it right or wrong.

My bike is kind of crappy (in the sense that going over bumps causes it to start shifting gears). I'm not sure if it makes more sense to invest money in fixing it (and getting things like cages) or if I should continue to see if I'll get out on it much and save towards getting a new bike.

Wow! Sounds like you need a new bike!

If you plan on biking a lot I would definitely invest in a new bike. A lot of people will balk at spending $1000 on a bike but you'll normally get a very good piece of machinary that will last for years. My bike is 12 years old and is still kicking. At this rate I only spent about $80 a year.

It's good to buy a bike that suits your needs. If you are commuting then a road bike or touring bike might be the answer. You probably don't need a bike with full suspension or offroad tires.

Personally I enjoy a hybrid touring bike for my commute. Touring bikes have bigger gears so you can go faster. I don't like racing bikes because the roads are terrible and I sometimes take little shortcuts through gravel trails. My tires are smaller than offroad tires but still give enough grip in dirt that I don't spin out.

I definitely recommend a bike shop to get proper guidance in your purchase and of course to buy a really good lock to protect said purchase.

.... unless you like hopping curbs and such. Be careful on the road bikes. The flimsy little wheels get bent easily on curbs.

On the plus side, road bikes are generally much lighter and effortlessly speed up going down hills. When I first got mine it was a little scary how much faster it was than my childhood bike for the same peddle effort.

The touring bikes are much more comfortable than a full-out road bike also. You sacrifice a little weight for comfort though. You're sitting in a more upright position.

You should use the ball of your foot. Adding toe clips would be good if you are going to bike more.

Thanks everyone for the good ideas. I'd love to eventually get a new bike. But I want to make sure I'll get the use out of it. I do have a good lock (gotta protect my cheap-o bike) since I'm locking it up on a Uni campus (great place to get it stolen).

However, I am just a lowly (:P) grad student and so don't have a ton of extra money lying around. Plus, I now live in a climate where you can only bike about 6 months of the year (if you're lucky) unless you like biking in snow or -30C temperatures.

I'm not sure if I understand all the comments on bike types. I know there's the really skinny tires one (road?) and mountain bikes (big tires?). I'd want a bike where I can go to and from school as well as take it on the trail system here (which is gravel or pavement or sort of dirt/wood chip).

For other helpful hints and tips have a look at this site


http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html


It answered some of my "daft" questions!!

Nice link, TtS.

If there is a bike shop in your city, drop by and explain what you want. They can determine the proper frame size and they can take a few bikes down and let you sit on them. We have local shops that will even rent bikes out for you to try.

You can even finance a bike if it comes to that.

Man, I don't miss being a student! Effing sucks being so damn broke, LOL.

I have no idea what a touring bike runs, but i got myself a wonderful brand new Raleigh road bike for $600. It's a fantastic bike, and often gets mistaken for a much more expensive frame (in Seattle, bikes are like cars, people do take notice oddly enough). Also, don't rule out used bikes if you can find a reputable shop that restores them for sale. You can get a whole lot of bike for not a lot of cash that way.

I bought a used Le'monde road bike for $350 at a local bike shop and I love it.

The used bike idea is a good one. I'll have to start doing research around my area and find a few good ones to check out.

Ebay is a good resource to get an idea of what they're going for. Also, I don't know if you have Craigslist in your area, but you could scan the ads there too.

I have two Raleighs -- a hybrid and a mountain bike, both circa 1997. They're pretty decent bikes.

Now I feel cheap...I commute to and from work (about 1 mile each way) and ride around town for fun and exercise, and my two-week old bike only cost me $134. Maybe I should look at more expensive bikes when I'm ready to buy my next one...

Ivie, if that's all you need, then don't even worry about it. I got a more expensive one because I am competing in triathlons. As long as you are safe and happy, then your bike is good.

Yeah, don't feel like you need to spend that kind of money. I did so because I wanted a nice, light, high-quality bike, and no worries about anything going wrong. Also, as my last bike went under a mini van, I felt I deserved a badass brand new bike. Damnit. Heh.

Thankfully my route to and from school only has me riding on the street for a total of one block. Most of the way is on a trail system, then I have to cross one street to get onto the uni campus.



I've thought of looking at sites like that, but considering I'm so not knowledgeable about bikes, I'm not sure I can guarantee I'm getting a bike with a good fit that way. I've done some googling, and there seems to be a few good bike stores in town people recommend. I'll have to go check them out sometime.

If your bike is shifting gears when going over bumps, have a go at just giving it a DIY gear service.

Sheldon Brown's site has all the details of correctly adjusting your gears. You should only need a phillips screwdriver and some patience. Save you some money at least. That said a gear service shouldnt run you more than £20 over here, and thats with replaced cables.

I'm with R Hicks - try DIY or a repair first; chances are it just needs a good tuneup or some adjustments - if nothing else you'll buy yourself some time to research what you want.