Chronic pain is not a normal part of cycling

It’s not unusual to feel a bit of muscular soreness if you’ve done some hard work on the bike. Chronic pain is not normal though. You need to systematically eliminate a number of things in order fix it.

If you’re experiencing joint pain in hips, knees or ankles, something “mechanical” is wrong.

Relax and ride a straight line

One of the most basic cycling skills is the ability to ride in a straight line or steer the bike where we want it to go. Sounds easy? Most of the time it is. Sometimes, though, you can face challenges. The key to steering your bike exactly where you want to is as simple (and as hard) as being relaxed.

You’re pedalling along and suddenly there’s a pothole, a branch or a broken bottle on the road. You see it but for some reason you ride right over it. That’s because you generally steer where you’re looking.

Dreaming of London 2012

Andrew Summers has been in a hurry ever since he was born nine weeks premature. Seventeen years later he’s competing at state and national cycling championships and bringing home a gold medal.

“I like cycling because you get out what you put in,” he says. “So if you put in a lot, you get out as much.” And Andrew has certainly been putting in for more than six years.

Codes of conduct promote mutual respect

The footy season is upon us. As they kick off, all the players know they must behave in such a way as to uphold the good name of football. Did you know there are also codes of conduct for cyclists?

There are codes that cover rail trails, bush trails and tracks and road use. There is even a code of conduct for bicycle couriers. None of these codes isare enforceable, but they all share a common sense approach based on mutual respect.

There’s a lot of attention on cyclists who ride on the road, perhaps they’re more visible to people in cars. The Amy Gillett Foundation works to educate both cyclists and motorists about the need for mutual respect. The Foundation’s code of conduct urges cyclists to obey the road rules, be predictable and communicate their intentions. It asks motorists to be patient and cautious when driving near cyclists. (See www.amygillett.org.au)

The etiquette of shared pathways

Many people who are not confident cyclists avoid riding on the road because they find the traffic intimidating. “Off road” paths are a great alternative. Just remember that what cyclists often call bike paths are usually shared paths. Here we as cyclists are sometimes seen as the intimidating traffic.

You’ll meet all sorts of traffic on a shared path: walkers, joggers, roller bladers, kids on training wheels, parents with prams, dogs on leads.

You can generally hear cars coming behind you, but you don’t make much noise at all. So coming up behind people on a shared path can give them a fright.