Learning to cycle again, Please help me.?

Question

I used to cycle as a child but not all that much really & was never as good as my brother was.
Over the past 2 months I've been practicing to cycle again as it's a healthy thing to do. I get really nervous & tend to panic a bit. I go over the park & practice sometimes & a little bit round the back streets where it's quiet. But whenever I go out on my bike I get really nervous & also I get a bit shaky. Like today I felt all shaky & do you think because I had a few drinks last night that would make me shaky today? I won't be drinking again the night before, but how can I build up my confidence in cycling & not being so nervous. Please give me some help on this because I want to become a good cyclist.
Please don't tell me off for drinking last night because I won't do that again.
Do you think I should take cycling lessons because my friend thinks I should. Thank you very much for helping me.
Teresa. xx
By the way, I'm in my early 50's.

I am going out every day for about 30 minutes & am learning to balance quite well. my husband is very encouraging & sometimes rides with me but behind me. He keeps talking to me & saying how well I'm doing, but when I go out on my own I get so nervous. Even after I come back home I'm still shaking & feel a bit strange. Should I eat something before I go out or should I drink more water while I'm out? What would be a good thing to eat as I'm trying to lose a bit of weight as well? Thank you very much.
Teresa xx

I really appreciate all these answers, they're so good & have helped me a lot. I'm still getting out each day & today felt a lot more confident. My husband tells me I'm doing really well & I'm determined not to give up.
I really appreciate all the wonderful advice you've all given me here.
Teresa xx

I'm not all that out of shape. I have been losing weight for about a year now [15 pounds] but I don't cut my calories too low & have been going to circuit training & aerobics twice a week for a few months. I did have a bad scare as a little girl though & fell into the main road on my bike when I was about 10. My brother [bless him] always protected me & I never really learned how to cycle that well as a child.

Answer 1

Check out my blogspot for all the info you'll need about cycling etc;.....I've been doing a fair bit of cycling myself lately after not doing it for quite a while & have been logging all sorts to help myself, you're welcome to have a look if you like.

http://kinkybootsno1.blogspot.com/

Answer 2

Practice, practice, practice. I live in a busy city, and have cycled on and off over the years. It is very intimidating at first. Like I said, just keep at it - the more you do it, the more familiar it becomes. I hadn't biked in years, but started training to do the AIDS Ride in 1997, from Boston to NYC. That was 3 days of biking all day! If I could do that, out of shape as I was, you certainly can become a good cyclist, too.

Some tips that might help:

- wear a helmet, and maybe elbow and knee pads. If you feel safer, you may not be so nervous.
- give your self a set route to ride, and ride that every day until you are comfortable with it. Then, extend the route over time until it is a good length for you.
- when riding by cars on a public street, watch through the windows for heads of people on the driver's side - they may open the door into you. Looking for them first gives you a heads up (pun not intended, but fun anyway).
- when you come up behind people walking or riding in the same direction as you, say "On Your Left" or "On Your Right" loudly, so they know you will be passing them on that side.
- Get a little speedometer/computer for the handlebars. These do everything - they show speed, the time, your time this trip, miles travelled overall, etc. This will show you the progress you are making.

Answer 3

I do not know what else can be said.

Maybe you had a bad experience as a little girl while cycling; a car scared you or a bad fall, etc. and now you bring it back in your subconscious and that would explain the shaking, etc. and the confidence you have when you cycle with your husband. It is just a guess of my own.
Any way, you are far from that little girl, nothing happened because you are here now, and cycling, so be calm and patient.

Follow the good advice everyone gave you and enjoy, mostly think of your cycling as enjoyment!

Luck to you.

Answer 4

There is a possibility that this is a medical issue(diabetes). I am not a doctor so I don't want to get into advise on that front but if this shaking turns into dizziness or you feel lightheaded pull over and call for a ride home! If you recently started dieting and/or exercising odds are good you are going into calorie debt as your blood sugar bottoms out. This should lesson as your body learns to burn fat when it runs out of more readily available sources. Calorie debt can be good in moderation; and is imperative for weight loss. Generally: More calories burnt then consumed = weight loss More calories consumed then burnt = weight gain. But you don't want to over do it. If this problem turns out to be more physical and less mental, you may want to consult a nutritionist.

Answer 5

Yah, you pretty much just need to get out there and ride. Cycling is all about balance and control. The only way to get that is to ride. Pick a short route around where you live and slowly increase it. Are there any bike paths nearby? Always wear your helmet too.

Answer 6

Find a nice quiet street at night, preferrably a well lit one. Then get your self some stabalizers to start with to build confidence.
Gradually with time you can remove the stabalizers as you become more at ease, and very soon you will be gliding along the highways without a care.....good luck!

Answer 7

dont take this wrong but are you really out of shape? your shaky weird feeling is maybe your body freaking out> i am thinking your metabolism is changing and if your not used to that feeling its strange. even on little 1 hour rides if you are not used to it your body feels weird when it starts turning food into fuel rather than fat. on a separate note, drinking is a real bad thing for your body, if your trying to be healthy dont drink at all even if your not riding. trust me on the weird feeling. you will get to the point that you love feeling weird and shaky.

Answer 8

Hi Teresa,
You may find the link below to be of use to you.
I live in the UK and there are traffic free cycle routes, usually found on Sustrans.
As regards food, I usually take honey sandwiches (without butter), bananas and pure water.
You could put a drop of honey in with your water, just for the extra kick.

Answer 9

It is nerve racking cycling on the busy roads

keep practising in the park and you will build up more confidence you could also join a cycle club
have a look at these sites and enjoy your cycling its so much fun!

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/

http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycle_training.php

Answer 10

I think practice is the answer. You will get better and better if you just stick at it. You need to build up your confidence.