General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Having trouble steering with my new road bike Rss Feed  
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2015-08-31 8:19 PM

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Subject: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Still used to the handlebar positioning on my old hybrid. I had no problem getting accustomed to aero position with the road bike (something I couldn't do on the hybrid due to higher handlebars) but I can't seem to get good control of steering the bike. Also, I feel very unsteady on the turns with the road bike.

I think that I would benefit from some individualized coaching, but is there such a thing as a bike coach? Does anyone have a recommendation of a teacher who helps people with their technique on the bike? I am located about an hour north of NYC.



2015-09-01 6:50 AM
in reply to: Caroleena

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by Caroleena

Still used to the handlebar positioning on my old hybrid. I had no problem getting accustomed to aero position with the road bike (something I couldn't do on the hybrid due to higher handlebars) but I can't seem to get good control of steering the bike. Also, I feel very unsteady on the turns with the road bike.

I think that I would benefit from some individualized coaching, but is there such a thing as a bike coach? Does anyone have a recommendation of a teacher who helps people with their technique on the bike? I am located about an hour north of NYC.




When going from a hybrid or a MT bike to a road bike it's common to feel squirrely and unstable. Time in the saddle will help with this.

When cornering their is a specific technique to how you "weight" your bike to make it more stable.
1. put your weight on your outside foot.
so if you are turning right your left foot should be down and have most of your weight in it-this keeps your center of gravity under you
2 any weight on the hands should be on the inside hand- this keep your bike tracking smoothly through the corner.

Find a big parking lot without traffic and practice this, it takes a while before it becomes instinctive.
2015-09-01 7:51 AM
in reply to: Caroleena

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Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike

Road bikes put more weight over the front wheel than you get with a hybrid setup (and tri-bikes even more).  It is also possible that you're steering more with the handlebar position rather than leaning.  

What is your hand position on the road bike?  
On the drops?  
On the hoods?
On the top of the bar?  

Are you grabbing/grasping the handlebar or simply resting your hands on it?  Grabbing=tense=hard to control smoothly.  

Yes, you can probably find someone to coach you a bit.  Start at the bike shop where the mechanics, salespeople, and frequent customers are avid cyclists.  

If your local club has group rides, look for one that is beginner friendly (maybe contact the Prez).  Roughly segmented, the "A" groups are hard-core cyclists riding in tight pacelines at 20+ mph.  They're not beginner friendly.  "B" groups are often the largest with mostly experienced riders and a number of less experienced riders.  Pacelines are not as tight and pace may be 16-19 mph.  "C" groups are usually pretty small and least experienced so pacelines are more widely spaced and pace may be 14-16 mph.  These riders are more prone to wobbling and inconsistent pacing (which leads to riding up on the person ahead) which is why the paceline is so spacious.  

2015-09-01 8:12 AM
in reply to: Caroleena

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Did you have a professional fit with the bike? As I recall from some of your earlier posts, you're quite petite. If your bike is too big, that can make it difficult to handle. Even if the size is right, there might be changes they could make with the fit that can make it easier to control. I know I had something of an argument with my fitter about the spacing of the aerobars on my tri bike--he was going for a very narrow position "because we can", but I felt like it really compromised my control. So we moved them a bit further apart, and that helped a lot with handling and confidence. I also have a road bike in the US that's a bit big for me (bought it off a taller woman) and the fitter was able to adjust it so I didn't have the control issues (in aero) that I had initially. Do you mean control in aero or control in general? Assuming the bike's not totally wrong for you, a lot can be accomplished with fit and practice.

Guessing that most tri club or cycling coaches could possibly schedule a few sessions to help you out if it was really just a matter of confidence/handling skills as opposed to fit. I could still use a little help myself--I'd never realized that I didn't know how to do a 180 turn on my new tri bike--until I had to do five of them in a half ironman! due to a last-minute course change. I almost took out a few flowerpots and cones, but did manage to "learn by doing".
2015-09-01 7:09 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by Hot Runner

Did you have a professional fit with the bike? As I recall from some of your earlier posts, you're quite petite. If your bike is too big, that can make it difficult to handle. Even if the size is right, there might be changes they could make with the fit that can make it easier to control. I know I had something of an argument with my fitter about the spacing of the aerobars on my tri bike--he was going for a very narrow position "because we can", but I felt like it really compromised my control. So we moved them a bit further apart, and that helped a lot with handling and confidence. I also have a road bike in the US that's a bit big for me (bought it off a taller woman) and the fitter was able to adjust it so I didn't have the control issues (in aero) that I had initially. Do you mean control in aero or control in general? Assuming the bike's not totally wrong for you, a lot can be accomplished with fit and practice.

Guessing that most tri club or cycling coaches could possibly schedule a few sessions to help you out if it was really just a matter of confidence/handling skills as opposed to fit. I could still use a little help myself--I'd never realized that I didn't know how to do a 180 turn on my new tri bike--until I had to do five of them in a half ironman! due to a last-minute course change. I almost took out a few flowerpots and cones, but did manage to "learn by doing".


Hi Hot Runner - thanks for your response. Yes, I did have a professional fit but I do think that there may be some changes that would help now that I am getting accustomed to the feel of the bike. It's really control in general that I am concerned with. I do feel that confidence (or lack thereof) has a lot to do with the problems I am having now.
2015-09-01 7:13 PM
in reply to: McFuzz

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by McFuzz

Road bikes put more weight over the front wheel than you get with a hybrid setup (and tri-bikes even more).  It is also possible that you're steering more with the handlebar position rather than leaning.  

What is your hand position on the road bike?  
On the drops?  
On the hoods?
On the top of the bar?  

Are you grabbing/grasping the handlebar or simply resting your hands on it?  Grabbing=tense=hard to control smoothly.  

Yes, you can probably find someone to coach you a bit.  Start at the bike shop where the mechanics, salespeople, and frequent customers are avid cyclists.  

If your local club has group rides, look for one that is beginner friendly (maybe contact the Prez).  Roughly segmented, the "A" groups are hard-core cyclists riding in tight pacelines at 20+ mph.  They're not beginner friendly.  "B" groups are often the largest with mostly experienced riders and a number of less experienced riders.  Pacelines are not as tight and pace may be 16-19 mph.  "C" groups are usually pretty small and least experienced so pacelines are more widely spaced and pace may be 14-16 mph.  These riders are more prone to wobbling and inconsistent pacing (which leads to riding up on the person ahead) which is why the paceline is so spacious.  




I didn't realize that there was an actual weight shift in road bikes, but it makes sense now that I think of how I've been feeling as I've been riding (a bit more 'top heavy"). I feel most comfortable with my hands on the drops so I can best access the brakes quickly. And yes, I am grabbing the handlebars as opposed to resting my hands on them. I am too scared to just rest my hands!

I will ask at my LBS about coaches or groups I may be able to try. Thanks for the suggestions!


2015-09-01 7:15 PM
in reply to: mike761

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by mike761

Originally posted by Caroleena

Still used to the handlebar positioning on my old hybrid. I had no problem getting accustomed to aero position with the road bike (something I couldn't do on the hybrid due to higher handlebars) but I can't seem to get good control of steering the bike. Also, I feel very unsteady on the turns with the road bike.

I think that I would benefit from some individualized coaching, but is there such a thing as a bike coach? Does anyone have a recommendation of a teacher who helps people with their technique on the bike? I am located about an hour north of NYC.




When going from a hybrid or a MT bike to a road bike it's common to feel squirrely and unstable. Time in the saddle will help with this.

When cornering their is a specific technique to how you "weight" your bike to make it more stable.
1. put your weight on your outside foot.
so if you are turning right your left foot should be down and have most of your weight in it-this keeps your center of gravity under you
2 any weight on the hands should be on the inside hand- this keep your bike tracking smoothly through the corner.

Find a big parking lot without traffic and practice this, it takes a while before it becomes instinctive.



I am glad I am not the only one to feel this way! And thanks for the tips about cornering. Can't wait to try!
2015-09-02 8:40 AM
in reply to: Caroleena

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike

Originally posted by Caroleena
Originally posted by McFuzz

Road bikes put more weight over the front wheel than you get with a hybrid setup (and tri-bikes even more).  It is also possible that you're steering more with the handlebar position rather than leaning.  

What is your hand position on the road bike?  
On the drops?  
On the hoods?
On the top of the bar?  

Are you grabbing/grasping the handlebar or simply resting your hands on it?  Grabbing=tense=hard to control smoothly.  

Yes, you can probably find someone to coach you a bit.  Start at the bike shop where the mechanics, salespeople, and frequent customers are avid cyclists.  

If your local club has group rides, look for one that is beginner friendly (maybe contact the Prez).  Roughly segmented, the "A" groups are hard-core cyclists riding in tight pacelines at 20+ mph.  They're not beginner friendly.  "B" groups are often the largest with mostly experienced riders and a number of less experienced riders.  Pacelines are not as tight and pace may be 16-19 mph.  "C" groups are usually pretty small and least experienced so pacelines are more widely spaced and pace may be 14-16 mph.  These riders are more prone to wobbling and inconsistent pacing (which leads to riding up on the person ahead) which is why the paceline is so spacious.  

I didn't realize that there was an actual weight shift in road bikes, but it makes sense now that I think of how I've been feeling as I've been riding (a bit more 'top heavy"). I feel most comfortable with my hands on the drops so I can best access the brakes quickly. And yes, I am grabbing the handlebars as opposed to resting my hands on them. I am too scared to just rest my hands! I will ask at my LBS about coaches or groups I may be able to try. Thanks for the suggestions!

We may be talking different things.  Here are some pics of riding on the hoods versus riding in the drops.  If you are in fact riding in the drops, try riding on the hoods with your fingers extended over the brake levers.  





(hoods.png)



(drops.jpg)



Attachments
----------------
hoods.png (100KB - 9 downloads)
drops.jpg (5KB - 10 downloads)
2015-09-02 9:11 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by McFuzz

Originally posted by Caroleena
Originally posted by McFuzz

Road bikes put more weight over the front wheel than you get with a hybrid setup (and tri-bikes even more).  It is also possible that you're steering more with the handlebar position rather than leaning.  

What is your hand position on the road bike?  
On the drops?  
On the hoods?
On the top of the bar?  

Are you grabbing/grasping the handlebar or simply resting your hands on it?  Grabbing=tense=hard to control smoothly.  

Yes, you can probably find someone to coach you a bit.  Start at the bike shop where the mechanics, salespeople, and frequent customers are avid cyclists.  

If your local club has group rides, look for one that is beginner friendly (maybe contact the Prez).  Roughly segmented, the "A" groups are hard-core cyclists riding in tight pacelines at 20+ mph.  They're not beginner friendly.  "B" groups are often the largest with mostly experienced riders and a number of less experienced riders.  Pacelines are not as tight and pace may be 16-19 mph.  "C" groups are usually pretty small and least experienced so pacelines are more widely spaced and pace may be 14-16 mph.  These riders are more prone to wobbling and inconsistent pacing (which leads to riding up on the person ahead) which is why the paceline is so spacious.  

I didn't realize that there was an actual weight shift in road bikes, but it makes sense now that I think of how I've been feeling as I've been riding (a bit more 'top heavy"). I feel most comfortable with my hands on the drops so I can best access the brakes quickly. And yes, I am grabbing the handlebars as opposed to resting my hands on them. I am too scared to just rest my hands! I will ask at my LBS about coaches or groups I may be able to try. Thanks for the suggestions!

We may be talking different things.  Here are some pics of riding on the hoods versus riding in the drops.  If you are in fact riding in the drops, try riding on the hoods with your fingers extended over the brake levers.  




When I try to ride in the hoods with my hands over the brake levers and I press the levers to brake, my hand positioning is such that I can't apply the right amt of pressure to the brake and I can't break properly. It's only when I am in the drops and my hands are facing the brakes that I am at an angle where I can apply the brakes really effectively

Edited by Caroleena 2015-09-02 9:12 PM
2015-09-03 10:48 AM
in reply to: Caroleena

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by Caroleena
When I try to ride in the hoods with my hands over the brake levers and I press the levers to brake, my hand positioning is such that I can't apply the right amt of pressure to the brake and I can't break properly. It's only when I am in the drops and my hands are facing the brakes that I am at an angle where I can apply the brakes really effectively


Do you have really small hands ?
2015-09-03 1:26 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
lots of suggestions, but the one suggestion that I have (coming from experience on a tri bike, a vintage road bike, a race road bike, a mountain bike, and a bullhorn fixie) is that they all feel handle differently.

The solution?

More miles. More corners, more hills, more stop, more go, more slow, more fast. More more more. It will solve itself (probably....Ha!)

Edited by Danno77 2015-09-03 1:27 PM


2015-09-03 7:31 PM
in reply to: marcag

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by marcag

Originally posted by Caroleena
When I try to ride in the hoods with my hands over the brake levers and I press the levers to brake, my hand positioning is such that I can't apply the right amt of pressure to the brake and I can't break properly. It's only when I am in the drops and my hands are facing the brakes that I am at an angle where I can apply the brakes really effectively


Do you have really small hands ?


No.
2015-09-03 7:31 PM
in reply to: Danno77

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Subject: RE: Having trouble steering with my new road bike
Originally posted by Danno77

lots of suggestions, but the one suggestion that I have (coming from experience on a tri bike, a vintage road bike, a race road bike, a mountain bike, and a bullhorn fixie) is that they all feel handle differently.

The solution?

More miles. More corners, more hills, more stop, more go, more slow, more fast. More more more. It will solve itself (probably....Ha!)


Sounds like a doable solution!
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