Spring Time - Learning To Ride Time

ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Spring weather is teasing and the requests for help locating this information are flowing in.

The official learning instructions are here: http://cruzbike.com/learn-to-ride.html

Don't miss the videos on that page, they explain far better than words. For those that prefer to live in the forum or a concise paper print-out, here the content from the section.

Find a parking lot with about a 1-2% pitch. Go to the high end.
Video: Skill 1: The Easy Chair

Walk your Cruzbike to the high end of your gently sloping parking lot. Squeeze both brake levers to lock and step over the frame. Take your seat. With both brakes still locked, settle in. Get the feel of your body in the seat and your feet on the ground. Lean back, sit up. Lean back again. Get comfortable.
Video: Skill 2: The Fred Flintstone

Return to the high end of your learning area and position the bike downhill. Seat yourself on the bike with your feet on the ground. Gently push off and coast down the slope and lift your feet up in the air spread eagle. Get them as high as you can. We never said you were gonna look cool while learning, we just said you’d learn. When you reach the bottom of the slope, walk the bike back up and do it again. Repeat this five times.
Video: Skill 3: The Spread Eagle Coast

Beginning again at the high end of your learning area, gently push off and coast. This time, putyour feet on the pedals but do not pedal. You’ll want to pedal, but don’t do it. Keep the bike as steady and straight as you can. Do this twice. On the third repetition, steer just a touch using only your foot pressure. This is harder than it sounds but you need to learn what it feels like. Again, resist the urge to pedal. The best students wait. Repeat the pedal tease steering skill three times
Video: Skill 4: The Pedal Tease Coast & Steer

Release the brakes and begin to walk yourself and the bike forward while comfortably seated, a la Fred Flintstone. This simple skill helps you get the feel for weight distribution and your own position relative to the bike and the ground. Keep rolling until you feel comfortable lifting your feet just off the ground. Walk, roll and coast like this for a few minutes.
Video: Skill 5: Pedaling

Start adding shallow turns. Lean out ever so slightly during the turn, as you would on a racing motorcycle or snowmobile. This is the opposite of what you’d do on a standard road bike..
Video: Skill 6: Turning

After you’re comfortable with shallow turns, pedal through some figure eights. Start big and work smaller. Go both directions. One will be easier, that’s your dominant side. Practice both. Pedal through the turns if you feel unsteady. This is the first bike you’ve had that you can pedal through any turn. Remember you can always drop a foot down to steady yourself if needed.
Video: Skill 7: Figure Eights



Veteran Riders feel free to add you best tips to this thread, including tips for clip-less, hills, gravel etc.
 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
The above is derived from the script we use when people come for test rides here in the Minneapolis area.

1) Find a parking lot with about a 1-2% pitch. Go to the high end.

2) Do 5 coast down with your feet up in the air spread eagle. Yeah it sounds stupid; but get them as high as you can. This will help you learn the glide and slide mounting trick, courtesy of Hardy. Do at least 5, not 1, not 2, at least 5.

3) Do 2 coast downs with you feet just resting on the pedals Do not pedal; your ego will want to, don't do it.

4) Do 3 coast downs with you feet just resting on the pedals and steer just a touch using only your foot pressure (this is harder than it sounds; but you need to learn what it feels like) Again resist the urge to pedal the best students wait. You are trying to teach the brain the subtle things.

5) Start doing runs with pedaling 5 or 6 minimum. Straight lines; down and back up the incline. Avoid turning; stop the bike; turn it 180 and go the other direction.

6) Start doing shallow turns; when you turn "DROP" your outside shoulder; it should feel like a reverse shrug; just relax you shoulder muscle so the shoulder drops. Some riders simply "lean out." This is the same thing you do on racing motorcycles and snowmobiles you have to lean OUT ever so slightly on the turn; this is the opposite of what you do on a road bike. This is the #1 thing DF riders do wrong; they want to lean in to the turn; and coast; at which point they start to fall into the ground. On a Cruzbike you can lean out and pedal through the turn.

7) After you can do the shoulder drop; do some pedaling figure-8's. Start big and work smaller. Go Both directions, one side will be way easier that the other, that is you dominate side. Make note if it's easier to go left or right. Pedal through the turns if you are feel tipping. Remember this might be the the first bike you've had that you can pedal through any turn. You may have to slam a foot down on your weak direction the first few times.

8) When changing directions, is easier if your foot to the inside of the turn is at the top of the pedal stroke. Example: If turning left and coasting; position the left foot at the top in preparation for turning right or resuming straight riding.

9) Now consider your #7 results. If you turn left and it feels like you will fall into the ground then your right foot is dominate; if you feel like when you turn right you will fall into the ground then you left foot is dominate. If you feel like you are going to fall doing both you are a freak and need to continue practicing #7.

10) Using your dominate foot Practice your up hill starts using this technique
  • Foot on the ground
  • Other foot clipped in. (I can only do right foot)
  • Both brakes LOCKED so I don't roll backwards
  • Sitting up pulling on bars (at least half way)
  • Full Pressure on right foot against brake
  • Release both brakes; push right foot; PULL right hand to oppose the foot.
  • Lean just a little to the left.
  • Before Right foot bottoms out Have Left foot off ground
  • As soon as left pedal is viable; lift left foot to pedal height push pedal and pull handle bar with left hand to counter the foot.
 
L

LMT

Well-Known Member
Sound advice Ratz, the only thing I'd add from a personal POV is gear selection on a hill.

Newbie Cruzbike riders that come from a RWD recumbent background may find it easier to pull away in a slightly higher gear than what they'd pull away with on a RWD bent. I found on a Cruzbike that too lower gear on a hill (especially if the road is greasy) can lead to the wheel slipping from the increased torque that a lower gear gives. A slightly higher gear, a couple of one foot revs if needed then clip in with the other foot.
 
Balor

Balor

Zen MBB Master
I've been training on a DIY FWD MBB and having a hard time pushing big efforts without my arms killing me.
Has anyone considered arm straps like those bodybuilders use for lifting?

Just for sprint workouts, not for commuting and general mile munching, obviously.
 
MrSteve

MrSteve

Zen MBB Master
Balor said:
I've been training on a DIY FWD MBB and having a hard time pushing big efforts without my arms killing me.
Has anyone considered arm straps like those bodybuilders use for lifting?

Just for sprint workouts, not for commuting and general mile munching, obviously.
Click to expand...

No... and I'm not just anyone, having ridden my MBB FWD bikes for thousands of miles.
Sounds like fun, dead lifting the handlebars, but once you've learned to ride your FWD MBB properly, you really don't need arm straps.

V on gravel?

My rides used to start and end on our old 1/10th-mile long gravel driveway, so gravel doesn't scare me as much anymore.
I moved to a gravel-free place before the Vendetta showed up, so I really don't know how well the V
does on gravel... but my sister, her ex. and my brother did just fine on the old gravel driveway!
They were riding their standard, high-end road bikes equipped with skinny tires.
The V would do O.K. on gravel, I think, and would do better with bigger tires and with the rider sitting up.
To be safe, though, I agree with both L.Z. and Jond... especially if you were like me: Afraid of gravel.
 
super slim

super slim

Zen MBB Master
I was about to ask for this to be a fixed link, but you have already done it!!!

VERY GOOD INSTRUCTIONS !!!!!!!!
 
super slim

super slim

Zen MBB Master
ratz said:
Spring weather is teasing and the requests for help locating this information are flowing in.

The official learning instructions are here: http://cruzbike.com/learn-to-ride.html

Don't miss the videos on that page, they explain far better than words. For those that prefer to live in the forum or a concise paper print-out, here the content from the section.

Find a parking lot with about a 1-2% pitch. Go to the high end.
Video: Skill 1: The Easy Chair

Walk your Cruzbike to the high end of your gently sloping parking lot. Squeeze both brake levers to lock and step over the frame. Take your seat. With both brakes still locked, settle in. Get the feel of your body in the seat and your feet on the ground. Lean back, sit up. Lean back again. Get comfortable.
Video: Skill 2: The Fred Flintstone

Return to the high end of your learning area and position the bike downhill. Seat yourself on the bike with your feet on the ground. Gently push off and coast down the slope and lift your feet up in the air spread eagle. Get them as high as you can. We never said you were gonna look cool while learning, we just said you’d learn. When you reach the bottom of the slope, walk the bike back up and do it again. Repeat this five times.
Video: Skill 3: The Spread Eagle Coast

Beginning again at the high end of your learning area, gently push off and coast. This time, putyour feet on the pedals but do not pedal. You’ll want to pedal, but don’t do it. Keep the bike as steady and straight as you can. Do this twice. On the third repetition, steer just a touch using only your foot pressure. This is harder than it sounds but you need to learn what it feels like. Again, resist the urge to pedal. The best students wait. Repeat the pedal tease steering skill three times
Video: Skill 4: The Pedal Tease Coast & Steer

Release the brakes and begin to walk yourself and the bike forward while comfortably seated, a la Fred Flintstone. This simple skill helps you get the feel for weight distribution and your own position relative to the bike and the ground. Keep rolling until you feel comfortable lifting your feet just off the ground. Walk, roll and coast like this for a few minutes.
Video: Skill 5: Pedaling

Start adding shallow turns. Lean out ever so slightly during the turn, as you would on a racing motorcycle or snowmobile. This is the opposite of what you’d do on a standard road bike..
Video: Skill 6: Turning

After you’re comfortable with shallow turns, pedal through some figure eights. Start big and work spaner. Go both directions. One will be easier, that’s your dominant side. Practice both. Pedal through the turns if you feel unsteady. This is the first bike you’ve had that you can pedal through any turn. Remember you can always drop a foot down to steady yourself if needed.
Video: Skill 7: Figure Eights



Veteran Riders feel free to add you best tips to this thread, including tips for clip-less, hills, gravel etc.
Click to expand...

Ratz I must be slowing down in my old age, as I have just noticed that you are now "Wielder of the Rubber Mallet"!!!
ALL should bow down to you!!!
 
J

Jaycee

New Member
Super Slim,
Sorry for the confusion. The Mpls area is Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. and surrounding suburbs.
 
super slim

super slim

Zen MBB Master
I guessed you are Yank, as they ALWAYS use Acronyms!!!

Young Ratz, the "Wielder of the Rubber Mallet" used to live there, but he has moved, but I don't know how far SOUTH he went to find better weather?
 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
super slim said:
I guessed you are Yank, as they ALWAYS use Acronyms!!!

Young Ratz, the "Wielder of the Rubber Mallet" used to live there, but he has moved, but I don't know how far SOUTH he went to find better weather?
Click to expand...

Yes a bout 4 furlongs south. We are still here.
 
quickbeam

quickbeam

Well-Known Member
Good advice, but it might be overkill for some, we shouldn't scare people off by making it sound too difficult. If you've ridden a variety of things (like skateboards, roller blades, unicycle, snowboard) I think you can adapt a bit more quickly. It probably depends a bit on how risk-averse you are, and how protective you are of your new bike.

I'm not the most coordinated middle-aged guy out there, but I spent at most 10 minutes with the coasting before I tried to pedal. Which of course didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Then I had to go somewhere, and that gave me some time to ponder about my reactions. The next day I spent 15 minutes and was able to do the big curves and try a figure 8, and the 3rd day pretty good on figure eights and steering well enough to stay in a sidewalk. Keep in mind this was a total of 45 minutes probably, and by that point my brain and my bike were mostly in agreement over which direction we were going.

Now I'm circling the wheel stops in parking lots (gives you some incentive to go where you're planning), taking 90-degree corners on sidewalks, going over small curbs, etc. Still not as comfortable at it as on a wedgie, but I figure I rode those for nearly 30 years, including a lot of time practicing wheelies and going thru the woods on challenging terrain. So I shouldn't expect too much after maybe 6 weekends and <40 miles, I still have some catch-up to do. Now with better weather I should be able to put on more miles.
 
castlerobber

castlerobber

Zen MBB Master
quickbeam said:
Good advice, but it might be overkill for some, we shouldn't scare people off by making it sound too difficult.
Click to expand...
I was a slow learner when I was a 7-year-old struggling to ride a DF, and a slow learner with my Cruzbike 40-plus years later. I didn't know about the checklist when I got my Q, or I would surely have used it. I had watched the CB videos, so I had some clue, but the list would have helped even more. On the other hand, my (then) 13-year-old son hopped right on and started riding; but he learned to ride a "regular" bike at 4 years old without much trouble. My brother and my niece also took to my little Q easily.
 
quickbeam

quickbeam

Well-Known Member
ratz said:
Around here they sometimes say ½ mile which doesn't convert well to km so I pick a unit that would lead you to the answer.
Click to expand...
I'm probably one of the few who knew that one without looking it up ... kind of a numbers nerd. I'm ready to go to the FFF standard - furlong-firkin-fortnight, skip the whole metric system :)

Where I grew up, shorter distances were measured by the 1/4 mile, not by blocks. A 1/4 mile x 1/4 mile is 40 acres, which is a standard unit (the back 40, north 40, etc). There's usually an approach or driveway every 1/4 mile. And in case you're wondering, an acre is a furlong by a chain.
 
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