Tips for New Cyclists

Mar 23, 2022

**My first post-college bike. A fixie (sigh), aka no gears. I've learned things since.**

The writer Austin Kleon posted recently about buying a bicycle (his first as an adult) and getting obsessed. He's a total beginner, so he put out a call to his readers asking for tips.

I've ridden my fair share of miles on a bicycle (30,000+ by last count), so I decided to weigh in. I pulled from many arenas: daily commuting in the rain in Portland, cross-country bike tours, mountain bike day rides and longer bikepacking trips...but no unicyles.

Here's my response:

YES TO BIKES! Careful, you're going to be planning a cross-country tour before you know it.

You can ride a bike without a bunch of fancy gear, but the right equipment makes it a) far safer c) more practical for errands and c) comfortable. As a long-time cycling fan(atic) who has ridden tens of thousands of miles on roads and trails, I'd recommend the following:

Get a rack and some panniers to haul stuff like groceries and books to the bookstores. Ortlieb makes the best panniers IMO. (I've commuted and toured the world with mine for 10,000 miles with zero problems.)
Get lights that can blow cars off the road. Front and back. 600 lumens front and a cherry bomb rear are perfect. Check out these reviews.
Get a sweet bell like a Spurcycle. Pedestrians and other cyclists know what to do with bells, but ON YOUR LEFT makes them step left. Always.
Get padded shorts aka a riding chamois...AND get chamois butter to rub on said bike shorts and nether regions before rides. That stuff is magic for reducing saddle sores, especially for new riders.
Study basic bike maintenance. Learn how to change a flat and tune up your shifting as a bare minimum. Lots of bike shops offer them and YouTube is your friend.
Always have chain lube on hand and use it frequently. Finish Line is excellent.
Find your city's best bike routes and stay away from cars as much as possible. Learn those routes so well you don't need to look at a map.
If you need a map, a phone coupled with Quadlock's products are the bomb. Mount your phone on your bike so you can follow Google Maps hands-free.
If you want to get faster, find experienced cyclists to ride with. Go get your ass kicked trying to hang on their wheel.
Get a bike rack so you can take your bike anywhere you travel.
Find and support (if you have the means) your city, region, and state bike advocacy groups. Great sources for maps, routes, bike info, and events, plus they're likely the groups fighting for bike infrastructure. (Someone added this to my list and I stole their excellent idea!)