“It’s just like riding a bike…”
While it’s technically true that you never forget how to ride a bike once you know how, one thing I learned pretty sharpish when I first took up road cycling is that attempting to cycle ‘seriously’ as an adult, and tearing around on my heavy Halfords armchair of a bike as a kid are two quite different things. Swapping the chunky Clarks light-up trainers and Tammy Girl flares of my childhood years for cleats and cycling kit as an adult involved a good few mistakes and mishaps as I got to grips with riding again. And, after talking to some of The Herd here at Stolen Goat HQ, it turns out I wasn’t alone. Cycling fashion faux pas, comedy slow motion fall-overs when we’ve forgotten to unclip from the pedals at a junction… We’ve all had them!
Whether you’ve been cycling for years and you fancy a bit of a nostalgic look back at those early trials and tribulations. Or you’re new to cycling and you need a bit of reassurance that we all have mishaps and we all had to learn a few lessons the hard way when we first started out. We put our heads together at SG HQ and came up with a few of the things we wish we’d known when we first started riding.
1. Dress code: no underpants required
If you’ve made this mistake, you’ll know what we mean when we say… Holy Chafe, Batman! Your bike shorts have got a lovely soft chamois for a reason (in fact, ours is specially-designed for ultimate comfort). Leave your undercrackers in the drawer and let your bike shorts do their thing. Your undercarriage will thank us later.
2. Eat up! Never underestimate the power of a mid-ride snack
Adventures need fuel. It’s easy to underestimate how much energy you’re burning through when you’re busy enjoying the ride. Until you suddenly find yourself feeling about as energetic as a soggy lettuce leaf. ‘Bonking’ in cycling terms is nowhere near as fun as the name suggests! Neglect to take on enough fuel and you’ll find yourself feeling sapped of energy and struggling to keep the pedals turning. If you’re heading out for over an hour, always take some on-the-go snacks as well as your usual drinks bottles to avoid the dreaded mid-ride ‘bonk’.
3. Practice your puncture repair skills to avoid a long walk home
Unless you want to risk an unplanned bike-run session, taking some time to practice changing an inner tube and checking your tyres after a puncture is important. There are plenty of great how-to videos out there (we love this one from GCN) but don’t be afraid to ask someone from your local cycling club or bike shop for help! The cycling community are a friendly bunch and there’s plenty of help and support out there.
4. Winter kit is worth the investment
When it came to my first winter on the bike, I figured just squeezing as many layers as possible of old running kit over my one pair of summer cycling shorts would be totally fine. How cold could I really get? Turns out, pretty cold. Reader: it was not fine. I even tried to go and meet my coach for one of my first training sessions wearing a huge ski jacket. So naïve. So chilly.
If there’s kit you don’t want to skimp on, it’s your winter kit. It needs the technical qualities to keep you warm, without overheating. To be properly waterproof, yet breathable. And let’s face it, you want to feel great in it too! Michelin Man-esque layers just aren’t going to cut it. And let’s not even mention the faff that comes with nipping to the loo at the café stop!
We’re bias, of course. But the Stolen Goat winter kit is designed to keep you as comfortable as possible in cold conditions. Offering maximum warmth, with minimal bulk and a dash of signature Stolen Goat style. Get yourself some Climb & Conquer tights and a jacket and you’ll be smiling through those miles, whatever Mother Nature throws at you.
“Buy right… buy once” – well that is until our designer Trevor pulls awesome new Climb and Conquer jacket designs out of the bag and you find yourself playing kit drawer Tetris to see if you can sneak another one into your collection. But that’s beside the point!
Check out our Winter Riding Tips blog post to help you make the most of your time on the bike during the winter months.
5. Rules are made to be broken – ride your way, and do it in style
Some folks out there will try and make you believe that your socks can only be a certain length, you can only wear blue on Thursdays and all manner of other “rules”. We say: ride how you like, wear kit you love and Find your Freedom by just having fun. Match your kit to your bike, or wear every print you can get your mitts on all at once – anything goes. There’s no need to follow the flock, when you’ve got a whole Herd of goat rebels riding right behind you.
Got some tips for new riders? Or maybe a comedic “when I first started cycling” story? Why not head over to the Stolen Goat Herd Facebook group and share it with your fellow goats!