Some skills are crucial regardless of whether you want to take up cycling as a hobby or professionally. But don’t be troubled if you don’t think you have some of these important skills. As you continue to cycle, these skills will become second nature. But, before they do, learn more about these important cycling skills.
Awareness
The first and foremost important skill when it comes to cycling is awareness. Yes, I am certain all readers have a certain degree of awareness from everyday life. However, cycling is faster and requires you to be on your toes and ready to react. You never know what is around the corner, and this is part of cycling awareness.
Perception changes when you are on a bike, but it is also something you can pick up eventually. As you cycle more and more, you will learn how to spot unpleasant situations before reaching them. While you will primarily keep your eyes up front, you should also pay attention to your left and right, especially in urban areas.
Braking
What can be so hard about breaking is one of the most standard questions. However, simply slamming the brakes is not always the best option. You have the front and the back brakes, and all kinds of different braking systems. But, you need to know how to use them correctly.
The front brake is more effective than the rear brake. However, you risk flying over the handlebars if you press the front brakes too hard. If you hit the rear brakes, you might go into a slide and not stop as effectively as you want. This is why you need to know how the brakes function to use them successfully.
Just like with any other cycling element, you will gradually learn more and become more used to quick braking. Some simple tips to get you started with are the following. Don’t press either of your brakes too hard. When using the front brake, distribute your weight towards the back to prevent flying over the bars.
Cornering
One of the skills you won’t develop unless you try is cornering. If you are new, you might consider this as something advanced. But it is actually quite easy to learn and becomes second nature quickly.
Cornering implies being able to enter corners, even sharp ones, quickly and effectively. In order to lean into the corner, you also need to have a certain speed. If you are slow, you will simply fall over. And if you do it correctly, you will enter the corner without losing any speed.
Additional Skills
There are numerous other skills that will help you in your cycling endeavours. You will notice that you slowly develop more dexterity and prowess on your bike. You should also know how to maintain your bike. Make sure to do regular checkups, and you will easily find ways to fix your bicycle, even on the road.
Learning how to ride and drink water at the same time is another skill you will learn eventually. Similarly, riding with no hands on the bars, eating while cycling or changing clothes comes in handy. Experienced riders will find that they have already acquired quite a few of these skills, even if they weren’t aware of them.
