Coach's Corner — When Your Bike Changes, Your Habits Should Too

Our Coach’s Corner series is your chance to have your biggest cycling questions answered — right from the master, Coach Darryl MacKenzie. In these short Q&As, Coach Darryl speaks from his 35+ years of cycling and coaching experience to help you become a stronger, smarter cyclist.

Thoughtful Cyclist: 

Coach, why do cyclists sometimes struggle when switching to new equipment?

Coach Darryl:

People are creatures of habit. Cyclists are no different.

Over time, we develop habits that become automatic. We perform certain tasks the same way over and over again because they have always worked for us. But when our equipment changes, sometimes those habits need to change too.

An experienced cyclist quickly learns that when the situation changes, you have to adapt to the new reality.

New equipment sometimes requires new riding habits

A good example is the transition from flat pedals to click-in pedals.

When riding with flat pedals, the stopping process is simple. You brake, come to a stop, remove a foot from the pedal, and place that foot on the ground.

But once you switch to click-in pedals, that old habit no longer works very well. Now the process must change. You must brake, click out the foot before stopping, begin moving the foot toward the ground, turn your handlebars away from the foot you took off the pedal (so you don’t fall toward the foot that’s still attached), and then come to a stop.

If you continue using the old stopping habit after switching pedal systems, the probability of falling increases dramatically. The equipment changed. The cyclist must adapt.

Modern bikes also require new maintenance habits

The same principle applies as more cyclists add battery-powered electronics to their bikes. 

Electronic shifters, bike computers, lights, radar systems, and other accessories now make cycling more convenient in many ways. But they also introduce something cyclists did not have to worry about years ago: battery management.

Some cyclists are still learning this lesson the hard way. Nothing ruins a ride faster than showing up ready to ride and discovering that an important battery has gone dead. If the battery powers the shifters, the ride may suddenly become very difficult — or impossible, depending on the terrain.

Again, the equipment changed. The cyclist must adapt.

Develop habits that match modern equipment

I think about these adaptations the same way I think about other routines in my life. When you return from the grocery store, you automatically know what needs to happen next.

You remove the kids from the car seats.

You bring the groceries inside.

You put away the ice cream before it melts.

Cyclists need these kinds of automatic habits too. After every ride, I recommend taking a moment to:

• Inspect your tires for damage.
• Check for anything loose or broken on the bike.
• Look at battery levels for electronics that may need charging.

If you wait until an hour before your next ride to discover a damaged tire or dead battery, you may suddenly find yourself running late or unable to ride at all.

The Thinking Cyclist’s takeaway

The hour before a ride is the right time to top off tire pressure, make sure wheels spin freely, and confirm everything is ready to go. It’s not the time to discover a damaged tire or dead battery.

Similarly, your first red light riding with click-in pedals is not the time you want to discover you don’t know how to stop safely. 

As bicycles become more advanced, cyclists must continue adapting the habits that surround them. If the equipment has changed, but your habits haven’t changed with it …

Well, that’s not the bike’s fault, is it?

So, next time you make a change to your bike or your cycling equipment, don’t just jump on the next ride. Ask yourself: what changes should I make to my routine to accommodate this? 

You may be surprised how a few small adjustments can help you make the most of your upgrade.

Image courtesy of Erik Mclean on Pexels