Need Tips on Your Bicycling Skills?

Part of the fun, fitness and safety in San Diego bicycling is to continually work on developing your bike riding skills. There is no better place to start than by focusing on the basics of developing a solid center for your body. You will not only develop better balance, which is essential for emergencies and staying out of a San Diego cycling accident, but the proper balance lessens the impact on your spine, neck, shoulders and buttocks because your legs absorb the road vibrations.

Positioning Your Body

Generally, your feet should be level on the bike pedals. Set the pedals at 3 and 9 o’clock on the stroke, except when making tight turns. This position helps balance your body and gives you flexibility to shift your weight back and forth or side to side. Maintain a 45-degree bend in your back, which may be relaxed or refined more depending on the type of bike you are riding.

Line your chin up with the top tube. With eyes level, look straight ahead. Flex your elbows at a 90-degree angle and relax your shoulders. Bend your knees 30 to 50-degrees. Remain seated except when maneuvering over uneven terrain. Lift off the seat a few inches when navigating rough landscape. This allows your legs to function as shock absorbers. Grip the handlebars with both hands, but in a relaxed firm manner. Keep your thumbs under the handlebars. Keep your wrist straight and alternate hand positions.

Find Your Center Point

Find a roadway, preferably one that is paved and with a slight incline, where you can safely put these tips into practice while adhering to California bicycle laws and while you are using the proper cycling equipment, such as a helmet. Start coasting from the top of the road. Stand up on the pedals and carefully shift your weight forward. Notice the change in your center of balance. Now, try shifting your weight back and pay attention to the shift in your balance. Practice shifting your weight less and less, from side to side and back and forth. Each time, “feel” for your center.

If you need to stop suddenly (including to avoid a bike accident) moving your center of gravity down and back can help. You can practice this by moving your hips back in the saddle and applying the rear brakes more firmly then the front brakes. You can lower the center of gravity even more by moving your hips behind and below the saddle. (Be sure to practice this in a safe area!) Resist the urge to clamp down on the front brake first. It could catapult you over the front handlebars, especially in a high speed decent.

It is easier to find your center when standing because your higher center of gravity gives your body more leverage. Try the same exercises from a sitting position. Understand that finding your center is a continuous activity. Your center point changes from second to second because of the many variables that affects this “region,” including the weather, the lunch you eat or whether you are climbing or coasting. Practice and repetition of the above bike riding skills will ensure that establishing your “center” becomes second nature.

San Diego bike accident attorney Frederick M. Dudek is a dedicated cyclist who frequently commutes to his law office on his bike. If you have questions about a San Diego bike accident, contact him to arrange a free consultation.