As Bike Week 2015 draws to a close this weekend, it's been great to hear stories about so many people embracing cycling for the first time.
More than one fresh-faced rookie, however, has confided that when it comes to bikes "there is so much to learn".
To an extent this is true, but it also struck me that sometimes it can feel like we are making things unnecessary difficult. If I could impart just three bits of advice, it would be this:
1) Go for a bike fit
Many years ago at a large chain store (which shall remain nameless) I was talked into buying a badly fitting bike. The salesperson based the frame size loosely on my height without taking into account my proportions (embarrassingly short legs and a long torso), never mind the reach, position of the handlebars, seat or brake levers and all manner of other crucial factors.
For months, every bike ride was plagued by debilitating back pains. This need never happen. Book yourself a proper bike fit and you will be surprised how quickly many of those little cycling niggles dissipate.
He's a man much in demand, but if you can get an appointment with Neil Walker at Walkers Cycling his knack for a bike fit is second to none. Neil, who represented Scotland at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and has since carved a successful career as a performance coach, can be found at his family's bike shop located in Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire.
Another local Scottish bike shop offering a fantastic service is Thomsons Cycles in Paisley which has recently introduced the Giant PowerFit system by Watt Bike. Multiple Scottish national cycling champion Kayleigh Brogan is the guru who will get you kitted out.
Visit walkerscycling.co.uk and thomsonscycles.com
2) Love what you do
There was a time when I used to get caught up in Strava segments and shaving precious nanoseconds off my daily commute to work. Now I just ride my bike. The biggest contest is arriving at the office with a face that is at worst salmon pink rather than a startling mottled scarlet that takes until lunchtime to fade. It's hugely liberating.
3) It is OK to break the rules
By that I don't mean sail through red lights or pedal on the pavement, but by the same token don't get too bogged down in the oft-trotted out Velominati cycling etiquette known as The Rules.
We could all do well to live by Rule#5 and Rule#43 (velominati.com/the-rules) but sometimes rules can become a means to mask snobbery. And that's when they become no fun.
See that road bike over there? That's mine - and it's got SPD mountain bike pedals on it. I simply prefer mountain bike to road shoes. I also once drank a cappuccino at a cafe stop.
Then there are those who variously refer to fellow cyclists in disparaging terms such as "the Lycra brigade", the "Brompton [insert rude word]" and so on. Please desist. You are not the Gok Wan of cycling. Everyone else? As you were.
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