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New tri bike scares me!

I have just brought a tri bike, i have been out on it a few times & it scares the hell out of me. I cant seem to move from the top of the bars to the aero bars without wobbling. I feel totally out of control especially when im on the aero bars and i need to brake.

Im really tempted to sell it even though i have only had is a few weeks.

ive totally lost confidence!

Can anyone offer some advice!

Comments

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Dont go balls out straight away! Take time to learn and love your stead!

    When you are on the bike go steady and take your time. Get off the bars before you feel the need to brake! confidence comes with familarity!
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    Sell it to me, I'll give you a tenner?



  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    Oh, I mean, what Baz said!
  • WannabetriWannabetri Posts: 219
    I would like to say MTFU!



    Falling off a tri-bike is the best thing ever. Just ahead of drowning in a bowl of custard.



    Oh, this is serious?!?! Practice makes perfect as they say, and I have ridden my tri bike for 2 years and I still have a slight wobble when shifting from aero to upright. Is it even possible to do it without wobbling I wonder, as you are always likely to pressed into one side of the bike when moving an arm, to then move another.



    Treat if like any other training session. Practice techniques in safest environments. Do reps of moving positions. Time down in aero, time upright and repeat! Practice moving to braking position. Learn to read the road ahead and make decisions and selections early.



    If Carlsberg did mistakes, then getting rid of a tri-bike for a road-bike would probably be the best in the world!!! [:D]
  • Cheryl6162Cheryl6162 Posts: 356
    God, I so know what you mean! I bought a lovely tri bike, which everybody told me was a bargain for what I paid (£400 and only a year old - £1,500 new) but I was scared to death on it. Felt really vulnerable on the road with traffic passing, also wobbled going from base bars to aero and vice versa and worried about not being able to get to the brakes quickly enough! The wobbling did get better with time, but the difficulty with using the bar end gears and the feeling of insecurity eventually got the better of me and I sold it to another forum member, who I have to say is getting on famously with it.



    I, in the meantime, have returned to what I consider to be a more normal progression from my original hybrid to a road racing bike with standard drops. I feel much happier and more secure on that, although that security has taken a bit of a bashing with the addition of clip pedals! I will stick with them even though I wake up in the night sweating from dreams of toppling over at a junction and under a car!!



    I think there's just not hope for me-I'm just a huge wuss!
  • gdh250467gdh250467 Posts: 237
    I don't have the luxury/necessity of a Tri bike, but have clip on aerobars on my road bike. I sh1t myself almost everytime I go onto the aerobars as for a time the bike is unweighted and I wobble, and until I get fully stable I feel like anything could happen. Also, when on the bars, I'm conscious that my hands are nowhere near the brakes or shifters, and therefore have to look further ahead than usual to read to road, and make due allowance for other twats on the road. I spent the first sessions cycling around an industrial estate on a sunday afternoon when all the roads were completely empty practising going from bars to aerobars and back, and trying to negotiate turns.



    However, when I am in full flight (hah!) there is nothing better, speed and comfort. Stick with it, as if you give it up I'm sure it's a decision you will regret.



    For what it's worth, my expectation is that you won't get a single response from this forum supporting you call to abandon the Tri bike.

  • Do not sell that bike - if its fitted properly you will learn to love it ............ they take a while to get used to, try getting out on long straight main roads at quiet times for a practice or even get it up on the trainer, it won't teach you balance but it will get you used to the position ............... but remember don't sell it - love it !!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    I heard of someone who got a roll of foam and packed it down in the steering tube. This apparantly made the steering stiffer and reduced the wobbles.



    Other than that - yep, it is poo poo time, just like wearing clipless for the first time.



    Try and practice in a park or cycle path with grass verges early in the morning with nobody about. Cycle along the edge of a path next to the grass so if you fall off you have a 50% chance off hitting the soft stuff. That's what I did.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    i've bunged some tri-bars on my road bike and barely touched them for the first month. i was worried about corners, bumps in the road, too much traffic, weaving around like an idiot, not having the brakes, not having the gears, the wind in the wrong direction... you name it i used it as a worry to not use them.



    after 6-8 weeks though something clicked and i started to build some confidence. first of all on straights and clear-ish road, and after a while learned to confidently use one hand to change gear. i wouldn't be without them now, i'm quite happy to use them to cruise up long steady hills.



    see if you can find some quiet places on your regular rides to use the aeros, short stints to begin with and then extend them as you build confidence.
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Aerobikes are more stable ridden at speed,find a long straight quiet stretch of road,then go for it,practice,moving from bars to brakes at speed,treat it with respect,and just look a little further ahead than when on the road bike,anticipate first,engage brain,then move.The reason you got the bike is for speeeeeeed,speeeeeed and speeeeeeed,I thought that point was important.
  • BexHBexH Posts: 226
    Some strange lady from this site sold me her tribike not so long ago.... he he. I like Tessa the tribike a lot although she is a bit sensitive on the old gearing (gently does it or the chain can fall off) and I do feel unstable when the road gets bumpy. I worry a bit about unexpected braking (ie. last night I went out by myself on a New Forest road as they are fairly quiet mid week evenings and I was concerned about the ponies suddenly walking out and having to brake which happened a few times). But overall I haven't had the bike long so am aiming to get better. Sharp turns are wobbly and signalling is scary- I sort of just signal from elbow rather than lifting from shoulder as I should unless road very smooth. But overall I enjoy riding her. I'd stick with it if I were you and just make sure like the others said that you stay on quiet roads with no heavy traffic.
  • julesojuleso Posts: 279
    nessyt, good luck with it. I'm not an aerobars person yet but remember vividly the first time I rode clipless. I cried. Twice. And now (touch wood), well, it feels happy. My (roundabout) point is that I'm sure you'll get there. And when you do, you'll be so glad you did.



    juleso
  • gavinrigg06gavinrigg06 Posts: 176
    I switched from a MTB straight to a Tri specific bike, and I love the aerobars, I don't tend to use the brakes that often, rather trying to pick a good line.



    There is a bit of wobble when coming up from the aero position, back on to the bars, but it isn't enough to send you crashing to the floor, although it may feel like it. Once you have got used to it you will wonder what all the fuss was about.
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Tri bars,Who needs tri bars when you can have this

    http://www.idbike.com/other.htm
  • BexHBexH Posts: 226
    OMG, are we a load of pansies compared to that guy or what?! Mental.
  • gdh250467gdh250467 Posts: 237
    I don't fancy being on that when some ar5ehole pulls out in fornt of me!
  • MrSquishyMrSquishy Posts: 277
    Be the bike! - Rick Kiddle told me (and other Rookie Day 2 attendees) that last weekend.
  • nessytnessyt Posts: 25
    Thanks for replies, Im glad im not the only one who wobbles!!!

    i will take all your advice & try & get use to it. I will keep you posted!



    jon.e that looks painfull!!!!!!!
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    No pain,no gain......but it looks tooooooo Riskeee to me.No place for the water bottle either.
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    It just isn't practical that id bike - i mean if you need to p*ss yourself on an ironman bike, would it just sit there in the chest support and it might get it in the gears. They really didn't think that thing through
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    jon.E wrote:


    Tri bars,Who needs tri bars when you can have this

    http://www.idbike.com/other.htm



    blimey. looks a bit unstable at low speed to me. i'd love to see him do a clipped in hill start [:D]

  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    jon.E wrote:


    Tri bars,Who needs tri bars when you can have this

    http://www.idbike.com/other.htm



    It's a recumbent - but rotated through 90 degrees!



    Pity they stopped developing it, looks like fun to me...
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