We all love cycling but, it's not always sunshine, tailwinds and KOMs. Sam Gupta from Cycling Weekly has listed everything which he can sometimes really hate about cycling.
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00:00We all love cycling. There's no doubt about it and that's probably why you're here watching this
00:06video. However, it's not always sunshine, tailwinds and KOMs. There are some things
00:12which we can end up really hating. So here's my list of some things that I hate about cycling.
00:22There's too many rules about what you should and shouldn't do, which quite frankly
00:27should all be ignored. Being safe and comfortable is all that matters. Now,
00:31it's likely that we've all heard of the rules, an outdated set of so-called guidelines created
00:37by a previous generation of riders. All that needs to be remembered is that there are no rules.
00:42If you can enjoy the privilege of owning a bike or simply having access to one,
00:46then swing your leg over the saddle and just enjoy the freedom that two wheels can give you.
00:51Number three. Cycling can sometimes become too much about the numbers and then kill the very
00:59reason that we started in the first place. It's not always about who comes first, but who gets
01:05the most out of the journey. During a long block of training, it can feel like I've spent more time
01:10looking at my Garmin than I have looking at the landscape that I've been rolling through.
01:14Heading out on a ride without a Garmin, but being safe in the knowledge of a route that I know
01:19really well, can give me the headspace to unwind, decompress, and just enjoy the best
01:24of what cycling has to offer. For runners, it's a case of getting change,
01:32whipping on a pair of trainers, grabbing some water, and hitting start on your smartwatch.
01:36Now, I don't think I need to go into too much more detail, but that process is 10 times simpler
01:42than the fiasco that is choosing your kit, getting changed, making sure you have your keys,
01:47your money, your phone, your ride essentials, puncture repair kits, loading your map,
01:50checking the direction of the wind, making a drink, checking your bike is still working,
01:54and still has air in the tires, all while hoping you don't get to the point of being about to leave
02:00and then needing to make an emergency dash to the toilet where you all but have to strip off again.
02:05It really can be a success just by getting out the door.
02:09You really don't need the latest gear. Great bikes and gear can be found second-hand with
02:14a sizable cost reduction. Don't forget, a full life cycle of a well-serviced bike
02:19is well over a decade. A good second-hand bike to get you going can be found for around £300.
02:25Now, if you need more advice on what to look for when buying a second-hand bike,
02:29then check out our guide, which I've linked down in the description below.
02:33The overall quality of more budget options is a huge plus, and it's a great way to
02:38only get better as trickle-down tech reaches those lower echelons. It wasn't that long ago
02:43that the vast majority of the peloton was racing on rim brakes, so if it was good enough for them,
02:48well, it's definitely good enough for us now.
02:54Bonking. Need I say any more?
03:01Mechanicals. There really is no good time to have one, be it a puncture,
03:05skipping gears, rubbing brake pads, or a snap spoke. All of these little issues
03:10that can creep up on you can be incredibly infuriating when you're out on the bike.
03:16Of course, making sure that you get your bike serviced or stay on top of any little
03:19gremlins yourself will mean that mechanicals are less likely, but no amount of servicing
03:25can save you from a sharp thorn or a pesky little bit of glass.
03:29I love climbing. You may have guessed by my stature that that's where I tend to feel most
03:34at home. The feeling of dancing up a climb to get to the top to enjoy the view. Well,
03:40sometimes. Other days aren't quite so sprightly, which is why running out of gears is one of the
03:46most humbling experiences out there. Gurning your way up a climb, staring at your stem in pain,
03:52offers very little enjoyment. Either you're going to have a great time,
03:56or you need to revise your gear selection or just get a little fitter. The point still stands though,
04:04no matter the reason, running out of gears sucks.
04:11We've all been there. You're riding along, having a grand old time and ever so slowly,
04:16a new noise creeps into your ears. You're looking around. Is it me? Yes, because you're by yourself.
04:22You stop pedalling. It stops. You carry on pedalling. The sound comes back. It must be
04:28your bottom bracket. Or your spokes. Or your pedals. Or your headset. Or your hoses. Or your
04:33thru-axles. Quite frankly, it could be anything. Yet another joy of cycling. As with my previous
04:40point, if you can stay on top of servicing, hopefully these weird annoying noises should
04:45be kept at bay, to some extent. Now, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this one.
04:54In my early years of cycling, I was of course the slowest rider in the group. However,
04:59as annoying as it was feeling like you're holding everybody back, for me, it was also a huge source
05:04of motivation to get faster. It meant I was digging as deep as possible to be as fast as
05:10possible. And I believe if you truly want to get quicker out on the road, then just ride with
05:15someone who will consistently and continually drop you. It may not be fun, but at some point,
05:21you will be able to drop them, or at least hold their will. Sometimes it's not always about power
05:27zones and heart rate data. You just need to be able to go flat out, dig deep, and find that
05:32extra level that you never knew you had. Again, need I say any more?
05:42A sensitive issue for sure. When you spend a long amount of time in the saddle and maybe
05:47haven't used enough or any chamois cream, you may fall victim to the very painful saddle sore.
05:54I find that they can also creep up after a period of time of not being on the bike,
05:58and maybe you aren't quite conditioned to being in the saddle again. Of course,
06:02this is something that can be looked after. Simply apply a generous layer of chamois cream
06:07to the chamois in your shorts, and this will most certainly help save you from this nasty injury.
06:16This one goes out to all the beginners who are finding their feet when it comes to riding
06:20clipless pedals. We've all been there. You're coming to a stop, maybe at a set of lights,
06:24you completely forget you're attached to your bike, and all of a sudden you feel yourself
06:29falling in slow motion, usually to the enjoyment of the other road users that are around you.
06:34Happily, this only tends to happen once or twice before you very much learn your lesson.
06:43Forgetting to restart your Garmin. I actually felt foul of this one pretty recently. I was
06:4930 miles into a ride, and me and my ride buddy had stopped for lunch at a cafe before continuing
06:55the next 30 miles of our ride, only for me to realize with 10 miles to the end that I hadn't
07:01pressed start after we left the cafe, meaning the last 20 miles had gone unaccounted for.
07:08Schoolboy error.
07:12Now, this one is never fun, and it can be ripe for not being able to clip in,
07:16which is exactly why I taught myself how to track stand. The skill of being able to stay
07:22clipped in whilst staying still has saved me so many times. If there's one skill that's worth
07:28mastering, I'd actually say that it's this one. My only recommendation would be to start on some
07:32soft grass with a bit of an incline. Finally, the cost of it all. It's no surprise, but cycling is
07:43a pretty costly game. To even own or have access to a bike is a real privilege. I think that no
07:49matter what level of cycling you're at though, the cost of partaking in the sport can be quite
07:54grinding. It's very much the nature of the game, but I don't think it'll ever become less annoying.
08:02So there we have everything that I find can be quite annoying about cycling. Of course,
08:07I've listed quite a few things, and overall, well actually, I still absolutely love cycling.
08:12Let me know down in the comments though, is there anything that you find really annoying
08:16about cycling? I really want to hear, so do let me know. If you enjoyed the video,
08:19then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again
08:23very soon!