# So when are you not a beginner anymore??



## gabedad (Jul 12, 2012)

Title says it all. 1 year? First Metric? First Century? You NEXT Bike actually purchased?


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## angelo1100 (Aug 24, 2012)

I am going with first 1,000 miles or 1 year.


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## Alfonsina (Aug 26, 2012)

When you get called a sandbagger LOL. I'll take that as a compliment LOL.


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## Zeet (Mar 24, 2013)

You're no longer a beginner what?...Cyclist?...Roadie?...Racer?...Commuter?


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

5000 posts...duh


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## PachmanP (Aug 31, 2012)

1st TDF win.


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## ExChefinMA (May 9, 2012)

Right after you decide that you’re pretty good at this cycling stuff. 

I think it comes with the mental shift from riding a bike to going cycling.



Carry on Cyclist!

EEC


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

When you can fix your own flats!


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## philipw33 (Jan 29, 2012)

when you get someone else into cycling


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## Zeet (Mar 24, 2013)

MerlinAma said:


> When you can fix your own flats!


Yeah, This! ^ And when you can do it without getting any pinch flats! :thumbsup:


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

MerlinAma said:


> When you can fix your own flats!


in the dark ...


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## Tspeters (Oct 14, 2012)

When you longer fear routes with hills.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

MerlinAma said:


> When you can fix your own flats!


This ^

And you can start giving people info on the different types of bikes and components.


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## mmlee (Apr 15, 2012)

Tspeters said:


> When you longer fear routes with hills.


When you go looking for hills to conquer!


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## SauronHimself (Nov 21, 2012)

angelo1100 said:


> I am going with first 1,000 miles or 1 year.


If you can't ride 1000 miles in one year, you're certainly not a beginner. You're a n00b who needs to uninstall/F10 your life.


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## Zeet (Mar 24, 2013)

This is a question which begs for ambiguity. There's no clear cut definitive answer. It's not like, "When will I no longer be a virgin?"...OR, "When will I take the test?"...All we know, is that, if you keep cycling, eventually you'll become a skilled cyclist. Until that instant, you'll just be an unskilled cyclist, but you'll still be a cyclist, as long as you're cycling. If you cycle to work upon occasion, most observers would consider you as a commuter. You won't be an experienced commuter, but you'll be a commuter nonetheless. In each instance, you'll just be considered as a beginner, until you reach a point in time, where it would just seem ridiculous to refer to you as a beginner anymore. It's also about self-perception. Do you consider yourself as a beginner? If you do, then you most certainly ARE a beginner!


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

I think it has less to do with time or mileage and more to do with personal confidence and skill. I've been cycling for a year now (began again after a 15 year "break" last June). Since then I've really grown as a cyclist. I've put many miles behind me and have done things I didn't know I was capable of...but I still managed to get "spooked" from time to time, I still hit my limits. I'm still a beginner. I'm definitely more confident and growing quickly but I do not consider myself an experienced rider. I know there will come a day when I finally feel like I'm no longer a newb...I thinks that day is different for everyone.


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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

For me, the moment was when I replaced my first spoke and started paying attention to the trueness of my wheels. Miles stones are weird, in that I could repack a hub/headset/bb bearing years ago but only recently realized that I lack proficiency trying to unclip while standing up. It's gotta be a combination of things, like five out of nine of any of the following list sort of thing (to be determined by a total stranger on the internet, preferably in the lounge).


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## Wyville (Jun 19, 2013)

Zeet said:


> This is a question which begs for ambiguity. There's no clear cut definitive answer. It's not like, "When will I no longer be a virgin?"...OR, "When will I take the test?"...All we know, is that, if you keep cycling, eventually you'll become a skilled cyclist. Until that instant, you'll just be an unskilled cyclist, but you'll still be a cyclist, as long as you're cycling. If you cycle to work upon occasion, most observers would consider you as a commuter. You won't be an experienced commuter, but you'll be a commuter nonetheless. In each instance, you'll just be considered as a beginner, until you reach a point in time, where it would just seem ridiculous to refer to you as a beginner anymore. It's also about self-perception. Do you consider yourself as a beginner? If you do, then you most certainly ARE a beginner!


I agree. I only bought my first road bike a few weeks ago and have done about 200 miles, but I'm certainly no beginner. I grew up riding bikes and bikes are an important part of my life. I think I felt like a beginner only during the first two rides because I wasn't used to the light weight and responsiveness of the bike. Now I push the bike as much as I would any other bike. It's very personal.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

headloss said:


> For me, the moment was when I replaced my first spoke and started paying attention to the trueness of my wheels. Miles stones are weird, in that I could repack a hub/headset/bb bearing years ago but only recently realized that I lack proficiency trying to unclip while standing up. It's gotta be a combination of things...


This (IMO) touches on one facet of cycling that the OP's question (no offense, OP) doesn't address. That being, no longer a beginner _at what facet or facets_ of cycling?? Understanding geometry/ sizing requirements? Fit? Good form/ smoothing the pedal stroke? Wrenching? The list goes on and on....

I've been into this for close to 30 years and learn something new on a regular basis. Besides actually riding, that's one of the things about cycling I love. There are NO experts in _every_ facet. Just varying degrees of knowledge about one or more.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

MerlinAma said:


> When you can fix your own flats!


I'm pretty sure plenty of people who don't even own a bike and never have would have no problem fixing a flat.

Anyway, I first felt I wasn't a beginner when a group ride leader didn't show up and it was decided by the other riders I should lead the ride.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

MerlinAma said:


> When you can fix your own flats!





love4himies said:


> This ^
> 
> And you can start giving people info on the different types of bikes and components.





headloss said:


> For me, the moment was when I replaced my first spoke and started paying attention to the trueness of my wheels.


All of these things are able to be achieved without ever pedaling a bike. While they're all good to know, they're really no reflection of your cycling abilities. 

There's quite a few people working in LBS shops wrenching on bikes that barely (if ever) actually ride them, yet can do all these things. It's like saying a Nascar pit crew aren't beginners, yet they've never been behind the wheel of a race car.


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## Alfonsina (Aug 26, 2012)

Sometimes I hear people on my group rides spout the most incredible BS about components LOL. I would be very wary of taking that as an indicator of knowledge. IME, people who talk the most usually know the least.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Alfonsina said:


> Sometimes I hear people on my group rides spout the most incredible BS about components LOL. I would be very wary of taking that as an indicator of knowledge. IME, people who talk the most usually know the least.


^ This ^

And when you get the joke about 'vertical compliance & lateral rigidity'...


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

14cm drop or less=beginner.


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## jjaguar (Oct 11, 2011)

I judge by how sharply-defined your tan lines are.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

after you've made the transition to clipless pedals and you're not falling over anymore!


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## Dave Cutter (Sep 26, 2012)

Sometimes when the weather is very nice like today, I stop at a Starbucks near home when returning from a long ride. Often times someone will say to me "_It's a beautiful day to go for a bicycle ride_".

I always reply: "_Yes it is a beautiful day. But *if I only rode on days when the weather was nice I wouldn't be a cyclist.... I'd just be another old man with a bicycle hanging in his garage*_".

It isn't the quality of the equipment, physical abilities, or miles logged that makes a bicycle rider a cyclist. It's the commitment.



josephr said:


> after you've made the transition to clipless pedals and you're not falling over anymore!


The park that a bicycle path cuts through was hosting girls little league games last weekend. A parent stepped in front on me... and in avoiding hitting him... I forgot to unclip and fell over.

Long story shortened: I wrecked my bicycle at the little league park last weekend and cut my knee. I could have said the same thing more than half a century ago. Some things never change.


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## josephr (Jun 17, 2010)

I've been riding clipless 20+ years....today I didn't have the QR skewer tight so was opening slightly...stopped, unclipped, tightened QR, started off, missed the pedal on left, missed the pedal on right, left foot down on pavement, cleat slides on well-worn road, down I went!
Joe

I'm a firm believer that we're all beginners...if we ever stopped learning new stuff, then it wouldn't be fun anymore!


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## JLLNet (Jul 10, 2013)

I've been riding for a year and done roughly 1,400+ miles and my longest Saturday rides have been about 35 miles in 2 hours. Because of work sometimes I can only ride once or twice during the week when I can only ride for about 1 hour and do about 15 miles.

Clearly a beginner, I do like to drink my wine and beer starting Thursday, but I eat well.

And this Saturday I'm going on my 1st Group ride.

What do I have to change to ride longer....?


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

When people at work start referring to you as "that bike guy."


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

(Winston Churchill, after British forces under Montgomery defeated Rommel in the second battle of El Alamein.)


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## Zeet (Mar 24, 2013)

cxwrench said:


> ^ This ^
> 
> And when you get the joke about 'vertical compliance & lateral rigidity'...


Empty wagons do make a lotta noise!  However, we shouldn't be too quick to jump to conclusions. Sometimes, what you interpret as virtual wacky noise from afar, is really good music to the ears of newbies and local cyclists in need of sound mechanical assistance.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

JLLNet said:


> Clearly a beginner, I do like to drink my wine and beer starting Thursday, but I eat well.


I didn't realize that what nights you drink on was one of the criteria. I start drinking my martinis on Thursday - but I continue to Wednesday. Guess I'm an eternal beginner, even after >40 years.

What's the theory behind not drinking on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday?


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## scduc (Dec 16, 2012)

Hopefully you never stop being a "beginner". Beginners are one's who have never tried something new. If you do the same route and never look for new challenges, then your seasoned. But only at that one thing which if that's your thing then great. I only do the same route's. So to me I am not a beginner, but I'm far from good or even a cyclist for that matter. I'll ride 3k+ this year. I keep trying to do better, that's all that matters to me.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Anyway, I first felt I wasn't a beginner when a group ride leader didn't show up and it was decided by the other riders I should lead the ride.


I like this. Sort of like being punk requiring recognition as punk by an established punk.

It's hard to make a rule. One of my teammates just got his Cat. 3 upgrade. He's only been riding a couple of years but he works hard and has no problem riding me off his wheel (I work significantly less hard and with less organization, go figure) but he still sits his bike poorly, fits his helmets wrong, takes ceramic bearings seriously, could probably be sold a laterally stiff, vertically compliant bike, etc.

I think it's really about understanding oneself as a cyclist. Of course we're all myopic about ourselves, which is where recognition from elsewhere helps.


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## areFish (Jun 10, 2013)

Three rides in a row no chainring tattoo.


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## JLLNet (Jul 10, 2013)

JCavilia said:


> I didn't realize that what nights you drink on was one of the criteria. I start drinking my martinis on Thursday - but I continue to Wednesday. Guess I'm an eternal beginner, even after >40 years.
> 
> What's the theory behind not drinking on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday?


..funny lol, just curious if drinking hold you back from having more endurance, just silly


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## JLLNet (Jul 10, 2013)

This Saturday I missed the group ride, but I had a Dentist appoint for removing a crown so I decided to go on my bike, about 20 one way...

So I left Doral, FL on US Hwy 27 and I got to Pines Blvd and all of the sudden I felt like Forrest Gump, and I said to myself, "it's too early for the Dentist and I'm feeling good" so I continued head north, passed Sheridan St, Griffin Rd until I reached the Hwy 595 about 39 miles the I head back to make my Dentist appointment.

So I finished my Saturday with 39 miles non-stop 2:09 hrs, then 1.5 hrs appointment which got my so cold and I head back home for another hour, 19 miles. This 2nd part going home head into heavy wind and weak legs, but I kept on going...:mad2:

I finished my ride; 3:51:34 - 58.5 miles - and the Dentist stop of about 1 1/2 hrs.

The worst part was the long break because before the stop I felt like I could have kept on riding.

Maybe I'm not a newbie anymore, I feel that I can ride on any group now, but I will challenge myself next time with the same route not stop.

My question, when you are feeling weak, and riding into the wind, and tire... Should I stop for a few minutes or just keep going even if going slow at 10-12 mph?


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

gabedad said:


> Title says it all. 1 year? First Metric? First Century? You NEXT Bike actually purchased?


dunno.. because there is always something new to learn.


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## Blackbeerthepirate (Apr 26, 2011)

spookyload said:


> *500* posts...duh



fify.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

JLLNet said:


> My question, when you are feeling weak, and riding into the wind, and tire... Should I stop for a few minutes or just keep going even if going slow at 10-12 mph?


I'd prefer you just keep going, about 15 mph. When I'm feeling weak and riding into the wind, I welcome any wheel to follow.


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