Cardio training, weight loss, stress reduction… the health benefits of cycling are well known. “Cycling is interesting because it is an individual endurance practice, which can be adapted”, certifies Jean Ponard, deputy president of Grenoble Métropole Cyclisme 38 (GMC 38), which includes a Health Bike Coach program.
But as with any sport, beginners should take a few precautions to avoid injury, discomfort, or simply giving up out of discouragement. For Jean Ponard, these precautions can be summed up in three words. “Adaptability, progressiveness and regularity are the leitmotifs”, he explains.
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Suitable equipment
Adapting your practice means first of all choosing the right equipment. In addition to the essential safety equipment – gloves, helmet, and lighting at night – you have to choose the right bike. “A suitable bike is not an expensive bike”, reassures the deputy chairman of the GMC 38.
On the other hand, it must correspond to the morphology of the cyclist. The saddle, for example: “If it is too high, you will have, among other things, lumbar problems. If it’s too low, your knees will touch your chin…” Furthermore, an electrically assisted bicycle can be very useful for a beginner, especially within a group (read elsewhere).
Adapting your practice also means choosing the right course. Jean Ponard advises to “prefer easy terrain and avoid busy roads” at first. During a heat wave, “common sense advice” deserves to be remembered: postpone a session when the temperature becomes excessive, provide more water than usual, etc.
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Are electric and sport bikes compatible?
For Jean Ponard, the electrically assisted bicycle (VAE) is not the enemy of effort. On the contrary: “It’s an absolutely fabulous tool, which allows you to take part in group outings without fear of being left behind. »
However, going out in a group does not only make a session more pleasant: it is also a way to be more motivated and to train more regularly. “It is not degrading to have a VAE, especially at first: it allows you to gain confidence and join the dynamics of a group”, adds Jean Ponard.
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Slowly but surely
The intensity of the first sessions must be measured, to avoid too rapid a rise in speed and possible pain or even injury. “Someone who returns to sport for reasons of wisdom, because he realizes that he has gained weight or that his lifestyle is insufficient, can fall into the opposite excess and want to do too much warns Jean Ponard.
Finally, if the recovery is gentle, it must also be regular. “Cycling once a quarter is not constructive,” he recalls. A suitable pace allows you to gradually find your abilities, your limits, any difficulties, without losing confidence or the taste for cycling.
“We need to take stock. And from this inventory, we can know what to do, then have fun,” sums up the deputy chairman of the GMC 38.
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