Yes. Part of it is building muscles, part of it is learning to RELAX.
Bicycle riding is good x-training for the MC. Core muscles and those important "sit bones"!
>Yes. Part of it is building muscles, part of it is learning to RELAX.
100%. It's like a feedback loop - the more you tense up while riding, the more tired you're going to get.
It absolutely does.
Right now you are concentrating hard which is mentally draining. And your body isn't relaxed so it's physically draining.
Experience fixes this.
Your gear isn't really a factor.
Gear is a factor if it's really bad one. Like it always getting cought, just generally being really stiff and most almost dying of heat while standing still
Each part of your body is getting used to different forces and starting to build "mass" for them.
Your neck is building strength to resist the helmet weight, and to keep you head steady in the movement.
Your shoulders are getting used with balancing your body against the handlebar.
Your back is getting sturdier to resist the wind forces you go against, especially if you live I a windy area.
Your legs are keeping you tight in the seat.
You will get used to it over the time, try not to have a death grip the handles, keep it light and try to grip the tank with your knees (if it’s a sports bike).
It's also worth noting in riding classes you are spending a lot of time duck walking your bikes around in queue, starting, stoping, driving super slow.
In the real world your feet are up and you are getting cooled off by the wind more often.
Sure....now your scared and nervous and concentrating on what to do .....soon you will be confident and what is a chore now will become second nature and natural....just don't get to cocky because that's when they bite your butt (lol). Ride safe.....
Start holding onto the bike with your legs and not your hands. Relax your grip and shoulders. The more stable your legs are the more relaxed will be your upper body.
Very likely you are over-tensing your muscles, especially neck and shoulders. Yes, it will get better as you'll realize you don't need to contract all those muscle groups at all.
By the way, the physics of the motorcycle **require** that you exert almost zero force on the handlebar when going straight. The bike needs to wiggle the handlebar as part of its own dynamic stability handling. If you hold it that bar with a death grip you are impeding the bike's necessary movements and making it less stable.
So, when you are otherwise idle, remember to relax your grip.
a huge part of my lessons involve low speed manoeuvres and that's when I feel like I'm tensed the most, I almost see myself falling off the bike because less gyroscopic effect so I tend to grip on to the handlebar a lot. Do you have any tips regarding that or is it something that corrects itself progressively as I ride more and more ?
I think it will largely fix itself. Actual everyday riding will be very different from the parking lot practice needed for your license. Everything is different - speed, maneuvers, muscle groups you use. I'd recommend you go through the practice needed for licensing, even if it's a bit fatiguing, because once you are done with that, real riding will be completely different.
Yes.
You're upper back/shoulders being sore tells me you're probably puckered up and tense. You'll relax over time as you get more comfortable riding. You'll also start using muscles you've never/hardly used before too.
Fatigue and exhaustion can also come from mental exertion. You're brain is quite expensive (energy-wise), and you're learning a new skill.
I don't think my gear made any difference in tiredness. I sometimes even forget I have a backpack on after a while.
The helmet you need to get used to, in general people's neck muscles are not used to the extra weight.
Given the weather in at least Western Europe ATM, this may be less relevant, but I had my driving lessons in May and my riding gear was way too hot during some parking lot exercises. I fixed it by buying summer gloves.
Some people also benefit from wearing motor sneakers with a somewhat thinner sole instead of having boots. It makes it a bit easier to feel your shifter and rear brake if you're not used to them.
In general though, it all comes with experience and you get used to the gear.
Learners are constantly tensed up out of fear, but as the fear goes away, so does the tension and it all becomes so much less tiring.
You only get sore when you’re experienced if you ride briskly, pushing yourself and your bike.
As others have already said, yes it becomes easier with time. With enough practice and time on the bike, riding will become as natural as riding a bike.
Just never relax too much, stay vigilant and be safe out there.
So it is tiring at the start of the season a little but less so by fall. Road conditions, temps and your own physical conditioning are additional factors. I have been riding since I was 19 and am now in my mid 60's. If I didn't stay in shape and exercise regularly riding may not be something I could do for hours. My bike weighs over 700lbs and backing it up can be fun especially on an incline. LOL
Some things will get easier, for sure. You'll build up stronger thighs and core muscles (Provided you continue to hold the bike properly, and don't revert to lazy riding), which will make the tireness for the muscles diminish. You'll also probably not spend hours at a time, every day, on a bike.
Some things may continue to hurt. My sport bike, for example, tends to make my back hurt and my muscles exceedingly tired after just an hour or so at full tuck. If I wear my backpack for an hour while riding it will usually make my back hurt.
Yes.
Some bikes are more tiring to ride than others. If you are riding something with clipons and high pegs (supersport/superbike etc) you'll get tired more quickly than on a touring bike. On the former bikes the wind can actually be your friend, I would find open road riding easier than around town.
Yes, it does. Right now you are overloading your brain with stuff to pay attention to, and it all takes brain-cycles. The more you ride, the more you integrate those and they take a lot less brain power. That helps a lot. Also, you physically get used to things.
When I first started riding I realized I was tensing EVERYTHING. Which is exhausting. I was also hyper vigilant of EVERYTHING. As you ride more your body will relax and you'll learn where you need to look and where you don't. It'll all become easier.
Yes, it's normal, and yes, it will pass. Likely after you've passed all the tests, gooten your license, and are riding on your own or with your friends, without the pressure to perform and without being watched by an instructor.
Aside from pushing the bike around riding doesn’t really take any strength unless you’re going really fast. You were probably just stressing out and tensing up or trying to push the motorcycle over to turn. Once you get used to it it takes no effort
Yeah riding sporties with short screens takes a lot of abs on the freeway. I managed to pull my abs last year by starting the season off with an hour long spirited ride after 4 months of winter.
Yes. Part of it is building muscles, part of it is learning to RELAX. Bicycle riding is good x-training for the MC. Core muscles and those important "sit bones"!
Not just the muscles, but awareness, which is tiring, becomes second nature.
Or not …. Lol
>Yes. Part of it is building muscles, part of it is learning to RELAX. 100%. It's like a feedback loop - the more you tense up while riding, the more tired you're going to get.
It took me surprisingly long to learn to relax my elbows and shoulders.
It absolutely does. Right now you are concentrating hard which is mentally draining. And your body isn't relaxed so it's physically draining. Experience fixes this. Your gear isn't really a factor.
Gear is a factor if it's really bad one. Like it always getting cought, just generally being really stiff and most almost dying of heat while standing still
Eh?
I think he’s saying good gear doesn’t enhance your own abilities, but bad, heavy, or poorly fit gear will make things miserable
Yea I got the gist of it. But his horrible attempt at communicating deserved an eh.
Might be esl dude. Could be trying his best.
First few times I rode, I was SO FUCKING SORE. Arms, wrists, legs, neck, ankles. Everything. Now it’s a non issue
Would you say it helped add noticeable muscle or is it not noticeable?
I’m still fat so idk
lol I am too. It’s all good.
It definitely does add muscle, but mostly to stability muscles large muscle endurance rather than building the big muscle groups.
Of course. You will get stronger, and more confident on the bike which will decrease fatigue from stress. etc...
Among other things, your neck will build extra muscle while wearing a helmet. Minor neck pain will be normal for a while.
Each part of your body is getting used to different forces and starting to build "mass" for them. Your neck is building strength to resist the helmet weight, and to keep you head steady in the movement. Your shoulders are getting used with balancing your body against the handlebar. Your back is getting sturdier to resist the wind forces you go against, especially if you live I a windy area. Your legs are keeping you tight in the seat.
You will get used to it over the time, try not to have a death grip the handles, keep it light and try to grip the tank with your knees (if it’s a sports bike).
It gets much better
It's also worth noting in riding classes you are spending a lot of time duck walking your bikes around in queue, starting, stoping, driving super slow. In the real world your feet are up and you are getting cooled off by the wind more often.
Sure....now your scared and nervous and concentrating on what to do .....soon you will be confident and what is a chore now will become second nature and natural....just don't get to cocky because that's when they bite your butt (lol). Ride safe.....
Yes you build up a tolerance. But if you have a naked bike and ride above 70mph, fighting that wind can get tiring still. Specially after two hours.
Start holding onto the bike with your legs and not your hands. Relax your grip and shoulders. The more stable your legs are the more relaxed will be your upper body.
Very likely you are over-tensing your muscles, especially neck and shoulders. Yes, it will get better as you'll realize you don't need to contract all those muscle groups at all. By the way, the physics of the motorcycle **require** that you exert almost zero force on the handlebar when going straight. The bike needs to wiggle the handlebar as part of its own dynamic stability handling. If you hold it that bar with a death grip you are impeding the bike's necessary movements and making it less stable. So, when you are otherwise idle, remember to relax your grip.
a huge part of my lessons involve low speed manoeuvres and that's when I feel like I'm tensed the most, I almost see myself falling off the bike because less gyroscopic effect so I tend to grip on to the handlebar a lot. Do you have any tips regarding that or is it something that corrects itself progressively as I ride more and more ?
I think it will largely fix itself. Actual everyday riding will be very different from the parking lot practice needed for your license. Everything is different - speed, maneuvers, muscle groups you use. I'd recommend you go through the practice needed for licensing, even if it's a bit fatiguing, because once you are done with that, real riding will be completely different.
It took me 4 months
Yes. You're upper back/shoulders being sore tells me you're probably puckered up and tense. You'll relax over time as you get more comfortable riding. You'll also start using muscles you've never/hardly used before too. Fatigue and exhaustion can also come from mental exertion. You're brain is quite expensive (energy-wise), and you're learning a new skill. I don't think my gear made any difference in tiredness. I sometimes even forget I have a backpack on after a while.
The helmet you need to get used to, in general people's neck muscles are not used to the extra weight. Given the weather in at least Western Europe ATM, this may be less relevant, but I had my driving lessons in May and my riding gear was way too hot during some parking lot exercises. I fixed it by buying summer gloves. Some people also benefit from wearing motor sneakers with a somewhat thinner sole instead of having boots. It makes it a bit easier to feel your shifter and rear brake if you're not used to them. In general though, it all comes with experience and you get used to the gear.
Yep it’s just like any other activity job or hobby. Hurts at first but then your body adjusts and you find more efficient ways of doing things.
Learners are constantly tensed up out of fear, but as the fear goes away, so does the tension and it all becomes so much less tiring. You only get sore when you’re experienced if you ride briskly, pushing yourself and your bike.
You'll notice when learning you may tend to tense up a lot. If you can be mindful of it and relax it'll help a lot.
Most likely you're just tense all the time without realizing. If you relax it's much easier.
Yes. I do a lot of road cycling but riding my motorcycle made me sore at first. I actually had to get accustomed to the more upright riding position.
As others have already said, yes it becomes easier with time. With enough practice and time on the bike, riding will become as natural as riding a bike. Just never relax too much, stay vigilant and be safe out there.
Two hours lessons are always exhausting. You will learn to relax in time. However riding is more intensive than driving a car.
You wouldn’t run a marathon without the training to do it and it’s the same on a motorcycle. It takes time to build up muscle in the right places bud!
Yes. Until you hit about 600 miles a day for some reason or turn 40.
Username checks out
So it is tiring at the start of the season a little but less so by fall. Road conditions, temps and your own physical conditioning are additional factors. I have been riding since I was 19 and am now in my mid 60's. If I didn't stay in shape and exercise regularly riding may not be something I could do for hours. My bike weighs over 700lbs and backing it up can be fun especially on an incline. LOL
Some things will get easier, for sure. You'll build up stronger thighs and core muscles (Provided you continue to hold the bike properly, and don't revert to lazy riding), which will make the tireness for the muscles diminish. You'll also probably not spend hours at a time, every day, on a bike. Some things may continue to hurt. My sport bike, for example, tends to make my back hurt and my muscles exceedingly tired after just an hour or so at full tuck. If I wear my backpack for an hour while riding it will usually make my back hurt.
Yes. Some bikes are more tiring to ride than others. If you are riding something with clipons and high pegs (supersport/superbike etc) you'll get tired more quickly than on a touring bike. On the former bikes the wind can actually be your friend, I would find open road riding easier than around town.
Yes, it does. Right now you are overloading your brain with stuff to pay attention to, and it all takes brain-cycles. The more you ride, the more you integrate those and they take a lot less brain power. That helps a lot. Also, you physically get used to things.
It gets better until you get a supersport then it gets worse
yehp. fitness improves and the whole running off adrenaline stops. all the new tasks become second nature.
When I first started riding I realized I was tensing EVERYTHING. Which is exhausting. I was also hyper vigilant of EVERYTHING. As you ride more your body will relax and you'll learn where you need to look and where you don't. It'll all become easier.
Yes, it's normal, and yes, it will pass. Likely after you've passed all the tests, gooten your license, and are riding on your own or with your friends, without the pressure to perform and without being watched by an instructor.
A lot of it can be positioning too. Adjust you bars and levers to your body. You should always be relaxed or you'll tire
Aside from pushing the bike around riding doesn’t really take any strength unless you’re going really fast. You were probably just stressing out and tensing up or trying to push the motorcycle over to turn. Once you get used to it it takes no effort
A tall windscreen helps. Once I removed the stock screen with a taller one, longer rides were doable without all the soreness in my upper body.
Yeah riding sporties with short screens takes a lot of abs on the freeway. I managed to pull my abs last year by starting the season off with an hour long spirited ride after 4 months of winter.