‘I fell over many times but kept going’: You can start cycling at any age - tips for beginner cyclists

If you're a new rider yourself, or know someone who is, here's all the cycling advice we wish we'd received when we first got on the bike

Group of cyclists ride together on a quiet road in the sun
(Image credit: Getty Images)

This article has been freshly updated as part of our 'New to Riding' week, running from March 10 to March 17, with a special focus on tips, tricks and inspiration for new riders.

As you can guess, we at Cycling Weekly love riding our bikes. The benefits of cycling are huge. You’ll get fitter and healthier (physically and mentally), and can save some money and the environment by choosing a bike over the car or public transport. Exercise is also a great stress reliever, as is being outdoors. If you’re still not persuaded to take up cycling, you might even make some new friends or you can get the whole family involved, opening up opportunities for weekend adventures or exploring the world. Be inspired by Malcolm’s story below and check out our cycling tips for beginners: bikes may just transform your life… it's never too late to start.

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Hannah Bussey

Hannah is Cycling Weekly’s longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. She has covered all things technical for both print and digital over multiple seasons representing CW at spring Classics, and Grand Tours and all races in between.

Hannah was a successful road and track racer herself, competing in UCI races all over Europe as well as in China, Pakistan and New Zealand.

For fun, she's ridden LEJOG unaided, a lap of Majorca in a day, won a 24-hour mountain bike race and tackled famous mountain passes in the French Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Himalayas. 

She lives just outside the Peak District National Park near Manchester UK with her partner, daughter and a small but beautifully formed bike collection. 

With contributions from

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