POST 60 AND A CYCLING VIRGIN
Apologies for the long post especially as a first-time beginner. I can remember cycling as a teenager with my track bike (as they called it in those days; 26” wheels; knobbly tyres; cow-horn handle bars with only a rear brake); I used to be able to wheelie for 200 meters no problem. Role on another 48 years and I find myself north of 60 with a dodgy knee trying to cycle again because I want to get fit and lose some weight.
I have a 10-gear racing bike with tubs and gear levers attached to the frame (not the brake lever shifters) and a Dawes non-suspended mountain bike. I have been on the latter for the past five days and it hurts; it really hurts – everywhere. It is appreciated that it’s going to hurt; I even fell off yesterday as I approached a small tree root at about 1MPH (on my track bike that would have been no problem; I could have lifted the front wheel; would have not flinched!)
My issue is that, bearing in mind I want to get fit and loose weight would I be better off on my racing bike? With my mountain bike, I spend a lot of my time walking and not really knowing where I am going or not, as the case may be! I appreciate that cycling is going to be painful and hard progress, unlike walking (but my knee wouldn’t hold out) or swimming, where one can just add a few lengths every time one goes. But really, how does a post 60-year-old cycling virgin get back into the saddle!
I have removed my cleats, because I have had several falls, when I have tried before; but I find that my mountain bike shoes slip easily off the pedals. I’m very reluctant to return to cleats for the time being; but when I wear trainers my feet also hurt (because of course trainers aren’t as thick as cycling shoes).
May people have advised me to forget my old racing bike and just use the mountain bike; but I’m not so sure. When one is starting out is road riding the way to go; because at least one can plan some sort of route rather than ending up on trails and not knowing where one is going to end up. I am probably coming to the conclusion that it’s going to be difficult and it’s going to hurt for some time yet; but any advice would be very much appreciated.
Apologies for the long post especially as a first-time beginner. I can remember cycling as a teenager with my track bike (as they called it in those days; 26” wheels; knobbly tyres; cow-horn handle bars with only a rear brake); I used to be able to wheelie for 200 meters no problem. Role on another 48 years and I find myself north of 60 with a dodgy knee trying to cycle again because I want to get fit and lose some weight.
I have a 10-gear racing bike with tubs and gear levers attached to the frame (not the brake lever shifters) and a Dawes non-suspended mountain bike. I have been on the latter for the past five days and it hurts; it really hurts – everywhere. It is appreciated that it’s going to hurt; I even fell off yesterday as I approached a small tree root at about 1MPH (on my track bike that would have been no problem; I could have lifted the front wheel; would have not flinched!)
My issue is that, bearing in mind I want to get fit and loose weight would I be better off on my racing bike? With my mountain bike, I spend a lot of my time walking and not really knowing where I am going or not, as the case may be! I appreciate that cycling is going to be painful and hard progress, unlike walking (but my knee wouldn’t hold out) or swimming, where one can just add a few lengths every time one goes. But really, how does a post 60-year-old cycling virgin get back into the saddle!
I have removed my cleats, because I have had several falls, when I have tried before; but I find that my mountain bike shoes slip easily off the pedals. I’m very reluctant to return to cleats for the time being; but when I wear trainers my feet also hurt (because of course trainers aren’t as thick as cycling shoes).
May people have advised me to forget my old racing bike and just use the mountain bike; but I’m not so sure. When one is starting out is road riding the way to go; because at least one can plan some sort of route rather than ending up on trails and not knowing where one is going to end up. I am probably coming to the conclusion that it’s going to be difficult and it’s going to hurt for some time yet; but any advice would be very much appreciated.