First ride

[Sheepy1209]

Sorry all the non-Fylde people (but we do have to put up with lots of London threads )......

Ian - I commute Cleveleys to St Annes about 3 days a week - back in April a mile was plenty far enough!

Fleetwood's not a bad place to be cycling - just watch the tram tracks on Lord Street and the sand on the seafront near the Marine Hall. No hills to speak of, just lots of wind! Learn to use the gears - in a head wind use a low gear and 'spin', i.e. turn the pedals quickly.

For gear adjustment I found http://bicycletutor.com/ really useful. If you're completely stumped give me a shout as I might be able to get down and have a look - I'm no expert but I've got mine working OK. As it's a new bike it's likely the gears will go out of adjustment again after a few weeks but should be OK after a quick tweak.

Good luck!

 

[g0kmt]

Thanks for the offer Sheepy, I managed to set up the front set tonight, I will tackle the rear tommorrow night as it looks like the wet weather is due in.

I could have gone further on Sunday but was reluctant to carry on and maybe damage the gear train.

I put another 15psi in the tyres so they are running at 50psi front and rear. I could push them to 60 psi but will see how they fair next time out.

The computer is bugging me though, it should work but isnt. I will move the head unit to the handle bar instead of the riser - The destructions say it should work there - oh hum lol

 

[g0kmt]

Sad I know, but couldnt sleep lol. Watched a few vids on setting up rear deraileurs looked easy, checked my set up - high and low range look ok, needed only to set up the tension, now it changes up and down properly so looks good. Just need to test ride

 

[BigonaBianchi]

yep..keep going all will be good

 

[GilesM]

Ian, good stuff, keep at it, the bike is a great way to get around and a fun way to exercise.

 

[al78]

Thanks for the offer Sheepy, I managed to set up the front set tonight, I will tackle the rear tommorrow night as it looks like the wet weather is due in.

I could have gone further on Sunday but was reluctant to carry on and maybe damage the gear train.

I put another 15psi in the tyres so they are running at 50psi front and rear. I could push them to 60 psi but will see how they fair next time out.

The computer is bugging me though, it should work but isnt. I will move the head unit to the handle bar instead of the riser - The destructions say it should work there - oh hum lol

50 psi sounds rather low. If you are riding on road it would be better to inflate the tyres to the max stated on the side of the tyre. Higher tyre pressures will firstly lower the rolling resistance and thus make the pedalling easier and secondly, will reduce the likelihood of pinch punctures (where you hit a pothole and the tyre and tube get pinched against the rim leaving a "snakebite" pair of holes in the tube).

 

[g0kmt]

The recommended is 50PSI and 60 is the max quoated for the tyre according to the Continental Web site. I could put a bit more in

Now done 2 rides of 2 miles each, 14 mins long both times. Hopefully will do some more this weekend, building up a little on the 2 miles

 

[Rollon]

Well done and welcome to the learning curve.
Dave.

 

[darkstar]

Congrats on getting out there and riding! The curve of progression will be quick

 

[g0kmt]

Thanks. I hope the weather improves tommorrow so I can get out.

 

[snorri]

Thanks. I hope the weather improves tommorrow so I can get out.

Me too, but don't overdo it. Regular short trips are better for building yourself up than infrequent longer trips.
Have you thought about recording your mileages at
www.cyclogs.co.uk ?

 

[Dilbert]

Looks like more wind and rain tomorrow, then easing off tomorrow night so hopefully Monday should be better.

I finally got the Boardman built today, but by the time I had got it finished it was dark and windy. As I had already fallen off it twice in the lounge while adjusting the seat height I have decided to wait for the wind to drop a bit before the maiden voyage.

 

[jay clock]

for the tyres definitely pump to the max not the recommended. It will help and there is no danger.

For the riding, little and often, Every day ideally even if just doing errands

Well done

 

[Randochap]

Keep at it. Set goals. Keep a log.

 

[The Jogger]

You should try and get out today , don't worry about a bit of rain, a nice warm drink and dry down will have you feeling good after your ride.