Hello

[Rossetti]

Hi, I'm so new (again) to cycling that I've not even bought the bike yet. Like lots of people I've seen on here I've decided to do something about my fitness and get some fresh air at the same time as I'm allergic to gyms.

I'm in my 50's so first step was dropping some weight, now down over 3 stone so next step will be buying a bike which I hope will help with even more weight loss and get me fitter at the same time.

I haven't decided what to get yet. I live just outside Nottingham so I've got access to miles of canal and riverside tracks so I suppose I'll initiallybe looking at either a hybrid or a mountain bike. I apologise in advance for when I ask a stupid question, (it's bound to happen), but I promise to at least try to find the answer elsewhere before posting. I have already been reading as much as possible on here so that I can at least avoid the most obvious pitfalls.

Not got much of a cycling background, my last bike was a heavy old mountain bike in the early 90's, when I used to ride to and from work every day, only about 3 miles each way, so I'm looking forward to all these wonderful advances I've read about on here, (I'm sure the hills are going to kill just as much as they did then).

I look forward to chatting to you all in the months to come.

Jim

 

[simon.r]

Welcome from not far south of the river (Trent).

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Jim!
No question is silly on here (not even if not cycling related )

 

[Biker Joe]

Hi Jim and
You've done very well losing so much weight. Good for you
Yes. There's loads of information and interesting stuff buried inside this forum. It's a good place to come even if you just want to chat.
There is a fantastic range of bikes to be had these days.
I would suggest you first work out your budget and then just browse around the bike retailers on the net and visit your local (or perhaps not so local) bike shops. More than likely you're doing that already.
Once you get a short list of what you like, come back and tell us. Maybe we can help you out making a choice.
It's always possible that you might find a deal that we don't know about and that might interest others.
Cycling will certainly help you lose more weight and keep you fit.
Take it nice and easy, keeping a steady pace when you start and spend as much time as you can to ride, ride,ride. Don't worry about the mileage . That will come naturally as you progress.
I wish you well and happy bike hunting and riding.
Take care.

 

[biggs682]

morning and

no such thing as a silly question with us idiots

 

[Cycleops]

Hello Jim and welcome. Congrats for losing the weight. I am sure you feel much better and fitter now. When deceiding on a bike don't rule out a road bike even if you using river paths. Bikes can stand up to most stuff and you will find it much faster and less effort on the road.

 

[paul04]

Hi Jim

 

[Rossetti]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I'm probably looking to buy my bike around the end of this month or early next, mainly because I want to turn my junk store garage into somewhere I can keep my bike and have enough room to set up my workbench. I need to make enough room to be able to carry out any repairs or mods, and that's going to mean some major sorting out and a few trips to the local tip.

Budget wise I'm probably looking at around £500, which having looked around this site and others, should be enough for my starter bike. I'm sure as it gets nearer the day and I've visited a few dealers I'll have plenty of questions to ask.

Jim

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi Jim and . A £500 budget should give you a lot of decent options.

 

[Ladytrucker]

Hi Jim, you will find lots of useful information on this site, I have found it invaluable for buying shoes and pedals this year. Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy.

 

[Mello]

Welcome to the Court of the Crimson King!