Newbie from Milton Keynes

[element]

I guess this is the place to say hello.
My new bike arrived yesterday so I had my first bike ride for about 20 years today. I decided to start cycling to the gym because the stupidity of driving to the gym then warming up on an exercise bike was making my head hurt.

I am starting to come to the conclusion though that cycling can be expensive. After getting the bike I think I now need a drinks bottle and cage , a computer, some cycling shoes some SENSIBLE cycling shorts ie not those tight lycra efforts, some gloves and a decent lock. The possibilty of losing my brand new £500+ bike never occured until I left it outside the gym unlocked. The way things are going it would have been cheaper to keep my motorbike.
I am sure I will have loads of questions in due course but after my first ride today, 3 miles each way I am looking forward to seeing just how far my bike can take me.

 

[E11a]

Hello and welcome, element.

 

[biggs682]

element , get yourself a decent lock so its still there when you come out of the gym

 

[uphillstruggler]

Hello from the north end of MK.

I would buy at least two locks, one through the frame and front wheel and through the rear wheel, seat and frame.

Best of luck.

And gear wise, stay away from the found a bargain thread, there's so much stuff on there that you never knew you needed, you'll end up buying that motor bike back just to save yourself money

 

[element]

I got my cycling computer and some funky glasses from aldi after looking in a thread on here, typically saw the owner of the motorbike garage where I used to get my bikes repaired in the super market. I was caught out 1. by being in an aldi 2. by having cycle stuff in my hands, I recovered quickly by hiding the cycle stuff behind a packet of golf balls I had picked up. The whole thing was pointless though after riding back past my local pub and a load of the regulars laughing at me as I rode past.

People never laughed at my Fireblade.

Lucky I was not wearing one of those silly cycle helmets I would never live it down