newbie rider advice needed please!!!!!!

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strutton1981

New Member
Hi all im just about to pick up my first road bike. A carrera tdf. Only bought it 2nd hand but i want to use it to commute to work. A little bit about my self. Im 28 years old and on may 1st 2010 i weighed 18 stone and im only 5ft 9". Now 1st July im 15 stone 10lbs so im training hard and eating well and feeling fairly fit. I'm running 5 miles 4 times a week plus lifting weights and feel alot better for it. so now i want to ride a bike to work and just need some advice. Ive got the bike what else do i need?? do i just get on it and ride to work or shall i have a few practice rides first. I rode a bike about a year ago last. The ride will be about 10 miles each way and could increase maybe 1 day a week to 10 miles 1 way and 15 miles back.

Any advice would be great thanks alot Stuart
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
For short rides you could do with:

Padded shorts worn next to the skin (see Wiggle for their dhb shorts - great value). Spare inner tube rolled up tight, air sucked out and taped up with a couple of plastic tyre levers. Small frame pump. Water bottle.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
The most important thing about cycling is turning those pedals. All other stuff is just flim-flam on top.

10 miles is what some people would regard as the perfect distance, but takes a bit of getting used to - 2 commutes in one day isn't too much, but might be for a full week, so do it twice a week, and build up from there.

Then you need to decide if you want some cycling shorts, gloves, breathable cycling top, weather-proof gear (or just start as a fair-weather only rider), clipless pedals, cycle computer, full winter gear, water bottles and cages, magazine subscription, uprated tyres, wheels, etc, etc, etc.

But, most importantly, just get out there and enjoy it.
 

accountantpete

Brexiteer
It does take time to develop the muscles needed for cycling - so don't get put off if things don't improve quite as rapidly as you may have thought.

Hills and headwinds,especially with your current weight, will be a problem initially but practice should sort that out.
 

arallsopp

Post of The Year 2009 winner
Location
Bromley, Kent
Commuting can expose you to some nasty traffic (depending on what part of the world you're in) so it might be an idea to do the route on a Saturday, before it all kicks off. That way you can get lost at leisure, work out where to leave the bike, work out what lane / position to be in, and still recover before the Monday. :smile:
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Make sure you also carry a multi tool ,pump, p**nture repair kit and a spare inner tube.
Practice doing a repair at home so you know what to do rather than discovering it the hard way in the middle of nowhere.

Point in case i have the same distance commute and my chain jumped out of the rear derailleur cage and i had to take the lower jockey wheel out to get the chain back in ( feck knows how it managed to get out ;))
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
Globalti said:
For short rides you could do with:

Padded shorts worn next to the skin (see Wiggle for their dhb shorts - great value). Spare inner tube rolled up tight, air sucked out and taped up with a couple of plastic tyre levers. Small frame pump. Water bottle.

What is a dhb short when it's at home?
 

- Baz -

Active Member
Location
Manchester
I started doing 7 miles each way a couple of weeks ago. I've found I needed a minimum of the following:

Software
1 The knowledge that when on a bike, most drivers are idiots. Beware.
2 Commitment to keep doing it

Hardware
3 Decent, well padded cycling gloves
4 Padded shorts are essential. I tried Ronhill running tracksters with ordinary boxers underneath and paid the price with chafing and having to lard my *rse... I agree that the dhb shorts from Wiggle are great VFM.
5 Spare tube/tyre levers/mini pump

Everything else is optional. I regularly see guys on road bikes (usually passing me at Warp 9) and more often than not, both are stripped down to the minimum.

You do not need any waterproof gear unless you're girly. :cheers:
 
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strutton1981

New Member
Thanks everyone for the advice I'm going to go shopping to get some bits tomorrow. I'm in the dartford / Greenwich areas so if anyone can recommend a good shop to use that's great. Obviously I know about decathlon but I'm gonna try and stay away from there. Thanks guys
 

joolsybools

Well-Known Member
Location
Scotland
Decathlon is ok unless you are a total snob - NB being a bike snob is possibly an ill-advised point of reference for a newbie cycliste :blush: have a look around, they have bikes and kit, there is no obligation to buy m'dear!
 
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strutton1981

New Member
ok so i went to evans cycles today. ABSOLUTLY S**T !!!! only interested in taking my money. so i went to decathlon and was pleasantly surprised got all my bits in there and they fitted them for me. so i got home and sorted my self out and off i went. 7 miles first outing and im feeling ok. legs were burning a little but not unbearable i just wish i went out for longer. gonna go out again tomorrow and try 10 miles and see how that goes.
 
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