Road biking equipment. What do I need?

MaxPower0102

I signed up for the American Diabetes Tour de Cure for June 2015. I take Spinning classes, but have no experience biking on the open road. The only thing I own are biking shorts that I use in Spin class.

Besides a bike, helmet, and shoes, what else do I need to put on my shopping list?

I have a decent budget for this, but there is still a maximum spend limit. If there is one place you recommend that I don't 'skimp', where would that be?

Hornsby

A saddle bag with tire tools, CO2, spare tubes, multi-tool, some kind of energy/food. (Not sure how long the ride is)

Don't skimp on cycling shorts. There are reasons some of them cost so much. You get what you pay for. I would say don't skimp on the bike either, but that's all relative.

ThePoeToaster

Get a good computer. Also,get a camel bak for longer rides. Buy the best bike you can buy, but these days, a 1000.00 bike rides as well as a 3000.00 bike, especially for non-hard core riders. Buy GOOD cycling clothing. One blister in a bad area can ruin your whole week.

dbmata

nipple protectors, crotch goo (I like this one.)

Good sunglasses. A book on bike maintenance so if you have an issue on the road you can use that multi-tube.

I'll mention this about shorts. Brand and cost matters. I have a pair of shorts I bought from a national discounter for $12, they're nice, but after about 30 minutes they suck. Then I have some $80 shorts from Specialized which are excellent, no hot spots, good padding. Then I have some $150 tri shorts, half the padding thickness, but more comfortable at long period rides than the specialized shorts. Sometimes, just sometimes there is a correlation between price and quality.

MeanderingMammal

Gloves
Glasses - I have interchangeable dark, amber and clear lenses on mine
Shoes
Pedals and cleats if your bike doesn't come with clipless
Basic repair kit - Multitool, tubes, tyre levers, pump with some kind of mechanism for carriage; underseat pack, bottle style carrier for a bottle cage etc

All of those are pretty much basics regardless of your distance. You're then onto technical riding shirts, jackets, etc which help with comfort.

msf74

Hornsby wrote: »

A saddle bag with tire tools, CO2, spare tubes, multi-tool, some kind of energy/food. (Not sure how long the ride is)

Don't skimp on cycling shorts. There are reasons some of them cost so much. You get what you pay for. I would say don't skimp on the bike either, but that's all relative.

This pretty much covers it. If you get a decent cycling jersey you could also stuff some of the items in the back pockets.

I also take some cash and a cheap phone with me in the saddle bag.

cheshirecatastrophe

I highly recommend you take a bike maintenance class from your local bike shop (LBS). They will teach you how to change a flat and how to know when something is *really* wrong with your bike. It's a terrific confidence booster!

To go along with bike shorts--get some anti-chafing cream. I use Butt'er and the wonderfully-named Hoo Ha Ride Glide.

Theo166

Are you planning to do the 100 mile ride, or a shorter one?

- Since you didn't mention you had a bike, I'd suggest getting a good used bike. One that's 5-10 yrs old will be effective and affordable.

- Next, you should put miles on your 'tour' bike before spending all your budget on bells and whistles. While a spin class is good conditioning, it doesn't compare to putting miles on your bike. Maybe even get one of those wind/magnetic trainers, which you can find used and resell it after your event. The sore spot on your bike may be different than on a spin bike.

usccyclist

Lots of good advice here, I would just add persevere until you find a group ride to join or at least one other cyclist to ride with once or twice a week to help push/motivate you. Good luck on your ride and welcome to the road!

ephiemarie

My hubby is a Type 1 diabetic and did the 100-mile Tour de Cure ride in May after only owning his bike for about 6 weeks. He had a blast and plans to do the ride again this year. After watching him cross the finish line, I promptly went out and bought my own road bike

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

Gloves
Glasses - I have interchangeable dark, amber and clear lenses on mine
Shoes
Pedals and cleats if your bike doesn't come with clipless
Basic repair kit - Multitool, tubes, tyre levers, pump with some kind of mechanism for carriage; underseat pack, bottle style carrier for a bottle cage etc

Agree with all of this. I'd get 2 water bottle cages for your longer training rides. Also consider a rearview mirror and possibly head & tail lights for safety. Good socks are nice to have, as is a jersey with pockets.

Good luck!

ETA: Definitely play around with different fuels on your longer training rides so you'll know what works for you. They do provide fuel/hydration stops every 10 miles on the TDC ride.

We've had good luck finding cycling gear on Ebay and sometimes Amazon. I bought last year's model of shoes at a nice discount as well.

zoom2

ephiemarie wrote: »

My hubby is a Type 1 diabetic and did the 100-mile Tour de Cure ride in May after only owning his bike for about 6 weeks. He had a blast and plans to do the ride again this year. After watching him cross the finish line, I promptly went out and bought my own road bike

Have you guys ever considered the JDRF Ride To Cure? I'll be doing my 5th this year (have ridden Death Valley 2x, Tahoe, and Nashville. Going back to Tahoe again this Fall). It's a really great program and the leading organization raising money for Type 1 research. My hubby has been a coach since before I started riding. He's done 10 of the rides, I believe. I'm wearing a JDRF jersey in my avatar.

MaxPower0102

Theo166 wrote: »

Are you planning to do the 100 mile ride, or a shorter one?

- Since you didn't mention you had a bike, I'd suggest getting a good used bike. One that's 5-10 yrs old will be effective and affordable.

- Next, you should put miles on your 'tour' bike before spending all your budget on bells and whistles. While a spin class is good conditioning, it doesn't compare to putting miles on your bike. Maybe even get one of those wind/magnetic trainers, which you can find used and resell it after your event. The sore spot on your bike may be different than on a spin bike.

I was a little overwhelmed by all this. I had about $1,000 budgeted for all of this.

I signed up for the 62 mile ride. My boss is a beast and does 100 miles on a whim, for fun. They know him pretty well at the LBS, so he is going to bring me in and help me spend my $$$. I hope they pass the frequent buyer discount I am sure he gets onto me.

douglas49461

$1,000 is plenty if you look around, You can get a Fuji road bike or even a schwinn road bike for a lot less than some of the more popular brands. And if you don't plan to compete there is no reason for an expensive bike.
I would practice actually changing a tire several times just so the first time is not out on the road.

jacksonpt

Bare minimum: Bike, Helmet, sunglasses, water bottles/cages
Recommended: basic tools and the ability to use them (including how to change/repair a flat)
Beyond that: gloves, the right saddle, clipless shoes, bike computer or GPS capability, food (depending on length of ride)