Cyclists-Expert advice appreciated!

farmerpam1

Learn how to change a tyre .. out on the road you may not have tools so - learn to take a tyre off with just your hands (oh and put it back on again :-p )

(Good tip if you don't have a pump/repair kits etc with you ... fill the tyre with grass .. it will get you home.)


Fill the tire (tyre) with grass, what a brilliant idea, I never heard of that, thanks for sharing! It just may save me some walking someday.:flowerforyou:

castlerobber

I will recommend that you not buy a hybrid. They are generally less expensive, but are intended for people not serious about riding and use cheaper components. I promise you that very few people are happy with a hybrid purchase.

I agree with pretty much everything you said, except this. I owned a top-of-the-line hybrid for several years--they'd call it a "flat-bar road bike" nowadays--and absolutely loved it. It handled better on fast downhills and in corners than the road bike I bought to replace it. Nice wide-range gearing with a mountain-bike cassette and triple chainring, decent mid-level components. Nothing like the wide-tired semi-cruisers they call "hybrids" now.

OP, definitely try out different kinds of bikes at the LBS, and have them fit whatever you choose properly. A cyclocross (CX) bike would be a versatile option. I've customized my road bike to where it's almost a CX bike, to handle rough country roads. I also ride a tadpole recumbent trike, which is great fun, and am learning to ride a front-wheel-drive two-wheeled recumbent (significant learning curve, but also fun).

castlerobber

Ditch the road bike idea and get a mtn bike :-)

Why? The OP stated that he wants to ride distances, a road bike is far more suitable for this than a mountain bike. mountain bikes are great for riding trails, they're built with sturdy, heavy frames for a reason. A road bike (whether it's aluminum or CF) will be lighter, faster and more comfortable for riding long distances.

Aren't you sharp as a tack. It was a joke.

Apparently not much of a joke, since nobody gets it but you.

bwogilvie

You guys are awesome, thanks again for all the advice....have not had a chance to weed through it all but from what I can tell this is going to be invaluable as I move forward. I will start by taking the consensus of opinions and visit my local bike shop.....I am a cheapskate so always looking for a deal on Craigslist, etc but it sounds like this is something I may need to be willing to bite the bullet and pay to have done properly (fitting, etc)...Thanks again guys!

I'm coming late to the show, but I would suggest getting in touch with a local bike club, as well as checking out a few shops. The Houston Bike Club has a page with some of its members' bikes, to give you an idea of what people ride:

http://www.houstonbicycleclub.org/Pages/bikes.aspx

A couple of great online resources are Sheldon Brown's bike pages, including a page for beginners, and John Allen's free online pamphlet Bicycle Street Smarts:

http://sheldonbrown.com/articles.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary.html
http://bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

Be forewarned that there are some aspects of cycling that, for some people, take on almost religious overtones:

Frame material: steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium (and occasionally odd materials like bamboo)?
Helmets: should they be mandatory? should I wear one?
Pedals and shoes: "clipless" pedals with cleats? Toe clips? Platform pedals and street shoes?
Tires: skinny and high pressure or wide and moderate pressure?
Shifting: integrated brake/shifter levers, or something else (bar end or downtube)?
Handlebars: as low as possible ("slammed"), just below the saddle, or higher?

If someone starts insisting that there is only one true way to answer any of these questions, smile, nod, and back away slowly....

There's a parody (at least I think it's a parody) of some aspects of bike racing culture here:
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

For an antidote, get your public library to order a copy of Grant Petersen's book _Just Ride_ if they don't already have it.

lizzybathory

As a long-time bike commuter with a couple of bikes, if I have to recommend one bike for someone who is starting out, I recommend a commuter/hybrid. It'll be easier to ride around than a mountain bike, but it'll be a little tougher/more durable than a road bike. Overall a great bike to have. It'll also be really easy for you to incorporate into a bike commuting routine, if you want to go that route. I saw some other comments upthread about hybrids not being high quality or not lasting very long; it depends on the bike. My husband has used a hybrid bike as his primary form of transportation through long, hard Wisconsin winters (full of ice, snow, road salt, minor collisions, you name it) for three years now. He gets it serviced a couple times a year, because when you ride as much as he does, there is no part at any price point that will last forever... but overall, the bike (a Jamis) has lasted really well. Mine, a Kona Dew, has also stayed in terrific shape.

Always wear a helmet. I was a rider who went sans helmet for years, and finally wised up about it a year or two ago. I ride on roads; it's not worth risking putting myself into a vegetable state should I get in an accident. Also, while you're looking at safety gear, get flashing front and rear lights, and use them whenever it's less than sunny out. I use mine in early mornings and a little bit before dusk; I even use them on very cloudy days. You can never be too visible.

Of all the wearable bike gear you should have, some padded shorts are the most important. You don't need a jersey. You don't need special shoes. (They can increase your performance, but you don't need them.) Padded shorts will literally save your a** though. You can even wear them under other pants or shorts if you think they look silly.

And I'm going to throw in another vote for just going to your local bike shop, talking to the people there, and trying out a few bikes. They should be able to let you try a few things, and you'll figure it out pretty quickly from there. Last time I bought a bike, I ended up taking a few for a spin that I thought were all pretty similar; once I rode them, though, the winner was super obvious to me. In my experience, bike shop staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and will be able to give you really customized advice as to what you should be riding.

Weezoh

Not a lot to add since the basics have been covered other than to mention there's a cycling group here on MFP --

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/361-bicycling-road-and-mountain

cwolfman13

What do you mean? lol.

6366kcal... WTF!
Two full hard training days worth of calories... in one session. Exactly, that's what I mean!
My goodness, that is insane :P

The max distance I've rode is 130km, and I felt pretty sick after it. Almost like if I could feel my muscles eating themselves. It just doesn't feel right to me, lol.
Kudos for the 100mil ride!

Yeah, like Hornsby said, you can pretty much take 50-60% of that burn seriously. Still...so long as you know how to fuel yourself, it's not biggie....

One of the things I loved about century training was eating all the foodz baby...I was a garbage disposal and was still losing like 1/2 Lb per week during training. It was awesome....think I'll do it again.

dbmata

The only problem with training for a century? 4hours+ in the saddle SUCKS.

Your *kitten*, so pained.

wjelly

You may want to think about cycle commuting to and from work if it's doable, a great way to fit cycling into your everday routine and saving money if you use a car or public transport.

Hornsby

What do you mean? lol.

6366kcal... WTF!
Two full hard training days worth of calories... in one session. Exactly, that's what I mean!
My goodness, that is insane :P

The max distance I've rode is 130km, and I felt pretty sick after it. Almost like if I could feel my muscles eating themselves. It just doesn't feel right to me, lol.
Kudos for the 100mil ride!

Yeah, like Hornsby said, you can pretty much take 50-60% of that burn seriously. Still...so long as you know how to fuel yourself, it's not biggie....

One of the things I loved about century training was eating all the foodz baby...I was a garbage disposal and was still losing like 1/2 Lb per week during training. It was awesome....think I'll do it again.

I also ate/drank probably 600 per hour so really, the calorie burn is a wash.

mikeyrp

You guys are awesome, thanks again for all the advice....have not had a chance to weed through it all but from what I can tell this is going to be invaluable as I move forward. I will start by taking the consensus of opinions and visit my local bike shop.....I am a cheapskate so always looking for a deal on Craigslist, etc but it sounds like this is something I may need to be willing to bite the bullet and pay to have done properly (fitting, etc)...Thanks again guys!

I'm coming late to the show, but I would suggest getting in touch with a local bike club, as well as checking out a few shops. The Houston Bike Club has a page with some of its members' bikes, to give you an idea of what people ride:

http://www.houstonbicycleclub.org/Pages/bikes.aspx

A couple of great online resources are Sheldon Brown's bike pages, including a page for beginners, and John Allen's free online pamphlet Bicycle Street Smarts:

http://sheldonbrown.com/articles.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary.html
http://bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

Be forewarned that there are some aspects of cycling that, for some people, take on almost religious overtones:

Frame material: steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium (and occasionally odd materials like bamboo)?
Helmets: should they be mandatory? should I wear one?
Pedals and shoes: "clipless" pedals with cleats? Toe clips? Platform pedals and street shoes?
Tires: skinny and high pressure or wide and moderate pressure?
Shifting: integrated brake/shifter levers, or something else (bar end or downtube)?
Handlebars: as low as possible ("slammed"), just below the saddle, or higher?

If someone starts insisting that there is only one true way to answer any of these questions, smile, nod, and back away slowly....

There's a parody (at least I think it's a parody) of some aspects of bike racing culture here:
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

For an antidote, get your public library to order a copy of Grant Petersen's book _Just Ride_ if they don't already have it.

I'm sorry but I cant let the "should a helmet be mandatory" bit of this pass without comment - everything else is down to personal taste but I know 4-5 people who's lives have been saved by their helmets. (3 road, 2 mtb) In my opinion , no helmet, no ride.

mikeyrp

Re calories - Road Cycling at 16-20 mph (fast cruise) burns ~50 cals per mile for an average weight guy (say 170lb). Running, for comparison, is about 120 cals per mile but a cruise only 7mph - so you get about the same burn per hour (8-900).

so depending on the weight of the rider the computer might be out by 20% but that is still a hell of a burn. RE eating, after the first 1000 Kcals you've got to start putting serious calories back into your body! at least 40-50% of them, else you cant keep going.

TheBigYin

What do you mean? lol.

6366kcal... WTF!
Two full hard training days worth of calories... in one session. Exactly, that's what I mean!
My goodness, that is insane :P

The max distance I've rode is 130km, and I felt pretty sick after it. Almost like if I could feel my muscles eating themselves. It just doesn't feel right to me, lol.
Kudos for the 100mil ride!

6366kCal is probably way over, as everyone has said, including yourself - my century on sunday (http://app.strava.com/activities/184726920) burned up around 3200-3500kcals - as calculated by Strava from my powermeter data - and that's on a 6 and a half hour ride, for a guy who's 51 and 1m85 and 113kg...

mikeyrp

OK, we are way off topic from the original post, but here is a bike thread where calories for century rides are discussed at length

http://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/231626-calories-burned-century-why-ou-can-ride-100-miles-not-loose-weight.html

_Terrapin_

OP- - -first, consider location of the bike shop and their ability to fit you and allow for test rides. What you spend on a bike depends on what you desire in terms of the bike parts and demands you place on the bike. Ideally find a shop which provide maintenance and ideas on timing of maintenance required. If you are fortunate to find a good local shop and someone with a good racing/riding knowledge they are invaluable. For me, cycling is fourth after running, lifting, and swimming. As others have indicated a good pair of cycling shorts will save you from 'cycling butthurt'. They feel like a saggy diaper but provide the comfort you'll need for longer rides. Best of luck; my bike is Trek FX which provides enough comfort for longer distances in the country and durable enough for the city with the potholes where a baby elephant has disappeared on more then one occasion.