Bike riding

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2

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  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
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    My 2 cents - yes, get a helmet, especially with people texting and not paying attention...


    agree
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,468 Member
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    I'm always nervous as hell when I see bikers without helmets! Why risk it? All it takes is one person who's not paying attention for something horrible to happen.

    honestly, I don't know if a small padded piece of plastic does much protecting
  • dusk1977
    dusk1977 Posts: 295
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    A 5 minute drive will only be a 15-20 minutes bike ride, it will seem hard at first but you will love it. I have a 30 minute drive to work (down the motorway) which started as a 2 hour bike ride cross county and is now 1.5 hour bike ride. I love it especially with the weather now improving. Wear a helmet more for your safety from the other road users (just in case). I started doing my bike ride on a mountain bike and there are all sorts on the road so you won't look silly.
    Good Luck :drinker:
  • LittleMissNerdy
    LittleMissNerdy Posts: 792 Member
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    I'm always nervous as hell when I see bikers without helmets! Why risk it? All it takes is one person who's not paying attention for something horrible to happen.

    honestly, I don't know if a small padded piece of plastic does much protecting

    It'll at least keep your brain inside your skull and not all over the road :(
  • DoNotBurnTheDay
    DoNotBurnTheDay Posts: 121 Member
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    If you find the seat is uncomfortable, definitely look into replacing it with something that is. No point in hurting yourself in the long run. I know I only lasted about 2 days on it before I needed a different seat.

    As for road bike, if you have the money to do it, go for it, but for the couple miles you are talking about riding, you probably don't need it. If you catch the cycling bug and start going out for longer rides, road bikes are much easier (and faster).

    Helmet is a must. I know they may not look all that cool, but all it will take is one nasty still (which I have done), and it will have been worth it. If you don't like the look of the bike helmets, hockey or skater helmets work just as well.
  • blivieri
    blivieri Posts: 7 Member
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    I have a similar question. I'm thinking about doing the same. I don't want to spend a small fortune on a bicycle that I will get sick of in a month. I'm thinking about getting a cruiser style bike. You know, the kind with the big seat, high handlebars, one speed, brakes that go backward; old school. I live in Florida, totally flat land, would this be a good bike for that?
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    A mountain bike is harder for sure. Give it a couple weeks, and make sure you are using the gears right. Most difficulty comes from not understanding the gears.
    if it feels like you spin really fast without going anywhere, make it harder
    if it feels like you have to push it, make it easier
    if it feels fairly easy, with some tension in the pedals, it's about right.

    Also, read some sites on bicycle safety.
    1) Ride WITH traffic, NOT against it.
    2) Ride in the road, not in the sidwalk.
    3) Signal your intent!
    4) Don't ride near parked cars. Doors opening suddenly in front of you is a very common and often fatal cycling accident.
    5) BE SAFE. Driving a car is basically a license to freely kill cyclists with little repercussion.
    6) Stop at stop signs.
    Also, I found the AirZound horn works great on inconsiderate drivers...



    A road bike will be faster/easier than a mountain bike. Given your commute, it might be a waste of money. Skinnier, less knobbier tires might be the ticket.

    any kind of suspension on a bike works against you in the road.
  • Ant_M76
    Ant_M76 Posts: 534 Member
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    At first you will find it hard. After a few days it will get easier. If you get slick tyres for the MTB it will be MUCH easier than riding knobblies on tarmac. I won't comment on the contentious helmet issue, it's each to their own.

    Good luck!
  • 2hmom
    2hmom Posts: 241 Member
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    Please wear a helmet. There are funky, crazy, wild, hot colored ones!
  • 76tech
    76tech Posts: 1,455 Member
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    Of course you're going to die, we all will. But stuff like riding your bike to work makes it take longer :happy:

    Wear a helmet.

    Road bikes are *awesome* but expensive, require a more thorough fitting, and are a bit more of a commitment. Is it worth that to you for a bit more speed, and possibly comfort over long distances?

    Much more bang for the buck sticking with the road bike and getting slicks instead of knobbies.

    Get padded bike shorts though. Really.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
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    I'm always nervous as hell when I see bikers without helmets! Why risk it? All it takes is one person who's not paying attention for something horrible to happen.

    honestly, I don't know if a small padded piece of plastic does much protecting

    Google some images of helmets and how they protect people from a wreck. If it wasn't for the helmet, their brains would be all over the road....Just saying..
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 631 Member
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    My husband and I bought bikes a few weeks ago and although we're not riding them to work (more for exercise and pleasure) I would suggest buying a new seat for your bike.. We got a seat called Cloud 9 from Amazon.. LOVE it!!! It definitely is better than the seat that came with our bikes.. It was $25 and the best investment !!! Have fun!! Be safe!!!
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,468 Member
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    I have a pretty nice seat, I bought it when I got the bike, it's one of those jelly ones, I'll look into the cloud nine.

    Thanks everyone! This is all fantastic advice
  • lisapr123
    lisapr123 Posts: 863 Member
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    Yes, use a helmet. My husband and I are both avid cyclists and in the last three years have had a total of three falls. Mark's first fall was going around a corner he's taken a hundred times. His ear got all messed up but his head was fine. His second fall was last summer on vacation. He was wearing a helmet, thank God. I was in front of him but literally heard his helmet bounce. He probably had a concussion. But he was alive and I'm not sure he would be if it weren't for that helmet. My fall was in an intersection. I just spaced out and forgot to put a foot on the ground. It happens...

    My friend wasn't wearing one a few years ago when he got side swiped in Chicago. He spent 2 months in a coma and had to relearn everything from tying his shoes to his job as a network engineer. His life was turned upside down, because he thought he'd look like a dork if he wore a helmet.

    You can get one for $15 at Target or WalMart. It could save your life. If you ever fall, get rid of that helmet and buy a new one. It's really that simple.

    Other than the helmet rant (sorry, I'm a big advocate of safe cycling), you may consider switching out your tires for a hybrid style that isn't as nubby. It's a cheap and easier fix while you decide if you want to stick with the cycling and get a different bike.
  • Siannah
    Siannah Posts: 456 Member
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    I wouldn't bother with a helmet myself,

    Can I ask your reasoning on this?

    I'm not advising against it, just I don't bother with it myself, that's all. (where I'm from no one wears helmets when cycling, it's not a common thing like in some other countries)
  • mousepaws22
    mousepaws22 Posts: 380 Member
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    Please wear a helmet, see this guy:
    http://www.jamescracknell.com/blog/2011/07/20/a_video_appeal_from_james_use_your_head_use_your_helmet-220
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    (saddle = seat)
    Softer, gel-seats are actually worse for pain in the long run. Your body is designed to put weight in your sit bones. When you use a seat with excessive padding what it actually does is compresses the soft tissues and causes more pain.

    OF course, the super soft ones are fine for super short rides. But take a look at any endurance rider. The seats look like a pencil with a flared end, and the only padding exists in strategically placed locations in lycra shorts.

    Best thing I ever did with my kick-around bike was get rid of the big, heavy, sprung seat and put a narrower one with a little cushion. (You don't want a completely hard seat since you won't be using cycling clothing)
  • Ant_M76
    Ant_M76 Posts: 534 Member
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    I knew this would end up with another helmet debate :indifferent:

    I wear one by the way but some of these responses are laughable. Do you really think a strip of lightweight polystyrene is going to save you if a truck runs into you? It isn't. What it will do is to help stop superficial injuries caused during low speed/impact accidents, eg. cyclist falls over trying to get on a bike and bumps their head on the ground. For this reason, I wear one but also understand the fact that statistically you are more likely to get hit by a car, if you wear one. This is because moron drivers are more complacent around cyclists who have helmets on and give them less space, than the ones without helmets who the drivers are 'wary' of... Just food for thought ;-)
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    A 5 minute drive will only be a 15-20 minutes bike ride, it will seem hard at first but you will love it. I have a 30 minute drive to work (down the motorway) which started as a 2 hour bike ride cross county and is now 1.5 hour bike ride. I love it especially with the weather now improving. Wear a helmet more for your safety from the other road users (just in case). I started doing my bike ride on a mountain bike and there are all sorts on the road so you won't look silly.
    Good Luck :drinker:

    In my experience biking is slightly faster than driving. I'm a leisurely biker, and my 1.1 mile commute takes 7 minutes by bike and 10 by car. It probably depends on where you live though-- here in the city where there's a lot of traffic you can just dart past a line of cars on the bike.

    Some tips: Wear a helmet. Follow all traffic rules (just as if you're driving a car) and bike on the correct side of the road. Investigate the ideal route before you head out for the first time. Choose streets that are wide, don't get a lot of traffic, have bike lanes, are well maintained, etc. In some places you can bike on the sidewalk (check the local laws) but I don't think it's polite when pedestrians are on it.

    I think the hardest thing to get used to with a bike commute is not the physical exertion but the traffic and other potential hazards.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    I knew this would end up with another helmet debate :indifferent:

    I wear one by the way but some of these responses are laughable. Do you really think a strip of lightweight polystyrene is going to save you if a truck runs into you? It isn't. What it will do is to help stop superficial injuries caused during low speed/impact accidents, eg. cyclist falls over trying to get on a bike and bumps their head on the ground. For this reason, I wear one but also understand the fact that statistically you are more likely to get hit by a car, if you wear one. This is because moron drivers are more complacent around cyclists who have helmets on and give them less space, than the ones without helmets who the drivers are 'wary' of... Just food for thought ;-)

    I'm sorry - you're saying that not wearing a helmet makes people pay more attention to you? Does that go for not wearing reflective clothing, not having blinky lights on your bike, etc?

    By this logic, the guys dressed in black in the middle of the night should be the safest of all!

    All it takes is one moron who's not paying attention to ANYTHING to cause you to have a very, very, very bad day.

    Try this: Put on a helmet and have your husband, friend, brother, significant other, etc... smack you in the head with a plank.

    Now have them do it to you with no helmet on.

    Then decide if you want to wear one while you're riding.

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