Cycling (And not the Carb or Calorie kind)

functionallydysfunctional
functionallydysfunctional Posts: 13 Member
edited January 28 in Fitness and Exercise
Greetings,

My name is Jenn, I am 31 and I was on a bike for the first time in about a decade this past week and finally understood what my dad has been preaching for years. It is better than running. You can't beat that wind in your face feeling. I have a really nice Nishiki mountain bike with road tires that my dad (who used to ride A LOT, and race) had customized and then given to me but I let it sit for years and now it probably needs to be stripped down to the frame and have some rather extensive work done to it. I know it definitely needs new tires, breaks, and probably chains. I'm saving my pennies to try to be able to afford that kind of work, but in the mean time I'm looking for resources on where to start riding for a newbie.

I haven't been on a bike in so long mostly because of fear. I was afraid of falling and I still am afraid of cars. Knoxville has some great greenways, but none of them are very convenient to where I live so I would be riding in traffic. I've been trying to do some online reading, but unlike running for beginners it doesn't seem like cycling has as much available information. So, I am looking for friends who are cyclist and who can point me in the direction of great resources for beginners as well as be on my friend list so when I do (hopefully soon) start riding, I can have someone to talk to and ask questions.

Thanks!
Jenn

Replies

  • Gearjammer71
    Gearjammer71 Posts: 151 Member
    Hi Jenn,

    If your bike wasn't thrashed when you put it away, it should be fine with just a good cleaning. I had mine in the rafters for 10 years, wiped it down, good as new. Get some Pledge furniture polish and wipe your chain off. You'll be surprised how well it cleans up. Use real chain lube or very light turbine oil, so it doesn't collect a lot of dirt. Check your tires for signs of dry rot... If they're jacked up change the tubes when you replace them too. Other than that, strap on your helmet and put it in the wind.
  • larsensue
    larsensue Posts: 461 Member
    I Cycle to work everyday (when the weather permits) in light trafic then for a light ride with my daughter most every evening. Love it!
  • functionallydysfunctional
    functionallydysfunctional Posts: 13 Member
    It was my dad's bike so it was immaculate. But then it sat in a shed in Massachusetts and a garage in TN for about 10 years. I'm pretty sure dry rot is an issue.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,247 Member
    I'm sure there are some cycling groups here but you may also want to check out

    http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php (some of the members are pretty hardcore but mostly there a great bunch over there)

    http://www.active.com/cycling/ (it's a commercial site but lots of great training tips)

    http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/ (more triathlon focused but some great training information)

    As far as riding on the roadways goes my advice is threefold:

    1) Be seen, wear highly visible coloured clothing. I ride, day and night, with a blinking red LED light facing the rear and blinking white LED light to the front (check out Planet Bike's SuperFlash, not very expensive and visible in full sun)

    2) Learn the rules of the road and obey them. Be predictable. I'm an avid cyclist and I've seen a lot of really bad riders over the years doing things like blowing through stop signs, running red lights, riding on sidewalks, riding the wrong way in traffic......the list could go on and on. In most jurisdictions a bicycle is a vehicle and is expected to behave like one.

    3) Ride defensively. Watch for vehicles exiting laneways, pulling away from the curb, opening car doors without checking mirrors etc. I assume that everyone in a car is trying their best to kill me........like cyclists there are a lot of really bad drivers out there (old folks scare the bejeezus out of me and I'm sure bus drivers are homicidal maniacs)

    As to the maintenance issues with your bike. Pick up a copy of Zinn and The Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance. With a fairly basic set of tools you can do a lot of the maintenance yourself - not only do you save money but you become very familiar with the workings of your bike.
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