New to Biking - Have Questions

I live in a hilly place, Seattle, which means I shift gears constantly. Try using your shifters, you'll see pretty quickly what they're for. Mostly use the one on the right which will change cogs on the rear wheel, making smaller changes, the left shifters (chainrings) are for hill vs flat, the right ones are for fine tuning.

Nobody can really tell you how many minutes or miles on a bike equal running, because you can put as much or as little as you want into the bike. If you coast a lot, it could take the whole day, but it'll be a pleasant day. If you take hills at race pace you'll run out of juice pretty quickly.

Cycling is my primary sport, and sijomial pretty much already said what I was going to. Only thing to add is that you should learn to shift by feel. If the pedaling is too difficult, shift down. If it's too easy, shift up. Shifting the front rings is worth about a 4 or 5 cog jump on the back, and there's some overlap in the gear range between the front rings.

My local Trek bike shop gives free clinics on basic bike maintenance and rules of the road. You might want to see if something like that is available to you. They also do group rides for all levels. You might be able to find a beginner ride and that could help with figuring out the gears and any other questions you have about your bike.
And always wear a helmet.

I run and ride and I can say that they're quire different. A 45-60 minute run and you're pretty much done, whereas a 2-hour+ ride is totally doable.

Also, it's easier to slack off while riding. To push yourself, it can really help to ride in a group.

Of course, the muscles are largely different, and it takes a bit of riding to build them up.

Now, you're ready to take up swimming!

as a new cyclist you might be surprised by the demand on your neck, upper back and shoulder muscles. try to keep reminding yourself to keep your shoulders down and semi-loose. it's so easy to hunch them up under your ears.

same for keeping your chest 'open' compared with leaning too much of your weight onto your hands - that's another habit that's really easy to get into as well.

I second the bike shorts! Also, take the recommendation of using your first ride to get a feel for the bike, gears, and riding technique. Biking is my favorite cardio, but I only average about 13mph on a 5 mile ride daily. However, I don't take too many breaks from peddling, even when I'm going downhill. I'll go to an easier gear and give it all I've got. If I go for longer rides though, I'll coast from time to time to alleviate the stress on my legs (and butt TBH).

sijomial wrote: »

1/
Clear some space in your garage so that there's always space for one more bike....

^This, lol. Different steeds for different needs.

canadianlbs wrote: »

as a new cyclist you might be surprised by the demand on your neck, upper back and shoulder muscles. try to keep reminding yourself to keep your shoulders down and semi-loose. it's so easy to hunch them up under your ears.

same for keeping your chest 'open' compared with leaning too much of your weight onto your hands - that's another habit that's really easy to get into as well.

Yes. this. Make sure you are using your core and not your arms to keep in position.

I am a cyclist. I recently added running and swimming and cut back on cycling to mix it up. After cycling as much as I did, I thought running would be a cinch. WRONG! I needed a walker for 3 days after trying to run a 5k with no training haha. Completely different muscles. Same with swimming.

zenartist24 wrote: »

1. What muscles does biking work compared to running?

See http://www.livestrong.com/article/374003-muscles-used-in-running-vs-cycling/

zenartist24 wrote: »

2. I currently run 3-5 miles, 5-6 days/week, at a 9 minute pace. What would be a comparable biking workout (distance or time)?

Not really comparable, one is supported (weight bearing) while other is not. In general, cycling is "easier" than running. You should have not problems doing 20-30 miles a day once your back side is conditioned (2-3 weeks, but YMMV).

zenartist24 wrote: »

3. My bike has many gears. How do I determine what gear(s) to use for a good workout?

Already addressed above but keep in mind 80-100 rpm is a general recommendation. Work towards that range but keep in mind most beginners cannot sustain that. 60-70 rpm is more typical. There is no optimal range and it depends on the terrain and you. In general higher cadences puts more stress on the cardiovascular system as opposed to the muscular. E.g. you can go longer and further without tiring as each pedal stroke requires less power but you are apply more rotations per minute to offset that power reduction. Also you are using less of your Type II muscles (fast twitch) in favorite of Type I (slow twitch). Include cadence interval training once you are comfortable on the bike (e.g. spin at 5-10 rpm higher than your normal cadence for 10-20 minutes, once or twice a week). Pedal in "circles". Contrary to popular belief that does not mean pulling up on the rest portion of the stroke but applying a limited negative force (still pushing down but much reduced power in a decreasing force application as the arm rotate from 6ish to 12ish o'clock) in a controlled fashion to minimize disruption (jerkiness). Pulling up only fatigues you and is only applicable in limited circumstances (e.g. sprinting and mesh up a steep hill). It's a simplified but incorrect interpretation/observation.

zenartist24 wrote: »

Any other advice/recommendations are certainly welcome!

1. Don't cheat out on the shorts (tighter, form fitting, is better) and If you do, go commando. (Your welcome; the boys and back end will greatly appreciate it.)
2. Get a jersey (top, extra storage), wear socks (see the Rules but ignore the Goldilocks), saddle bag (ignore the Rules), and gloves (optional but good for falling and a must if you are doing mass start racing initially).
3. Learn how to fall (think Judo), it happens.
4. If you do get clip-less pedals, see https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/04/power-to-the-pedal-cleat-position/ on positioning. It's a good site for general bike fitting information.
5. Learn the rules, see http://cyclefolsom.com/safety-guidelines.html and http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ (most of it are in jest but there are some good tidbits.)
6. Get bottles and cages beside tools. You'll need you hands on the bar and carrying a pack on the back is too hot (and bad for balancing unless mountain biking where water is hard to find and frame limits supply options).
7. Join your local bike club. They will know the routes and most will help out (fit, skills, tips, etc). Group rides are fun. Everyone get dropped, just keep hanging on until you can do the dropping (then jump on the next fast group and rinse and repeat).

I should point out that the Velominati Rules are satire poking fun at roadie culture, so don't take them too seriously. That said, I do like to quote rules #5, #9, and #10, and my bike has decals on the chainstays that say "HTFU Technology".