New Cyclist on the Road...

backup tube, patch kit, co2 pump

If you use the search function you'll find many threads discussing this topic. You'll also have to wade through a lot unrelated stuff...

Here's one thread I found:

cyclingforums.comwhat should i carry with me in my saddle bagOpen ↗

Brought the bike home tonight... I can't wait to ride.

Still doing research but I'm anxious to get out there.

64Paramount, thanks for the link!

While not a must, shoes and pedals are nice to have, if you get into it my guess is you will eventually invest the $. Also you did not mention a speedometer, which is a nice tool. Depending on where you live you will inevitably begin a collection of clothing for different seasons.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by bgoetz [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

While not a must, shoes and pedals are nice to have, if you get into it my guess is you will eventually invest the $. Also you did not mention a speedometer, which is a nice tool. Depending on where you live you will inevitably begin a collection of clothing for different seasons.

Thanks for the insight! I've been looking into shoes already, but the funds won't allow it. I've already dropped a grand on a hobby that's new to me.

I've also invested in shorts, tights, gloves, baclava and I've got an Under Armour jacket that will do the trick until weather and funds allow for me to pick up a jersey.

The speedo is a good idea, but I'm planning on using the GPS tracking in my iPhone for tracking. Other than instant feedback, are there any reasons to go this route?

Either way, thanks for the advice, it's something I'll be looking at down the road. I'm excited to get into cycling, get more fit, and make some new friends along the ride.

Just noticed you were from NJ, so yeah about like it is here. I think you are going to find that with athletic shoes and toe straps your feet are going to get cold, even with some nice wool socks. Until you get some shoes and can invest in some shoe covers, you may need to come up with a way to keep the wind out. Assuming that you rode your Harley in the colder weather you may already know this and have a plan.

Also I am assuming you purchased the bike from a reputable shop that will fit you before they let you leave the shop with it? This is probably the most important thing, a poor fit will make things much less enjoyable.

Best of luck with the sport, sounds like you will really get some enjoyment out of it!!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by bgoetz [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Just noticed you were from NJ, so yeah about like it is here. I think you are going to find that with athletic shoes and toe straps your feet are going to get cold, even with some nice wool socks. Until you get some shoes and can invest in some shoe covers, you may need to come up with a way to keep the wind out. Assuming that you rode your Harley in the colder weather you may already know this and have a plan.

Also I am assuming you purchased the bike from a reputable shop that will fit you before they let you leave the shop with it? This is probably the most important thing, a poor fit will make things much less enjoyable.

Best of luck with the sport, sounds like you will really get some enjoyment out of it!!

I normally ride the Harley with boots, but I'll be trying to devise a way to keep the wind out of my shoes for sure. I've been pondering it, but don't have a definite plan yet.

I did buy my bike from a reputable shop, a local one where I went to school with the owner's nephews and was fitted. The fit is great (uncomfortable seat -- but I'm told a couple weeks in the saddle will soften it up)

Thanks for all your help, it's really appreciated!

Welp, I just got home from my first ride. 44 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze coming across the lake. 10.5 miles in a hair under an hour including a 5 minute break at the halfway point. It was hillier than I was hoping for a first ride, with elevation changes of about 200 feet.

Anyway, my butt hurts, my hands hurt, and I can't feel my calves or quads and haven't stopped smiling. Gonna sleep like a rock tonight 🙂

[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG] Good for you. You're off to a great start! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by tplyons [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Welp, I just got home from my first ride. 44 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze coming across the lake. 10.5 miles in a hair under an hour including a 5 minute break at the halfway point. It was hillier than I was hoping for a first ride, with elevation changes of about 200 feet.

Anyway, my butt hurts, my hands hurt, and I can't feel my calves or quads and haven't stopped smiling. Gonna sleep like a rock tonight 🙂

Nice. The more you ride those hills they will get easier, and sometimes the challenge of it is just plain fun.

If your butt and hands hurt I think you may need to see about adjusting the bike to fit you better. It's all about balancing your weight between the seat, pedals, and the handlebars. If your hands hurt, you might be tipping in towards the handlebars too much, putting too much weight on your hands, and if your butt hurts maybe the seat isn't level. I recommend this guide to help you make those changes. Think of it like if you are standing and you want to lean forward, your butt has to go out backwards to counterbalance, otherwise you will just fall forward. On a bike if the seat is too far forward close to your pedals, it may not be enough counterbalance to keep you from tipping forward and putting stress on your hands and wrists. Being comfortable on a bike is very important for those long rides. Good luck!

nah, your but is gonna hurt, if your not used to riding, the first 3 weeks are hell. once your butt is conditioned, you can go a decent length of time without riding and have it still be fine. As for the Iphone, it's a perfectly good option, look into getting a mount for it so you can have your speed and mileage data in front of you while riding. if your phone is absolutely essential you may be a little wary of having it mounted on the bike in the event of a crash. dedicated bike speedo's can be had for as cheap as $15 bucks. a bluetooth enabled heart rate strap will interface with most iphone gps sprots tracking apps and is nice to ahve for training purposes. did you have pedals on your old MTB? you can probably throw those on, they aren't true road pedals but they would get the job done. glad you enjoyed your ride! I'm not sure where Madison NJ is but I'm in NYC. If there are bike clubs near you, look into them. I joined mine though i've only done one real event with them but they have a great website with tons of good info and a database of cuesheets for all sorts of rides in the area. www.nycc.org

Motobecane said:

nah, your but is gonna hurt, if your not used to riding, the first 3 weeks are hell. once your butt is conditioned, you can go a decent length of time without riding and have it still be fine. As for the Iphone, it's a perfectly good option, look into getting a mount for it so you can have your speed and mileage data in front of you while riding. if your phone is absolutely essential you may be a little wary of having it mounted on the bike in the event of a crash. dedicated bike speedo's can be had for as cheap as $15 bucks. a bluetooth enabled heart rate strap will interface with most iphone gps sprots tracking apps and is nice to ahve for training purposes. did you have pedals on your old MTB? you can probably throw those on, they aren't true road pedals but they would get the job done. glad you enjoyed your ride! I'm not sure where Madison NJ is but I'm in NYC. If there are bike clubs near you, look into them. I joined mine though i've only done one real event with them but they have a great website with tons of good info and a database of cuesheets for all sorts of rides in the area. www.nycc.org

Thanks for the input. I'm actually joining my company's cycling club and will hopefully get a few good rides from that. So far, I've ridden once, and can't wait to get back out there. I understand the addiction now.

Not sure if you are up to speed on changing a tube out on the road on a road bike but if not, changing it in your garage a few times may be a worthwhile exercise.

Hopefully hes gotten a few more rides in since his first.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by coneofsilence [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Hopefully hes gotten a few more rides in since his first.

Unfortunately, I haven't... yet.

The weather has been dismal, either snowing or raining, and the few good days we've had I have actually been traveling for my grandfather's funeral.

I've got another 10 mile ride scheduled for tomorrow, hopefully I'll be reporting back that I still enjoy it 🙂

For the record, I rode again yesterday and shaved a few minutes off my 10 mile time. First five miles weren't a problem at all, but that hill at mile 9 still kicked my butt with the toe straps.

The good news is that I just purchased a set of Shimano shoes, cleats, and pedals and should be reporting back soon.

tplyons, it's been six months what's the update?

Wow... forgot about this thread...

Anyway, I've logged 400+ miles this year... not as much as planned, but enough to squeeze out 135 miles of the MS 150 City to Shore ride...

Anyway, I've been riding with my company's cycling team, doing between 25-30 miles after work most Wednesdays, and getting out on Sundays to do 6 or 10 mile sprints. Doing so, I've managed to build up some strength and endurance and gain enough confidence to sign up for the MS150 ride.

Like I said before, I managed 135 of the 150 miles of the ride due to tweaking my back going over a train track. (I'm a little overweight and have had fairly consistent back pain due to this -- something I'm hoping to correct with another year of cycling) and have already signed up for next year's century + 75 miles home.

There's nothing like the support of a cycling club. Nothing like 25 other coworkers rocking a club kit to push you forward. Riding with a mix of beginners and seasoned pro's, a bunch of people were more than willing to take me under their wing and show me the ropes. But the most important was the ride leader that kept challenging me, one mile at a time, harassing me endlessly, and racing me up hills (never ends well for me).

Long story short, the M&M Cycling team has been a great resource for learning to ride, and learning to love to ride. In not too long, I'm hoping to hit my thousand mile mark on my Trek 1.1 and be 100% confident in my ability to do a century.

I've come a long way, but here's to a few thousand more miles!

Great update. I've never done a century so let us know what you've done to prepare. Before it gets to cold, looking to log 1000 miles before Dec 25 from July 1st. As it gets colder and days get shorter harder to spend time on the bike. 400 more to go. Plan on getting 100 + in the next three days. Keep spinning. Keep updating.