Newbie advice

Simon Sharwood said:

My wife bought me a cheap MTB last year.
And I'm loving it. I put some semi-slicks on and am doing some
commuting, 40-50km fitness rides on weekends, did the 'Gong ride and
am pulling the kids to school on a shadow rider etc.
Now I want to take my cycling up a notch and don't quite know how.
I probably cannot afford a new bike for a while but would like to do
some group rides, maybe get into some gentle racing, learn a bit more
about the equipment that can improve my experience and give me more
reason to get fit etc.
Where should I start?
Over to you - let the wisdom of the crowd be my guide!

Simon.

Dunno about wisdom, but anyway...

What's up a notch? Decide what you want to achieve - this should help
you determine the type of bike you want/need. No point buying a roadie
if you want to hammer dirt. No point buying a mtb exclusively for road
use.

Decide your budget. Examine ebay, the Trading Post, various forums and
see what you can get that comes within budget. Re-evaluate
budget... ;^)

Ride some similar models (join a club?). Re-evaluate what you want/
need. Re-evaluate budget. ;^)

Tony F

Quoted message said:

What's up a notch?

I'm thinking road.

Simon

Simon Sharwood said:

Quoted message said:

What's up a notch?

I'm thinking road.

Simon

Where are you located Simon? Check out your local cycling clubs (either
road or MTB??) to see if they have any skills programs or regular bunch
rides for you to come along to. If you're seriously thinking road then
I would suggest a road bike or at least slicks and drops for your MTB.
Flat bars don't go well in a tight bunch.

--
Bean

"I've got a bike
You can ride it if you like
It's got a basket
A bell that rings
And things to make it look good
I'd give it to you if I could
But I borrowed it" Pink Floyd

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

Quoted message said:

Where are you located Simon? Check out your local cycling clubs (either
road or MTB??) to see if they have any skills programs or regular bunch
rides for you to come along to. If you're seriously thinking road then
I would suggest a road bike or at least slicks and drops for your MTB.
Flat bars don't go well in a tight bunch.

Err ... slicks? Drops? Flat bars?

I really am very new to this!

Simon.

In aus.bicycle on 17 Apr 2007 22:01:01 -0700

Simon Sharwood said:

Quoted message said:

Where are you located Simon? Check out your local cycling clubs (either
road or MTB??) to see if they have any skills programs or regular bunch
rides for you to come along to. If you're seriously thinking road then
I would suggest a road bike or at least slicks and drops for your MTB.
Flat bars don't go well in a tight bunch.

Err ... slicks? Drops? Flat bars?

I really am very new to this!

Slicks are faster tyres. Your normal MTB has treaded wide low
pressure tyres - good for sand or gravel and bad surface, bad for
speed. So if you want to do fast type riding you would need higher
pressure tyres with not much tread.

You can get them for cheap to try at www.torpedo7.com.au check in the
MTB section under tyres. (Even if you don't go racing, you will find
high pressure slicks get you to work much faster!)

Drops are the curvy bars you see on racing type bikes. They are narrow,
and change how you sit and how you control the bike. In "bunches",
which are the really close together groups you see racer types in, you
need to be careful about getting tangled with others, so the bike and
rider have to be narrow and well controlled. Flat bars are the widish
bars that MTBs have - they give good control and are comfortable, but are
too wide and also lead to elbows out some. The bunch needs everyone to
be predictable and move the same way, so prefers everyone to be sitting
and moving in the same way.

Pretty much if you want to do anything close to road racing (rather
than just ride in a group without trying to get close together to take
advantage of the aerodynamics of being "on someone's wheel" meaning they
cut the wind for you) then you have to have a bike that's more like a
road race bike.

Best is to get one for the purpose - light and properly set up.
You'll find the MTB a bit of a handicap for anything serious.

That said, best you can do is find a club, turn up, talk to people.
Once you find one you feel happy in then you can chat about what is
needed and look at people's bikes.

Then you can decide if you get a different bike (and what kind) or if
you just mess about with yours.

Zebee

Simon Sharwood said:

Err ... slicks? Drops? Flat bars?

I really am very new to this!

Hi there Simon,

May we introduce you to the wit and wisdom of Mr Sheldon Brown:

http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html

Enjoy your stay. 🙂

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on 17 Apr 2007 22:01:01 -0700

Simon Sharwood said:

Quoted message said:

Where are you located Simon? Check out your local cycling clubs (either
road or MTB??) to see if they have any skills programs or regular bunch
rides for you to come along to. If you're seriously thinking road then
I would suggest a road bike or at least slicks and drops for your MTB.
Flat bars don't go well in a tight bunch.

Err ... slicks? Drops? Flat bars?

:-) Sorry Simon, I couldn't b bothered writing what Zebee has provided,
hence the lingo.

Many clubs will have programs to help invite new road cyclists into the
fold. They are your best first port of call. If you can't identify the
clubs then go to your LBS (local bike shop) and ask them... likely some
of the people who work there are members. The LBS might also have
useful suggestions for the right bike for you or what you can do with
the one you have. Be mindful, if you seriously get into road cycling
you might end up with an expensive habit! :-)

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

Bean Long said:

Be mindful, if you seriously get into road cycling
you might end up with an expensive habit! :-)

hehe - back to my original points - re-evaluate your budget!

Tony F
who finds mtbing can be an expensive habit, and better go order that
new derailleur now...

thefathippy said:

Bean Long said:

Be mindful, if you seriously get into road cycling
you might end up with an expensive habit! :-)

hehe - back to my original points - re-evaluate your budget!

Tony F
who finds mtbing can be an expensive habit, and better go order that
new derailleur now...

I hit a wombat last night in westerfolds park (actually, it hit me,
three(!) times ... third time it took my front wheel out from under
me), and my rarely used MTB now needs a new front wheel 🙂

Bleve said:

I hit a wombat last night in westerfolds park (actually, it hit me,
three(!) times ... third time it took my front wheel out from under
me), and my rarely used MTB now needs a new front wheel 🙂

Depending on what hub it is, you're probably better off just doing a rim
swap. I know I was sorely tempted to bling up the front of my bike when I
killed a front wheel, but ended up just putting a nice rim on rather than
a hub/rim combo.

I suspect you know someone who can lace it as well.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"Some drink from the Fountain of Knowledge... Others just gargle."
- Dave Aronson

"Bleve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

thefathippy said:

Bean Long said:

Be mindful, if you seriously get into road cycling
you might end up with an expensive habit! :-)

hehe - back to my original points - re-evaluate your budget!

Tony F
who finds mtbing can be an expensive habit, and better go order that
new derailleur now...

I hit a wombat last night in westerfolds park (actually, it hit me,
three(!) times ... third time it took my front wheel out from under
me), and my rarely used MTB now needs a new front wheel 🙂

Someone HAS to ask: Three times??? How???

me

On 2007-04-20, Plodder (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

"Bleve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hit a wombat last night in westerfolds park (actually, it hit me,
three(!) times ... third time it took my front wheel out from under
me), and my rarely used MTB now needs a new front wheel 🙂

Someone HAS to ask: Three times??? How???

For the same reason you can get dents in the back of your car from a
kangaroo -- they're viscous, and will attack a stationary object.

Incidentally, the telescope operator's car has a bar in it to finish
off any injured kangaroos. Haven't had to use it.

--
TimC
It typically takes 25-30 gallons of petrol/diesel to fully-consume an
average-sized body under ideal conditions. That I am conversant with
this level of detail should serve as an indication of why the wise man
does not ask me questions about MS-Windows. --Tanuki on ASR

On Apr 20, 4:08 pm, TimC <[email hidden]-

astro.swin.edu.au said:

On 2007-04-20, Plodder (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

"Bleve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hit a wombat last night in westerfolds park (actually, it hit me,
three(!) times ... third time it took my front wheel out from under
me), and my rarely used MTB now needs a new front wheel 🙂

Quoted message said:

Someone HAS to ask: Three times??? How???

For the same reason you can get dents in the back of your car from a
kangaroo -- they're viscous, and will attack a stationary object.

Incidentally, the telescope operator's car has a bar in it to finish
off any injured kangaroos. Haven't had to use it.

Kangaroos would be a bit viscous after being run over three times and
beaten to death with an iron bar ;-)

Donga said:

On Apr 20, 4:08 pm, TimC <[email hidden]-

astro.swin.edu.au said:

For the same reason you can get dents in the back of your car from a
kangaroo -- they're viscous, and will attack a stationary object.

Incidentally, the telescope operator's car has a bar in it to finish
off any injured kangaroos. Haven't had to use it.

Kangaroos would be a bit viscous after being run over three times and
beaten to death with an iron bar ;-)

Surely that would make them runnier?

--
John
Christmas is weird. What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead
tree and eat candy out of your socks? -- Unknown

On 2007-04-20, John Pitts (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Donga said:

On Apr 20, 4:08 pm, TimC <[email hidden]-

astro.swin.edu.au said:

For the same reason you can get dents in the back of your car from a
kangaroo -- they're viscous, and will attack a stationary object.

Incidentally, the telescope operator's car has a bar in it to finish
off any injured kangaroos. Haven't had to use it.

Kangaroos would be a bit viscous after being run over three times and
beaten to death with an iron bar ;-)

Surely that would make them runnier?

Not once they dry out. The smell stays with you for weeks after
riding past them.

So we had a question at work recently: If the body is kept at 37
degrees while alive, nothing goes rotten. Is the liver really doing
that much work to remove toxins, such that when it stops doing work
(ie, death), the body goes really *really* pungent after just a couple
of hours *particularly* if the body is kept at 37 degrees?

--
TimC
Beating is one thing .... pounding accompanied by the shakes is a bit
unnerving -- Andrew Comeau in RHOD

TimC said:

So we had a question at work recently: If the body is kept at 37
degrees while alive, nothing goes rotten. Is the liver really doing
that much work to remove toxins, such that when it stops doing work
(ie, death), the body goes really *really* pungent after just a couple
of hours *particularly* if the body is kept at 37 degrees?

It's not so much the liver as the fact that most bits are being replaced
fairly frequently, and there are a variety of systems in place to get rid
of assorted nasties. The liver will do some filtering of those bits, but a
fair bit will also be done by the kidneys, or the nasties won't even get
out of the intestine thanks to the mucus secretions.

Dave - who is doing a course on this kind of thing at uni. Interesting
mix of stuff I know well enough to teach and stuff I've got no clue on.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"SCSI is *not* magic. There are fundamental technical reasons why it is
necessary to sacrifice a young goat to your SCSI chain now and then."
- Daniel M. Drucker

TimC said:

On 2007-04-20, John Pitts (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Donga said:

On Apr 20, 4:08 pm, TimC <[email hidden]-
astro.swin.edu.au> wrote:
>
> For the same reason you can get dents in the back of your car from a
> kangaroo -- they're viscous, and will attack a stationary object.
>
> Incidentally, the telescope operator's car has a bar in it to finish
> off any injured kangaroos. Haven't had to use it.

Kangaroos would be a bit viscous after being run over three times and
beaten to death with an iron bar ;-)

Surely that would make them runnier?

Not once they dry out. The smell stays with you for weeks after
riding past them.

That's one good reason not to ride along the main highways out here.

The other reason is the danger that you might end up like the 'roo.

--
John
Write a wise saying and your name will live forever. -- Anonymous

On 2007-04-20, John Pitts (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

On 2007-04-20, John Pitts (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

On 2007-04-20, Donga <[email hidden]> wrote:
> Kangaroos would be a bit viscous after being run over three times and
> beaten to death with an iron bar ;-)

Surely that would make them runnier?

Not once they dry out. The smell stays with you for weeks after
riding past them.

That's one good reason not to ride along the main highways out here.

The other reason is the danger that you might end up like the 'roo.

Ever since the tour de bungles, I have seen many a bike up and down
the mountain, along the highway, and in the back of observer's cars
when they come up from Epping.

Dunno. Must be the season for riding or somehting. But I think the
locals are used to us by now.

--
TimC
VBScript is designed to be a secure programming environment. It
lacks various commands that can be potentially damaging if used in
a malicious manner. This added security is critical in enterprise
solutions. -- support.microsoft.com

TimC said:

Ever since the tour de bungles, I have seen many a bike up and down
the mountain, along the highway, and in the back of observer's cars
when they come up from Epping.

Dunno. Must be the season for riding or somehting. But I think the
locals are used to us by now.

That's good. I've noticed a large increase in the number of cyclists on
the road in the three years I've been living here.

The main highways that pass through Dubbo are scary. Lots of big
trucks moving fast.

The back roads are fine - not much traffic and the locals are very
considerate of cyclists. There are lots of great routes to ride without
going on the highway.

--
John
It's not rocket surgery.