Cycling! How to get started?


(Meeping up the Science!) #41

I actually wanted desperately to study in Japan. Having a career now has dulled that motivation somewhat. My Japanese has tarnished considerably in ten years, alas.


(Tom Seest) #42

You live near some awesome trails up there. Iā€™ve ridden some of them. Amazing views.


(Tom Seest) #43

Another consideration, but more expensive, might be a recumbent bicycle. You could go to a health club, and try both a upright and recumbent bicycle, and see which motion is easier for the knee.

The recumbent will be much easier on your back and seat, but will be more expensive. You might have to spend more in the beginning, but you may use it more, and it eliminates the need for most bicycle clothing for the casual commutes.

Something to consider.


(Meeping up the Science!) #44

I am going to get one for sure. Iā€™d like to get out and about ASAP. I actually didnā€™t know they made one for riding. I donā€™t think Iā€™ve seen one before.


(Guardian of the bacon) #45

I Weighed 400+ when I bought my Cannondale Hybrid bike. Our roads are far from smooth and it has held up fine with 0 issues. Sadly it doesnā€™t have nearly the miles on it that it should but ima gonna work on that.

You want a good air pump cause it seems bike tires always need air.


(Tom Seest) #46

Yes Donna, they make recumbent bicycles and three wheelers. Carl Franklin has one.

Some can be pricey, but you can find used ones. It might be better for your knee, but you might want to test one at a local bicycle shop or at a gym.

If it is a good fit, they are far more adjustable than a normal bicycle as frame size, etc. arenā€™t as important. Most have adjustable seats, etcā€¦


(Tom Seest) #47

Cannondale makes fine bicycles.

Wheel sets and spoke count can be important, but a well designed cycle, frame, etc. make such a difference.

Cannondale is pure class.


(Guardian of the bacon) #48

My wife has a recumbent and really likes it. I think it looks too awkward plus seems less visible to traffic. Which brings me to a pet peeve. Bikers wearing dark unreflective clothing. Sure we all need to share the road but damn wear some reflective fucking clothes.

Sheā€™s biked much more than I. She has trouble with her hands falling asleep on a reg bike.


(Tom Seest) #49

Yeah. You need some large fiberglass flags, etc. to draw attention to them on a road way. Great for trail riding usuallyā€¦


(Meeping up the Science!) #50

Believe it or not, psychology is easier than figuring out bicycles!

Thank you so much, Tom. I will definitely check out the recumbent one. The PT said a regular one should be fine, too. I will try to see if I can try one out.


(ianrobo) #51

nope sorry @jfricke reflective clothing for normal bikers does not work, studies show this, what works is a damn good light and I picked one up here for only 30 quid for the real and fantastic even in the fog.


(Guardian of the bacon) #52

Iā€™m certainly not going to argue against a good light. I see way to many bicyclists around here with neither. Dull dark clothing with nary a reflector on the front or back riding in all kinds of low light conditions.


(joelchandler) #53

I started on a Giant mountain bike with with hybrid tyresā€¦ this gives you a nice strong frame with tyres that will run smoothly.

A couple of pointers :

  • the lower the tread profile the less road resistance you get

  • You pay for lighter frames ā€¦ a 2kg lighter frame could cost twice the priceā€¦ I always figure I have more than 2kg to lose so save your money.

  • check the weight rating on the second hand bikeā€¦ I know it seems obvious but some of the frames are rated to less than a 100kg and will flex or crack.

  • different bike frame styles put you in positions you may not feel comfortable in. It took me 6 months to feel comfortable on a road bike due to the position and way it steers. Different materials flex differentlyā€¦ most beginners feel comfortable on a stiff frame so steel / chrome-moly. Carbon fibre and aluminium have a different feel.

  • Eventually you may want to clip in ā€¦get the pedals where you can do both it wonā€™t cost you much more and they will be there when you want them.

  • You actually wonā€™t be able to touch the road when sitting on the bike if you have it set up correctly. Roughly speaking when fitting - your heals should be on the pedals with a straight leg. This means once the balls of your feet are one the pedals your legs wonā€™t ever be fully locked straight and your knees wonā€™t be wrecked from pedalling. Your knees should never go past the 90degree bend.


(joelchandler) #54

To make life more pleasant get the thicker thorn proof tyres and fill them with slimeā€¦(self healing goo)

Nothing destroys your day more than being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat.


(Meeping up the Science!) #55

Thank you so much for the help. I am dorky so I am taking notes.


(joelchandler) #56

Donā€™t know how much detail you want ā€¦part of my journey was to become an outdoor ed instructor for cycling and bushwalking. There are a lot of things to think about.

What are your goals? What sort of conditions do you plan on tackling? What sort of budget are you thinking? How mechanically minded are you? What is the terrain that you most commonly travel.

This sorts of questions will greatly guide your initial purchases rather than having to replace everything in a years time.

I just got rid of my car to further force myself to ride as often as possible but that is not always possible.

A phone holder and a Bluetooth cadence and speed sensor are nice tools but again your goals will affect how you train and use this data.


(Meeping up the Science!) #57

For the immediate future, primarily bike trails. Not sure I am bold enough for Chicago suburbs traffic yet. They basically hate cyclists here. My goal is to eventually work close to where I live to use a bike primarily as much as possible, but thatā€™s more of a 4-5 year goal. Short term itā€™s basically to get my ass on a bike. I do stationary stuff daily.

Further complicating matters - I need a total left knee replacement. The joint is entirely unsalvageable (some of the round parts are cracked and flattening, 0% cartilage), however still improving it with the cycling and exercise daily. Iā€™m exceptionally mobile despite this.


(joelchandler) #58

Iā€™m just checkingā€¦ when you say trails do you mean dirt, gravel or concrete?


(Meeping up the Science!) #59

Woops, sorry! They are about 70% concrete. The rest are dirt/gravel.


(joelchandler) #60

No apology needed ā€¦ here the term ā€œpathā€ is so generic it could mean anything from a cattle track to concrete.

In that case a hybrid tyre is probably the right choice and either a mountain bike style frame or city (hybrid) bike. You may find initially a ā€œladiesā€ or sometime called ā€œunisexā€ frame to be helpful depending on how comfortable you are mounting and dismounting.

When it comes to cycling itself you may find that pedalling faster (90 to 100 time a minute) at a lower gear may prevent too much grind on your knee as the pressure on each individual stroke will be lessened for the same speed.

This tends to make it a more aerobic activity and encourage type 1 muscles but will tend to unfortunately selectively prune out the type 2 muscles unless you are doing some other weight training. Pedalling slower and harder behaves more like strength training but is not as efficient and not sustainable for longer periods.

Recumbents can be really good. Try oneā€¦ they are not as efficient under high load but they are more aerodynamic and put you in a better position when it comes to breathing. (Road bikes in contrast break pretty much every rule of ergonomics in order to achieve aerodynamics)