Cycling! How to get started?

(Meeping up the Science!) #61

Thank you for all of the help. I really appreciate it very much.

(Guardian of the bacon) #62

I am by no means an experienced cyclist but I did go to a good bike shop to be properly fitted and have the basics explained to me. I wasn’t interested in fancy or the “latest & greatest” gadgets but I was interested in strength and durability.

This was probably the most important thing I learned and it also probably the thing I see most recreational cyclists failing at. Everybody has their seat too damn low.

#63

Yes, getting someone to set you up with the correct seat height and position (foreward-backward) will ensure the knees are not getting moved the wrong way.

(ianrobo) #64

To be honest some very good vids on youtube for all this. I would direct anyone to the UK based GCN guys, their video’s are great.

(Meeping up the Science!) #65

I will be YouTube watching Monday which I have unexpectedly off. Bonus!

The biggest problem is my knee locks up because it is so damaged. It’s from being active at 750 pounds, sadly. While it probably saved my life (I was not like super mobile but I was more mobile than the average Jabba), it unfortunately destroyed my right knee. Sometimes it stops working. So far it hasn’t been an issue on the stationary bike, and the PT said biking is actually the best thing I could do for it besides swimming (agreeing with many of you).

(ianrobo) #66

750 pounds ?? and now 300 pounds, what progress !

yep cycling is get the seat position right and you should find you will be able to cycle with a min of pain.

(Larry Lustig) #67

There are so many amazing people here!

(ianrobo) #68

how for sure …

I was never that heavy as I said on the old FB group (this forum is much better @richard @carl !!) but I struggled a lot to get to where I am now and impossible on non Keto.

However had a couple of recent arguments with Vegans and I do think this will get more problematical as Keto will get more popular. Only got to see the hassle Jimmy Moore has had.

Sorry off topic !

(Meeping up the Science!) #69

I am always glad to see people who never became super morbidly obese. I don’t consider myself having done anything special, although my former pie eating would put most people to shame, lol.

The older I get the more I realize the scope of people who struggled with weight and health. I worry more about skinny clients who are eating unhealthy, because that damage will sneak up on them. I am super lucky to be alive, and I am always glad when folks avert the consequences I’ve had to suffer.

(Shannon Roberts) #70

glad you moved to the light side.

(Shannon Roberts) #71
  1. buy a hybrid/city/urban bike.
  2. wear lycra knicks.
  3. learn about cadence.
  4. keep hydrated.
  5. decent tyres and a puncture kit.

i’d say to look for a hybrid bike by Cannondale, Giant, Trek etc - stick with cycling brands, rather than department store brands. mountain bikes are okay, but cheap ones are heavy and have silly suspension you don’t need, and which doesn’t work. racing bikes are junk/fragile at that price point too.
buy a new bike for around $300-$400 or more, and you should recoup at least half of that back when you decide if cycling is going to remain a part of your life or not. if it is, you’ll know what kind of bike you want next. if it isn’t you’ll be selling something that someone else wants to buy second-hand.

wear cycling-specific pants. they can be lycra shorts, regular looking shorts with lycra padded shorts inside them, or for the more dedicated, you can buy ‘bibs’ which are lycra padded shorts held up like bib and brace overalls. google it. they’re more comfortable, but more expensive.
don’t buy the cheapest. my good knicks are AUD$200+ per pair, and they are night and day to the no-name chinese $25 bibs.

cadence is how fast your feet turn. some people like to stick to a gear and ‘grind’, no matter the gradient of the road they’re travelling. this is bad for your knees, and it’s not very efficient. use the gears so you’re legs are doing about 80 rotations per minute, or more. speedy lycra-clad ‘cyclists’ aim for 90 to 120 rpm cadence, depending on the terrain.
get into the habit now, and you’ll appreciate it in years to come.

carry water if you’re travelling more than 10 minutes on your bike. i always carry water, because you might get a flat tyire and be stuck in the hot sun for longer than you expect. you might come across another rider with no water, stuck with a flat in the hot sun.

speaking of flats. learn how to change a tube. don’t expect anyone to do it for you even tho you’re a friendly, attractive-looking female. it’s not that hard. youtube is your friend. a hybrid bike comes with wide, thick, durable tyres. racing bikes are all about light weight. if you choose a racing style bike, you can change the tyres for more durable ‘urban’ style tyres which have thicker casings and better sidewall protection. riding bikes is fun. fixing flats is not.

my specialty is retro racing bikes, like the tour de france guys used to ride in the 70s and 80s so take my advice with a grain of kosher salt. if you want me to expand on anything, i’m more than happy to.
i haven’t been a beginner for many years, and when i started riding bikes, i was a skinny 6 year old ;). i will say tho, that cycling is one of the most wonderful things you can do with your knicks on. good luck!

(ianrobo) #72

Just to add about water, if going for longer rides then make sure you have some sort of supplement to it.

I use High5 tabs here in the UK but others are available, thing with high 5 - no carbs

(Richard Morris) #73

I’ve been riding for 40 years and I only just learned about cadence :slight_smile:

(ianrobo) #74

Oh it is the great unknown of many, far more efficient lower gear higher cad

#75

You are welcome, Masher! :wink:

(Richard Morris) #76

I regret that I have just one :heart: to give to that post

(Tom Seest) #77

I was fortunate that when I purchased my first bike at a bike shop, the owner taught me about cadence. He told me to try to always keep cadence very consistent and make changes with the gearing.

I’ve always tried to ride this way, and it served me well when I was moving my 400+ pound up the sides of hills…

(Meeping up the Science!) #78

Thank you @munga! I am going to harass you all after I look into stuff.

I’ll try to find cycling specific pants. I am still obese so hopefully they will have stuff that fits.

I was definitely planning to change my own tires. I am an annoyingly independent person, ha. It may take some doing, but I like to be able to be self-sufficent if I am somewhere remote. Here we do have bike trails, but we also have miles and miles of country road that few people drive on.

(Tom Seest) #79

In your area (I’ve ridden there), I would spend extra money and buy Schwabbe Ultra Marathon Plus tires or something similar that resist punctures. I also put “Gorilla Tape” on the inside of the tire between the wall of the tire on the tube. Then, I also get thorn proof tubes. Between these three, I have had no flats in the last 21,000 miles and 5 years.

The extra cost for the tire, tape, and tube will add up to about $60.00 over a “normal” set.

(Meeping up the Science!) #80

The price of losing time to a flat easily makes that $60 quite economical. Thank you, Tom :slight_smile: