A right 'newb'

Tea and Techno

I just turned 19, bought my first road bike at the weekend, an Optima Corsa (I know it's not the best thing in the world, only £200, but I'm just getting into it), but I was just wondering what do you guys think would be a good exercise routine for someone just starting out? I'm planning to ride to work, which is about 4 miles each way, I was thinking of making a 60 mile target a week for the first 5 or 6 weeks and gradually build up.

Also, what are the basic essentials I would need, like tools and such?

ride_whenever

4mile each way should easily be doable, then look at adding in longer and longer rides at the weekends, possibly join your local club.

As for tools, in order of importance:

HELMET
pump, tube, levers, patches
fluids (water bottle @ cage)
Multi-tool - comprising allen keys and chain tool
lights

they are the bare essentials then optionally:
spare cable, antiseptic spray, spray on plaster, spare bit of chain, gloves, glasses, waterproofs

then you can just go from there. It would also be a good idea to brush up on your bike maintainance, parktools have some good bits online and sheldon brown's webbie is worth a look too.

Oh and have fun

il_principe

ride_whenever wrote:

4mile each way should easily be doable, then look at adding in longer and longer rides at the weekends, possibly join your local club.

As for tools, in order of importance:

HELMET
pump, tube, levers, patches
fluids (water bottle @ cage)
Multi-tool - comprising allen keys and chain tool
lights

they are the bare essentials then optionally:
spare cable, antiseptic spray, spray on plaster, spare bit of chain, gloves, glasses, waterproofs

then you can just go from there. It would also be a good idea to brush up on your bike maintainance, parktools have some good bits online and sheldon brown's webbie is worth a look too.

Oh and have fun

I'd remove HELMET from that list and put gloves on the essentials list along with glasses. You'll find opinion on helmets is divided.
Waterproofs are about as debatable as helmets but basically there are none on the market that will keep you bone dry whilst allowing your sweat to escape - unless you are pootling at 5mph all the time, given your age and choice of bike type this seems unlikely. A breathable windproof jacket is a better bet for the winter months. Keep your bike well maintained and you should have few problems aside from the odd puncture.
Also (if you haven't already) invest in some lycra shorts and a cycle jersey as well as clipless pedals and shoes. If you don't like lycra buy it anyway and wear baggy shorts over the top, or try riding 60 miles without padded shorts and see how your @rse feels!

Most importantly - Enjoy!

Infamous

a 19 year old wearing a helmet?

Get what the other have said, but also get a cheap bike computer. Then you can easily log the miles at the end of a day (in a spreadsheet, or just with pen and paper). At the end of the first week, see how many miles you can do, then set the goal for next week something like, 5-10% more than the first week. And do it again the week after, etc etc etc

Perhaps have one ride a week (that isn't a commute) where you try to ride for as long as possible.

Phixion

What has age got to do with wearing a helmet?

I'd much rather wear an aerodynamic, comfortable helmet than fall and end up injured or dead.

You head is very heavy, if you have a fall all of the force would probably mean your head slams into the floor...

Jez mon

I'm 18 and I wear a helmet, because my parents make me

It's not the law to wear a helmet and you don't have to, if you don't want to, don't. There is much debate as to how much they actually help at high speed (above 15mph). Personal experiance; I was in a crash which broke my collarbone in 3 places and put a huge dent in my helmet.

So anyway key things for a total n00b! Some cycling kit, doesn't have to be lycra if you don't want, there exist decent shorts with lining pads in. You will also want a cheep computer, bottles/bottle holders and tools/spare tubes.

Now if there is any money after that, I would get some cheap clipless pedals and shoes. Then I would get a cycling top/other clothing.

Tools wise, I would get a pump, a multi tool and some tyre leavers

alfablue

Phixion wrote:

What has age got to do with wearing a helmet?

I'd much rather wear an aerodynamic, comfortable helmet than fall and end up injured or dead.

You head is very heavy, if you have a fall all of the force would probably mean your head slams into the floor...

I sympathise with your views, but this is likely to re-open the running sore that is "The Helmet Debate" on this forum...it's got to be done

I don't think age has much to do with it, other than possibly the need for helmets may be greater in young children and infants, the type of accidents they have may be more within the parameters of protection offered by their hemets, and childrens helmets may offer more protection. For adolescents, maybe there is an issue with looking "uncool". Other than that I don't see what it has to do with age or being 19.

Phixion

It doesn't matter whether you're 10 yrs old or 70 - hitting your head at 20-30mph on concrete is going to do damage, surely a helmet reduces the risk and amount of damage your head will suffer?

If you're planning to cycle on the roads I really would suggest you get a helmet.

boybiker

If you join a club then you will find that they kind of insist that you carry spare inner tubes and some means of inflating them rather than a puncture repair kit on club rides because you really don't want to faf around repairing punctures on a club run, a small pump will possibly get your tyre up to a usable pressure but one of those co2 inflater thingies will be much quicker.
I use a helmet all the time,so much so I have even got my LBS to get me a time trail helmet which goes half way down my back and makes me look like Buck Rogers.I can feel a new photo posting coming on shortly

Jez mon

To be fair with respect to puncture repair kits, fixing a puncture with them can be quicker than the rigmarole of changing a tube.

Don't remove the wheel, using tyre levers expose only the part of the tube which has a hole in put the glue stuff around the hole, remove the object which caused the puncture, stick the patch on, put the tyre back on and pump it up.

Using this method you don't have to remove the wheel or take the whole tyre off, so it isn't actually that slow.

redddraggon

Jez mon wrote:

To be fair with respect to puncture repair kits, fixing a puncture with them can be quicker than the rigmarole of changing a tube.

In my experience it is far far far quicker to swap the tubes - I can do it and get moving again in less than 10mins - I couldn't find the puncture, sand the area down, apply rubber cement, patch it up, let it dry etc in that time.

Tea and Techno

Cheers for the advice guys! I'll make a list and go on a spree at the weekend (spending, not killing). I don't know how much £150 will get me, but what I don't get, I'll just buy next month, or sweet talk someone into gettin' me it.

As for a helmet, I think people should buy one anyway, it's just a matter of wanting to wear it. I probably won't half the time, but at least I'll have one. I don't care about looking "uncool", I have no one to impress but myself, but when I get ploughed by a van, they'll be thankful I did wear one.

I'll get both, inner tubes and puncture repair, you lot like to bicker!

There is a club just outside of town, the North Hampshire RC I believe it is, I may join in the new year perhaps and start to get competitive. What are the advantages of joining a club?

Thanks again.

Bikerbaboon

Tea and Techno wrote:

Cheers for the advice guys! I'll make a list and go on a spree at the weekend (spending, not killing). I don't know how much £150 will get me, but what I don't get, I'll just buy next month, or sweet talk someone into gettin' me it.

As for a helmet, I think people should buy one anyway, it's just a matter of wanting to wear it. I probably won't half the time, but at least I'll have one. I don't care about looking "uncool", I have no one to impress but myself, but when I get ploughed by a van, they'll be thankful I did wear one.

I'll get both, inner tubes and puncture repair, you lot like to bicker!

There is a club just outside of town, the North Hampshire RC I believe it is, I may join in the new year perhaps and start to get competitive. What are the advantages of joining a club?

Thanks again.

trust me getting ploughed by a van your helmet would be well out of its depth, i also know that when you get hit by a car thankful is not something you feel..... pain pain and more pain is what you get.

im not bashing helmets i use one every time i ride. but i would not expect it to do anything if you do get hit by 3 tonnes of steel doing 30mph.

Infamous

a 19 yo would be less likely to wear a helmet because:

a) they are not scared of death
b) they tend to value looking good over anything

both of these decrease with age.

Tea and Techno wrote:

There is a club just outside of town, the North Hampshire RC I believe it is, I may join in the new year perhaps and start to get competitive. What are the advantages of joining a club?

You meet new people. you also get to ride in a group.

Tea and Techno

Infamous wrote:

a 19 yo would be less likely to wear a helmet because:

a) they are not scared of death
b) they tend to value looking good over anything

both of these decrease with age.

I hope you don't mean every 19 year old. For one, I don't have too many friends, being an introvert most my time is spent indoors in peace, so being "cool" or looking "good" means nothing to me. (If you saw my hair, you'd know I weren't trying to look good). I'm also scared of death, I'm very cautious.

BikerBaboon, I suppose you have a point there, but I'd rather break my legs than smack my head on a kerb.