Complete begginer, a couple of questions.

Wax_On

Hi Everybody, after another climbing sustained dislocated shoulder I have decided my martial arts and climbing days are over and have bought myself a MTB.
An hour in the park on flat paths and my thighs are burning like mad, I am not super fit but can manage an hour and a half kick-boxing class no problem. Is this normal ???
How the heck will I get into Xcountry if I can`t manage an hour on the flat ?
My gym has spinning classes, will they help on winter days when I can`t get out ?

On the more technical front, gears, I have 27 to choose from. Is it just a case of using the one that feels the most comfortable ?
Is it still correct that you should not run with large cog to large cog or small cog to small as this put lateral pressure on the chain ? Or has this changed on modern bikes ?
My bike lives in the shed, on a day like today when it was dripping wet but not muddy, what is the best way to store it. I wiped off the excess water but am worried about corrosion in the hard to reach places.
As I said I am a total beginner to biking and feel like quite a numpty :oops: any advice would be appreciated.

Tailend Charlie

Hi Wax-on,

To answer some of your questions:

Biking is a different kind of fitness to that you would get in a kick-boxing class, and it will likely take some time for your fitness to adapt. Regular riding is the key and will sort it out quite quickly. If gym classes work for you, that's great, lots of people do. Personally I get bored stupid in a gym and find that nothing beats riding my bike. But you need reasonable clothing to keep off the inclement nature of the British weather. there is lots of advice on this in other threads.

Regarding your gear selection; your legs have got a natural speed or "cadence" at which they work most efficiently. The wide range of gears allows you to keep in the optimum range over a wide range of terrain. So ride in the highest gear that feels comfortable. As your legs get more used to riding, you will find that you naturally use higher gears.

Regarding riding big cog to big cog, or small cog to cmall cog, it's not a disaster just not very efficient. You will find the same gear ratio elsewhere, probably on the middle ring with a straighter chain run, with the added advantage of easier gear changes up and down should you need to.

dave_hill

Wax_On wrote:

Hi Everybody, after another climbing sustained dislocated shoulder I have decided my martial arts and climbing days are over and have bought myself a MTB.

Well done you - best decision you ever made! And great alias BTW!

Wax_On wrote:

An hour in the park on flat paths and my thighs are burning like mad, I am not super fit but can manage an hour and a half kick-boxing class no problem. Is this normal ???

Oh hell yes - don't forget to do a few stretches before you ride. Pootling about in a low gear for 10 minutes will help you warm up before you start making a proper effort.

Wax_On wrote:

How the heck will I get into Xcountry if I can`t manage an hour on the flat ?

Easy - the more you do the easier it gets! And there's nothing like chucking yourself in at the deep end - you're going to have to ride on some really tricky stuff sooner or later so why not now?

Wax_On wrote:

My gym has spinning classes, will they help on winter days when I can`t get out ?

They certainly won't do any harm and they'll help those muscles which haven't been used before to get used to it. Obviously they won't help your bike handlign skills, but you can't have everything!

Wax_On wrote:

On the more technical front, gears, I have 27 to choose from. Is it just a case of using the one that feels the most comfortable ?

More or less. There's no such thing as the "correct" gear to be in for a given situation. The "correct" gear is the one that allows you to spin the pedals at a decent rate and allows you to maintain momentum.

A mistake that many new riders make is to try to push to high a gear - the number of times that I see people churning massive ratios and looking like they're going to explode is unreal. Sit down, change down, enjoy the view...!

Wax_On wrote:

Is it still correct that you should not run with large cog to large cog or small cog to small as this put lateral pressure on the chain ? Or has this changed on modern bikes ?

Nope, still applies!

Wax_On wrote:

My bike lives in the shed, on a day like today when it was dripping wet but not muddy, what is the best way to store it. I wiped off the excess water but am worried about corrosion in the hard to reach places.

If it's not dirty, a good squirt of a water-displacing lube (GT85 or WD40) and a rub-down with an oily rag is fine. Keep spray lubes away from brake pads, brake discs (or rims) and major bearings (e.g. pedals, headsets, etc.) Then use a decent chain lube on the chain and bobs your uncle.

If the bike's dirty, a good wash down with warm soapy water and then follow the above.

Storage in the shed? What's your security like? Is your bike covered on the household insurance (assuming that you have it)?

Wax_On wrote:

As I said I am a total beginner to biking and feel like quite a numpty :oops: any advice would be appreciated.

As you should know from your martial arts training - every journey has a first step. Enjoy the trip!

batch78

Welcome to mountain biking!

Dave's got it all pretty much covered again ^^^^^^

Spinning class should be fun :shock: Don't be surprised if you can't actually walk afterwards, it may be the same muscle groups but working in a completely differant way, I made the mistake of assuming as I could cycle I'd be able to climb, that foray didn't last long

Stoo61

Done a few spinning classes....ho lee fook, they are brutal if you are really going for it, does the job but not very fun. Just get out and ride if you ask me.

Wax_On

Thanks for the replys. My bike is pretty secure even though its in shed, the garden is surrounded bt a solid 6ft fence and a gate that locks remotely.
I guess the only way to get cycle fit is to cycle Its just frustrating when you want to be off doing.......

MarvintheAndroid

Good answer, Dave.

Persistence is the key. You need to give your muscles time to adapt to the new type of effort. When I first started riding after 10 years out of the saddle, it was all I could do to manage 10-15 minutes without having to stop for a rest. So you are doing OK.

All I would say is like any sport, don't overdo it. Give yourself time to recover between sessions, your muscles need to heal. Set yourself a goal to ride a few times a week (night riding can be useful for those with a busy lifestyle) and make sure you do it.

Marv