NEW BIKE AT LAST!!!!

nickempop

Fianally took the plunge and got myself a Giant Defy 2.5, looked the best value for money (£625), only been around the block on it so far (due to work and the biblical rainfall we've been having!!!), All i can say is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!
Thought i'd wait for a dry day to try and get used to the Shimano R540 pedals i've put on it which seem really stiff to get out of even though i have loosened the to the slackest setting. Being a noob i'm putting this down to practice or should i have got the Look Keo Easy pedals...................... :?
Anyway can't wait to get out on it and get some mileage under my belt (chomping at the bit!!!!), question is - do i just ride a couple of routes every other day or stick to a training program?
Got a Camelbak Podium bottle today as-well!
Feel like an excited school boy again!
That sounded wrong - you know what i mean!

Anonymous

Just get on it and see where you end up!

nickempop

Might not have the strength to get back

Grazy81

Picking my new one up tonight too so i am as excited as you sound lol

I wouldn't go too mad if your not used to cycling any distance cos you dont want to ache too much the rest of the week try and find a circular route maybe 5 - 10 miles in total so then you can go round as much as you like

Barkiesnake

nickmpop,
I bought the Defy 2.5 at beginning of April and the smile hasn't left my face yet, even when i came off in the Magnificat and tore my shoulder muscles :oops:

My physio let me back on yesterday to do the London Bikeathon 52 mile route and it still had me grinning like a boy who's found his dads mags

I hope you and Grazy81 enjoy it as much as i do. Napoleon is right though, just get on and ride, enjoy yourself.

PS Napoleon, hows your recovery come on?

nickempop

Thanks Grazy81, i've put mine in the garage and go out to have a look at it every now and then Sad or what!
I've just mapped a ten mile route from my house with map my ride so i think i'll take your advice until i'm abit more used to it.
Good luck with your new bike mate

nickempop

Thanks Barkiesnake - don't feel such a fool now

Barkiesnake

nickempop wrote:

Thanks Grazy81, i've put mine in the garage and go out to have a look at it every now and then Sad or what!

In the GARAGE!!!!!!!

Mine lives in the hall so i can see it every time i come in , go out move from lounge to kitchen etc. My wife caught me standing in the hall carressing the top tube a couple of times, :oops: She has called it "Dotty" because she thinks that it has turned me a bit mad.

nickempop

carressing the top tube a couple of times

Rolling!

AGNI

Barkiesnake wrote:

nickempop wrote:

Thanks Grazy81, i've put mine in the garage and go out to have a look at it every now and then Sad or what!

In the GARAGE!!!!!!!

Mine lives in the hall so i can see it every time i come in , go out move from lounge to kitchen etc. My wife caught me standing in the hall carressing the top tube a couple of times, :oops: She has called it "Dotty" because she thinks that it has turned me a bit mad.

I got my new bike in March and it still hasn't spent a night outside of the house. I know that the wife is getting a bit fed up of seeing it around the utility room. I guess its a matter of time before I get given that ultimatum

"its me or the bike"

Agent57

nickempop wrote:

Might not have the strength to get back

Just make sure you have enough cash or a debit card for the train fare home.

merlinghnd

I think you should take it easy and not do too many more miles than you are used to. Build it up gradually.

I got a new bike and soon went for a long blast, about 50 miles, further than I had for a while. The next day I had a very sore knee (I guess combination of position and distance) which took a few months to go away completely.

I can appreciate how good it is to get a new bike but.....

gtitim

congrats on the new purchase, just get on it, you'll soon know when to head back.

Barkiesnake

AGNI wrote:

I guess its a matter of time before I get given that ultimatum

"its me or the bike"

That's a shame, I'm sure you'll miss her after all those years of marriage

rally200

merlinghnd wrote:

I think you should take it easy and not do too many more miles than you are used to. Build it up gradually.

I got a new bike and soon went for a long blast, about 50 miles, further than I had for a while. The next day I had a very sore knee (I guess combination of position and distance) which took a few months to go away completely.

I can appreciate how good it is to get a new bike but.....

good point - and always take an allen key out with you - it'll probably take quite a while before you get you're seat height , and cleat position just right

Grazy81

nickempop wrote:

Thanks Grazy81, i've put mine in the garage and go out to have a look at it every now and then Sad or what!
I've just mapped a ten mile route from my house with map my ride so i think i'll take your advice until i'm abit more used to it.
Good luck with your new bike mate

Just got home with it and i cant beleive how much lighter it is than my £90 halfords special.

got the allez sport 18 as they wouldn't get the 27 for quite a while so i just thought to myself if i hit a steep hill just man up n deal with it.

Tomorrow will be the real test when i do my usual route :twisted:

Surf-Matt

Grazy - it's stupidly hilly around here and my driveway is a 150 yard 1 in 3 (most delivery vans can't make it up) - just stand on those pedals and give it some stick!

Another regular hill is around 25% and about 250 yards long - it hurts but is doable - on our Allez Elite (double).

Garz

Barkiesnake wrote:

In the GARAGE!!!!!!!

Mine lives in the hall so i can see it every time i come in , go out move from lounge to kitchen etc. My wife caught me standing in the hall carressing the top tube a couple of times, :oops: She has called it "Dotty" because she thinks that it has turned me a bit mad.

like it

FeynmanC

Congrats on the new bike. I got my Defy 2.5 a couple of months back and had much the same experience...BLOODY HELL IT'S FAST!

Be careful of overdoing it though. I joined a local bike group and went out with them on a ride a few times, dropping out and making my own way home after I started to feel slightly drained.

The next time I felt great, so carried on with them, only to have my body break down about 18 miles from home, after going back over the Avonmouth bridge. I made it back on my own but the effort screwed a tendon in my knee and i wasn't able to ride for a couple of weeks :-(

I've got myself a second bottle since then and some SIS water mix stuff, that seems to have helped.

I'm going to ride it the 25 miles to work for the first time tomorrow...and then back at the end of the day...so i'm hoping my knee doesn't give out again.

Also, get a decent bike pump as the LBS found my tyres were at 55psi yesterday, not 120 as they should have been. The ride home was significantly easier and faster (24mph, rather than 16mph average).

Grazy81

FeynmanC wrote:

I'm going to ride it the 25 miles to work for the first time tomorrow...and then back at the end of the day...so i'm hoping my knee doesn't give out again.

Also, get a decent bike pump as the LBS found my tyres were at 55psi yesterday, not 120 as they should have been. The ride home was significantly easier and faster (24mph, rather than 16mph average).

Let us now how the 25 miler goes as my work is a similar distance and when i am more used to the bike i will be doing this every now and again too and that average speed is an amazing increase

Grazy81

Surf-Matt wrote:

Grazy - it's stupidly hilly around here and my driveway is a 150 yard 1 in 3 (most delivery vans can't make it up) - just stand on those pedals and give it some stick!

Another regular hill is around 25% and about 250 yards long - it hurts but is doable - on our Allez Elite (double).

Excellent, i'm glad i dont live near you then lol

My hardest hill i will encounter regularly is going to be interesting on the new bike to see how it differs from the old £90 mtb

Barkiesnake

Grazy
just remember, hills are Gods way of telling us we must ride more to get fitter