So I've just ordered my first bike...

crohnoes

What should I expect? Any tips for a rookie like me?

I've just ordered a Rockrider 5.2, and I'm very happy! I'm going to be using it for nothing too extreme, but I would like some beginner tips when it comes to maintaining and upgrading the bike. What accessories do I NEED to invest in? I've only bought the bike and nothing else do far. Rack your brains and think of some stuff I NEED as much as the bike itself!

Also if you have any experience with the Rockrider 5.2 and can share any insight you have about the bike, please share!

Thanks

Mickey Eye

A helmet.
Some clothes that do not include jeans and cotton Tshirts. (Wicking material for shirts is a must)
A multi tool with a chain breaker.
A bottle and bottle cage to keep it simple.
A mini pump and puncture repair kit.
A bottle of chain lubrication.

That should get you going. Other people can give you more specific clothing options.

nonnac85

If you buy a chainbreaker make sure you have a link or joining pin to put the chain back together again!

piker

As far as clothes go check out this thread http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... highlight=

fredy

I disagree with the need for clothes.

fredy

gloves and helmet though are a must. tools and lube too, and lights. A pump and repair kit will also prove to be useful.

monkeypants

fredy wrote:

I disagree with the need for clothes.

Naked riding is the way forward.

fredy

fredy wrote:

gloves and helmet though are a must. tools and lube too, and lights. A pump and repair kit will also prove to be useful.

sorry, that should read, gloves for your helmet and lube for your tool when riding naked.

crohnoes

Right a few more questions have arisen.

I've been looking at buying other stuff today.
Helmet: Is this REALLY necessary? I'm not bothered about wearing one, I'm just wondering if it's really needed for what I'm going to be using the bike for. Mostly taking the bike up and down the promenade here in Blackpool and exploring the town and beyond on the quiet, little roads. I'm not going to be doing any trails or anything.
Gloves: I was really tempted to buy a pair of gloves. Should I?
Shorts: Do I need padded shorts? I was thinking about buying a pair of padded under-shorts and a pair of 3/4 length padded cycling shorts. A whole lot of padding, which people recommend for extended periods in the saddle. What's the deal with chamois cream? Also, if I'm wearing padded under-shorts, do I need to wear a conventional pair of underwear?

Oberdiah

crohnoes wrote:

Helmet: Is this REALLY necessary?

Depends upon how much you value your head. IMO it doesn't matter where you ride you can still fall off/get knocked off and smack your head on something a lot harder than your skull.

nikstar1

If you think that you could manage without a helmet I think you are pretty stupid. Obviously no one 'plans' to crash but accidents do happen.

Even on quiet roads you can be hit by a speeding car who hasn't bothered to look out for you and be knocked off. If you happen to hit your head in the wrong place then you could be killed or seriously injured.

It is such a small expense in relation to the other things you could buy, it is stupid not to get one. Also if you are thinking you should buy gloves and miss out on a helmet, then you must be even more careless than I thought!

bartimaeus

I have never fallen off seriously enough to bang my head... but I always wear a helmet as you never know when something might go wrong. The consequences of a head injury are too serious not take out insurance - and your helmet is your insurance.

I also now ski with a helmet on... again I've never fallen and hit my head, but I've been in plenty of places where a fall could be serious.

Having a wife and kids reminded me that I needed to be that bit more careful.

crohnoes

Yeah well, I apply the same logic to walking. I could get mowed down by a tool at any given moment, but I don't wear a helmet to stroll about. Bike helmet seems more like a tinfoil hat to me.

TheNorthernTrain

crohnoes wrote:

Yeah well, I apply the same logic to walking. I could get mowed down by a tool at any given moment, but I don't wear a helmet to stroll about. Bike helmet seems more like a tinfoil hat to me.

You won't be saying that when a helmet has saved you from death!

asquithea

For the sort of cycling you're talking about (general around-town, towpaths, level tracks etc), I think you need:

For simple maintenance:
- Tyre patches (sticky ones are OK)
- Spare inner tube
- A pump (ordinary car foot-pump will do)
- A spanner to get the wheels off
- A multi-tool to adjust various bits
- A bottle of chain lube

For comfort:
- Cycling gloves (stops your hands from getting sore and bruised)
- Cycle clips (if you're intending to wear long trousers)

For safety:
- Helmet
- Lights (you will be caught short)

This should be fine if you generally cycle within walking distance from home. To avoid being stranded, it might be helpful to add a mini-pump and a saddle bag (to carry the patches, tube, spanner and multi-tool) -- but I got by without needing these for years.

You will get punctures though, so the bits I mentioned are pretty much essential.

Regarding helmets, I always think it's a bit like the arguments for and against seatbelts. I haven't needed either yet, but it only takes a bit of slippery pavement to end up smacking your head on a kerb. However, opinions vary -- search the forums for previous threads.

The Northern Monkey

crohnoes wrote:

Right a few more questions have arisen.

I've been looking at buying other stuff today.
Helmet: Is this REALLY necessary? I'm not bothered about wearing one, I'm just wondering if it's really needed for what I'm going to be using the bike for. Mostly taking the bike up and down the promenade here in Blackpool and exploring the town and beyond on the quiet, little roads. I'm not going to be doing any trails or anything.
Gloves: I was really tempted to buy a pair of gloves. Should I?
Shorts: Do I need padded shorts? I was thinking about buying a pair of padded under-shorts and a pair of 3/4 length padded cycling shorts. A whole lot of padding, which people recommend for extended periods in the saddle. What's the deal with chamois cream? Also, if I'm wearing padded under-shorts, do I need to wear a conventional pair of underwear?

you'll probably need the hemet to take the blows from glass bottles/fists on Bpool front.

the gloves will also save your hands when they throw you off the bike after the glass/fist attack.

Padded shorts will reduce the pain from the inevitable ass kicking.

lol! gotta love blackpool... not a chance i'd ride the P7 down the front though

i jest btw

FODCADEMON

fredy wrote:

gloves and helmet though are a must. tools and lube too, and lights. A pump and repair kit will also prove to be useful.

Go out for a couple of rides without gloves first then decide whether you feel you need them

alfablue

Apart from wear and tear of palms on the grips, I consider gloves essential protection - on the rare but (probably) inevitable falls, the gravel that gets inserted into palms makes a little tumble far more painful and annoying than it need be!

Helmets are extremely controversial on here, I would just say that having been cycling on and off road for years, and having just got back from an mtb trip to the Pyrenees, I managed to smash my helmeted head on the deck riding through the local park, so experience and skill are no guarantee of safety. My head stayed intact, helmet crushed, pelvis and shoulder fractured, 7 weeks in hospital, 3 months off work, but I don't dribble any more than I used to. Falls do happen, heads do hit the road (and other objects), whether you believe a helmet will help or not is the only matter for debate.

giantculler

by the way... congratulations for the new bike. wellcome.
while you use your new bike you will feel what u need for an upgrade. for now, have fun