Noob looking for advice/Tips

blueneedles

Hello fellow bikers, My name is simon (sy) im 28 over weight unfit etc etc

I currently ride a carrara vulcan that ive owned for around 5 years.
After a search through the forums ive come up with bits and bobs but no direct info for my needs thus the post, My appologies for the long post.

I looking for advice on cleaning and riding tips to make my cycleing more pleasurable to me as every ride i take absolutly destroys me! ive been on and off of bikes over the years so my fitness level has gone up and down and it seems that the lack of time in the saddle is showing.

The Ride - Now ive chosen a route that is plenty achievable to most riders as it mostly small climbs and flat riding which im quite comfortable doing but after 5 miles or so even after psp and go energy drinks any incline seems to be a massive feet and with the last stretch being a 341m climb this absolutely finishes me off compleately! the only good thing after the climb im only 1.5 miles from home and it mainly down hill but i struggle some what. so any advice and tips are welcome.

Cleaning - After my rides my bike is usually covered in mud! now i power wash the mud off and use break cleaner and engine degreaser whist washing, after drying water from bike i degrease and clean all the stubburn crap out by hand and spray with WD40. Its quite time comsuming but works.

Now my main QUESTION is how often should i strip and regrease hub bearings etc and how often should i change chain,sprokets,jokey wheels,bearings,cables

many thanks in advance

dan shard

If its easy non-technical riding your doing Id just change things when they wear out noticably. If you rely on it for a long commute or go to difficult trail centres where your bike is put under a lot of stress and you rely on everything working perfectly to keep you alive and in one piece, thats when you need to start thinking about a replacement schedule

all imho of course

MountainMonster

The climbing will get easier with practice, it's like the old saying, practice makes perfect.

Steve_F

You spend that much time washing your bike after a short ride :shock: :shock:

If any of mine get that good a wash twice a year they're doing well! It does sound a bit excessive, careful with the power washer too, don't get it too close to any bearings or areas that need to keep grease in them.

For the riding it's all about saddle time. Only way it'll get easier is by keeping going. Try chucking a bit of cross training in too, anything you enjoy - swim/run/gym/footie etc. It will happen one day when you get home and think I want to do more.

Maybe try and find a longer route with less hills to get the endurance levels up too. Might be that you're not actually properly warmed up at the 5 mile stage and it'll get easier after the initial knackeredness has gone. Always takes me a bit of time to find my legs, 5 miles is usually more than enough off-road right enough but probably still in the difficult stage on-road.

Finding riding buddies to push you on might help too.

dan shard

oh yeah if your using a power washer....dont do the pedal thing. It may be fun but it wrecks your bearings

VOE!

blueneedles

dan shard wrote:

oh yeah if your using a power washer....dont do the pedal thing. It may be fun but it wrecks your bearings!

ha ha ha i havnt done that in years as a few times ive buggered peddles when i was yonger

blueneedles

dan shard wrote:

If its easy non-technical riding your doing Id just change things when they wear out noticably. If you rely on it for a long commute or go to difficult trail centres where your bike is put under a lot of stress and you rely on everything working perfectly to keep you alive and in one piece, thats when you need to start thinking about a replacement schedule

Hey dan, thanks for your info dude, as for changing things on my bike i havnt changed a thing really in 5 years ive owned it except for the jockey wheels and thats it really. I dont use my bike for commutes as im currently out of work but just trying to get back into abit of cycleing again so i guess its just for abit of fitness and fun.

plus i wasnt sure if old parts would result in poor performance (past there best if you would) after a certain period?

blueneedles

Steve_F wrote:

You spend that much time washing your bike after a short ride :shock: :shock:

If any of mine get that good a wash twice a year they're doing well! It does sound a bit excessive, careful with the power washer too, don't get it too close to any bearings or areas that need to keep grease in them.

Maybe try and find a longer route with less hills to get the endurance levels up too. Might be that you're not actually properly warmed up at the 5 mile stage and it'll get easier after the initial knackeredness has gone. Always takes me a bit of time to find my legs, 5 miles is usually more than enough off-road right enough but probably still in the difficult stage on-road.

Finding riding buddies to push you on might help too.

I only wash my bike this much if im coverd in mud otherwise il only wash it every now and then and grease the esentials as i go as i dont want to clean just for the sake of it.
As for doing more miles id like to stick to 10 miles or so as i say anymore and it destroys me compleatly flat or hilly its after 5 miles where i fall off previous pace i was doing. I dont wish to do a 5 mile ride as it seem quite pointless to me as i havnt done enough to warrent an progress in fitness etc as i like to do abit of off and on road to mix it up alittle.

I dont really have any freinds to ride with around my pace or riding level and dont like putting people out who like to cover 20 miles plus on a quick ride out as they put it

blueneedles

im not sure if this link will work but if it does then this is the route ive chosen for myself

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... 5106360623

VWsurfbum

First thing i would ask is how are your legs positioned when seated on the bike? when climbing hills you walt your legs to be almost fully stretched on the down stroke! (this makes a massive difference) also Tyre pressures make a massive difference to rolling resistance so this could be a issue too?

saddle position, if your saddle is pointing up this could be restricting blood flow to the legs and causing you to feel tired sooner. your saddle should be eithe horrozontal or pointing down ever so slightly to get the best from your legs. (it fells weird to start off with)

Other than that, fitness and practise it will get easier every time you go out.

** Disclaimer, this post is purley my own opinion and not those of Bikerader

CycloRos

Firstly, hello and welcome!

Secondly check out some of the "sticky's" at the top of each forum section for some good general advice. Also make use of the "search" functionality, there really is a wealth of information on for instance - http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12652104

But most importantly/obviously just get out and ride! the more you do the more you'll enjoy it but take it easy at first, make steady progress and build up you skills and knowledge.

p.s. noticed from your route you're not too far from the Lake District, when you start sprinting up that last 341m climb get yourself up there for some amazing riding...

blueneedles

thankyou again for your advice any info given is well recieved and noted so il try messing around with my seat position some more as my legs are still slightly bent and not fully streched.

my tyre pressures are usually 40psi in the back and 30/35psi in the front if this helps.

i dont expect to cover alot of ground early on but the tips and techniques and advise that i read will help me greately

many thanks for your help so far.