Overweight beginner, wishing to do some touring.

leewhitehouse

Hi all,

so I recently lost my job (which I hated! so not too bothered, other than financially). Having lost 3.5 stone previously from 17 stone down to 13.5, i've put it all back on over the 2 years of work.

I struggle to find myself going to the gym and lifting weights as I used to religiously and have considered the idea of cycling a few times in the past.

After visiting decathlon and seeing how cheap the Triban 3/Fitness 3 are i've decided its time to go for it.

I visit the isle of wight a couple of times a year and always see cyclists down there, some of the roads would be amazing to cycle on and its something I definitely want to do.

So usual beginners bikes are Specialized Allez/Sectuers and as mentioned the Btwin Triban 3 etc. People complain about the weight of the wheels on both and I wouldn't mind upgrading, but i'm a heavy guy so I don't see upgrading so early would be particularly worth it. Road bikes not at all suitable for the occasional gravel/dirt tracks at all either which I may come across?

What kind of average speeds to people keep on a flat with ease out of interest?

Any recommendations for me? Help appreciated, look forward to becoming an active member of the forum. .

jimmies

you sound like me.....I have a job but probably just about to lose it.....and I hate mine too.

I'm a 96k ex ruby player that had to give up due to knee reconstruction a few of years ago and have just decided to do something about it. I have recently got the Triban 3 - looked at the Allez/Secteur but could not justify the extra £350 at this point.....when I upgrade in the future it will hopefully be for something a little higher up. The Triban is 1kg heavier than the Secteur.....don't think I'll notice that as a beginner.

You will hear not to get hung up on ave speeds at the start.....just enjoy it - but for info, after my first week I've gone from 3.2 mile (with a big hill) with an average speed of 12mph to 7.7mile today (with same hill) with an average of 14mph. I'm a 33 year old

slowbike

I like the Spec Allez, but it's prob technically no different to any other similar priced bike ..
It's a case of jumping on and riding - to see if you like the feel.

I wouldn't worry about wheels - a lot is said about wheels making you faster etc etc - but the differences are marginal and there is far more to be gained in loosing excess weight and getting stronger/fitter.

IOW is quite hilly so don't expect to run round it quickly - roads can be quite narrow and there are quite a number of cycle tracks - having ridden some of them, it would be better to ride them with wider wheels - not the 23mm I used! - so in that respect you'd want a bike that can take ~28mm tyres.

As for average speed - that really depends on the terrain! I used to road ride at an average of 15mph - flat, hilly and any length - same speed ... I've got a bit faster on that sort of terrain now, but off on tracks and cyclepaths it takes a big tumble because of the obstacles - plus sometimes it is nice to just stop and look!

leewhitehouse

Cheers jimmies, so distance you can cover has raised up to about 7.7miles in around 33 minutes. That's pretty good progress.

Slowbike thanks for your input, I don't expect to get around the IOW quickly lol, I particularly fancy attempting to tackle some kind of route along the military road from ventor-alum bay eventually. I think the Triban comes with 25mm tires as standard, 28mm, would they require new wheel rims or do wider tyres fit on other rims without too much hassle?

I was thinking of grabbing a lightly used 2nd hand Allez or it would be a new Triban 3 so probably around £150 extra if I could find a good deal. I may be leaning towards the Triban at the moment.

jimmies

yep 33mins....my plan is to do this route till mid next week...then push to 10 miles. Hopefully my body will react nicely as I push time in the saddle. I'm in no rush and I just want to get fitter.

So far I have no complaints about the triban 3

slowbike

I wouldn't think you'd get more than 25mm's on the Allez ...
They (usually) go on the same size rims - I've swapped between 23 and 35mm on a hybrid ... the issue with the Allez is the gap between the forks and brakes.

leewhitehouse

Ahh, tyre width is something i've kind of looked over. A thinner tyre I imagine is easier to get speed and maintain on due to less resistance between road and wheel.

Tyre pressures also, as a larger guy (at the minute) I suppose its something I need to consider!

Paul E

leewhitehouse wrote:

Ahh, tyre width is something i've kind of looked over. A thinner tyre I imagine is easier to get speed and maintain on due to less resistance between road and wheel.

Tyre pressures also, as a larger guy (at the minute) I suppose its something I need to consider!

the diff between 23c and 25c is that the bigger tyre has less rolling resistance but at low speed is better, only above 20mph does the thinner tyre give you some back in being more aero ohh and it's more uncomfortable, 25c has more air in so cushions a bit more.

rubyrider

Beginner from the Isle of Wight here. I can vouch that it is quite hilly though I'm sure the are harder places to cycle. I live right near the Military Rd - lovely views though can get quite busy (by our standards) in the summer. I've just done my first 20 miler today along the lanes to the side of it. These are lovely and quiet though I did have to get off the road to let tractors by a couple of times. They are narrow.

Anyway, I have 23 tyres. I think there are actually only 3 proper cycle paths on the island (and yes they are more like tracks) but there are lots of off road routes through the forests and on bridle ways - which would be best tackled on a mountain bike. You'd soon 'do' the cycle paths so I'd aim for the quiet roads and maybe a tyre wider than 25 might not be required? Just a thought... I'm sure you'll cycle in other places too

My biggest shock has been that I get up the hills so much easier on my mountain bike thanks to the gear ratios. The road bike is much lighter but hills are harder

MichaelW

Know the feeling, you wont regret taking off on a tour.
If that is your intention, get a bike suitable to the task with facilities for rack, mudguards, lowish gears, comfortable riding position and strong wheels.
The best bike for touring in the UK is probably a Touring Bike; the classic model is Dawes Galaxy but there are others.
They have room for wider tyres so you can ride tracks and trails, 36 spoke wheels for strength, threaded eyelets for luggage rack and mudguards and some MTB transmission bits.
You don't have to ride a drop bar bike to tour; Euro style tourers are basically good hybrids with a butterfly/trekking style bar, which is more compatible with MTB components. Hoards of people tour an a std hybrid bike or an MTB.

If you are watching your pennies on tour, you generally have to carry more stuff, tent, sleeping bag, cooking stuff. Lightweight touring using B&B, hotels, hostels and dining out is often called Credit Card touring.

bungalballs

Paul E wrote:

the diff between 23c and 25c is that the bigger tyre has less rolling resistance but at low speed is better, only above 20mph does the thinner tyre give you some back in being more aero ohh and it's more uncomfortable, 25c has more air in so cushions a bit more.

Hi Paul E...

Could you expand on this? I'm newbie to road as well and its something I can't get my head around, especially with my mtb hat on. I have heard a few people recommend a 25c tyre for better rolling resistance. Am i correct in saying a 23c equates to a 23mm tyre, and 25c is 25mm? If so, surely a wider tyre means larger contact area on the road, more friction, more grip but more rolling resistance!? I certainly understand more air, more cushioning, and I would also imagine lower pressures, as again, your weight is spread over a greater area. Im also quite a heavy rider, so the aero effect of the tyre is of little concern until my tubster torso is more aero!

slowbike

MichaelW wrote:

If that is your intention, get a bike suitable to the task with facilities for rack, mudguards, lowish gears, comfortable riding position and strong wheels.

The Allez doesn't have mounting points for a rack - you can put one on with mounting brackets - but it isn't ideal.

jameses

Did the 'round the island' route today, it's a beautiful ride! It is a bit hilly, but not excessively so and the climbs are generally fairly short (although I have just spent a couple of months in Pembrokeshire, and hilly is a relative term!)

I've done a bit of touring on my hybrid, which is much better suited than the road bike because of the room for 35mm tyres, super low gearing and the capacity to fit a front rack. Having said that, i did see people on road bikes with small loads. The secteur has mounting points for a rear rack, thought the allez did as well but may well be mistaken. The gearing would be more of a concern for me, though.

I wouldn't worry too much about your average speed - mine drops about 5mph when touring, but I'll do the same distances in a day and often be less tired by the end of it! Just enjoy the scenery at a slower pace 8)

MichaelW

The optimim tyre size depends on your load, speed and the terrain.
Rolling resistance is caused mainly by tyre deformation. At THE SAME PRESSURE, a wider tyre will deform less so will roll better. Higher pressure tyres deform less. Narrower tyres hold higher pressure
Narrower tyres also have less air resistance which is only significant at very high speed.
You can't work out the best tyre with a calculator.

Experience shows that the optimim tyre width using a 700c rim is roughly:
25mm for fast leisure rides and ultralight credit card touring
28mm for hostel touring with medium loads
32mm for Euro camping loads on good roads
35-38mm for Global touring on rough roads.

Increase your tyre size for heavier riders and loads to protect your rim from damage.
It is always useful to have clearance for the next size up.

desweller

You're not going to see much difference in terms of average speed over the course of a day's touring between a 28c tyre and a 23c tyre, but you'll be able to run the 28c tyre at a lower pressure thanks to the increased contact area. The vast majority of your drag is aerodynamic, not tyre rolling resistance.

Don't worry about tyre choice too much. You'll have fun whatever tyres you have! Make sure you pick a bike that fits and have your position on it set up by someone who knows what they're doing; you'll be in the saddle an awful lot but there's no reason at all why it should hurt if your setup is correct.