Newbie preparing for 1st ride!

dwaynemaxi

Hi Guys,

So I ordered my 1st road bike from Merlin and they have sent me an email to confirm its on its way hopefuly to arrive in time for the weekend Link below if anyones interested...

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/road-bikes/merlin-road-bikes/merlin-s2200-road-bike.html

Just thought I post to ask is there any heads up for tips that I may need to think about before starting out?

Going to do some obvious things like checking tyre pressure and making sure i've got plenty of fluids because of the hot weather, also going to let someone know a rough idea of where i am planning on going so if the hours go by and I've not returned they will have a clue where to start looking for me in bushes

Hoping to get really hooked and find some people to ride with in the South West London area once i am up to par :P

markhewitt1978

Well for a first ride don't plan hours, in fact plan out something maybe 2 miles out and then ride back home and see how you feel. Take a multi tool with you as the fit will certainly not be right.

Also it comes with pedals with toe straps on them, be careful these things can be tricky. I'd personally recommend taking the straps off if you can to start out with, then switching to SPD as soon as you can.

Schoie81

Ditto the above - unless you're already pretty fit or you're not as new to cycling as you say you are, I wouldn't be planning hours for a first ride. The day I picked my road bike up I went out and did 5.5miles (albeit a hilly 5.5miles), and I was shattered when I got back home.

Unless of course you're thinking of cycling to the pub, and its the pub stop which might while away the hours....

dwaynemaxi

Thanks guys,

I used to be a Postie so I think I should be ok, although I have definitely let my fitness slide over the last few years so I may struggle a bit but im also very stubborn so I probably wont give in to my moaning body.

When people mention a multi-tool, what exactly is this? Can I just pick up a general bike multi-tool from a Halfords?

I will probably take it up and down my road a couple times before heading out of a proper ride, like you said to check i am comfortable on it with things like the seat height and that way i can make any little adjustments before a proper ride out.

Should I expect to get a puncture on my first ride?

I think I will take your advice with the straps and take them off, I dont want any unnecessary accidents

The pub stop sounds a brilliant idea!

junglist_matty

dwaynemaxi wrote:

Should I expect to get a puncture on my first ride?

Expect to get a puncture on any ride, and be happy on the many rides where you don't....

Usually you'll get punctures on older worn out tyres far more frequently than nice new rubber, and also the winter roads are far worse for picking up punctures than the summer months, but even so, you must always carry at least 1 spare inner tube, preferably 2 and a puncture repair kit (just in case).

junglist_matty

dwaynemaxi wrote:

I used to be a Postie so I think I should be ok, although I have definitely let my fitness slide over the last few years so I may struggle a bit but im also very stubborn so I probably wont give in to my moaning body

To be honest, you'll probably be fine with 10 miles on your first ride. Expect to suffer from a sore rear end after and the next time you mount the saddle will be a sore experience!

junglist_matty

junglist_matty wrote:

dwaynemaxi wrote:

I used to be a Postie so I think I should be ok, although I have definitely let my fitness slide over the last few years so I may struggle a bit but im also very stubborn so I probably wont give in to my moaning body

To be honest, you'll probably be fine with 10 miles on your first ride. Expect to suffer from a sore rear end; the next time you mount the saddle will be a sore experience!

mpatts

Plan a nice circular route, with plenty of escape home routes if you feel tired. Take a multitool for fiddling with saddle height and angle etc (this is one of the massive joys of buying a new bike, constant fiddling!)

Just foudn my first ever ride (jan this year), and I did 20 miles with this method. Took me over 2 hours

Schoie81

junglist_matty wrote:

the winter roads are far worse for picking up punctures than the summer months.

Just out of curiosity, why is that?

Or is it just 'Murphy's Law' which states that if you're going to get a puncture, it wont be on a nice sunny day when you don't mind the delay, it'll be on a wet, cold, windy day when you just want to get home as quick as possible...?

jocarl011

Have you bought some padded shorts yet? These will help with the soreness you will inevitably get, I know when I went out on my first ride the seat angle was way out so the front narrow bit caused some severe pain in my groin for days!!

Take the bike out for a test run or 2 to get the general feel for the bike and make adjustments where needed.

I would say one of the biggest oversights to a new cyclist is fitness, many believe they are fitter than they actually are or the new cyclist will push to hard on their first ride and put themselves off cycling before they gave it chance, So stick with it and once your more familiar with your bike and you see your fitness increase tenfold you will have caught the bug

Good luck and congrats on your new purchase

cyclingsheep

Schoie81 wrote:

junglist_matty wrote:

the winter roads are far worse for picking up punctures than the summer months.

Just out of curiosity, why is that?

Or is it just 'Murphy's Law' which states that if you're going to get a puncture, it wont be on a nice sunny day when you don't mind the delay, it'll be on a wet, cold, windy day when you just want to get home as quick as possible...?

The damp makes them stick and wash to areas they wouldn't normally be in the summer. Also people remember their winter flats more than their summer ones as it can be bloody miserable fixing a flat when it's wet and cold.

Where abouts in Sth West London are you out of curiosity? If near Richmond Park that's a fairly safe and bike friendly place for a first spin with some shortcuts if needed.

Mettan

dwaynemaxi wrote:

Just thought I post to ask is there any heads up for tips that I may need to think about before starting out?

Get used to doing shoulder checks regularly when riding (turning right/parked cars/overtaking/general awareness) - if you're thinking of using a hand signal to move across to turn right, don't assume that all cars behind you will take account of this (most will, although some won't) - use a few quick shoulder checks, spot a gap, and then move into the centre. Also, consider using a bright rear light in the day time (in addtion to night usage) - every little helps when it comes to being seen - stay safe.

junglist_matty

cyclingsheep wrote:

Schoie81 wrote:

junglist_matty wrote:

the winter roads are far worse for picking up punctures than the summer months.

Just out of curiosity, why is that?

Or is it just 'Murphy's Law' which states that if you're going to get a puncture, it wont be on a nice sunny day when you don't mind the delay, it'll be on a wet, cold, windy day when you just want to get home as quick as possible...?

The damp makes them stick and wash to areas they wouldn't normally be in the summer. Also people remember their winter flats more than their summer ones as it can be bloody miserable fixing a flat when it's wet and cold.

Where abouts in Sth West London are you out of curiosity? If near Richmond Park that's a fairly safe and bike friendly place for a first spin with some shortcuts if needed.

My top tip: Buy brand new tyres at the start of winter (when you start getting one puncture a week!), they protect against punctures so much better..... Worn tyres in the winter are terrible, I tend to get on average one puncture a week in winter riding on worn tyres, it sucks.....

Worn tyres in the summer are usually fine; I haven't had any issues in the last month on semi-worn GP4000s tyres

markhewitt1978

junglist_matty wrote:

My top tip: Buy brand new tyres at the start of winter (when you start getting one puncture a week!), they protect against punctures so much better..... Worn tyres in the winter are terrible, I tend to get on average one puncture a week in winter riding on worn tyres, it sucks.....

Worn tyres in the summer are usually fine; I haven't had any issues in the last month on semi-worn GP4000s tyres

Thanks for the tip! I put GP4000S 23mm on in Spring and was considering putting on 25mm for the winter (if they fit!). Seems a good enough reason to fit new rubber.

dee4life2005

You are more likely to get punctures when it's wet in the summer or during the winter as the roads are damp and this moisture acts as a lubricant for all these nasty pieces of flint and sharp stones to penetrate the rubber in your tyres.

+1 on not over doing it on the first ride(s). Even if your general fitness is okay, if you are new to cycling then you'll be using muscles that aren't used to be used and you will likely get soreness and stiffness the following day or two.

Also +1 on the padded shorts. One of the best investments you can make is a decent pair of padded shorts.

If you don't have one already then I'd recommend a track pump for adjusting tyre pressure when at home, as it's can take alot of effort to get tyres up to the required pressure using a hand pump.

Lastly, enjoy your ride.

dwaynemaxi

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the little tips, I've had a busy weekend, my new bike arrived friday morning but i was stuck at work, then work took our office wake boarding on Friday afternoon, then I was travelling to Chieveley (the Crab hotel) to keep the missus happy (Hot tub room, lovely btw :-D) Then today I've done a skydive from 10,000ft and rushed home to unpack my bike!

I think I've been more excited about the bike than all the rest tbh :-) fitted the handlebars, adjusted the seat and bars, took the straps off the peddles, took it out for a quick spin up and down the road, then let the missus drive my car to hers just so I could follow on my new toy! Only a quick 2.9mile ride but loved it already! Surprised at how responsive the road bike is compared to regular bikes, very sensitive steering. Took me awhile to learn how to change gears up and down too lol.

Heading out to car boot tomorrow morning to see if I find any cheap cycling stuff (lock or something really)

Can't wait to get back in the saddle, could do with some padded shorts tho. Anyone use the gel saddle covers?

I live bedfont/ashford (Middlesex) so Richmond park is a great shout.

jocarl011

Not got a gel seat personally but as I say the padded shorts help a lot, Also you will always get a sore bum at the beginning until you get used to it then after a while it does get better although not entirely, another tip is take the weight off the saddle every now and then using your feet either standing or just small pushes on the peddles I find helps.

dwaynemaxi

My list of things to purchase is growing lol.

Defo going to get some padded shorts, seems like most serious riders swear by them so can't go wrong there! Temped to try a gel seat cover as halfords were knocking them out at about a fiver I believe, no harm done if there's no real gain. Needs at least 2 locks as I don't trust the toe rags round here, need lights prob just cheap amazon job tbh, need water bottle holders, need saddle pouch thing...

It's actually quite exciting almost like the buzz u get when buying a new wardrobe of clothes for holiday :-D

Frank pole

Decent shorts are a must as your going to feel like you've been rodgered by a baby elephant for the first few weeks!

Druidor

Don't bother with Gel saddle covers it will just give more area for you arse to rub on and will not be comfortable.

A pair of decent padded shorts (You will not ever want to not have them when riding once you have worn them) & your race saddle is all you need & pedals if you did not order them with the bike.

Take your allen key to adjust the saddle & handle bars mid ride & a bottle of water, had my bile a few months now (Merlin purchase). once I found the right saddle & handle bar angle been going strong.

saddle bag
* Pump
* Innertube x2
* Patches
* multi tool
* Tyre Levers


Next purchase some road shoes and clipless pedals

Mikey41

Gel saddles are torture devices. Do. Not. Get. One.

Decent pair of padded shorts are worth their weight in gold. I will spend decent money on shorts as you get what you pay for with them. A cheaper pair was OK for me for rides up to about 2 hours, longer than that and I got a more expensive pair that are hugely better.

Get some spares so you can fix punctures and just get out and ride for now so you can get used to the bike and bring your fitness up. Then you can think about clipless pedals if you want to go that way.

dwaynemaxi

Ok been to halfrauds and got a bottle cage and bottle and a puncture repair kit, tried a couple helmets on and just going to buy one online, probably a Giro Transfer or something.

Anyone got a link for padded shorts?

Also thinking of buying the Kryptonite Evolution Mini 7 lock, anyone with experience of this lock?

Oh and 1 mor thing, has anyone used the slime inner tube tyre things that stop flats? Any recommended inner tubes?

pidy

Hi.

I know this is slightly off topic but am just wondering if you have had your bike delivered as i am intested in what you think of it.

doug5_10

dwaynemaxi wrote:

Ok been to halfrauds and got a bottle cage and bottle and a puncture repair kit, tried a couple helmets on and just going to buy one online, probably a Giro Transfer or something.

Anyone got a link for padded shorts?

Also thinking of buying the Kryptonite Evolution Mini 7 lock, anyone with experience of this lock?

Oh and 1 mor thing, has anyone used the slime inner tube tyre things that stop flats? Any recommended inner tubes?

Check out Wiggle and search on here for opinions on the DHB Aeron Pro bib-shorts (always get bibs, not waist gripper shorts). Benchmark for 'budget' performance shorts, similar to several £100+ models. These are the one thing to invest in wisely.

After bottles + cages, shorts and a helmet; you need a spares/tool kit to carry with you (saddlebags are good for this)
This should contain spare tubes x2, patch kit, multitool (with chaintool), tyre levers minimum. Can also have spoke key, tyre boot, chain quick-link, zip-ties, ducktape, latex gloves, kitchen sink; whatever you might need in an emergency! Also need to carry a mini-pump or CO2 for re-inflation.

Once you are doing distances that might requires taking food with you (30-40+ miles) I would consider a cycling specific jersey with rear pockets for carrying bits and pieces.

The last 'essential' that I would then get would be shoes and clipless pedals.

junglist_matty

Very good value bib short, perfect for a beginner, will last a good long while...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-aeron-cycling-bib-short/

And a cycling jersey is also a good shout, the pockets on the rear of the jersey are perfect for a cake or two for a mid-ride snack!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-mono-short-sleeve-jersey/

junglist_matty

Oh and these pumps are awesome...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lezyne-pressure ... mp-medium/