New to road bike

romastino

Hi all,

I started cycling this year on a giant roam 2 hybrid , im 43 years old and have not been on a bike since I was at school but have been bitten by the bug.
I wanted to start cycling as a way of getting fitter and shedding some pounds I was 217lbs I am now 200lbs ,ive put in 800 mile son the hybrid and changed my diet and thought it was time for a change.
Ive just ordered the Giant Defy 5 as my 1st road bike and if I enjoy it like im hoping I will upgrade probably sooner than later, new bike is due on Tuesday .
If I could ask a couple questions, am ii best going for a proper bike fit to get the best out of me and the bike or will I be ok for now, and also I know it comes with wellgo with toe clip pedals , am I best going for an upgrade on the pedals straight away.
The area I live has some cracking routes and I am now doing the climbs that I was getting off my bike and walking up a few months back, great satisfaction that has added to the cycling bug.
Glenn

Scotteesh

Hi Glenn,

Congratulations on getting back on the bike!

I'd hold off the bike fit for now, there's plenty of decent videos on youtube that will get you set up pretty well.

Regarding the pedals I would definitely invest in some proper shoes and SPD pedals. Strange to get used to at first but once you get used to them there's no turning back!

Hope this helps!

Scott

simon_masterson

Those cheap clips and straps leave a bit to be desired next to decent ones, but they do work. Start by loosening them off all the way, and tuck away your laces, as they can get caught.

By all means buy yourself some shoes and pedals now if you want to, or use the clips and straps for a bit; you'll probably find clipless pedals easier to master if you then start using them.

romastino

Thank you for the advice guys, i will probably use the ones that come with the bike for a week or two but get myself some proper pedals ordered and shoes, really enjoying the freedom of 2 wheels and can't believe i didnt do this sooner.
Thanks again
Glenn

juanerasmoe

Do you have experience with clipless pedals?

romastino

juanerasmoe wrote:

Do you have experience with clipless pedals?

No experience at all with clipless mate

juanerasmoe

Then I would recoment to start with dual service pedals (something like http://goo.gl/5ajlX5) to get used to cliping in and out. Then, if you like it, upgrade them or change them to road specific pedals (just make sure your shoes can take 2 and three bolts cleat so you don't have to change the shoes as well)

markhewitt1978

juanerasmoe wrote:

Then I would recoment to start with dual service pedals (something like http://goo.gl/5ajlX5) to get used to cliping in and out.

For someone trying to learn clipless they are a bad choice, as you spend half your effort trying to flip them over to find the correct side to clip in. Better the likes of these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-m520 ... 5360065903 double sided, so always the right way up.

Then, if you like it, upgrade them or change them to road specific pedals (just make sure your shoes can take 2 and three bolts cleat so you don't have to change the shoes as well)

Why would you need to change them to road pedals? Seems a lot of expense to switch to an entirely different system for virtually no gain.

ai_1

Bike Fit:
Bike shops will generally include a basic bike fit with any bike they sell. That should be enough to get you going without anything seriously amiss. If you're uncomfortable after a while and can't figure out how to address the problem yourself then a return trip to the shop would be the cheapest and easiest first move... then consider a bike fit. The downside of going back to the bike shop is that they might try and sell you a solution which might be valid, or might just be an attempt at an easy sale! You need to decide if they're reputable.
I bought my first bike second hand and did a lot of tweaking based on information cleaned, primarily, from the internet. I did go for a bike fit about a year later and after making and unmaking several changes, the final configuration was almost identical to what I had already.

Clipless Pedals:
I'd highly recommend trying clipless pedals. I loved them from the start and would never voluntarily go back to flats or clips except for ambling about. However if you're getting on alright with the pedals provided there's no rush to switch over. When you do decide to try them, there are several systems to chose from. First you need to decide if you want a MTB or road style pedal/cleat system. The MTB types are designed with consideration for ability to walk in the shoe and ability of the pedal and cleat to deal with mud and debris. Some claim they are just as good as road systems in terms of comfort and efficiency, others disagree. You won't find agreement and to be honest it's not that important!
Shimano SPD (MTB style) and SPD-SL (Road style) systems both offer very cheap options and seem to work well for most people. Plenty people use SPDs on road bikes, both types are an option, just get compatible shoes - that means two hole shoes for MTB systems and 3 hole for nearly all road systems (some like Speedplay can be used with either 3 or 4 hole shoes).
When I got started I used used SPD-SL, found them alright (better than clips) but didn't think they were exactly what I wanted. Next I tried Speedplay zeros and I still do. I find them incredibly comfortable. Basically once you've clipped in you forget all about them until it's time to clip out again. They have fully adjustable and resistance free float which is unimportant to many people but I love it. They're also very easy to clip in and out of and very light. On the down side there's no cheap starting option. The chromoly version is about £100 I think. However, I'd strongly recommend them.
So that's loads of advice you didn't ask for!!!

By the way. I'd agree with Mark's post above. I wouldn't use combo pedals as an intro. They will just make life harder and unless you need a pedal that can be used with both cycling and everyday shoes, it'll always be a compromise. Similarly I agree it's probably not worth planning to switch from MTB to Road style pedals later. It's likely you'll end up staying with the type you start with unless you find some unforeseen reason to change later.

romastino

Thank you very much for advice guys, i think im going to purchase the ones Mark linked to and see how i get on really, i know it will take practice but i'm in for the long haul , cycling has give me a new lease of life.
My bike arrives tomorrow and will set the seat height as best i can in relation to comfort for my first few outings then i will look into getting a proper fit, 43 years old and really excited about the delivery and ride tomorrow.
A friend who used to ride a lot of years ago said don't sell the hybrid yet as a road bike isn't for everyone but i stripped all my bits and pieces off it last night and put it up for sale anyway, i would never go back to a bike with front suspension (always locked out) i bought it because i got a bargain and it's served me well.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply it's really appreciated and will keep you posted how i get on.
Glenn

romastino

Well had my 1st ride out on the defy last night a friend came along and use my giant hybrid so it was a leisurely spin.
Only gripe i had on the ride was when i got out of the saddle a couple of times it was slipping from the rear so had to change gear to alleviate that problem.
The bike as i set the bars up and seat height seemed really comfortable , i suffer a little with my neck anyway but it didn't feel any worse being on the defy compared to the roam so i'm pleased about that.
I did notice my control was rubbish when i got out of the saddle though,front end seemed really twitchy but i'm sure that will come with practice, clip in pedals work OK but i didn't tighten them right up.
I'm going to do one of my routes at full pace tonight and see how i get on.
Glenn

romastino

Well all i can say is i wish i'd bought a road bike sooner i love it.
Ive knocked 3 mins of this route i do this year and i done it last night for the 1st time on the defy and knocked 2.51 off that time, absolutely over the moon.
I'm going to start this new route tonight which on the map looks challenging to me but i'm going to do them 20 miles and enjoy them if im smiling or gritting my teeth .

romastino

Well i done it , lots of tt riders out on that route, im sure they had engines

http://www.strava.com/activities/173620145

romastino

I meant to add to my post last night that my chain came off 3 times within i'd say 300 meters , it was when i was changing up to the larger ring i have a 50/34 , this made me not want to change up anymore which did slow my ride down as when there was good stretches on the way back i couldn't get my own top speed.
This is the 1st time it's happened and i'm unsure if it's user error or well i dont know tbh, any advice is greatly appreciated.
Glenn