Begginner - Have bike now what?

Clingy

OK, I have just purchased my first bike which is a cyclocross bike because roads and lanes are really rough where I live and most have grass down the middle. It appears that although I spent a lot on the bike, the requirements for further spending seem to be limitless. So far :-

Pedals with clips (or is it clipless?)
Shoes to fit the above pedals
Spare tubes
Tyre Levers
Maintenance Stand
Small Torque Wrench
Tyre Pump
Brake Bleed Kit
Insurance

Also need
Padded shorts - had no idea how vital these were!!!
Soem sort of lubricant to stop chaffing?

I am using my Ski Helmet and sunglasses, motorbike lubricants/cleaners, running clothing and anything else I have lying around to try and keep costs down but wonder what else I will need to buy. Advice welcome.

By the way, I had turned to cycling on doctors advice having to cut down on my running....thought I would struggle to enjoy it but it's looking good at the moment apart from the fact that instructions don't tell you what they think is obvious (Pedal threads) and that learning to use clipless pedals has been a trial beyond what I could have imagined!!!

gethinceri

Ride the bike, maybe gets some lights, enjoy.

kingstongraham

I'd get a helmet with a bit of ventilation now it's summer and some shorts and then you're sorted. The opportunities for spending are limitless, but the requirements are fairly small.

If you've only just started, get out and enjoy it while it's warm.

homers_double

Pedals with clips (or is it clipless?) £20 SPD's off wiggle and some shoes for about £40-£50
Shoes to fit the above pedals
Spare tubes less than a fiver for a couple.
Tyre Levers a couple of quid
Maintenance Stand you don't need one but it's a nice thing to have eventualy
Small Torque Wrench £25 off wiggle but agin, not that necessary
Tyre Pump £20 for on the bike, £30 track pump if you want but again, not neccessary
Brake Bleed Kit I made one out of a bit of tubing and an old bottle.
Insurance British cycling is £35 per year and gets you 10% discount on the above bits and bob if you spend over £99 on CRC

Also need
Padded shorts - had no idea how vital these were!!! They're not but buy cheap and buy twice...
Soem sort of lubricant to stop chaffing? About £10- £15 and probably more if you want to pay it.

deejaysee

From your list you only really need clipless pedals and the shoes, the rest can come later.
Bib shorts are essential but the rest of the clothing can easily be normal gym stuff for time being

Its just a bike at the end of the day, not a spaceship

markhewitt1978

deejaysee wrote:

From your list you only really need clipless pedals and the shoes, the rest can come later.

Not needed. Flats are perfectly fine for starting out with

Bib shorts are essential

No they aren't. Ordinary cycling shorts are just fine.

larkim

Clingy wrote:

Soem sort of lubricant to stop chaffing?

I am using [snip...snip] motorbike lubricants/cleaners

Ouch!!

ForumNewbie

markhewitt1978 wrote:

deejaysee wrote:

From your list you only really need clipless pedals and the shoes, the rest can come later.

Not needed. Flats are perfectly fine for starting out with

Bib shorts are essential

No they aren't. Ordinary cycling shorts are just fine.

Agree, I have ordinary cycle padded shorts that are more comfy than the two pairs of bib shorts I have. I know that is not always the case, but that is my experience.

The only other thing I think the OP should add to his list is an Allen Key multi tool.

Mad_Malx

Spare tube, levers, pump, simple multitool & lube the essentials I would say.
You don't need a torque wrench unless you have carbon fiber (and even then many people manage without).
You really need access to a workshop pump & pressure gauge because it's difficult to get good pressure using a hand pump. Some shops have these outside for free use.
SPD suggestions as above are nice, but old-style clips ok. Either of these help keep your foot in the right place and I prefer the 'connected' to the bike feeling.
You shouldn't need to bleed your brakes once they are setup.

Wheelspinner

I'd suggest just riding the bike until something "breaks". It will be either the bike (flat tyre, maintenance etc) or it will be you (sore ar$e, numb hands, hot/cold/whatever).

Spend your money on fixing whatever breaks first. If you keep riding you'll eventually do all the things in your list and more, but rather than second guess which ones are required *now* and which you can worry about later.... just fix problems as they come up.

Start with comfort though - proper clothing, and safety - lights if needed etc.

Bike maintenance is dead simple. Really. If it's in good shape to start with then you should get a few thousand km out it with no real maintenance issues at all beyond the inevitable flat tyres. Just keep it clean and lubed and will be all good.

navrig2

As Freddie says:

"Get on your bike and ride"

CiB

For beginners, the only vital things are half-decent shorts shoes and a puncture repair kit, which includes a pump. And lube.

Lidl & Aldi often do cycling specials but it's always worth keeping an eye open for other stuff. I had a big set of Allen Keys from there last year for a fiver. They won't last a lifetime but they do the job and bikes don't need anything torquing up to grunt levels - include pedals in that. One of the best tips I ever saw on here was to fit pedals and only nip them up. The point of L & R hand threads is that they naturally wind themselves in so don't need to be grunt tight. Nip them up with a bit of copperslip or grease and when you want to get them off it's not a knuckle breaker.

I've had a Lidl track pump here in my office for 6 years, hardly used but it's a useful standby. Cost £4.99. The one at home was also from Lidl, cost about £5.99 and has been used regularly for all the family's bikes cars & footballs for quite a few years now with no sign of failing.

Tyre levers are the sort of thing that big shops sell in blister packs three for a fiver, or you spot them in non-bike shops like Poundland and grab a couple of packs. Again they might not last forever but the only one I've seen snap was my inexperienced son doing it wrong in a freezing cold garage.

Tubes? At the minute you can stroll into Halfords and fill your boots at £2.50 a pop.

We all like the best shiny gear but starting out just having something to do the job will suffice. You've got a lifetime's worth of cycling to upgrade, and when you do you'll have more experience of what you actually want, including buying more stuff at Lidl & Aldi prices if that suits. I'm happy to.