Newbie looking for some advice/help

fat-2-fit
fat-2-fit Posts: 11
edited September 2019 in Road beginners
Evening everyone,

Firstly a quick introduction to myself, I'm Glen 34 from Nottingham UK. As you'll see my username is fat-2-fit, this is purely as I've been on my own personal health journey for the past two years and have manged to shed a massive 37.1kg :D taking me from 154kg to 116.9kg 8)

Now onto the cycling, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to the world of cycling but have jumped in and ordered my first bike today after some help from the lads at my local Evans Cycles (had to be ordered from there as it's the shop my company use for cycle to work). After looking at a number of bikes in store I headed back to my office and ordered https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-secti ... d-EV340666, I know it won't be to everyone's taste and I'm sure people will say I could of got a better bike but this was based on what I could afford (also what was in stock in my size) using my voucher whilst leaving a little to buy some more bits.

I also ordered the following...
https://www.evanscycles.com/moon-meteor ... n-EV366233
https://www.evanscycles.com/lezyne-m-ca ... g-EV268266
https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized ... t-EV283383
https://www.evanscycles.com/elite-custo ... s-EV273792

I've already been advised to get these https://www.evanscycles.com/continental ... d-EV212744 for when the weather changes as they're suppose to be very good but I'm not in any rush to get them as I'll only be going out during nicer weather whilst I build up some confidence on the road.

I know that I still need to get some pedals and ideally bib shorts but is there anything else that are 'essentials' that I've missed! Also if anyone could help me with some pedal ideas then I'd be very grateful, the guy in the shop did recommend flats with some Zefal 45s but didn't actually state which flats would do the job so I'm still none the wiser :lol:

I've just come across these two and wondered if they'd do the job to start off with...
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-p ... dals-black
https://www.cyclerepublic.com/xlc-road- ... traps.html

Comments

  • lemonenema
    lemonenema Posts: 216
    unless youve got very large feet then something like this would be fine
    https://www.evanscycles.com/mks-mt-lite-pedal-EV154732

    Dont really see the need for toe straps and probably best avoided if you are unconfident on a bike, but the Zefal 45 can be added easily if you felt the need later.

    The other thing I would say is invaluable is a track pump with a gauge. Getting your tyre pressures right is very important especially as you are quite heavy and pinch flats are a nuisance.
    https://www.evanscycles.com/topeak-joe- ... p-EV162330


    As you say the tyres can wait a while yet, the ones you listed are fairly pricey, personally Id go with something like the Continental Gatorskin.
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    lemonenema wrote:
    unless youve got very large feet then something like this would be fine
    https://www.evanscycles.com/mks-mt-lite-pedal-EV154732

    Dont really see the need for toe straps and probably best avoided if you are unconfident on a bike, but the Zefal 45 can be added easily if you felt the need later.

    The other thing I would say is invaluable is a track pump with a gauge. Getting your tyre pressures right is very important especially as you are quite heavy and pinch flats are a nuisance.
    https://www.evanscycles.com/topeak-joe- ... p-EV162330


    As you say the tyres can wait a while yet, the ones you listed are fairly pricey, personally Id go with something like the Continental Gatorskin.

    Thanks for the advice :)

    I'll have a look at those bits when I get back into the office later!
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Congratulations on the weight loss, that's pretty impressive!

    Great choice of bike too. Strong wheels, wider tyres and disc brakes make perfect sense for a bigger rider, and FWIW I think it's a lot of bike for the money, especially on a ride to work scheme.

    A track pump is a great suggestion and it's about 10 times easier than using a mini pump.

    Get a spare innertube or two; you should be able to fit one into your seat pack. Then practice at home deflating a tyre, taking the wheel out, removing the tube, fitting another, remounting the tyre, inflating it with your little pump and refitting the wheel. Try on the front wheel first then the back. If you can do it at home at your leisure you stand a better chance of managing it at the roadside on the way to work in the rain.

    I'd start off with some cheap flat pedals till you gain some confidence on the road, eg https://www.evanscycles.com/mks-mt-lite-pedal-EV154732. look light and grippy

    If you later decide you want to get some clip-in pedals then M520 SPDs are cheap and pretty much indestructible. You'd need some 2 bolt MTB type shoes to go with them.

    And don't go splashing out on GP 4 Seasons tyres just yet. Don't get me wrong, they are good tyres, but expensive and they wear relatively quickly. See how you get on with the tyres it comes with. You might get a couple of years riding out of them before you need new ones.
  • Thigh_burn
    Thigh_burn Posts: 489
    Nice job on the weight loss. Very impressive indeed.

    On the pedals, I'd recommend something that is flat one side and SPD the other. They are 'mountain bike' pedals, but a great intro to clipless pedals and work just fine on a road bike. Something like Shimano's M530 or M324
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    keef66 wrote:
    Congratulations on the weight loss, that's pretty impressive!

    Great choice of bike too. Strong wheels, wider tyres and disc brakes make perfect sense for a bigger rider, and FWIW I think it's a lot of bike for the money, especially on a ride to work scheme.

    A track pump is a great suggestion and it's about 10 times easier than using a mini pump.

    Get a spare innertube or two; you should be able to fit one into your seat pack. Then practice at home deflating a tyre, taking the wheel out, removing the tube, fitting another, remounting the tyre, inflating it with your little pump and refitting the wheel. Try on the front wheel first then the back. If you can do it at home at your leisure you stand a better chance of managing it at the roadside on the way to work in the rain.

    I'd start off with some cheap flat pedals till you gain some confidence on the road, eg https://www.evanscycles.com/mks-mt-lite-pedal-EV154732. look light and grippy

    If you later decide you want to get some clip-in pedals then M520 SPDs are cheap and pretty much indestructible. You'd need some 2 bolt MTB type shoes to go with them.

    And don't go splashing out on GP 4 Seasons tyres just yet. Don't get me wrong, they are good tyres, but expensive and they wear relatively quickly. See how you get on with the tyres it comes with. You might get a couple of years riding out of them before you need new ones.

    I defiantly think a track pump will be one of my first buys then!

    Might be a silly question but what size innertubes will I need to get (https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized ... e-00101213), I'm assuming these as the tyre size is 32c but I'm just guessing :lol:

    That's the second vote for those pedals so I'll defiantly look into them!

    I watched a few videos on SPDs last night and they look relativly simple to use but I'll give them a try in my spin classes for awhile before falling into a car when I can't unclip quick enough on a road.
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    With the SPD cleats themselves they come in two flavours, black single release, an silver multi release, the latter is much more friendly. If you can add those I would, you'll find pedals usually come with the black ones. Link on Evans isn't working but they are SHimano SH56 cleats you want.
    Titanium Px Spitfire
    Easty commuter
    Tripster AT
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    You're correct with the choice of innertube!

    I had the Shimano pedals which were flat one side / SPD the other for a while. https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-m32 ... d-EV192333 Handy for nipping down the shops in my trainers, but they did weigh about a pound each. They went with the MTB when it was nicked.

    Then on the road bikes I fitted the indestructible double sided SPD M520 and M540 pedals, and used them for the next decade.

    Only this year have I ventured into the world of 3 bolt SPD-SL road cleats / shoes / pedals, mainly because there's a better selection of shoes. They are great on the bike but rubbish for walking, so if your journeys involve much of that, stick to 2 bolt SPDs and shoes with a tread and recessed cleat.
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    Step83 wrote:
    With the SPD cleats themselves they come in two flavours, black single release, an silver multi release, the latter is much more friendly. If you can add those I would, you'll find pedals usually come with the black ones. Link on Evans isn't working but they are SHimano SH56 cleats you want.

    Thanks for that, I've found them in Decathlon for £8.99 which is cheaper then Evans!
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    keef66 wrote:
    You're correct with the choice of innertube!

    I had the Shimano pedals which were flat one side / SPD the other for a while. https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-m32 ... d-EV192333 Handy for nipping down the shops in my trainers, but they did weigh about a pound each. They went with the MTB when it was nicked.

    Then on the road bikes I fitted the indestructible double sided SPD M520 and M540 pedals, and used them for the next decade.

    Only this year have I ventured into the world of 3 bolt SPD-SL road cleats / shoes / pedals, mainly because there's a better selection of shoes. They are great on the bike but rubbish for walking, so if your journeys involve much of that, stick to 2 bolt SPDs and shoes with a tread and recessed cleat.

    I've looked at the M324's but like you say they're much heavier then the others you suggested.

    How do the shoes compare in size to normal shoes?
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Shoes are the one thing I never buy online. Nothing beats going into an actual shop and trying them on. I'm very fussy about comfort of my feet whatever footwear I'm buying.

    I'm a 7-8 in normal shoes but usually end up in a 9 for Specialized or Shimano footwear. Remember you'll need a bit more room if you plan to ride in winter with thicker socks. Some models come in normal and wide fitting.

    DHB shoes from Wiggle / CRC are good VFM and quality
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    keef66 wrote:
    Shoes are the one thing I never buy online. Nothing beats going into an actual shop and trying them on. I'm very fussy about comfort of my feet whatever footwear I'm buying.

    I'm a 7-8 in normal shoes but usually end up in a 9 for Specialized or Shimano footwear. Remember you'll need a bit more room if you plan to ride in winter with thicker socks. Some models come in normal and wide fitting.

    DHB shoes from Wiggle / CRC are good VFM and quality

    Cheers buddy, I'll go try some on over the weekend and see how they feel.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    fat-2-fit wrote:
    keef66 wrote:
    Shoes are the one thing I never buy online. Nothing beats going into an actual shop and trying them on. I'm very fussy about comfort of my feet whatever footwear I'm buying.

    I'm a 7-8 in normal shoes but usually end up in a 9 for Specialized or Shimano footwear. Remember you'll need a bit more room if you plan to ride in winter with thicker socks. Some models come in normal and wide fitting.

    DHB shoes from Wiggle / CRC are good VFM and quality

    Cheers buddy, I'll go try some on over the weekend and see how they feel.

    agree - DHB are extremely good value & very well made but wiiiide fitting - no good for slinky malinky feet.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    Pedals, shoes, cleats and pump all sorted :D
  • sithebike
    sithebike Posts: 213
    Hi and welcome to the forum and the world of cycling.
    Well done on your impressive weight loss.
    The only other thing you may want to think about is gloves. I have used these for many years.
    https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized ... t-EV360637
  • jamieblackford
    jamieblackford Posts: 59
    Congratulations on your weight loss! Also some glasses shield your eyes so you don’t look like your crying the whole way round.
    "Great minds think a bike"
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    sithebike wrote:
    Hi and welcome to the forum and the world of cycling.
    Well done on your impressive weight loss.
    The only other thing you may want to think about is gloves. I have used these for many years.
    https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized ... t-EV360637

    Thanks buddy I'll check these out!
  • fat-2-fit
    fat-2-fit Posts: 11
    jamieblackford wrote:
    Congratulations on your weight loss! Also some glasses shield your eyes so you don’t look like your crying the whole way round.

    I've got some with the changable lenses so hopefully they'll do the job!

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