Bit of guidance for a newbie

remus808

Hi, usually lurk here but just started getting into cycling proper so diving into posting - commuted to work for the first time today (55km round trip, did it in under 2.5 hrs without too much difficulty) on my new road(ish) bike (2nd hand Giant FCR3 - 150 quid, what a steal!!).. think i've been bitten with the bug, loved it! (Used to be knackered some days cycling 5km to college on my old BSO MTB, which seems bizarre)

Pretty overweight so I'd like to get a HRM/calorie counting type thing to track my progress, along with a cyclocomputer that will tell me my speed, distance travelled etc

Because the pedals are quite close to the front cog and I have big calves, I find myself ending up with oil all over the inside of my leg, bit annoying - is there anything I can do about this? Guy in LBS suggested getting 'bmx-style' pedals which would be larger... thoughts?

Also, i notice my arse is quite painful - I was wearing lightly padded baggy shorts I got in TK Maxx and baselayer-type shorts underneath - how can I improve on this or is there something else that could be causing the discomfort?

I should mention, I'm on a seriously low budget so cant afford to splash out on expensive gear..

I'm sure I'll think of some more questions too, can see myself sticking around here..

petethedrummer

I had an FCR3 and the saddle was murder so I reckon any saddle you can get your hands (or ar5e) on would be an improvement. But saddles are quite a personal thing.

cdaly_

karmabass wrote: »

Hi, usually lurk here but just started getting into cycling proper so diving into posting - commuted to work for the first time today (55km round trip, did it in under 2.5 hrs without too much difficulty) on my new road(ish) bike (2nd hand Giant FCR3 - 150 quid, what a steal!!).. think i've been bitten with the bug, loved it!

Yep. Lovely bike. Ive been running one of these for about two years now and really enjoying it. Mind you, I have modified it fairly heavily by now.

Don't dive in too deep with the commuting from the start. Go with twice per week for now and build up to three, four, five times as you get stronger. Otherwise you'll push too hard and get discouraged.

Pretty overweight so I'd like to get a HRM/calorie counting type thing to track my progress, along with a cyclocomputer that will tell me my speed, distance travelled etc

I would suggest you don't need to worry about the HRM stuff yet. Something like the Cateye Strada Cadence (GBP36) will give you speed, avg, max, distance, time and, most important, cadence. Work on pedalling at high cadence on your commute and the weight will either come off or convert to muscle (I don't seem to be getting any lighter...). I wouldn't worry about the wireless ones for now.

Because the pedals are quite close to the front cog and I have big calves, I find myself ending up with oil all over the inside of my leg, bit annoying - is there anything I can do about this? Guy in LBS suggested getting 'bmx-style' pedals which would be larger... thoughts?

I found the stock pedals a bit narrow and swapped them out for BMX platforms. I've since moved to clipless pedals (which I would recommend for later) but these were grand in the meantime.

Also, i notice my arse is quite painful - I was wearing lightly padded baggy shorts I got in TK Maxx and baselayer-type shorts underneath - how can I improve on this or is there something else that could be causing the discomfort?

Errm, that would be the 55km I'd say. It'll come easier as time goes on. That said, it is worth investing in proper padded bib shorts. You get the benefit of no waistband digging in, padding where it counts and that serious cyclist look... I'm using a pair of Endura shorts which are good value for GBP38. You can spend a whole lot more on shorts if you want. You'll need to consider 3/4 or full length bib tights for winter also but that can wait a while.

I'm sure I'll think of some more questions too, can see myself sticking around here..

Welcome...

HivemindXX

With regard to money, Aldi (or Lidl, they merged in to one in my mind) are the budget cyclists friend. Wait until their Thursday bargain day is cycling themed and get stuff for a fraction of what it costs in the bike shops.

cdaly_

But not for padded shorts. The ones they sell are not up to the job.

I have Aldi gloves and jerseys which do nicely...

HivemindXX

cdaly_ wrote: »

But not for padded shorts. The ones they sell are not up to the job.

I'm by no means an expert but... I use padded underwear with regular shorts/trousers over and the Aldi version of that product seems fine. They are pretty much identical to the far more expensive branded version of the product I got a few years ago.

I don't know about the actual cycling shorts as opposed to the underwear.