Just got a new (to me) road bike - how to get started?

Thirdfox

Hi guys,

After a while riding my hybrid I feel like I've been bitten by the cycling bug and want to do a bit more than short journey/transits type of cycling.

After getting (what seems to me) to be a great deal on a carbon bike (Felt F5 with Ultegra 6700 set and Mavic Ksryium SL wheels for a little over 300 euro) - I know I have a bike that obviously outperforms 10kg overweight and not in great shape me.

But I'm motivated to change that - I've seen some GCN videos etc but was wondering what is available locally? I'm based in Cabinteely and saw that the local cycling club (St Tiernan's) appears to only be for people with a minimum fitness requirement before joining this group - that is to be able to complete a 50-80km cycle at 20-22 kph - I can probably do one or the other but not both currently (though I've never tested myself at 50km to be honest).

Would people here suggest going solo and developing a training plan for myself until I can do that 80km at 22kph? Or are there other options?

If a solo training plan is recommended - do people have any recommended resources/suggestions as to what might be a good training plan? Back on my hybrid I could probably do around 11km at 23kmph - but again that was bike to work so never really planned out a 50-80km cycle.

Any help/advice greatly appreciated.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I wouldn’t bother with training plans at this stage. Pick a few 20-30km routes and cycle them a few times a week for the next 3 or 4 weeks and use Strava or Track my Ride app to monitor your progress. Then increase the distance to 50-60kms at the weekends for a month or so. You will see an improvement within the first 4/5 weeks if you manage to get out 3 or 4 times a week.

The F series Felt will take a while to get comfortable on. You are going to be more stretched out on it due to its racy geometry so for the short term keep the distances under 30km till your body adjusts from the hybrid upright position. Once you can ride comfortably on it for 1 to 1.5 hrs then you can start increasing the distances slightly.

I had an F5 for many years and loved it, done Mizen to Malin on it in 2014 but retired it last year and bought something less low and racy. It’s a great bike though, light agile and compliant without being too soft.

gippo77

Perhaps getting a professional bike fit would help as well as testing yourself over various road gradients to gauge how your position changes.

brocbrocach

Cycling as a hobby really depends a lot on you enjoying getting in the saddle. You probably won't stick at it longterm if you feel it's a slog and a chore. As said above I'd forget about a specific target for the first while and just enjoy spinning around the place. It's going to be goodish weather for the next few months so aiming at getting out there and cycling is enough to see big improvements inside a few months. You'll also get a feel for the bike and yourself as cyclist - how much water you need, how to recover, how hard to push, how to fix problems, etc. The clubs seem to start their seasons in late autumn anyway so it's a good time to get that initial period done now and you'll be ready to join them then if you want to.

magicbastarder

and choose an easier gear than you think you need at first.

Thirdfox

gippo77 wrote: »

Perhaps getting a professional bike fit would help as well as testing yourself over various road gradients to gauge how your position changes.

Definitely - I'll see about that once I get my basic set up completed (had to cycle back from the Dart station with the bike in ordinary shoes and couldn't adjust the seat post as it used an allen key not quick release) - pretty sore neck from the new position! Once I adjust the bike to my body I'll see if any unusual sores/stiffness arises.

brocbrocach wrote: »

Cycling as a hobby really depends a lot on you enjoying getting in the saddle. You probably won't stick at it longterm if you feel it's a slog and a chore. As said above I'd forget about a specific target for the first while and just enjoy spinning around the place. It's going to be goodish weather for the next few months so aiming at getting out there and cycling is enough to see big improvements inside a few months. You'll also get a feel for the bike and yourself as cyclist - how much water you need, how to recover, how hard to push, how to fix problems, etc. The clubs seem to start their seasons in late autumn anyway so it's a good time to get that initial period done now and you'll be ready to join them then if you want to.

Youtube is great for that - didn't know how to change an inner tube last week - now have changed them all without issues - same for cleaning and relubing chain/gears etc.

magicbastarder wrote: »

and choose an easier gear than you think you need at first.

Ha - will do - even getting used to STI shifters will take a while I think - unused to not "seeing" what gear I'm in as well.

I don't want to clog up the forum with noob questions - so should general questions be posted in the "no stupid questions" thread?

magicbastarder

not at all, that is a bike maintenance specific thread, rather than a general 'what should i do here' thread.

the thing about choosing an easier gear has a couple of benefits - grinding a tough gear is harder on your knees, especially if they're not used to the load yet; but also if you maintain a more aerobic output, you won't be digging as deep into your reserves; so going a little slower at the start means you'll probably be going faster at the end.
or another way of putting it, start like an old man and finish like a young man, rather than the converse.

there's no 'one size fits all' approach, but a cadence of 70-90rpm is often mentioned as the most biomechanically efficient.

Thirdfox

Good going today - learnt to clip in (and more importantly out!) and put 16km on the clock as a warm up (starting like an old man as MB suggested )

Was feeling pretty chuffed with myself until I came across a dogwalker gent with his lead stretched across the cycle path - was going to roll over the tether fine until he pulled it taut at the last moment - stopped in time...then realised I didn't clip out - timbuuuuurrrr! Gashed knee and wounded pride but bike is still fine The old gentleman was very apologetic and I was lying in a heap on the ground trying to unclip myself

Good to get a lesson in multi-tasking emergency braking - would have been pretty embarrassing to have fallen at the lights or something :pac:

tuxy

Great progress, best to get that embarrassing failure to clip-out moment over with as soon as you can.

Thirdfox wrote: »

Would people here suggest going solo and developing a training plan for myself until I can do that 80km at 22kph? Or are there other options?

Totally up to yourself you should probably work up to at least 50km solo and get some experience with how the bike handles before joining a group. But if you really want to add a social aspect to your rides don't hold off too long on joining a club as you will always go faster and farther for the same effort when riding in a group.

Glad you didn't suffer much damage from the fall. Definitely something that has happened to us all with clipless.

Pay attention to how you feel on the bike while you're out and afterwards. Any pain or discomfort etc. could mean you need some adjustments to the bike or need a full bike fit.

magicbastarder

the worst thing about that fall is the knowledge that non-cyclists are looking on thinking 'did he just do a del boy through the bar counter?'
must look very odd to someone who doesn't know what's happening.

DeepBlue

Thirdfox wrote: »

Would people here suggest going solo and developing a training plan for myself until I can do that 80km at 22kph? Or are there other options?

One of the lads on the club ride told me about this tonight - https://www.axacommunitybikerides.com/rides

Never heard of it before myself and I don't know how good or bad it is but it might be worth checking out for your situation.

Thirdfox

magicbastarder wrote: »

the worst thing about that fall is the knowledge that non-cyclists are looking on thinking 'did he just do a del boy through the bar counter?'
must look very odd to someone who doesn't know what's happening.

My wife was already incredulous that a bike can cost more than 5 euro (what we pay for bicycles in China back in my days) - she found it quite funny that my "advanced shoes" can cause me to be stuck on the pedal and fall.

The worst of it was the elderly gent kept apologising profusely and I couldn't untangle myself to get up and say I was ok (though I kinda wasn't :pac: ) - longest 20 seconds of my life

@DeepBlue - thanks for that I see there's only one in Dublin currently but will keep checking back to see if any new rides are added on in time