Your First Three Years ~ Part 1:

Beginning ~ The Essentials

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

So you’ve decided that you want to “get into” cycling.  There are a lot of reasons for this.  You may be looking for a healthy recreation, and you’re remembering how much fun it was to ride your bike when you were a kid.  You may be a runner with aging knees.  You like the benefits of good sound cardio activity, but you aren’t willing to accept the impact of running.  Your doctor may have told you that you have to get some exercise and lose some weight.  Whatever the reason, you’ve made the descision, and here you are in the bike shop, looking at a bike.

The first thing that happens is you find that there are a bewildering array of bikes, with a huge range of differences in controls, rider position, and features.  How do you address that?

Think about what you want from the bicycle!  If you haven’t given this any thought yet, leave the shop immediately and go and sit down and do some thinking!

What do you want to do with your bike?  Be honest and reasonable with this one.  Sure, you’d like to do a triathlon, and go ride trails, and do grocery shopping, and get fit, and be fast, and have fun, and ride to work, and go touring, and see the world, and get away from it all, and ride with the kids, and save money, and lose weight, and do some adventure racing, and ride casually in the neighborhood, and take it with you on camping trips, and…

Most bikes will do a lot of those things, but some bikes are extremely specialized and not well suited to some activities.  Every design is a compromise.  Think about it like this.  You can have a submarine, or a battleship, or an aircraft carrier, but you can’t have a submarinebattleshipaircraftcarrier!  Think about the things that you really want to do on a bike.  Think about your budget.  These things will determine just what you should get.

New or Used?

There are good reasons to go in either direction.  Let’s do a quick inventory.

Are you:

            New to the game?  (or maybe returning after a long absence?)

            Mechanically savvy and equipped with a good set of tools?

            Knowledgeable about fit and equipment?

            Prepared to spend time and money on necessary repairs?  (used bikes always come with some baggage)

            Willing to be quite patient in order to find the right bike?

If the answer to most of the above is “yes,” then you may be in the market for a previously owned bike.

On the other hand, new bikes come with warrantees, and shop support.  They can be expected to work well on delivery, and to keep working well for a reasonable time.  You can get qualified professional assistance in determining suitability to purpose, fit, and function.

Pricing:

            Entry level road bike:  Approximately $700

            Very nice “mid-level” road bike:  Approximaely $1500

            Entry level mountain bike:  $400

            Mid-level mountain bike  $1500

            Entry level “Flat bar” or “fitness” road bike:  $600

            Upper level “Flat Bar” road bike:  $1500

            Entry “Sport Hybrid”:  $430

            Upper level “Sport Hybrid”:  $600

            Entry “Commuter” or “City” bike:  $450

            Upper level “Commuter or City”  $1500 to $2000

            Entry level “Tri” bike:  $1300

                       

Budget for Necessary accessories

                        Helmet:  $40 to $100

                        Cycling Shorts:  $50 to $100 per pair

                        Cycling Jersey (optional, but highly recommended):  $50 to $100

                        Cycling Shoes (optional):  $100 to $250

                        Bottle Cages:  $10 each

                        Water Bottles:  $5 each

                        Spare tubes:  $7 each

                        Tire levers:  usually around $5 to $7 for a set of three

                        Tire pump (Yes you do need it!):

                                    Floor pump:  $45

                                    Portable (frame) pump:  $30 to $40

                        Multi-tool:  $20 to $45

The Gears Question:

Many prospective new (or returning) adults are leary of the whole idea of gears and shifting.  Some have never ridden a bike with multiple gears.  Others remember bad experiences with multi-geared (ten-speeds) of the past.  Often this fear is further complicated by the thought that a geared bike will be more expensive and less reliable.  Please relax and take a deep breath.  Modern multi-geared bikes have come a long long way.  Today’s shifting systems ae easy to use, and highly reliable.  They add a lot of value and make a lot of sense.  More, often multi0geared bikes cost less than that heavier single-speed “cruisers.”

Why have Gears?:

Because you are going to want to ride up hills, and at different speeds, in wind, in calm air, and going down hills.  If the world were perfectly round everyone would ride a bike!  It isn’t.  Gears help smooth out the world’s “imperfections.”

The Whole Pedals Question:

Quite possibly you’ve heard it said that you should (or even must) get your bike equipped with a “clipless” pedal system.  These are the type of pedal that lock your foot onto the pedal.  They require special shoes.  They also require a bit of learning and training on the part of the rider.  Our take on the issue is that the new cyslist probably should not get into any kind of complicated pedal.  Start out with “flats.”  That is the kind of pedal you can just step on.  Avoid the “toe-cage” type with the straps.  Avoid the fancy “clipless” ones that require shoes.  First learn the bike.  What with new controls, learning to shift, learning to ride, and recovering fitness, you will have enough to deal with.  The “pedal question” is worth getting into, but it’s not necessary to deal with it at the outset.

Bike Fit:

We’ve saved the most important part of this post for last.  It is of paramount importance that the bike fit you well.  It should not be too small, nor too big.  Your reach to the controls should not be cramped, or over-extended.  Now comes some necessary brutal honesty.  If you are not a cycling professional, and/or if you have not spent a lot of time around bikes and cycling in the last ten years, you are completely unqualified to assess your fit.  We are going to include some pictures to assist you, but nothing is as good as the assisatance of a professional here.  This is not intended as a guide to fit you on your bicycles, but rather as a bit of sound advice, to prepare you.  

Also, please note:  It doesn't matter how cool the goodies on it are, or what a "great deal" it is...  If it doesn't fit you don't want it!

Leg Extension:

Good!  Note, sole of foot parallel with ground, and approximately a 30 degree bend at the knee.

Same position, but at the top of the crank.  Note that knee is bent only a bit more than 90 degrees

BAD!  Too much knee bend at the bottom of the crank stroke.  Bike is too small!

Same bike as above.  Note the extreme knee bend at the top of the crankstroke.  A larger bike would be a good idea.

Upper Body Position:

Not bad!  Relaxed arms, not a long extension and not cramped either.

This bike is too small!

NEXT WEEK: Beginner Skills

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This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

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A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.