beginner road bike???

[Robocop]

Many of the websites I found on the trail were not updated however it is now completed and joins to the silver comet trail running into Georgia. Local riders here say it is beautiful and start to finish is over 100 miles of traffic free riding with smooth paved roads. It runs through several small towns and allows places to stop for snacks and supplies.

I plan to do a few more 25 mile rides locally and maybe try for 100 miles in a few weeks on the Ladiga Trail.

 

[Robocop]

Holy smoke what a day to ride....I did 45 miles on the Ladiga Trail with an average of 18 mph and a top speed of 32 on a flat road with almost no incline. Took about 2.5 hours and was simply a great day.

The trail goes for over 100 miles and I stopped short of the Ga border to ride back to my vehicle. The trail goes through the countryside and over many rivers complete with covered bridges and mountain views. The cool part is that it is mostly flat for over 100 miles. The hills are gradual and never even feel that hard to climb as it is pretty flat and paved the entire way.

My crazy belief that I was some natural super cyclist has now faded as my legs are toast and my butt feels like it is on fire. I hope to work up to less pain however I really am enjoying myself. My bike now has 135 miles on it and I plan to get it serviced this week before riding again next weekend.

 

[Trashman]

Holy smoke what a day to ride....I did 45 miles on the Ladiga Trail with an average of 18 mph and a top speed of 32 on a flat road with almost no incline. Took about 2.5 hours and was simply a great day.


My crazy belief that I was some natural super cyclist has now faded as my legs are toast and my butt feels like it is on fire. I hope to work up to less pain however I really am enjoying myself. My bike now has 135 miles on it and I plan to get it serviced this week before riding again next weekend.

Dude, 45 miles at an average of 18 miles per hour tells me you ARE a natural super cyclist!

I'd definitely recommend the Planet Bike Superflash blinky that cy mentioned. It will give you the most for your money and is *extremely* effective, even in daylight. It's impossible for a motorist not to notice it and they will literally change lanes to give you more than enough space. It flashes like a police flasher, which demands attention. My guess is that when people see it, they think "police." People that I show it to actually ask me if it's legal and if the police will stop you (me) for using it! I tell them that it's legal as long as it's not blue. (am I right?)

 

[mechBgon]

Dude, 45 miles at an average of 18 miles per hour tells me you ARE a natural super cyclist!

I'd definitely recommend the Planet Bike Superflash blinky that cy mentioned. It will give you the most for your money and is *extremely* effective, even in daylight. It's impossible for a motorist not to notice it and they will literally change lanes to give you more than enough space. It flashes like a police flasher, which demands attention. My guess is that when people see it, they think "police." People that I show it to actually ask me if it's legal and if the police will stop you (me) for using it! I tell them that it's legal as long as it's not blue. (am I right?)

If they haven't hassled me for using my Nova BULL emergency-vehicle strobe or my DiNotte 140R, both of which completely annihilate the SuperFlash, then I think you're safe :tinfoil: And AFAIK it's street-legal in all the US.

Also, congrats Robocop for enjoying your ride, and for turning in a very respectable speed as well! Our weather took a sudden turn for the hotter, and higher humidity than usual too, so my own ride home called for a little restraint while I get acclimated to the weather.

 

[Robocop]

Well thanks for the compliment however I do feel pretty sore and very tired right now. My g/f says I have done very well to be a beginner however I really believe the bike is doing much of the work. I am happy that I did much research before buying.

I have an order that I am preparing at Nashbar and am considering a few lights. I have found the superflash and think I will get that light. Funny it was mentioned however I have a very small flashing LED that is ran on 2 button cells. It was designed to wear on my belt at night when working out in traffic and it is about the size of a dime. It flashes red and blue and looks like a small police strobe. This may come in handy as well.

I really like the riding trail and it was very nice to not have to worry about cars. In the summer I believe I will restrict my night rides to protected trails just to be safe anyway. I am camping this friday and plan to finish up Saturday with enough time to start where we left off and ride the rest of the trail....or at least another 50 mile section. The really beautiful sections are said to be in Georgia so we are starting this Saturday about 15 miles from the state line.

I have maybe 135 miles on the bike and I am wondering if I should have it tuned before riding again. What is the average mileage between tune ups? Should I check the cables for stretch and maybe the brakes? I have rode mostly smooth surfaces also however have at times ran over a few potholes and off the shoulder of the road......should I check my tires for trueness?

 

[orbital]

Robo, congrats on your riding!

Once your have the bars & saddle set to where you like it and are comfortable, your bike is just an extension of you.
~ Cycling is really about challenging oneself and enjoying the outdoors,.. that's it.

Regarding your bike tune up;

*Spin your wheels to see if they are out of 'true'.
*Check to see if there is any 'play' in your headset (there probably isn't any).
***Most likely, the only thing needed is a little increase of cable tension because you'll have a tiny bit of cable stretch.
{you turn your barrel adjusters counterclockwise to increase tension, you'll only need 1 or 2 half turns}...:wave:

 

[geepondy]

Robocop, you must still be a young guy. I never could hold 18 mph for 45 miles, regardless of my age. I think I used to average around 17 mph but that probably dropped further still if I did a longer ride in which I certain consider 45 miles to be a longer ride.

 

[Robocop]

Geepondy while I am in very good shape for my age I am 39 years old and bumping real close to the big 40. I feel I am doing well with my riding however do see many locals who are much better than myself.

The numbers given for my last ride came from my CatEye Strada cycle computer and I am not sure how accurate those things are however my G/F computer showed the same numbers. The ride was indeed 45 miles and was mostly flat so it was easy to keep a good pace. I had a few gradual downhill slopes where I pushed a little and got to 32 mph. I had a few uphills that were very gradual and kept maybe a 13 mph pace on those. I guess the computer figured an average of 18 mph however I did not keep an 18 mph pace the entire 45 miles. I do remember looking down at my computer often and indeed was usually at 18 mph or close to it however kept that pace for maybe 7 miles before hitting a gradual hill.

I honestly do not feel I could have kept a true 18 mph pace for 45 miles even if it was perfectly flat terrain. This weekend I plan to ride if not camping and I may experimant just to see how fast I can go for maybe 10 miles. I bought this bike to really just stay in shape and have no plans for becoming a racer or even group riding so really any pace for me is a good one right now.

I am still learning the basics such as gear shifting and what gear to be in as well as pedaling. I am trying to keep a conscious thought on pulling with my legs as well as pushing. I was not used to clip in pedals but find with correct use they are much more efficient. I am also working on my breathing and basically how to get the most enjoyment as well as exercise from riding. I am still trying to get used to the saddle and have managed to keep chaffing to a minimum....but I am still is very sore right now in certain places.

 

[jtr1962]

I honestly do not feel I could have kept a true 18 mph pace for 45 miles even if it was perfectly flat terrain. This weekend I plan to ride if not camping and I may experimant just to see how fast I can go for maybe 10 miles. I bought this bike to really just stay in shape and have no plans for becoming a racer or even group riding so really any pace for me is a good one right now.

18 mph is a great average speed even for a seasoned cyclist. As I said earlier, most of my rides are between 13.5 to 16 mph but this accounts for having to stop/slow down fairly often, even on night rides, due to red lights, poor street condition, traffic, etc. No idea what I could do unfettered since it just isn't possible here, but I suspect it wouldn't be a whole lot better than 18 mph over 45 miles. The only time I was able to go 10 miles continuously as rapidly as I could was in college along US Route 1. It took me 25 minutes along this mostly flat or gently sloping highway on a not so great department store bike. No way I could ever do that in the city. I did manage the 14.6 miles from my house to city limits and back in 45 minutes total a couple of times when there was minimal traffic. Even that wasn't totally unfettered riding but it was still a 19.5 mph average speed.

I'll also add that a lot depends upon the bike. Last week I did a 16 mile ride at an average speed of 15.5 mph on the lousy, heavy blue bike. I'm sure on a decent bike like yours or my Raleigh I would have went about 2 to 3 miles further in the same time given that effort. Anyway, my hat's off to you! You're putting up some really great numbers for any cyclist, let alone a novice, and apparently enjoying it as well.

 

[mechBgon]

The numbers given for my last ride came from my CatEye Strada cycle computer and I am not sure how accurate those things are however my G/F computer showed the same numbers.

Your Strada can be custom-calibrated to your exact tire size, if you want the best possible accuracy. Pump your tires up, measure the exact distance that your bike rolls in one revolution of the front wheel while you're sitting on it, then enter that number into the Strada as the wheel circumference.

It sounds so simple when I say it like that Working from memory, I believe you bring up the ODO reading, then hit the MENU button on the underside of the computer. The current wheel circumference appears, with the rightmost digit flashing. Clicking the computer's white rubber tailbutton advances the digit that's flashing. Holding the white rubber tailbutton for a couple seconds brings you to the next digit. When all four digits are entered, hit MENU again to resume operation.

Doing a precise wheel-circumference measurement may be easier with a helper. Mark the tire, line the mark up precisely with a mark on the floor, sit on the bike (with your weight on it, as if you were riding) and roll as straight as possible until the mark is at the ground again. Have your helper mark the ground there, then measure the distance between the two marks with a metric tape measure.

I don't know about anyone else, but I need a while to get warmed up before my body feels like going at a decent pace. So if I tried to go fast for 10 miles, I'd spend part of it just getting to where I'm firing on all cylinders On a rolling 20-mile route, my Paramount currently manages about 18.5mph (two-way average) at an average heart rate of around 160bpm, if it's not too hot out. Bolting on my aero bar could get me another 2mph at cruising speeds, but I usually don't use it.

 

[Robocop]

MechBgon my Strada computer was installed by the bike shop and I do remember he measured my tire. I had a cheap computer already bought however returned it before I even used it. I had a credit at the shop so I used it for the better Strada.

The riding trail has really spoiled me as it was so very nice to be able to go flat out and not worry at all about traffic. There were times I was looking ahead and as far as I could see was paved roadway without any obstructions. The trail winds through the countryside and all you can smell is honeysuckles and fresh air....it is truly a great way to spend a Saturday. The first few miles was crowded with a few riders however not many went more than 5 miles out so once you get pretty far into the ride other riders were not that common.

I am still having a little trouble with my fingers going numb however this has always been a problem. I rode motorcycles for many years and also had the same issue on longer rides. I dont believe it is the fit and think it is mainly my riding position. If I try to concentrate and keep a little bend in my elbows it seems to not happen. I hope as I become more relaxed and learn to pedal a little more efficient I can keep the tingling out of my fingers.

My legs are strong however when pedaling at maximum effort I do feel the pain after a few miles. My g/f says she can not keep up however after a few miles I tend to slow down. Remember the story about the turtle and the hare racing? The turtle always catches the rabbit because he used up all his energy and has nothing to finish with...hehe

I am learning how to pace myself and best use my strength to my advantage. I have already noticed that each ride becomes easier however again I am far from an experienced rider. I had to stop training my legs with heavy weights due to my knees becoming sore. I also had to stop running as jogging can really be hard on your knees and joints. I hope that riding will let me continue to stay in shape as well as develope my legs without knee problems.

I plan to do maybe 3 more rides over the next few weeks with each ride at about 50 miles. Within a month I would like to take an entire day and go for a 100 mile ride. I plan to do these on the riding trail and build my endurance and after that maybe I can have enough experience to ride throughout the city streets. I figure if I can get 50 miles or even 100 on the flatter riding trail the 25 mile weekend rides on the more hilly terrain of the city will be easy.

My last ride before the riding trail was maybe 20 miles or so and it was at a local park. There were some pretty tough hills with the largest being maybe 3/4 of a mile. This was entirely different than the riding trail and those hills really slowed me down. My legs were aching halfway up however I was able to make it. I plan to also try this ride again soon and see if it is any easier once I get a little more practice.

 

[geepondy]

Holy cow then that is even more impressive. I figured you were maybe in your mid 20s. When I was in my 20s, I could go out and do things like that (but not quite as fast as your time) relatively from scratch although I might suffer the next day. Now that I'm 45, I really have to work my way up and my first few rides of the season are under 20 miles. When and if I do get in decent biking shape which varies from year to year, I tend to go for quality over quantity. Most of my trips are in the 20-25 mile range but I try to get some good hills in and if get in decent enough shape, will try to stand up and pound the hills some.

Geepondy while I am in very good shape for my age I am 39 years old and bumping real close to the big 40. I feel I am doing well with my riding however do see many locals who are much better than myself.

T

 

[Robocop]

Geepondy thanks again for the compliments however I do feel my age at times. Look back through this thread and you can see some photos of my body style as well as my new bike. I have been told by many I am not built like a roadbike rider however I feel I am doing pretty well.

Genetics play a good part of it as I have always been pretty muscular however have done some type of strength training most of my life. I also believe a healthy lifestyle help play a part as I have never drank alcohol nor smoked and I do not eat fried foods. My only weaknes is down home southern sweet tea and I drink it daily.....love the stuff.

I was really humbled after visiting the local bike shops and saw first hand at the shape some of the serious riders are in. I honestly have no desire to eat sleep and breath riding however I do plan to ride at least once or twice weekly. I believe I will improve however for now I am very pleased just to be able to keep up with my g/f as she is a very powerful rider with much more experience.....and a very sweet full carbon bike.

 

[Robocop]

Quick update....Had my first service done today and the shop went over the bike cleaning,adjusting cables, brakes, and derailers. I have developed a lot better riding position with no more chaffing or saddle sores and am actually slowly becoming more excited with each ride.

My knees are pretty much pain free except for minor soreness from pushing hard on hills. My hamstrings had to get used to pulling with the clip in pedals and I have learned the value of warming up completely before each ride......it makes a big difference. I can tackle 40 miles pretty easy now and usually keep an average of 18 to 20 mph. reached a new top speed today of 45.2 mph on a gradual downhill sprint. I am thinking I would not want to push it much faster however it is a thrill like I have never known to actually go that fast on pedal power alone.

I am going to try for 100 miles this weekend on the Ladiga Trail so we shall see just how far my endurance has came since that first ride. I have yet to fall using these crazy clip in shoes however feel it is only a matter of time...many close calls regardless. So far my closest call with disaster is from driving off the side of the paved surface while not paying attention. These thin tires do not do well at all off road to say the least however I was able to slowly get back on the road.

I will let you all know how the 100 mile attempt goes.....

 

[iced_theater]

Your in far better shape than I'm in, I don't know if I could even do 40 miles straight though I've never tried either, let alone at 18-20 mph average.

I have went faster, but only because of the steepness of the hill. Pedaling had no effect on my bike after 40 mph on my top speed run of 53.3 mph. That's the last time I'll do that though as going that fast with as little protection as a person wears while bicycling is extremely dangerous.

 

[Robocop]

Believe me I had the same thoughts about going down also....those thin spandex shorts would be of little use sliding across the pavement. I liked the feeling of knowing I could get to over 40 mph however really will most likely not see that speed very much. The bike itself was very stable however and I believe it could handle 50 mph easily.

On a side note I just watched some youtube videos of MechBgon and those night time rides in the snow.....now that is some serious riding and I have no desire to test my winter skills to that extreme.....very amazing video by the way.

 

[Robocop]

With my distances increasing weekly (went over 50 miles today) I am now more picky as to what I carry in my small seat bag. I began to worry about a flat tire far away from home so I purchased a small frame pump. I picked up the Second Wind hybrid pump/Co2 for about 29 dollars and it is small and very lite. It is designed to use the Co2 cartridge as well as manual pumping and I have a spare tube that I carry also.

Problem is that I can find little online as to reviews or proper usage. The instructions are limited that came with it however it seems pretty straight forward as to correct usage. I did find a forum post in another link that spoke of problems destroying valve stems with these small pumps. The link did not say much more so I am a little worried now. Has anyone got experience with these small pumps and is there something I should do to make sure I do not destroy my tubes when trying to repair a flat? The actual model I bought is in the link below however I do not think mine is the carbon version...

http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bikeprods.aspx?prodid=1094

 

[jtr1962]

I did find a forum post in another link that spoke of problems destroying valve stems with these small pumps. The link did not say much more so I am a little worried now. Has anyone got experience with these small pumps and is there something I should do to make sure I do not destroy my tubes when trying to repair a flat?

The reason they can destroy valve stems is because the end of the pump screws directly on the valve, so you have to hold the pump in line with the valve. To me anyway given my carpal tunnel syndrome I wouldn't be able to do this. In fact, I don't have the strength in my hands to use a hand pump at all, at least not with high-pressure tires. I simply can't grip the thing with enough force. Anyway, if the angle of the pump shifts significantly while pumping you can easily shear the valve stem right off.

Regarding flats, you'll find they either are or aren't a problem where you ride. Since you haven't gotten one yet, I'd say where you ride the roads are fairly free of debris. On the other hand, flats for me occur on average every 50 miles. 99% of the time it's the rear. This would be a mess to try and fix on the road given that I would get my hands full of chain grease removing the rear wheel. And since a lot of my rides are in cold weather lots of luck having enough dexterity to do field repairs. It's also at least a half hour project even under ideal conditions at home. Instead, for now I stick within a few miles of home, and just walk the bike back whenever I get a flat. I've had airless tyres of order since last August. When they come, my flat problem is solved. I'll start going further from home then. I just don't trust pneumatic tires on long trips. They've failed me far too many times. If in the course of your riding you start finding this also I might recommend airless tires. Modern bikes are pretty reliable save the tyres (their Achilles heel). Either you'll find you get flats often enough to get disgusted or you don't. So far it seems you're lucky. There are heavier tyres which are less flat prone, but they're much slower than the high pressures, and you can still obviously get flats. If I'm going to end up with a slower bike regardless, I'd rather just go airless and solve the problem completely. Hopefully sometime this year I'll write my own evaluation of the airless tyres. They may turn out not to make the bike significantly slower, in which case there really are no tradeoffs.

I liked the feeling of knowing I could get to over 40 mph however really will most likely not see that speed very much. The bike itself was very stable however and I believe it could handle 50 mph easily.

I personally make sure I have ideal conditions when I do those kinds of speeds. Like you said, you just don't have much protection should something go wrong. In my more reckless, younger days I once did 65 mph on my Raleigh (hill plus a major tailwind). Frankly, it was both fun but also scared the living daylights out of me. Still, the bike felt pretty stable at that speed, although there was a little more vibration than I would have liked. However, I doubt I would ever try this again knowing what could go wrong unless I dressed like a motorcyclist. These days even going over 40 mph is fairly rare.

 

[Robocop]

I thank my lucky stars each day for the weather I have here as well as the better roads. Even with such good roads and the great riding trails I have found yesterday was the only time I really did feel kind of vulnerable.

I rode close to 55 miles and while it was designed as a bike trail it is mostly a winding path through the countryside. The first 15 miles are ok with a few fuel stores or snack places however there was a 20 mile stretch with absolutely no stores in sight nor houses for that matter.

I was pedaling along and got low on water and began hoping for a small town or quick stop and found nothing. I began wondering what I would do if I had a flat or mechanical problem. I thought I may could walk to a store however as much as my bike cost I would never leave it behind. I then wondered how long it would take me to walk the bike the 20 miles back to where I started from and that thought was not fun at all.

I quickly figured out that as you say the weak link for cycling is indeed the tires. I had a small one shot nozzle and two Co2 cannisters however have never practiced changing or repairing a tire. I imagined myself using up the Co2 and still being stranded so this is why I bought the small pump. Then I read about destroying stems in the field and I wanted to make sure I did not have this happen so far away from home.

I think the best thing to be sure is to travel with a friend so one can keep going to get the vehicle and pick the other up if something happened. Thus far I have always been able to ride with my g/f however as I grow to enjoy riding more I hope to ride as much as I can. This may mean at times I will have to ride alone and the thought of having a flat all alone is not what I want to have happen.

The shop told me most flats around here are from "pinching" rather than road debris. He suggested a tire liner if I was really worried about it however at the time I simply wanted to ride and did not give flats much thought. After riding more lately I may look into a liner.....I have read that if you have to add weight to a bike the worst place to do so is the tires for they are rotating mass. The lighter the better for the tires so thus far many riders stay away from the liners.

 

[cy]

robo.. the best pump I've used is a Topeak Road Morph Pump. it's got a pressure gauge. best of all road morph easily puts 110+ lbs into tire. https://shop.sunrisecyclery.com/item/12540

a must have piece of gear!

no longer use CO2 cartridges ... a pita to use.