Anybody rides bicycles?

Hey guys,

Today I decided to buy a bicycle. I decided I needed to lose a good 20 to 30 pounds and possibly get in pretty good shape. Ive always been pretty bad with exercising but seeing how a bicycle is pretty close to a motorcycle I thought it could be fun. I also see that a lot of sport bike racers do a lot of cycling as well.

Just wondering if any of you guys do cycling as a hobby or sport and if you have some advice for a newbie in this field.

Also, I am curious about the benefits that riding a bicycle can bring to my motorcycling. I am getting somewhat serious about track riding and I am sure this will help.

Here is the new baby

I have a 'Specialized Sirrus' but i dont use it as much as i should !!

lsberrios1 said:

Hey guys,

Today I decided to buy a bicycle. I decided I needed to lose a good 20 to 30 pounds and possibly get in pretty good shape. Ive always been pretty bad with exercising but seeing how a bicycle is pretty close to a motorcycle I thought it could be fun. I also see that a lot of sport bike racers do a lot of cycling as well.

Just wondering if any of you guys do cycling as a hobby or sport and if you have some advice for a newbie in this field.

Also, I am curious about the benefits that riding a bicycle can bring to my motorcycling. I am getting somewhat serious about track riding and I am sure this will help.

Here is the new baby

Click to expand...

That is ppuurrttyyy!

Hi Isberrios

I think there are a few cyclists on here.

It's a great way to develop aerobic fitness and leg strength ... And .... If you do enough of it your core strength and bum tolerance will go up too!

Looks like some of the first things you'll want (if you don't already have) are:

Cycling nicks

Cycling shoes + matching clipin pedals (really need to get "clipped in" to the pedals as it makes the experience much more positive - but be prepared to fall over at least once - generally at a standstill in front of your mates when the ego bruising is at its max! ) worth looking at mountain bike shoes and pedals first up. These are not the lightweight Panigales of cycling pedals but do make life easy during the day to day wearing. Specialized or Shimano make good quality mountain bike shoes - and use what are known as SPD pedals, which are universally used/known.

Fingerless gloves (or in winter - full gloves)

Helmet

Good sunnies (such as Rudy Project, Oakley etc) the fancy ones aren't essential but my guess is that if you bought an 1199 you do like good looks

Lots of Lycra ... Makes the girls roll their eyes but hey it can feel good on the autoerotic scale

The list goes on - get a stand up hand pump from the bike shop. It'll double for pumping up Duc tyres. Remember to use around 110psi.

If you know enough about placement on the road, apexing etc etc then you can hold your own downhill with lots of great cyclists .... But $50 legs do have limitations going up hill so be patient there as there's ALWAYS someone fast, stronger etc etc ... Even if it's a mature age lady on a mountain bike! Don't laugh, it's happened!

Anyway - fire away with the questions - it'll be great fun

I've even done Brisbane to Sydney on a bicycle with just a backpack and credit card (1100 Kms in 9 days) but I was a little younger and a little lighter and a bit fitter

Let us know how it goes

Cheers

Oh yes, forgot to mention that the Felt looks good ... Nice ride to start on.

Something else to get is a cycle computer. You'll at least want to know how far you've ridden and average speed. You can get some cheap wireless ones on eBay for under $10. They do the job and are very lightweight.

Of course, if you're a technology freak (there are a few of us around especially on the Panigale forum ) then you'll be after the top of the range GPS with heart rate monitor etc etc such as the Garmin Edge 800.

I can see you've got a little under seat bag - get a spare inner tube, tyre levers and mini tool kit to go in there. You can use the CO2 bottles or a small pump hanging off the frame - but small pumps are a pain - only rely on them to just "get you home" where you can use the big floor mounted hand pump.

The list goes on ... But is much shorter than that for a Duc.

I do a bit of mountain biking.

Current bike is a Giant XTC Carbon hard tail.

In the process of acquiring a Cervelo for road riding.

I used to race a very very long time ago. I do have four bikes still which are all recent and get occasional use.

Trek Madone 5.9 ( summer poser)
Orbea Aqua 105 (winter hack)
Brompton Folder (city commute) and
Scott Scale 20 MTB. (really cold winter fun)

Thanks for the compliments on the bike and the advice. Its cool to see other guys in the forum ride as well.

I am in need of a helmet still. I know its all about safety but they are all so goofy looking specially when you weigh 215 pounds and put one on I look like a fat wiener head. Im not too sure about the cycling tights either. At least not now when I can ride only 15 miles and then fall apart.

It will be fun though. I love having to look around for goodies and finding good quality stuff for a decent price.

Went to look at bicycles for my fiancee today. I want her to ride with me but I think it will be wasted money as she is very fragile and doesn't like hard work . Hope I get hooked on this like I did on my motorcycles because i know this will improve my health and its a fairly inexpensive hobby in comparison to my mistress, the 1199.

Don't let how you think other people will see you as affecting wearing a helmet or nicks etc etc.

Remember there's always someone else out there that's taller, fitter, fatter, faster, slower, older, younger, shorter, uglier, prettier etc etc.

It just get's you going better when the guy that just sailed past you did so on a mountain bike that was made around the same time as the Imola Ducati and he's way older than that, way fatter than yourself and much much shorter .... ....... ... but they're out there !

With the helmet, grab one thats not too flash. Just make sure it meets codes etc etc as you've only got one head (I know there's much debate about whether you're safer with or without the helmet, but most of us wouldn't opt out of a helmet). After a while it just becomes second nature.

If needs be add big sunnies - so they can't see too much of your face !!

As for the bike shorts you can actually buy under shorts with the crotch lining and then put normal shorts (but make them loose) over the top. Alternatively you can buy mountain biking shorts with baggy legs, big pockets etc etc and still have the chamois at your crotch. These are both reasonable alternatives but don't work quite as well as proper road riding nicks.

After you've ridden a long distance once in bad shorts you'll then appreciate the need to get good shorts. Its all about the cushioning on your bones near your family jewels and the chaffing all around. Whilst my jewels have done all their important reproductive works a while back I still like to pamper them ... you never know when it'll pay off

Once you get a selection of shorts you can also get a mountain bike to give you options. Your fiancee may be more tempted to hop on a mountain bike. It's "different" to a road bike. It's harder to go longer distances (its slower) but the distances you do go are easier at that slower speed. Well that was a gross over simplification but lets not get too carried away ....

Anyway ... just get out on the bike and keep riding. Don't worry about the speed you go at this stage or even trying too many hills. Just do some distance. Your speed will pick up as you get more miles on your legs and then one day you'll start to think the bikers common adage "the hills are my friends". There is another thing to remember: Don't get too excited by downhills because for every downhill there's generally an uphill. Which of course reverts to not being a problem once "the hills are your friends" ha ha ha

Good luck ... let us know how you go

Before tearing my ACL last fall, I rode just about every day. Lost almost 50 pounds doing it. While we don't have mountains here, there is plenty of cross county riding. Trying to get back into it now especially since I dropped a good bit of cash on a new bike and those pounds I lost are gradually coming back.

My two rides:

Santa Cruz Tall Boy Carbon 29er:


Specialized Stumpjumper:

Well, been riding for the past couple of days. This is very very hard!! I thought 10 mile trips would be a joke but it turns out that they arent. Hills are killers and the gearing for flat surface doesnt help. Managed to do a couple of 7 to 8 mile rides in a straight shot but it is super dooper intense. I cant believe there are people out there who can actually ride 100+ miles in a day.

As for the sport itself, it is addicting. Just as much as motorcycles. Hard work really pays off in this case. Being able to get in shape and lose many pounds is a great benefit from pedaling like a maniac. Once you get to where you want to go, it is extremely rewarding. You feel satisfied and content.

I have been lurking around bicycle forums as well. I have to say the cycling community is awesome. Very helpfull people willing to give great advice and also a lot of motivational talking. Seeing how people have lost HUNDREDS of pounds cycling is very inspirational.

Already got to buy some gear and pedals for the bicycle. Hope this hobby sticks since it will save me a great deal on commuting and it will help me stay in shape (not that I am). I weigh 215 and have 21% fat in my body. My healthy weight, by dietitian standards, is 193 with 15% body fat. My goal is to lose 10 pounds this month and 15 to 20 more by the end of the year. I am really excited about this.

Nice! Yeah I think I love bicycles more then motorcycles. I'll post some pics up.

lsberrios1 said:

Well, been riding for the past couple of days. This is very very hard!! I thought 10 mile trips would be a joke but it turns out that they arent. Hills are killers and the gearing for flat surface doesnt help. Managed to do a couple of 7 to 8 mile rides in a straight shot but it is super dooper intense. I cant believe there are people out there who can actually ride 100+ miles in a day.

As for the sport itself, it is addicting. Just as much as motorcycles. Hard work really pays off in this case. Being able to get in shape and lose many pounds is a great benefit from pedaling like a maniac. Once you get to where you want to go, it is extremely rewarding. You feel satisfied and content.

I have been lurking around bicycle forums as well. I have to say the cycling community is awesome. Very helpfull people willing to give great advice and also a lot of motivational talking. Seeing how people have lost HUNDREDS of pounds cycling is very inspirational.

Already got to buy some gear and pedals for the bicycle. Hope this hobby sticks since it will save me a great deal on commuting and it will help me stay in shape (not that I am). I weigh 215 and have 21% fat in my body. My healthy weight, by dietitian standards, is 193 with 15% body fat. My goal is to lose 10 pounds this month and 15 to 20 more by the end of the year. I am really excited about this.

Click to expand...

Good for you! I should use this as the motivation to get back on my bike. I use to ride a lot (by my standards) - even a few 100 mile solo rides. I doubt i could do 10 miles slow without a lot of effort now.

Keep at it and good luck!

lsberrios1 said:

Well, been riding for the past couple of days. This is very very hard!! I thought 10 mile trips would be a joke but it turns out that they arent. Hills are killers and the gearing for flat surface doesnt help. Managed to do a couple of 7 to 8 mile rides in a straight shot but it is super dooper intense. I cant believe there are people out there who can actually ride 100+ miles in a day.

As for the sport itself, it is addicting. Just as much as motorcycles. Hard work really pays off in this case. Being able to get in shape and lose many pounds is a great benefit from pedaling like a maniac. Once you get to where you want to go, it is extremely rewarding. You feel satisfied and content.

I have been lurking around bicycle forums as well. I have to say the cycling community is awesome. Very helpfull people willing to give great advice and also a lot of motivational talking. Seeing how people have lost HUNDREDS of pounds cycling is very inspirational.

Already got to buy some gear and pedals for the bicycle. Hope this hobby sticks since it will save me a great deal on commuting and it will help me stay in shape (not that I am). I weigh 215 and have 21% fat in my body. My healthy weight, by dietitian standards, is 193 with 15% body fat. My goal is to lose 10 pounds this month and 15 to 20 more by the end of the year. I am really excited about this.

Click to expand...

Hey Isberrios - you're hooked - congrats

It's such a great feeling and as narwhal said your exploits will give others the motivation to get back into it, or even start. Like narwhal I've been a bit missing on the pushy and I just needed a bit of a gee up or reminder, so thank you, your timing is great.

Keep us posted as to how you go. Remembering back to when I was fitter, and lighter, it certainly does make the rest of living (motorbikes definitely included) a whole lot more enjoyable.

Way to go and thanks for starting the thread.

narwhal said:

Good for you! I should use this as the motivation to get back on my bike. I use to ride a lot (by my standards) - even a few 100 mile solo rides. I doubt i could do 10 miles slow without a lot of effort now.

Keep at it and good luck!

Click to expand...

Go for it! It feels oh so good!

peted said:

Hey Isberrios - you're hooked - congrats

It's such a great feeling and as narwhal said your exploits will give others the motivation to get back into it, or even start. Like narwhal I've been a bit missing on the pushy and I just needed a bit of a gee up or reminder, so thank you, your timing is great.

Keep us posted as to how you go. Remembering back to when I was fitter, and lighter, it certainly does make the rest of living (motorbikes definitely included) a whole lot more enjoyable.

Way to go and thanks for starting the thread.

Click to expand...

No problem Thanks for all the advice. Helpful stuff.

nice thread! i have an old cannondale R500 , which i use mainly on the indoor trainer under the fan in the living room during summer, occasionally on the backroads around here in spring and fall. - should use it more often - but i somehow lost the joy in cycling, don't know why.
i also have 2 fullys in the garage, untouched since about 3 months. we have a nice state park here with awesome trails, but somehow... i don't know. maybe you guys can push me a little bit. i went from 68 kg / 8% body fat and 5hr mountainbike marathons in 2006 to 85 kg now, bet the fat is quite high, the muscular basis is still there...
well maybe that's the tribute to international travelling and unsteady life...

however, i'm gonna go put the bikes together again in the garage now!

(just got a deja vu ???)

and post the pics later

Ok! Got back from my first group ride. Beginner 19 miles on some backroads. Holly $#!+!! I am so out of shape it is ridiculous. I have to say it was an accomplishment to finish it but I need some serious improvement.

First off gotta lay out the smoke. It really does deteriorate my riding stamina. (Im smoking a cigarette as I type this). Second, I need lots more leg strength. I also need to get a proper fitting. My upper back is killing me. Finally I need some bibs or something with some padding...

Otherwise the ride was spectacular and the roads were beautiful. Gotta keep it up though. Today I was starting to curse a little bit going up the nasty hills. I was even doubting my existence.

lsberrios1 said:

Ok! Got back from my first group ride. Beginner 19 miles on some backroads. Holly $#!+!! I am so out of shape it is ridiculous. I have to say it was an accomplishment to finish it but I need some serious improvement.

First off gotta lay out the smoke. It really does deteriorate my riding stamina. (Im smoking a cigarette as I type this). Second, I need lots more leg strength. I also need to get a proper fitting. My upper back is killing me. Finally I need some bibs or something with some padding...

Otherwise the ride was spectacular and the roads were beautiful. Gotta keep it up though. Today I was starting to curse a little bit going up the nasty hills. I was even doubting my existence.

Click to expand...

Good for you! There is a book called "Heft on Wheels" about a guy that gives up smoking, drinking and most eating to change his life and excel on the bike. It is an inspiring and often funny read.

Yup!

Ride a Specialized Epic Comp that is currently seeing too much road duty.

Gonna add a Bianchi Sempre to the mix, hopefully tomorrow

Ha-ha she lives:



..... and managed to squeeze Di2 Ultegra into the mix