Tips for newbie to cycling

GeneralC

Looking at doing some spins and joining my uni cycling club now this month

Any tips or advice to give to someone just getting into road cycling? such as equipment, clothes, nutrition, training etc

All advice would be appreciated

Thanks

a148pro

Road bike and padded shorts minimum, bib shorts ideal, a jersey is mandatory too - has pockets in the in back which are great for storing things

take it handy at first, do say 40k max and work your way up incrementally

nutrition - its prob very personal, but water is grand for me for anything less than 100k, anything more than that and I like high 5 as well as water

nutra grain or any relatively healthy muesli bars are great, but I like to cycle to nice places for lunch (not ideal cycle strategy for a long shot)

saddle bag for a spare tube in case you get a puncture, small hand pump and learn how to change the tube

cheap bike computer is good for recording distances, average speeds etc, or if you have a smart phone and enough battery download strava

then off you go, once you get a bit used to it post here for suggestions for routes

btw this forum is great, I've always found people very helpful on it

not yet

a148pro wrote: »

Road bike and padded shorts minimum, bib shorts ideal, a jersey is mandatory too - has pockets in the in back which are great for storing things

take it handy at first, do say 40k max and work your way up incrementally

nutrition - its prob very personal, but water is grand for me for anything less than 100k, anything more than that and I like high 5 as well as water

nutra grain or any relatively healthy muesli bars are great, but I like to cycle to nice places for lunch (not ideal cycle strategy for a long shot)

saddle bag for a spare tube in case you get a puncture, small hand pump and learn how to change the tube

cheap bike computer is good for recording distances, average speeds etc, or if you have a smart phone and enough battery download strava

then off you go, once you get a bit used to it post here for suggestions for routes

btw this forum is great, I've always found Not yet very helpful on it

Ah Jeez thanks..

Garzard

With regards to clothing, I bought these shorts a few months ago and while they're good enough for someone like myself constantly on a limited budget, you get what you pay for, and from experience they're not great for very long distances on the saddle. Any jersey is fine IMO, provided the size is correct, it's breathable, comfortable and has back pockets [which are fierce handy for storing phones, wallets etc]. http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/clothing/shorts-trousers/tenn-active-mens-lycra-shorts

Like most, I'd share the opinion of starting on short distances depending on your fitness, what you can comfortably handle and gradually working your way up.

Nutrition-wise, I'll begin to use dedicated energy bars & gels when I get up to 100km plus. For now though I'm getting on fine with the basics such as pasta before a spin, and typically take a bottle or two of water and a granola bar + an apple / orange. However I've found juice along with chocolate or small packs of sweets to be far better morale boosters. [Be sure to get at least one bottle cage].

Definitely second the view on getting a saddle bag, and getting a miniature hand pump + basic repair kit. They can also be used to carry other small tools or a bit of food in. Practice doing basic roadside repairs as well on the bike, eg. patching tubes.

Bike computers are always nice to have but not essential unless you want to upload your general spin details to Strava / Map My Ride etc. Most smartphones can usually do this.

Apologies for the essay but hope it helps.

Iranoutofideas

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Read that. Then read it again.