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The Newbie Thread - what should it cover?

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  • 11-11-2014 10:05am
    #1
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,300 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭


    Following on from the recent Forum Feedback thread we're turning our attention to the request for a thread to help those who may be starting out or perhaps taking their cycling a bit more seriously but are wondering where to start.

    This thread is for suggestions of what such a thread may cover. It's not the thread itself - we'll start one off once we have thought a bit more about anything posted here as well as its format

    To kick it off, a few topics that come immediately to mind:

    • Types of bike (road, MTB, fixie/single speed etc) and what may suit a particular individual
    • How to go about getting a bike, including sizing (certainly don't want to turn it into a "what bike should I get" thread though)
    • maintenance
    • lighting
    • cycling gear
    • cycling clubs/CI and the benefits of joining up (or not)
    • we'll look to link to certain threads (that may already be in the FAQs) such as BTW, helmets, hi viz etc to avoid separate discussion on such topics. Any specific threads you can think of that may be linked please let us know (there are a few "tyre choice" ones out there for example)
    So over to you guys for more suggestions....


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Comments

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    #2
    NeedMoreGears
    Registered Users Posts: 1,418 ✭✭✭NeedMoreGears


    Road craft / basic safety ?


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    #3
    quozl
    Registered Users Posts: 3,308 ✭✭✭quozl


    How to learn to ride a bike as an adult. There's more people out there than you might think who can't and they may come here looking to find out how.


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    #4
    SuperSean
    Registered Users Posts: 142 ✭✭SuperSean


    The right PSI for specific tyres/weight/disciplines?

    I know I spent a lot of time looking this up before so it might beneficial to have a little bit of info on it.


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    #5
    flatface
    Registered Users Posts: 719 ✭✭✭flatface


    list of online stores so they can start getting used to parting with large amounts of their wages.


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    #6
    RossieMan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,766 ✭✭✭RossieMan


    How to buy a new bike when you don't need it, step by step guide.

    everything from how to lie to your wife/partner/dog, to how to clean it with love and care.


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    #7
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,708 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Seamus posted an excellent thread on preparing for your first sportive a while back, already in the faq but probably worth the extra link in a newbie thread.


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    #8
    kerry4sam
    Registered Users Posts: 15,127 ✭✭✭✭kerry4sam


    ~ General Health & Well-being. A few threads have appeared that would be specific to mens' health issues during/after a long'ish cycle so maybe a link to those threads that have helped

    ~ General Health & Well-being in terms of nutrition and foods/in-takes for various lengths/types of cycles

    ~ General Health & Well-being in terms of looking after your body in preparation for increase(d) exercise .. maybe a linkie to the Health&Fitness forum also

    Just another suggestion,
    kerry4sam


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    #9
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,953 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    SuperSean wrote: »
    The right PSI for specific tyres/weight/disciplines?...
    And perhaps some tips on avoiding punctures. An inordinate number of newbies seem to suffer regular punctures.


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    #10
    Buchaill_Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Buchaill_Mor


    How about etiquette? Things like shoaling. If you are going to get into a "race" with someone, why jumping the red light is an automatic disqualification. Drafting, and doing your turn upfront. Calling or pointing dangerous items on the road to those behind. Weekend spins should always consist of a wave and/or smile to fellow cyclists. Dare is say it, RLJing??? and my personal current favourite, why an ass saver is worse than having no mudguard at all, because it shows those behind you that you only care about your own ass, and not the muck your throwing in their face ...... but that is just my personal bug bear.


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    #11
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,300 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Just to be clear, this is intended to be a very basic thread. It's an introduction, no more. There are plenty of discussions of all aspects of cycling within this forum and views on what may be best move on. In my view that's part of the reason this forum thrives - it has a steady stream of newbies coming into cycling, and as they move on they can offer the sort of advice they received as well as their own experiences to others. There is though absolutely no point in trying to cover off all angles in a thread like the one proposed. It will be to give posters a steer on the basics and an idea of how and where to look for other aspects of cycling.


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    #12
    Buchaill_Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Buchaill_Mor


    Fair enough :) How about a link to Sheldon then?? Brown, not Cooper. And any other recommended advice pages? I have a bookmark folder called advice (of which boards is one) and use it alot.


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    #13
    QueensGael
    Registered Users Posts: 694 ✭✭✭QueensGael


    There are a few questions about women's cycling that pop up now and then - mostly about saddles, safe routes, clothing and then on to getting started with first sportive/charity rides. I've some content already prepared that I can paste into a sticky thread for newbies.


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    #14
    rizzodun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    I reckon a link to the RSA rules of the road would be helpful, remember, there are cyclists out there who don't, or may never have a driving license.


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    #15
    Seaswimmer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,985 ✭✭✭Seaswimmer


    I think all new cyclists should be asked what type of cycling they see themselves doing.

    Its not as stupid as it sounds.

    Do you want it to get fit and for exercise
    Do you want it to cycle to work, college, school.
    Do you want it to bring young children somewhere
    Do you want to bring it on public transport and cycle on somewhere else.
    Do you want to go to the shops/pub on it.

    Do you want it for a combination of some or all of the above.


    I think cycling falls broadly into 2 categories, functional cycling (commuting, shopping, leisure) and fitness cycling (sportifs, racing, triathlon ect)

    There is obviously lots of crossover but knowing what you intend to use the bike for is a big step in deciding what type of bike you need/want.


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    #16
    Fian
    Registered Users Posts: 2,187 ✭✭✭Fian


    I would suggest:

    A warning about underinflating tyres leading to punctures.

    A description of the various parts of a bike would be very helpful, took me a while to understand what a cassette was, or a bottom bracket :)

    A description of the types of pedals - toe straps, clipless, platform.

    A table of the order in shimano, SRAM and Chorus groupsets.

    An outline of the differences between carbon and aluminium frames and the various types of bike (MTB, Road, CX, Hybrid.)

    A list of the most popular routes with difficulty/distance asessment (dublin centric I know).

    stocking lane/Cruagh -> old military road ->sally gap.

    Dundrum -> enniskerry.

    Tallaght -> blessington lakes.

    Hill of Howth.

    A list of essential items to bring with you (tyre levers, tube, pump, water)


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    #17
    niceonetom
    Registered Users Posts: 4,833 ✭✭✭niceonetom


    The importance of proper sock height.


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    #18
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,953 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Fian wrote: »
    ...A table of the order in shimano, SRAM and Chorus groupsets.....
    Campagnolo! ;)


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    #19
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    A link to the legal thread, the number of people, newbies and old bees, who do not know the law that directly applies to them while on the bike, no discussion, just a link so they can ask questions there is anything is not clear.


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    #20
    dave_o_brien
    Registered Users Posts: 2,275 ✭✭✭dave_o_brien


    The following:

    The false economy of cheap products.
    How you know you're experiencing buyers remorse.
    A guide to hiding internet purchase receipts.
    How much do you think labour should cost on an hourly basis?
    The difference between opinion and fact.


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    #21
    07Lapierre
    Registered Users Posts: 8,213 ✭✭✭07Lapierre


    Ok its a US article, so where he says "Pass on the Left"...change to "Pass on the Right" etc...


    http://tinyfixbikegang.com/dont-bike-like-a-dickweed-10-rules-for-new-cyclists/


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    #22
    niceonetom
    Registered Users Posts: 4,833 ✭✭✭niceonetom


    07Lapierre wrote: »
    Ok its a US article, so where he says "Pass on the Left"...change to "Pass on the Right" etc...


    http://tinyfixbikegang.com/dont-bike-like-a-dickweed-10-rules-for-new-cyclists/

    And where it says "Don't Ride Two Abreast" change to "DO Ride Two Abreast when appropriate". That, or just close the article altogether a forget about it because who gives a shít about what is or is not legal in Illinois.


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    #23
    Jimmy Iovine
    Registered Users Posts: 9,416 ✭✭✭Jimmy Iovine


    Insurance


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    #24
    Unknown Soldier
    Registered Users Posts: 2,124 ✭✭✭Unknown Soldier


    A link to the sub forum on bike maintenance & mechanical issues.



    I'm whispering


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    #25
    ROK ON
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭ROK ON


    The pros & cons of blades versus waxing versus depilatory cream.


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    #26
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,327 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    to echo what some people have said, a general 'my bike is doing X and it shouldn't be doing it, what's going wrong?' thread would be good.


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    #27
    dvntie
    Registered Users Posts: 777 ✭✭✭dvntie


    A link to the how to videos from GCN would be good too


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    #28
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    To echo another poster a thread naming the various parts of a bike with perhaps an image attached. Never realised there was so much vocabulary to learn!


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    #29
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,300 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    to echo what some people have said, a general 'my bike is doing X and it shouldn't be doing it, what's going wrong?' thread would be good.
    dvntie wrote: »
    A link to the how to videos from GCN would be good too
    Tigerandahalf wrote: »
    To echo another poster a thread naming the various parts of a bike with perhaps an image attached. Never realised there was so much vocabulary to learn!
    With suggestions like this can posters put forward what they think the content of such posts should be or provide appropriate links.

    Likewise, "roadcraft" has been mentioned a few times. We are certainly not in a position to have an official Boards line on such stuff as a lot of it is subjective, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another. Again though if anyone has any links we can look to include them


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    #30
    dvntie
    Registered Users Posts: 777 ✭✭✭dvntie


    Beasty wrote: »
    With suggestions like this can posters put forward what they think the content of such posts should be or provide appropriate links.

    Likewise, "roadcraft" has been mentioned a few times. We are certainly not in a position to have an official Boards line on such stuff as a lot of it is subjective, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another. Again though if anyone has any links we can look to include them

    An example of one of the GCN how to videos is on the link below
    Anatomy Of A Bicycle - GCN's Maintenance Mondays: http://youtu.be/vDnfbzxP15U
    You'll find they have loads of the newbies questions answered as there's over 1000 videos a on their YouTube channel


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    #31
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    Not sure if one could put up links especially as the websites they are from could disappear a few months later. Unless someone has copyright on an image that could be posted up. Perhaps a thread called 'Know your bike' with only posts giving info on different types and info on such. Just an idea. It might not be valuable.


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