New to cycling

[prydey]

specialized are good frames, but they don't represent good value for the social rider.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by kazawaki

The 2 best researched bikes available Are TREK and Specialized .They are the geometry masters Giants are really the commodores of the bike world.
Yes I know what im talking about, over 35 years in this trade mainly as importer and wholesaler to the trade and specification designer for a number of bikes and models.

I can see where you are coming from. For me personally I would seriously consider a Specialized but I will never even consider a Trek. It annoys me no end that Trek supported shops call themselves Yellow Jersey when in fact Trek have never legitimately won a yellow jersey. Not only that Trek is forever linked to that fraud Lance Armstrong and made their name supporting that drug cheat. For them to claim they were not aware of his drug use is utter BS and we all know it. That added to Trek acting as Lance Armstrong's heavies in the destruction of Greg Lemond when Greg dare criticise Lance, that was unacceptable. Trek are good frames but very over priced and I have seen a lot crack. By the way how much mileage can they get out of the name Madone, Domane and Emonda which are the same letters reorganised?

Anyway end of my rant about Trek.

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by kazawaki

The 2 best researched bikes available Are TREK and Specialized .They are the geometry masters Giants are really the commodores of the bike world.
Yes I know what im talking about, over 35 years in this trade mainly as importer and wholesaler to the trade and specification designer for a number of bikes and models.

I used to think this too. However, I have fallen head over heels for the Giant Propel.. I think that will be my next bike..

[gtfpv]

been cycling for 6 months myself . getting fit . its a great idea . in my case its helping me now , as i've had a setback , the fitness i thank god for .
cycling is great , i was overweight , and had a sore knee for no reason, and was told i was getting old and just get used to it . ?? wtf that was by doctors and physios after an MRI SCAN !!!!!
I BOUGHT AN $800 MERRIDA T1 FLATBAR ROAD BIKE , from a bike shop . ( buying from a bike shop is a must ) . in my case i did get suckered into a flatbar , as they say beginners in thier forty's its better for your back , i have to say F that. BUY A ROAD RACER IF YOU MEDIUM BUILT AND OK , IF YOUR VERY OBESE AND UNFIT , start on a new mountain bike , and if your stiff and very unfit with joint problems perhaps a flat bar road . in my case i wish i bought the road racer striaght up , but in my defence i bought what is called a fitness bike , so that means a little more effort on the road , but still a road bike none the less .
its a great move , but beware , when i get into things i get into them 100% , as i did you can over push it , within 1 month i was doing 60km rides , and riding sprints every 2nd day . i ended up with a bout of pnuemonia , docs said it may have been random but i may have went too hard too quick and run down my immunity . so get into it , and talk to expert bike riders and doctors , a club would be good to avoid this .
my advice is this , start slow , ride 10kms 3 times a week . then increase to 20km 3 times a week for a few months , and gradually up the pace , i managed to get up to 50km rides averaging 27.5kms an hour on my bike . i was told with a better bike my speed would've been around 29.5 average . it does get on your mind thinking after 40kms on another bike you'd be 3kms further up the road . so theres your answer there . good luck .
for me . i'm off the bike for a while and getting back into RC FLYING.
I'LL BE BACK ON THE BIKE WHEN I CAN . i hightly recommend cycling for the mind and body fittness . my legs strengthened up to no knee pain at all , hard thighs and lost 6 kgs in 3 months , you get hooked on it , so buy a bike for around $1500 to 3k 1st up if you can including computer and all accessories . you only live once mate . good luck .

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

been cycling for 6 months myself . getting fit . its a great idea . in my case its helping me now , as i've had a setback , the fitness i thank god for .
cycling is great , i was overweight , and had a sore knee for no reason, and was told i was getting old and just get used to it . ?? wtf that was by doctors and physios after an MRI SCAN !!!!!
I BOUGHT AN $800 MERRIDA T1 FLATBAR ROAD BIKE , from a bike shop . ( buying from a bike shop is a must ) . in my case i did get suckered into a flatbar , as they say beginners in thier forty's its better for your back , i have to say F that. BUY A ROAD RACER IF YOU MEDIUM BUILT AND OK , IF YOUR VERY OBESE AND UNFIT , start on a new mountain bike , and if your stiff and very unfit with joint problems perhaps a flat bar road . in my case i wish i bought the road racer striaght up , but in my defence i bought what is called a fitness bike , so that means a little more effort on the road , but still a road bike none the less .
its a great move , but beware , when i get into things i get into them 100% , as i did you can over push it , within 1 month i was doing 60km rides , and riding sprints every 2nd day . i ended up with a bout of pnuemonia , docs said it may have been random but i may have went too hard too quick and run down my immunity . so get into it , and talk to expert bike riders and doctors , a club would be good to avoid this .
my advice is this , start slow , ride 10kms 3 times a week . then increase to 20km 3 times a week for a few months , and gradually up the pace , i managed to get up to 50km rides averaging 27.5kms an hour on my bike . i was told with a better bike my speed would've been around 29.5 average . it does get on your mind thinking after 40kms on another bike you'd be 3kms further up the road . so theres your answer there . good luck .
for me . i'm off the bike for a while and getting back into RC FLYING.
I'LL BE BACK ON THE BIKE WHEN I CAN . i hightly recommend cycling for the mind and body fittness . my legs strengthened up to no knee pain at all , hard thighs and lost 6 kgs in 3 months , you get hooked on it , so buy a bike for around $1500 to 3k 1st up if you can including computer and all accessories . you only live once mate . good luck .

I did just that 5yrs ago - spent just over $3k on a model runout with all I needed incl winter gear. I'm a football player as well at 51 and the riding over the summer keeps me well intuned for the next season - growing old is great buy more toys
Good points above depending on your current build.

kocho has a point with a hybrid - awesum models now and if your not into the full blown racer look perfect choice to still gain the desired results Sam260. My neighbour is a commuter on his hybrid - far out calves the size of water melons ! but he has done this for years and he still could do me when we did the Syd-Gong rides but I'm a weekend warrior, couldn't bear riding to work and back and he's copped a few hits nowadays.

[jimmyxr6t04]

One other thing i use is an app on my iphone called log your run. It's free, and it basically uses GPS to log where you have been. It's great for keeping motivated and trying to better a previous time or what not. It also uploads to the internet, so you can keep track of progress.

Also has useful features like current speed, average speed, calories burned, and a few other things.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

One other thing i use is an app on my iphone called log your run. It's free, and it basically uses GPS to log where you have been. It's great for keeping motivated and trying to better a previous time or what not. It also uploads to the internet, so you can keep track of progress.

Also has useful features like current speed, average speed, calories burned, and a few other things.

I have a similar app on my phone called 'My tracks'. Brilliant app and works in conjunction with Google maps. Logs, distance, speed, average speed, time riden, altitude, elevation, etc. Love it and use it to keep track of where I have been. Plus it's free so its a win in my books.

[Simple6]

I've been riding to and from the Train station for at least 18 months now and its a 2.3km ride each way.

Began with a Haro BMX which being 6 foot wasn't great. Then "upgraded" to a K-Mart Cyclops thing - dual suspension, front cable disc, however that died when the crank(?) bearing failed and everything went loose!

Now though I've bought this off eBay

Its a Scott Aspect 45 (2009) - hard tail but dual hydraulic discs. Its incredible what a quality bike can do for you! I've got the receipts from the original bloke and he paid $1000 for it in August 2009 and I bought it 2 weeks ago for $175. It'd just an all round faster, smoother ride. There are bargains out there and I don't fully believe in needing to buy something brand new.

It's up to you as to what design you want - if you're primarily going to using it on the road then definitely go for a road bike but if you're like me and want a variety then I think something similar to what I have would be perfect. I ride to the station on the paths during the week (have to due to traffic) and then I like to smash a dirt trail on the weekends followed by a smooth road ride home.

As above as well - put a good high pressure in the tyres (I use 60PSI) and seat height is crucial! Go as high as you can!

[el_wagon]

I recommend thorn resistant tubes, but I think you can only get them for MTB. Good protection even if you don't go offroad

[Ghiadude]

I started with a mountain bike a year ago and it was really hard - i could barely ride 15 kms and i was shagged. Im a smoker so that doesnt help.

I upgraded to slicks and i didnt look back. I found that slightly over inflating the tyres made it easier. i could instantly do more kms and slightly faster

I recently moved to a full carbon fibre road bike(Giant Composite 2) - it flies.
Im still averaging 50kms or so per ride but im doing it easier and faster than before.

If you want to do kms and go fast then get a Road bike

If you actually want to get fit bung on some slicks and get rid of the shock forks and the heavier bike is the way to go. IMHO

Should also mention that riding near a beach where the errrr "view" is good really helps

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Ghiadude

Should also mention that riding near a beach where the errrr "view" is good really helps

Ahhh, you have to love a good "scenic" area to make the km's seem easier. The river ride on a weekend morning during summer in Brisbane is very good for that.

[Sam_Boss260]

Cheers for the replies guys.

I've pumped up the tyres so that they are rock hard, they were a little flat and I didn't realise and I raised the seat up about 1.5 inches. So let's see if that makes a bit of a difference.

Spoke to a good mate of mine who is a cycling fanatic, and he has suggested getting it checked out and possibly serviced from his local bike club / shop and maybe upgrade a few components, just for the time being.

If I can keep it and upgrade a few bits, and it is ok to ride for 6 months, then I will upgrade then.

If not, will then I'll look at changing now.

But your comments and suggestions are awesome, keep them coming.

[gossy]

If you need parts, check out chainreactioncycles.com
Keep at it and you will get fitter, stronger and faster in no time.

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by gossy

If you need parts, check out chainreactioncycles.com
Keep at it and you will get fitter, stronger and faster in no time.

+1 for Chainreactioncycles...

I'm all for supporting local bike shops as I'm an avid rider...but geez, can't go past CRC bargains!

Also, look at second hand bikes...check out www.rotorburn.com/forums

some cheap as bikes on there...and usually all well looked after. my mate just picked up a 08 Giant Glory for $1000.

[TZENU]

Good luck with it.... Cycling is very addictive!

Within the first 3 months of cycling on trails with a hybrid, I upgraded to a cheap road bike (Giant OCR 3) and that alone made an awesome difference in cadence and speed..

If you prefer to go the road bike I route I would personally begin with looking at an alloy frame bike with 105 gearing (some might argue with this but I find it is a nice compromise between comfort and speed), which will last many years of cycling and won't hit the hip pocket as hard as a carbon fibre bike.
As has been mentioned a proper bike fit is essential if you plan on clocking up the Kms to avoid injury. (I had developed a knee problem and was advised to get properly fitted. Since that day I have never had any problems)
From there you can teach yourself how the gear's work and which gears are best suited for the areas you ride.. and aim to keep your cadence in the 90 range.

I started off on a Giant OCR 3 which all up incl accessories set me back about $1k... I rode that for 2 years and clocked up around 8,000km
The bug had bitten so I upgraded to a Bianchi 1885 with a veloce gearset and some Kysirium wheels, rode that for 6 years and was a dream to ride in comparison to the OCR 3.
Earlier this year, I acquired by first carbon fibre bike a 2012 Ridley Helium (Vacansoleil team).. This thing to me, is the bees knees and only weighs 7kg with wheels, pedals, stem and handlebars and hopefully next year will start competing in some crits.

If you asked me what I thought about cycling 10 years ago, I would have laughed at you and told you that if you wanted to lose weight, start running... Since starting I have lost a decent amount of weight, but have also gained a lot more power in my legs, which I would never have had if all I did was run!

Stick it out and you'll be rewarded and there is no doubting that!!

O/T V.Nice Merckx gecko!!

[blueoval]

great post TZENU. You've got some pretty decent bikes mate. Im impressed.

I can't stress the need for proper bike fit. It's the difference between comfort and pain if you ask me. The amount of people I see that are seated wrong on their bikes astounds me.

I specced up my flat bar with bar extentions, clip pedals, and the usual stuff like lights and emergency tubes, pump, and small tools to fix a flat and make adjustments while Im out etc.

[blueoval]

hahahaha. You'll be fine mate. Just train hard before hand and don't compete with anyone else but yourself. Preparation is key to anything as serious as a tri event or Iron man for that matter.

[sgt_doofey]

You'll be right XR6_661. I did the TDU challenge tour ride last year, the 60km one, with only 2 training rides under my belt. I injured my knee and couldn't get out on the bike to train beforehand. Just take it easy and you'll get through it.

Shav, with the TDU tour this year, I hope you like climbing hills! All distances have to climb Mengler's Hill outside Tanunda which is the second king of the mountain climb on the stage. I rode it a few months back and it's a killer. Approx 3km long, 7% grade and a gain of 198m in altitude. It's all downhill from the top though.
You'll be right with the flat bar bike though. Two work mates rode the 60km last year with us on hybrids. They were actually faster than me on my road bike, but they ride to work each day!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

....Shav, with the TDU tour this year, I hope you like climbing hills! All distances have to climb Mengler's Hill outside Tanunda which is the second king of the mountain climb on the stage. I rode it a few months back and it's a killer. Approx 3km long, 7% grade and a gain of 198m in altitude. It's all downhill from the top though.
You'll be right with the flat bar bike though. Two work mates rode the 60km last year with us on hybrids. They were actually faster than me on my road bike, but they ride to work each day!

Interesting. I read on the TDU website that people who do the Tanunda part can opt to chicken out of Menglers Hill if they want and take the by pass route. Im not one to back out of a challenge though. I tend to do better with hills than outright high cadence. So I may give the hill a shot even if its a slower pace.

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Interesting. I read on the TDU website that people who do the Tanunda part can opt to chicken out of Menglers Hill if they want and take the by pass route. Im not one to back out of a challenge though. I tend to do better with hills than outright high cadence. So I may give the hill a shot even if its a slower pace.

Yeah, they have an escape route to cut out Mengler's Hill, but it knocks 19kms off of your ride, so if you do the 33km Tanunda to Tanunda loop and take the escape route, you end up only cycling 14kms.

[blueoval]

This is nothing compared to some of the bikes mentioned and shown on here, but I am pretty proud of my Kona Dew Plus I bought recently. Handles great and seems keep on going. I know when my riding skills improve, I will want a proper roadie. But I can still pump this thing without too many problems.

(picture is just an example, will post pics of my actual bike when there is more light)



Specs:
Frame
Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted
Rear Shock N/A
Fork Kona Project Two Aluminum
Crankarms Shimano M-311
Chainrings 48/38/28
Bottom Bracket Shimano UN-26
Pedals Shimano Clip pedals
Chain KMC Z72
Freewheel Shimano HG40 11-34 8 spd
Front Derailleur Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore SGS
Shifters Shimano Rapidfire
Brake Calipers Shimano M445 Hydraulic Disc
Front Brakes Shimano 160mm
Rear Brakes Shimano 160mm
Brake Levers Shimano M445 Hydraulic
Headset CH
Handlebars Kona Aluminum Riser with added bar extensions.
Stem Kona Control
Seatpost Kona Thumb w/offset
Seat Clamp Kona Clamp
Grips Kona Race Light
Saddle Kona Comfort
Front Hub KT Disc
Rear Hub KT Disc
Spokes Sandvik Stainless 15g fr / 14g rr
Rims Shining MT-20
Tyres Kenda K-935 700x35C
Extras Kona Bell
Weight 13kg

[DBourne]

Good on ya Sam!
Cycling is a great activity. When I started I was 96.9kg (I'm 5'7") and found that it was really hard to ride 5km at first, but within no time was riding 20km no dramas and now 30km is just a normal ride.

Easily dropped 27kg with no change to diet.

It can be great fun cos you get to be out and about exploring, plus you get a sense of speed.

Enjoy mate

[gtfpv]

MATE I'M ON THIS . AND IT DOES ME , however was quite sick of people in thier 50's and 60's passing me on rides where i'm sitting over 30km's an hour often and averaging 27.5km/hr
http://tbsm.com.au/index.php?main_pa...oducts_id=2692

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

MATE I'M ON THIS . AND IT DOES ME , however was quite sick of people in thier 50's and 60's passing me on rides where i'm sitting over 30km's an hour often and averaging 27.5km/hr
http://tbsm.com.au/index.php?main_pa...oducts_id=2692

The Mavic rims seem to be the beez knees with a lot of people. I have heard mixed reviews about the Sora drivetrain though. How do you find it? Is it good?

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by blueoval

The Mavic rims seem to be the beez knees with a lot of people. I have heard mixed reviews about the Sora drivetrain though. How do you find it? Is it good?

to be honest i have nothing to compare it too , i've done 750kms though over 3 months , and the sora gears have copped a hiding , i dont think they like changing under hard powering up a hill tend to jump a few teeth on the back cogs if you do that, but everywhere else they are fine ,and dont miss a beat, i change them all the time to maintain my speed and cadence , anything better would have to be good .

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

to be honest i have nothing to compare it too , i've done 750kms though over 3 months , and the sora gears have copped a hiding , i dont think they like changing under hard powering up a hill tend to jump a few teeth on the back cogs if you do that, but everywhere else they are fine ,and dont miss a beat, i change them all the time to maintain my speed and cadence , anything better would have to be good .

That's the thing, i think it depends on how well you can adapt with what you have. that's what i have noticed with my bike. the f/d is shimano altus and the r/d is shimano deore and i find the f/d can be a bit of a pig to swap cogs at low speeds. but i have learned to adapt, keep the cadence high and speed high and it will comply fine. but that bike of yours looks dam nice and would be a dream to ride compared to mine. im actually thinking of getting a 2010-2011 trek 1.2 as they are a run out special atm. Any thoughts for a enthusiastic beginner like me?

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by blueoval

. im actually thinking of getting a 2010-2011 trek 1.2 as they are a run out special atm. Any thoughts for a enthusiastic beginner like me?

The trek 1.2 is a solid entry point into road cycling. My OCR 3 had similar specs, the only difference being the name of the bike... When you do eventually upgrade to a higher specced bike you can keep the trek for training rides and workhorse duties.


This is my workhorse with its original wheels not the mavics... It has served me well and hasn't yet retired



This one is the racer
2012 Helium (Full CF frame), SRAM red (TdF yellow edition) groupset, dura ace carbon pedals, prologo saddle and Fast forward f6R clinchers... To get the bike lighter i've ordered some CF handlebars and stem.




If i had of jumped straight onto the Helium when i first started cycling I don't think i would have appreciated it as much as I do now. Cant wait for crit season!

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

to be honest i have nothing to compare it too , i've done 750kms though over 3 months , and the sora gears have copped a hiding , i dont think they like changing under hard powering up a hill tend to jump a few teeth on the back cogs if you do that, but everywhere else they are fine ,and dont miss a beat, i change them all the time to maintain my speed and cadence , anything better would have to be good .

Sora is fine for most people (including me) the only benefit most people will get from upgrading to ultegra and dura-ace is bragging rights really.. Sure they'll be a bit lighter but are you going to notice that when starting out? Probably not.

My bike came with sora groupset and I replaced the cranks with Ultegra ones, did I notice the difference? Not at all. Are the shineyer and look nicer? Sure.

As far as changing gears under load goes, no gear is going to do that well. You need to be in the right gear before heading up the hill.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

Sora is fine for most people (including me) the only benefit most people will get from upgrading to ultegra and dura-ace is bragging rights really.. Sure they'll be a bit lighter but are you going to notice that when starting out? Probably not.

My bike came with sora groupset and I replaced the cranks with Ultegra ones, did I notice the difference? Not at all. Are the shineyer and look nicer? Sure.

As far as changing gears under load goes, no gear is going to do that well. You need to be in the right gear before heading up the hill.

On a entry level you are right in many areas but only when starting out with fairly low kms.

Higher end groups deal with larger amounts of km's due to better materials and bearings. A high end group will also shift better under most circumstances, I can shift my durace during a mid climb up Mount Tambourine which is equivalent to a UCI Cat 2.

Considering 105 equipped bikes are down to about $1000 now, I would consider this a minimum to spend on a bike that is going to be used for regular riding for fitness. Anything less than that probably will not provide the longevity and therefore end up costing more in the long run.

By the way, cranks are the area that there is the least functional difference except weight and wear which are both difficult to perceive a difference. The difference between Sora and Durace in the area of chain, sprockets, shifters, calipers and derailleurs is spectacular. This is because these are all mechanical high wear components.

For example, the durace group on my Merckx has well over 50,000 kms on it and I am still on the original shifters, calipers, derailleurs and bottom bracket. The chain, sprockets and cranks have been changed but show me a Sora group that can give that sort of longevity.

The key to any groupset and getting longevity out of it though is maintenance, keep you bike clean (grit kills things) and service it regularly. A well maintained bike is a fast bike, you have limited power so do not let unnecessary friction chew it up.

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by blueoval

The Mavic rims seem to be the beez knees with a lot of people. I have heard mixed reviews about the Sora drivetrain though. How do you find it? Is it good?

Mavic rims are the beez knees! That's why.

Drivetrains are only as good as maintain them...Can have a $400 rear mech but if you don't look after it, it'll be cruddy