# First Ride feedback



## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Finally got out on my new bike today. Bought a Motobecane Super Strada from BD with SRAM Apex components. 

I had never ridden a rode bike prior to today nor had I ever used any type of clip in pedal. I'm trying to get back in shape so I thought this would be a good way to do so. 

Did 30 miles in 1:57 including a few minutes for getting on the bike on the path, stopping half way for a drink and stopping a third time to re-route a popped chain. All in all, I was pretty happy with it. 

My hands were falling asleep on me. Not sure if this a result of poor hand position on the bars on my part, cheap gloves, or just me being 240 pounds. 

My legs felt great, better than I expected. Towards the end I was definitely getting tired but I also did a heavy leg day in the gym yesterday. The SPD pedals I think had a lot to so with my legs hanging in with me tonight. 

The bike itself performed well. Few spots were the pavement was a little rough and I definitely felt it. The double tap system took some getting use to. Not 100% sure it's working 100% right either. Few times where it felt like the back didn't down shift when I tried to down shift. And then there was the chain popping when I up shifted the front. 

Overall I'm happy with the bike. It serves my purposes well. I was happy I was able to crank out 30 miles on my first ride. I'll probably go out again Sunday and see what I can do then.


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

That is a great start. Move your hands around a lot to minimize the numbness but you just need lots of rides to build up core strength. Make sure your elbows are bent so you won't have too much weight on your hands.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Finally got out on my new bike today. Bought a Motobecane Super Strada from BD with SRAM Apex components.
> 
> I had never ridden a rode bike prior to today nor had I ever used any type of clip in pedal. I'm trying to get back in shape so I thought this would be a good way to do so.
> 
> ...


The bike may not be a good fit. Maybe some adjustments are needed. Try different hand positions a bit. Maybe better gloves (but I doubt it). 

You definitely need to adjust the drive train. The chain should not pop off amd when you shift, it should shift. Apex and all other groups will do that just fine if properly adjusted.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Good first effort, for sure. Congrats on it and your new bike. 

Since you've cared enough to invest in a decent bike, I suggest opting for a bike fit (standard will do, about $50-$75) and a tune up - both at reputable shops. 

Unless you're well versed in both bike fit and wrenching (highly doubtful) you may as well start now building a relationship with your favorite LBS.

The hand pain could be caused by any number of things, both fit and form related, but a bike fit is the place to start.


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Thank you all for the replies. Being a BD bike, I got it in the box and assembled it myself. I did take it to my LBS though afterwards to have it looked over. (Didn't want to get 15 miles away and have something go wrong) They told me they looked over the deraulers and adjusted them. I was going to stop back with it tomorrow and have them give it another look. (Hopefully on the house) I can ask them to do a fit while I'm there too. 

Felt good to be out. I had a few mountain bikes years ago but have only ridden my beach cruiser down the shore since then. White walls and ape hangers.  Hopefully get this thing dialed in and get a few more rides under my belt and them get out for some group rides. Thanks again.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Thank you all for the replies. Being a BD bike, I got it in the box and assembled it myself. I did take it to my LBS though afterwards to have it looked over. (Didn't want to get 15 miles away and have something go wrong) They told me they looked over the deraulers and adjusted them. I was going to stop back with it tomorrow and have them give it another look. (Hopefully on the house) I can ask them to do a fit while I'm there too.
> 
> Felt good to be out. I had a few mountain bikes years ago but have only ridden my beach cruiser down the shore since then. White walls and ape hangers.  Hopefully get this thing dialed in and get a few more rides under my belt and them get out for some group rides. Thanks again.


Agree that if you had the LBS look the bike over and tune the drivetrain, tomorrow's visit should be n/c. The fitting, you'll likely have to pay for....


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> Agree that if you had the LBS look the bike over and tune the drivetrain, tomorrow's visit should be n/c. The fitting, you'll likely have to pay for....


And I'm cool with that. They were pretty good guys over there. I have no problem paying them for the fitting.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

PitbullRescuer said:


> And I'm cool with that. They were pretty good guys over there. I have no problem paying them for the fitting.


Mention the hand discomfort while you're there. They may ask if you change hand positions frequently (which you should). 

Once you have the fitting, let us know how it goes. In the meantime, here are some form related tips:
- keep your upper torso relaxed, arms slightly bent
- change hand position _frequently_ (tops, bends, hoods, drops...)
- keep a slightly loose grip on the bars (avoid the 'death grip')
- keep forearms and hands aligned (don't twist at the wrist)
- consider good quality gel gloves
- I usually recommend good quality bar tape, but your bike being new, it should already be installed.


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Got out again on Tuesday, clocked 39 miles. But I was utterly exhausted at the end. Slept like a baby Tuesday night. Been really busy with work so I haven't been back to the shop for the fitting yet buy hope to be there Saturday. 

The hands were an issue again on this ride. Had
To keep opening and closing my fingers to get them from going numb. Tried moving my position around a lot but to no real avail. Tried to be conscious of not locking my elbows too. I think a lot of it is just my size, I'm about 240. Hoping a few more rides and a few less pounds will help.


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## ROACHCLASS (Jul 29, 2013)

You did 30 miles your first ever ride?!


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

ROACHCLASS said:


> You did 30 miles your first ever ride?!


Yeah. First ride ever on a road bike. I use to ride 10-15 on my mountain bike riding gravel roads and stuff like that. But that was in the late 90's, early 00's.


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## Nubster (Jul 8, 2009)

30 miles is awesome. No way I could have done 30 miles my first time out around here...way too much climbing. Probably couldn't have done it on perfectly flat ground either.

As far as the hands, I suffer the same numbness. I find that keeping the pressure on the meaty part of the hand below the thumb helps. Moving around on the bars helps. For me, gel gloves make it worse so I wear unpadded gloves. That's something you'll have to experiment with, padded or unpadded gloves. A bike fit should help too. That's something I've needed to get for some time...I need to get that done soon.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Got out again on Tuesday, clocked 39 miles. But I was utterly exhausted at the end. Slept like a baby Tuesday night. Been really busy with work so I haven't been back to the shop for the fitting yet buy hope to be there Saturday.


Kudos to you on that effort. That's a real accomplishment for starting out. Just keep in tune with your body and how you're feeling, making sure not to overdo. 



PitbullRescuer said:


> *The hands were an issue again on this ride*. Had
> To keep opening and closing my fingers to get them from going numb. Tried moving my position around a lot but to no real avail. Tried to be conscious of not locking my elbows too. *I think a lot of it is just my size*, I'm about 240. Hoping a few more rides and a few less pounds will help.


If you're conscious of form and taking steps to move your hands around, it's likely to be a weight distribution issue. If you haven't yet had a fitting, I suggest doing so sooner rather than later. It'll make your rides/ time on your bike a LOT more comfortable.

In addition to the bike fit, one other thing to consider is building core strength. Some suggestions here:
The Best Core Exercises and Core Workouts


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> Kudos to you on that effort. That's a real accomplishment for starting out. Just keep in tune with your body and how you're feeling, making sure not to overdue.
> 
> 
> If you're conscious of form and taking steps to move your hands around, it's likely to be a weight distribution issue. If you haven't yet had a fitting, I suggest doing so sooner rather than later. It'll make your rides/ time on your bike a LOT more comfortable.
> ...


Thanks PJ. I am trying to do some more core work on my gym days but admittedly I need to do more. I use to be in really good shape 5 years ago, I was 188 pounds on my 30th birthday. I was about 250 on my 35th. My day actually just opened up (client cancelled on me) so I may run down to the shop this afternoon and see if they can fit me in for a fitting. 



Nubster said:


> 30 miles is awesome. No way I could have done 30 miles my first time out around here...way too much climbing. Probably couldn't have done it on perfectly flat ground either.
> 
> As far as the hands, I suffer the same numbness. I find that keeping the pressure on the meaty part of the hand below the thumb helps. Moving around on the bars helps. For me, gel gloves make it worse so I wear unpadded gloves. That's something you'll have to experiment with, padded or unpadded gloves. A bike fit should help too. That's something I've needed to get for some time...I need to get that done soon.


Thanks Nubster. Both rides so far were on The Schuylkill River Trail from Manayunk out past the Valley Forge area. It's really flat for the most part so that had a lot to do with my distances. I did however do the 39 mile ride in the big front sprocket the whole way, never shifted out of it. I think on tomorrows ride I'm going to shift the front back and forth a bit and see how my legs feel. As for the hands, I'll just have to keep trying different things for now.


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## ROACHCLASS (Jul 29, 2013)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Yeah. First ride ever on a road bike. I use to ride 10-15 on my mountain bike riding gravel roads and stuff like that. But that was in the late 90's, early 00's.


That is awesome!


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

ROACHCLASS said:


> That is awesome!


Thanks. I planned on a 30 tomorrow morning too. But rough day at work turned into happy hour and then a few at home with my wife. So hopefully 30 tomorrow afternoon.


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Well, I'm officially over 100 miles total on my bike. Got out today for a 35 miler. Averaged 16.2 MPG. Felt pretty good, hands did much better and I got a lot further before they started getting numb. Absolutely gorgeous day here today so I "wasn't feeling well" around noon and got out. LOL. 

Sorry, hope I'm not boring you guys with this thread.


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## brad.stark (Jun 17, 2013)

Live to train another day I always say. I sure started out with shorter rides, but the bottom line is do what feels right for you. For the first month your body is going to be getting used to a lot of new things... especially... the... uh buttocks region.  I can remember some arm and neck pains too, but getting used to the saddle was the biggest pain. That 'gorgeous day' feeling you had? Get used to it, happens a lot while riding... and it is awesome. =)


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## DasBoost (Aug 15, 2013)

I agree with the other posters, get a proper fitting and move your hands around the various positions. Even if I'm in a really comfortable spot, I still make an effort to at least wiggle the fingers and move the hands around. And avoid the death grip, relaxed but in control is the way to go. Congrats on the new bike and enjoy the rides!


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Did my first half century ride today. (50.75) miles to be exact. 3:13. My legs are kicked. I'm drinking water like a camel. But all in all, I'm more proud than anything. We'll see how I feel tomorrow though.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Did my first half century ride today. (50.75) miles to be exact. 3:13. My legs are kicked. I'm drinking water like a camel. But all in all, I'm more proud than anything. We'll see how I feel tomorrow though.


Congrats on the accomplishment. Maybe do a recovery ride today to get the legs moving a bit.


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## tystevens (Jul 10, 2008)

PitbullRescuer said:


> The hands were an issue again on this ride. Had
> To keep opening and closing my fingers to get them from going numb. Tried moving my position around a lot but to no real avail. Tried to be conscious of not locking my elbows too. I think a lot of it is just my size, I'm about 240. Hoping a few more rides and a few less pounds will help.


Could just be a bit of a conditioning issue. I weigh about the same as you, and my hands are a sore spot the first few rides every year -- my hands and seat are ready to give in long before the legs while I'm getting going in the spring! Usually goes away slowly as my mileage increases.

Gloves and good bar tape help, though. I have gone to the Specialized Barfat under my tape, and I like it. Also, move your hands while riding to keep blood flowing. Even moving them an inch one way or another every few minutes helps me a lot.


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Thanks guys. Planned on doing an easy 10 miles or so today. But my son had an asthma attack early this morning so I was home with him all day today. (He's doing fine now) Surprisingly I felt pretty good today. Legs felts fine, shoulders are tight but Monday was a heavy lifting day for me so I attribute the shoulder soreness to that. 

I'm happy I'm getting into cycling, it feels pretty good. I think I'm going to shoot for a Metric century before this season is out. 

Question, for you guys in the NE region like me, what do you do in the winter? Anyone do spinning or use one of those indoor trainers? (Not sure of the proper term but the thing that looks like a dyno machine for your bike)


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Question, for you guys in the NE region like me, what do you do in the winter? Anyone do spinning or use one of those indoor trainers? (Not sure of the proper term but the thing that looks like a dyno machine for your bike)


This may help answer some of your questions...
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/beginners-corner/exercise-bike-turbo-trainer-311389.html


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## ROACHCLASS (Jul 29, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> This may help answer some of your questions...
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/beginners-corner/exercise-bike-turbo-trainer-311389.html


Thanks, I was inquiring about a trainer myself.


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## DasBoost (Aug 15, 2013)

PitbullRescuer said:


> Thanks guys. Planned on doing an easy 10 miles or so today. But my son had an asthma attack early this morning so I was home with him all day today. (He's doing fine now) Surprisingly I felt pretty good today. Legs felts fine, shoulders are tight but Monday was a heavy lifting day for me so I attribute the shoulder soreness to that.
> 
> I'm happy I'm getting into cycling, it feels pretty good. I think I'm going to shoot for a Metric century before this season is out.
> 
> Question, for you guys in the NE region like me, what do you do in the winter? Anyone do spinning or use one of those indoor trainers? (Not sure of the proper term but the thing that looks like a dyno machine for your bike)


I've found bananas and a bowl of cherrios and milk to be a good recovery snack after longer rides. Potassium, easy on the stomach, and it doesn't feel like lead in the stomach as well. Trainers hook up to the rear wheel of the bike and it rolls against a wheel that provides resistance, but the dyno-looking things are rollers. Check out GCN on youtube, they've got a couple videos on rollers and starting out on them.


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## PitbullRescuer (Aug 5, 2013)

Got out for 30 miles today, 1:51. Felt pretty good. Strong head wind the first 5-10 miles but got through it and flew on the 2nd half of the ride. Actually wish I had more time to stay out because I felt so good.


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## Red90 (Apr 2, 2013)

Wow, very impressive start to your bike rides. I never could have done that distance and speed on my first rides. Kudos!!!

As others have said, change the position of the hands. Most of the time my hands are on the hoods on flats. I'm on the drop if it's a downhill and on the bars on a climb. Also I don't keep my fingers on the brakes all the time. My wife had an issue with her hands getting pain cause she had a death grip and always had the hands over the brakes all the time.

One other thing is to relax your arms. This will make it easier especially when the roads are rough. Try to tighten up your abs and core muscles and loosen your arms to absorb all the road imperfections.

Hopefully that will help your hands from getting numb.


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