# Observations after year of cycling



## mm9 (Jul 20, 2009)

I returned to road cycling a little over a year ago, after a couple of decades away. After consistently riding several times a week for over a year, here are a few things I've learned:

1) The issue of which bike to buy doesn't seem near as important now as it did then. The important thing is the correct size and to get a correct fitting. After riding on many group rides over the last year, the real issue is the motor, not the bike. I'd say just get something of half decent quality. You don't have to make a perfect decision. 

2) Frame material in not near as big of a decision as I thought it was. I went fairly cheap. Aluminum frame, carbon forks and 105 components (less than $1000). The comfort of the bike is based mostly on fit, seat, and tire psi. Almost all modern bike shop bikes are good. 

3) Want to become proficient at cycling - just ride and ride regularly. Set some simple goals and slowly build up. I made the mistake of adding mileage too fast a few times. No need to rush. Life is a long race.

4) To really enjoy cycling, and I mean for it to become a sweet enjoyment in your life, you first have to invest time getting into bike fitness. This takes several weeks. Once, you have the motor, the enjoyment really begins.

5) Don't be intimidated by the serious "game face" nature of certain bicycling groups. Some of them are serious about race training etc. Nothing wrong with that. If that's not your thing, go find cyclists who are more outwardly joyful and social. They exist everywhere. You just have to find them. 

6) Don't hug the right side of the road - cars will buzz you too close. When I first started riding - I stayed mad and scared at cars coming too close. When I moved out a little (1.5 - 2 feet) most cars go around with enough room.

7) Bike shorts (yes lycra) - after being embarrassed to wear them, I tried them and they are awesome. Two ways I dealt with the modesty issue in the first months - One I only wore solid black shorts. Two, if I was going on a journey, I bring some light weight hiking shorts in the back of my jersey to slip on to go to stores and to eat etc.

8) Chamois butter - good for long rides.

9) Two water bottle cages for longer rides. 

10) If the ride is over 20 miles, bring some food. Eat every hour to 1.5 hours. I'm sure some will have other opinions on this one.

11) Be the kind of rider that you want to be. Learn from other riders, but don't let them define you.

12) Get a simple measurement device - measure mileage, time and possibly mph. If you are really into gadgets, consider getting a garmin 500 or higher and go from there.

13) Have fun!


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Astute observations.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Good sound advice that didn't come off as pompous. Not an easy thing to achieve. In > 30 years of riding, I have never done (8) or (12). (8) worries me with regard to bacterial growth. (12) I just never did it, so I have no idea if I am missing anything. I don't have a cell phone either. But I have Di2.


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## Frreed (Aug 17, 2006)

Having a similar story, I agree with your observations. In my previous life as a cyclist, i aspired to race and just be fast. My impetus for starting back was a challenge, by a good friend, to do Biking Across Kansas which is 500+ miles in a week. He had done 3 or 4 such rides. 

Fast was not going to be an option. At 55 and with a much more substantial physique I was slow. I put in enough miles to get ready for the ride and I June of this year I rode 500 miles in a week.

The one thing that amazed me was that I averaged right at 15 mph for the tour. BTW Kansas is not as flat as some would have you believe. 

When I was trying to be "fast" I did a lot of short and relatively intense rides, but looking back my average on most of those rides was, probably 16-16.5 mph. I wasn't evry really going to be a real racer, but I could hang with a fast group for 20-30 miles.

Now I my short rides are 20-25 miles and and most weeks include a 35-40 mile ride. In the spring and early summer the long ride will bump up to 50-60. I never rode 80-100 miles when I was younger. Now I can do it twice in a week. 

I have found my new cyclist and am having more fun than ever. My guess is that in the next year my training rides will be averaging closer to 16 mph just like I did back in my "youth", except I will doing over more miles.

Oh, and I am losing weight and feel better than I have in a long time.

Just because I got back on the bike.

P.S. Absolutely correct on the Chamois Butter. Eurostyle all the way!


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## milnergroup (Aug 20, 2010)

I like what you said...and how you said it. Thanks


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## Teuthis (Jul 29, 2015)

Good stuff, well said, and +1 to (3) and (4). :thumbsup:


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## jimbach (Jul 5, 2006)

Never tried chamois butter, but other than that, I have no disagreement with anything on your list. One (fairly important, IMO) addition I would make would be - learn how to take care of your bike, by (a) keeping it clean and appropriately oiled/lubed, and (b) learning how do at least the most basic maintenance tasks.


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## jovian (Sep 16, 2014)

Awesome post, some excellent points. 

I also wanted to say what jimbach did. Knowing how to maintain your bike will save you lots of time and money. It also gives you a much better understanding.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Excellent advice, happy to hear you are still at it and see you sharing what you have learned with others. #payitforward


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

This should really be mandatory reading for new members to the site and new cyclists that are interested in taking road cycling seriously.


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

Well put. I agree that all folks either coming back or just starting in the sport would benefit significantly from reading your post.


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## CheapSkate (Feb 26, 2012)

Good observations.

I would add my 2p worth:- wear bright colours, or consider a daytime rear blinky light.

Especially in the winter, but in the summer too, you can be hard to see. Even in full daylight, for example when you're moving in and out of tree lined roads. Might be a bigger problem in rural areas than in town.

I don't necessarily mean deck yourself out top to toe in hi-viz yellow. But think about wearing, say, a red jersey, or a yellow helmet, or something.

I do think a rear blinky light can help. You may feel like a dork though, fair enough. But when I'm out in the car I am thankful for riders with daytime blinkies - I know where they are from a long way out. So now I always ride with a blinky. I guess the laws vary by country though, so check it out.

(A cynical theory, here in the UK I think riders have got _less_ visible recently because of the number now wearing Team Sky outfits. Black shorts, dark jersey, dark helmet. They are a swine to see out here in the country).

And...

Help car drivers out if you can. Wave them through if it's safe. Pull off if you're getting a really big queue behind. Most of them are not evil. Most just want to get past. Some are even cyclists themselves. What goes around, comes around. If you ride a lot in the same area, you'll meet the same cars again and again. Better to be on their side. Hopefully they'll appreciate it.


Ride safe.


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## mm9 (Jul 20, 2009)

mm9 said:


> I returned to road cycling a little over a year ago, after a couple of decades away. After consistently riding several times a week for over a year, here are a few things I've learned:
> 
> 1) The issue of which bike to buy doesn't seem near as important now as it did then. The important thing is the correct size and to get a correct fitting. After riding on many group rides over the last year, the real issue is the motor, not the bike. I'd say just get something of half decent quality. You don't have to make a perfect decision.
> 
> ...


More things I've learned:

14) Pay attention to advice on smooth pedaling. Learn to "spin". It's taken me a while to learn to spin smoothly. It really makes cycling even more fun to become smooth at pedaling.

15) For me, cycling is not all about pain and suffering. Some cyclists really get into this pain and suffering thing. I think it's a personality thing. Of course there is always going to be some periods of suffering, but most of the time during rides, rides are just plain fun to me.


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## Minister (Oct 21, 2015)

Good advice whether you are a beginner or not.


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## ROAD&DIRT (Mar 27, 2009)

Can't agree more.... great post and addtional comments from everybody. 

When you stop enjoying it... it then becomes works, and do enough of that 40+ hours a week sitting behind a desk


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

Very good advice/points in here. 3 & 4 are smart! Just ride, and don't push it, and you'll get there. Coming from a life of competitive ball sports, one thing I like about cycling is that you can be as good as you want (up to a point, of course) and can challenge yourself as much as you want.

5 is correct, find the type of riders you like riding with. I used to do competitive group rides, but with limited time to ride this year, I want it to be all fun, not leg-breaking. I've stopped the competitive rides, for now.

Yes, a nice bike can be had at a reasonable price. (I'm always amused by friends and acquaintances who ask me about bikes, since they know I know, and I tell 'em what it'll cost for a decent bike and they nearly faint. Yet they spend a few hundred bucks a month on coffee or fancy drinks or drop a few hundred at a nice dinner. For me, I drink cheap beer to afford awesome bike stuff.)

#6 YES! Don't act like a scared interloper. You are part of traffic, you have a right to be on the road, and you should ride defensively aggressive. Ride where you feel comfortable, with space to avoid potholes and such. Act the part, hold your line, don't swerve and MOST motorists will give you decent space. I also find that on long country rides where roads are narrow and curvy making eye contact is HUGE. For some reason, until you do, you might as well be a squirrel to most drivers. Also, I don't hesitate to safely take a lane when necessary (one lane bridges) and I also "talk" to drivers...and hand down to say "terrible place to pass" and a look and wave through when you hear them coming and would rather they cruise on by than hit their brakes and tailgate you for a bit. This won't work with all drivers, but in my decade+ of road riding, if you are firm and act the part, most drivers respond sensibly. Not all, but most.

#7 I commute in a t-shirt and shorts, but wear jersey and bibs during real road rides. One thing I LOVE about cycling is that it's a built in diet. First of all, I don't want to carry my lard a** around and up hills. Secondly, fat dudes in Lycra don't look so good. I don't even use a scale either; if my bibs are tight...less eating and more riding. Besides, now that most Americans go around town in either sweatpants or see through stockings, a dude in Lycra really isn't that offensive.

Great post, enjoy 2016!


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

Lights. YUP, I run lights in all conditions. One Planet Bike Super Flash on the bike, one Planet Bike Micro SF on the back of my helmet, attached with a cheapo Velcro strap. So light I don't know it's there. I think two levels of flashing is helpful. And with USB charging lights, I don't worry about running them all the time. I can charge at work or home.

Smooth stroke. It can be done on the road, but I spent a bunch of winters riding rollers. (No longer, I moved 633 miles south). If you want to make it happen faster, rollers can help. Borrow some from a friend or someone locally, if you can. They are scary at first...but in no time you'll find them easy.


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

All great points, and all things I learned myself in the 1st year.

-Spot on with the frame make not being as important as the frame geometry/fit.

-Spending $$ on many "upgrades" is silly. BUT...a good set of cycling kit, great cycling shoes and a super light helmet is 100% worth the $$. I began cheap and worked my way up. Once I got into higher end stuff like bibs, shoes and a helmet...I know why I needed them all along.

-If you groupset works, it works. Upgrading is pointless unless you want to. I'm currently on 5800 105 and it is brilliant...it works, every time, no complaints.

-A quiet bike = a happy rider...rattles and squeaks will drive you completely mad on a long ride.

-Diet is 100% up to you. Take food intake advice for most people and chuck it out the window. At first, I listened to too many people and it didn't serve me well. In the end, I landed up listening to my own body and it's own needs while riding and it was th best thing I could do.

-Don't be afraid to ride solo...I thought I "had" to ride in groups and never was happy doing it.

-Your body will set the pace. Being my first time as a cyclist I always thought that because I could do something on Tue, I could also do it on Thurs. Wrong. Some days you're on...some times you're not. Your body will set the pace no matter how much you want it to be different.

That's all I have for now...


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## harrym71 (Jun 2, 2016)

Sorry for reviving an old thread.
All great advice that as a newbie I will take into consideration.


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## Nancym (Jun 21, 2016)

harrym71 said:


> Sorry for reviving an old thread.
> All great advice that as a newbie I will take into consideration.


Thanks for reviving this thread! I ride a hybrid just for exercise and fun. I haven't been riding very much for about a year. Tonight I picked up my new Specialized Ariel. I rode it for about 1/2 hour tonight. (My 6 year old Cannonade hybrid was stolen a week ago.) So far, I am loving my new bike! This thread has been really helpful and really made me think. Great information here! I bet others will find it helpful, too!


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