# New to Biking/Cycling



## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

Hello Ladies,

I wanted to find a forum about biking where I could seek out some ideas and information relevant to biking/cycling. It looks like this might be the place.

I am 50 years old and have not been on a bicycle since I was approximately 10 years old. Quite a while. But I found myself in need of some form of exercise and due to my situation and location biking/cycling seemed to be the most logical answer. Here is how I got to this point:

Last June 12, (one year ago) I was rushed to the emergency room due to very serious chest pain. I thought I was having prolonged indigestion, but no amount or kind of antacid was helping. When I got there the ER shot me up with pain killers since I was near incoherency from the pain. After 5 hours in the ER, 5 sets of X-rays and an eventual shot of Dilaudin (for pain) the doctor told me I might have gall stones. I went home.

The next day, scared because I knew the pain was still there and aware that the pain killers were the only thing keeping it at bay, I picked up the phone and called a friend I knew who ran a health food store and told her what happened. After a series of questions she told me immediately what was wrong. My digestive system had collapsed.

Immediately that day I was given a diet for the next 3 days. I was to eat nothing but a bland baked potatoe with nothing on it. I could try a little honey if I started feeling nauseated and drink only distilled water with fresh lemon juice (for the enxyme replacement).

She also put a regiment of herbal supplements in the mail to me and instructed me on what to take and when. She told me that it was time to start healing my body.

After 3 days I could start thinking about incorporating other foods into my diet. But I had to be careful. No meat, no processed foods, no junk, no sweets, no sodas, no juices.

Needless to say it has been a year later and with a strict diet and a strong regiment of supplements I have managed to lose 100 lbs. When this happened I was nearly 300 lbs.

My husband and I live on the road due to his work, so we see the inside of alot of motels and exercising is not a luxury that I can afford most of the time. But we are at a place now where we will be for awhile and it is condusive to some exercise since it is back off the main road. With my weight loss leveling off and my inner knowing that I have to do something to continue my health improving I looked at my options.

1 - I couldn't join a gym because of the hours my husband works and we only have one form of transportation, I'm not on a busline and it is too far to walk.

2 - The place that we are staying does not offer anything, not even a pool.

3 - I could walk but I had been doing that early on and I wanted to try something more physical and challenging.

Answer? Bike Riding.

But I wasn't sure if that is really what I would want to do. So I had a dilemna. I knew all too well how expensive taking up biking/cycling could be and it was too much money to spend on an idea. So I went the inexpensive way, I shopped around on Craigslist.

I found a bike ($40) that I liked and told my husband that I wanted it. It was a girls bike, 24 inch (I think) and my favorite color (my husband said that sealed the deal right there). When we went to talk to the seller about it he looked at me and told me that he didn't want to sell it to me because he felt it was not the right size for me. I was too tall for it. I told him to let me worry about that and he could worry about the sale. He didn't argue.

Well, my husband had to make a few adjustments. He had to get a wider seat for my fat rump (which for some reason hadn't lost that much weight). He had to raise the handlebars, as well as the seat. He told me that the seller was in fact right, the bike is too small. I never understood that stuff. To me a bike is a bike is a bike. I mean you have kids bikes and then you have bikes for big people. What did I know?

Well, that was 2 months ago. Today my rump hurts (towards the top of the tail bone) after riding and my left knee swells off and on. Today it has a nice little pillow of fluid on the top of it. The heals of my hands hurt from having so much pressure on them from the handle bars. That is the physical side of it.

The place we are staying is literally on a circle. It measures roughly 1.5 miles around from door to door. When I started riding I started with a lap for the first few days until I became comfortable with being on the bike. Then as the first week went along I gradually upped my laps to 2 and then by the end of the first week I was up to 3 laps a day.

A month later I can do anywhere from minimum 3 laps normally to as many as 5-6 laps. So you are looking at anywhere from 5-9 miles a day, everyday. But it seems that I cannot get past that point. I tend to average 4 laps a day most days.

My husband fusses at me because I keep my gears set at one place because the majority of my riding is level but I want some resistence. The least little grade and it slows me down dramatically. I often times find that I ride into the wind due to the way the wind blows in this area and there are specific places where it seems to blow all the time. That works against me but I still will not gear down.

How much damage am I doing to my knee? 
Am I riding too far too many days a week? 
What size bike do I need?
When will I ever feel like riding without feeling worn out so quickly? 

I think it's time for me to look at things more seriously if I intend to continue riding seriously.

Sorry for the length of this message but if anyone is going to help me they need to know a certain amount of information.

Any insight at this point is appreciated.

Thanks.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

TygherLily said:


> How much damage am I doing to my knee?
> Am I riding too far too many days a week?
> What size bike do I need?
> When will I ever feel like riding without feeling worn out so quickly?
> ...


Lily, welcome to cycling.

Where does your knee hurt? The front (knee cap)? Behind the knee? Or the side (inside or outside)? If it's the front knee cap area then your saddle is likely to be too low. You might want to raise it a smidge and keep raising it until the pain is gone. 

Bike size - How tall are you and what is your inseam? I am 5'4" with a 30.25" inseam and I ride a 48cm-49cm frames. 

Ride-wise, you're doing okay, especially with gradually ramping up the miles. The thing is to get you more comfortable on the bike - which may very well be too small for you. 

As far as the saddle goes, a soft saddle is not the best saddle to have. Look for one with support. Otherwise your sit bones will dig into the plastic frame of the saddle making for an uncomfortable ride (and post ride).

Gear down and spin faster. Gearing down will lessen the strain on you knee. Spinning faster will take you from anaerobic exercise to aerobic exercise which will burn off more fat.

If you can, post a pic of your bike with you either on it or next to it. It will help us get an idea of where to go with the sizing. 

You've already lost 100 pounds. All you need to do is make a few adjustments. Keep it up. You're doing great.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

Ok let me see if I can do this. 

The pain is coming during the middle to the end of my normal lap time (2 laps in of a 3 lap ride)...or just after I get off the bike. The pain is thru the knee more or less. It's just an ache - but not consistent. Hard to explain. 

I know that I am also fighting menopause right now with strange and odd pains every month. This month it seems that water on the left knee cap just behind the top side. Small pocket of water, not that large. But I stayed off the bike for 4 days and it went down considerably. When I went out again my knee didn't really give me any trouble and the water didn't get any worse. But it is hard for me to tell what is a legitimate injury and what is menopausal.

I will measure my inseam today and see. I stand 5'7 and I would say my weight is about 190-200lbs. Guessing. I will also get a pic in the next day or so and post it.

Why I have been having a problem with is understanding the difference between resistance and repetition. I would think resistance would be better. But obviously I am looking at it incorrectly. My husband has been pulling his hair out trying to get me to understand the difference.

What really irritates me is the numbness on the heels of my hands from the handlebars. It is like I have all the weight on my hands. It causes some numbness while I am riding and I have to change to the position of my hands for a time.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

*Here is the info*

I stand 5'7" tall, 
my inseam is 30", 
my seat height is 32", 
seat to pedal distance is 28" 
wheel diameter is 24" making the axel 12". 

I haven't been able to get a camera yet so I hope this info will suffice. 

I did try to gear down so that I could pedal easier instead of having more resistance. I still can't make the connection between the two as to why pedaling faster is better than the other. I would think pushing against resistance would be the strength builder. But I don't work out so I really don't know about those things too much. 

But I definitely want my biking to get straightened out so I can move forward with it. I feel that after 2 months 3-4 laps at 1/2 mile per lap should not be kicking my butt the way it is. I still have trouble taking 3 flights of stairs. I would think after 2 months of this that I should be able to tell more difference. Especially with the diet that I am on and the supplements that I am taking. But I guess am I just too impatient.

Thanks for the help.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Pedaling faster/easier is better for slimming down, IMO. If you are 190-200 lbs. your legs already have strength. In order to burn off the fat you gotta burn off calories. Pedaling faster/easier will do that without adding on the weight of more muscle. 

Plus the harder pedaling puts more stress on your knees. 

Numbness in the hands: do you use cycling gloves?


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

il sogno is right, if you want to lose weight, do more reps, i.e. pedal with less resistance. as you improve, you will find yourself going further, faster. no sense in pushing big gears real hard if you cant sustain the pressure. eventually you basically slow down so much, the bike isnt really moving in proportion to your inefficient input.

start and stay in the big ring on the back. and spin spin spin until you learn how to control rpm, _then_ start up into the more difficult gears. pain is not a good thing, especially in an older (like me) rider, i speak from experience. if it hurts stop doing it, you're probably doing something wrong; in this case i suspect it's about a, the set up, and b, and perhaps more important, your mashing down on the pedals, which is stressing the F*CK out of your aging joints. 

dont push down on the pedals, pull up on them, that's a much better technique. practice that in the lower gears, and spin spin spin, you'll not only get plenty "winded" but you will keep that f a t off your butt. and remember, slow and steady wins the race. you didnt get here overnight, you wont achieve all your goals at once, either. take it, efficiently, one day at a time...


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## SROC3 (Jul 20, 2009)

go get a bike fit. It eliminates that factor from the equation and then as you improve you'll be able to gauge your progress properly.

It will be worth every penny. trust me 

Welcome to Cycling!!!!!


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

I bought a new $50 computer with a cadance feature. I've been riding with attention to cadance (whatever gear allows me pedal closest to 90 rpm) and the results have been pleasing. I can often shift up where I would never have done so before.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

Okay, that makes perfect sense easyridernyc & il sogno. I don't know or hang around with anyone who cycles (never have) and I know nothing about it but what I am learning by trial and error. So having it explained that way makes more sense. Sometimes someone just needs to say it in the right way I guess.

I know one thing for sure that there is a wind factor most everyday here and at some point on my lap I will hit a tunnel of wind and with the way I have had the gears set - when I hit that tunnel I can come to almost a complete stand still and it probably looks funny from others points of view watching me. But I did change my gears in the last few days and it is easier and I move much more fluidly.

My bike has foam like sleeves on the handlebars if that makes any sense. But I do not use cycling gloves. I always wondered why cyclists used them. Figured it was a sweat issue or something. I find myself (when I am riding and the heels of my hands start to hurt) using my fingers and raising myself back into a more sitting position. That relieves it temporarily. I do this off and on during my ride.

When I bought my bike it had one of those really narrow seats on it and I laughed and thought that with my large posterior (not the words I initially used) that that seat would never do unless I was going after a wedgie. So we went down to the bike store and my husband got a wider seat which was quite firm (almost hard). It spreads the weight out more and I seem to be ok with it.

What I am finding out is that I am trying to learn to ride while fighting menopause. The aches and pains that I am having are not consistent to anything. I am trying to monitor them for when they happen and under what conditions and for how long they persist. It is frustrating to say the least. I try to push through and ride MOST OF THE TIME. But I also don't want to be radical about it either. But I am staying consistent for the most part.

I am unfamiliar with any type of computers for bikes. My husband bought me a little speedometer thing that has wires that attach to the bike and wheel and I can take the main part off. When it is on and the wheels are turning it measures time, distance, speed etc. It's like a pedometer for walkers. But that is as computerized as I have gotten. I know when my husband was gone for two weeks to school I rode everyday and let it store all the info until he got home and for 14 days I had ridden (spelling) 94 miles in less than 9 hours. I thought that was pretty darn good and was quite pleased with my progress.

I guess now the next thing I have to do is get measured for a bike. But are there different sizes of bikes? I hate going to a bike store and trusting them to tell me. They want to sell bikes and bike equipment. I would rather get my information from someone who is educated and experienced and NOT in business to make money. If you know what I mean.

I enjoy the riding and am the only one out here in this area that does. Most everyone else are runners and joggers.


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

TygherLily said:


> I am unfamiliar with any type of computers for bikes. My husband bought me a little speedometer thing that has wires that attach to the bike and wheel and I can take the main part off. When it is on and the wheels are turning it measures time, distance, speed etc. It's like a pedometer for walkers. But that is as computerized as I have gotten.


That's all you need. They aren't "real" computers. Some of them come with "cad" as well. If you's does, I suggest using it to help you learn when to shift. Shifting to a lower gear and pedaling faster is how you beat the wind.

Good luck. I hope you find cycling as must fun as I did (last year and 50 pound ago).


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## skyliner1004 (May 9, 2010)

i agree, change your gears to spin faster, but not so fast that you're bobbing up and down on the saddle. 9 miles a day is fine, just dont bike and then go home and have a feast. Finish it up with some light foods after. 

to make your riding more comfortable we will need some info on your bike, do you have a picture of it? post it here.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

Yes I am in the process of finding someone who can take a pic of it. But it's a schwin caliente until I can get a pic up.

Normally when I ride it is either early in the AM or late in the evening. I usually eat fruit after my ride in the evening or a lite breakfast of spinach, cheese, couple of steamed egg yolks and wheat germ after my morning ride. I prefer eating after riding instead of prior to.

I have changed my gears and all of you are right. It is easier and I do feel like riding farther for longer. Today I managed to get in 6 laps with each being 1.5 miles each totaling roughly to 9 miles in a little less than 1 hour. I could ride longer but choose not to push it yet. But this has brought in a whole new aspect and I look forward to it even more now.


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

*well done*

sounds like you are starting to make incremental improvements already...well done. riding consistently is already delivering benefits. 

also your diet choices sound smart, whole food = gud stuff. light food before can really help fuel a ride, if you choose not to, np if you're ok with it, just be sure to stay hydrated, especially in warm or humid weather. you're not going for long long rides, but still, its a good habit to get into now, even for shorter rides, drink a little water before, a little during, and a little after. later on you will start to appreciate the benefits of good hydration...

nice going, keep up the good work.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

TygherLily said:


> Yes I am in the process of finding someone who can take a pic of it. But it's a schwin caliente until I can get a pic up.
> 
> Normally when I ride it is either early in the AM or late in the evening. I usually eat fruit after my ride in the evening or a lite breakfast of spinach, cheese, couple of steamed egg yolks and wheat germ after my morning ride. I prefer eating after riding instead of prior to.
> 
> I have changed my gears and all of you are right. It is easier and I do feel like riding farther for longer. Today I managed to get in 6 laps with each being 1.5 miles each totaling roughly to 9 miles in a little less than 1 hour. I could ride longer but choose not to push it yet. But this has brought in a whole new aspect and I look forward to it even more now.


Eating after a 9 mile ride is fine. When you start upping your mileage you will probably want to make the change to eating before the ride. 

You're doing great. :thumbsup:


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

*Here's my bike*

I finally got a pic of the bike to put here so you all can see what I am talking about. If you notice in the pic you will see a wire rack on the bar under the seat for my water (holder) and my fanny pack on the back of the seat. I try to think of everything don't you know. 

My husband took the pic but it came out way big and didn't meet the requirements of the forum so I had to resize it on line and now it looks distorted. I tried but could not get the pic right within the requirements. So I hope you all can get an idea of what it really looks like.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

TygherLily said:


> I finally got a pic of the bike to put here so you all can see what I am talking about. If you notice in the pic you will see a wire rack on the bar under the seat for my water (holder) and my fanny pack on the back of the seat. I try to think of everything don't you know.
> 
> My husband took the pic but it came out way big and didn't meet the requirements of the forum so I had to resize it on line and now it looks distorted. I tried but could not get the pic right within the requirements. So I hope you all can get an idea of what it really looks like.


Try resizing with this program. You can download it for free.

Irfanview.com


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

Ok, I had tried to resize initially in Irfanview but the option to do that had been greyed out and that confused me since I have resized stuff with that prog before. Anyway, I got it resized properly and am reposting it.










Sorry for taking so long to get back.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

I just did my stats for the past two weeks. I am averaging 48 mins a day and riding 8.21 miles a day. I thought I fell a little short after all this time and the adjustments. I was hoping for at least an hour a day average and 10 miles a day average. So I still have to push a little harder.

Some days I will ride twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evenings if I feel like it. Some days I can do 8 laps, but most days I average 4-5. So I feel I need to push a little harder myself.

Now I need to know if the bike is too small. Once that is settled I can concentrate more fully on my riding and less on what needs adjusted. Yesterday evening I was riding and the toes in both my feet went numb and I couldn't get them to stop until I got off the bike, I was worried if I were putting too much pressure on the balls of my feet. I still don't know what caused that. But it did not happen this morning. It was a one time occurrence.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

TygherLily said:


> I just did my stats for the past two weeks. I am averaging 48 mins a day and riding 8.21 miles a day. I thought I fell a little short after all this time and the adjustments. I was hoping for at least an hour a day average and 10 miles a day average. So I still have to push a little harder.
> 
> Some days I will ride twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evenings if I feel like it. Some days I can do 8 laps, but most days I average 4-5. So I feel I need to push a little harder myself.
> 
> Now I need to know if the bike is too small. Once that is settled I can concentrate more fully on my riding and less on what needs adjusted. Yesterday evening I was riding and the toes in both my feet went numb and I couldn't get them to stop until I got off the bike, I was worried if I were putting too much pressure on the balls of my feet. I still don't know what caused that. But it did not happen this morning. It was a one time occurrence.


Are you riding with tennis shoes? It might be a good idea to invest in a pair of stiffer soled commuter type cycling shoes.


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## skyliner1004 (May 9, 2010)

TygherLily said:


> I just did my stats for the past two weeks. I am averaging 48 mins a day and riding 8.21 miles a day. I thought I fell a little short after all this time and the adjustments. I was hoping for at least an hour a day average and 10 miles a day average. So I still have to push a little harder.
> 
> Some days I will ride twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evenings if I feel like it. Some days I can do 8 laps, but most days I average 4-5. So I feel I need to push a little harder myself.
> 
> Now I need to know if the bike is too small. Once that is settled I can concentrate more fully on my riding and less on what needs adjusted. Yesterday evening I was riding and the toes in both my feet went numb and I couldn't get them to stop until I got off the bike, I was worried if I were putting too much pressure on the balls of my feet. I still don't know what caused that. But it did not happen this morning. It was a one time occurrence.


from the looks of the picture, it looks like the handlebars are way too high relative to the saddle. a good starting point is to have the saddle flat and at the same level as the handlebar. Then move from there for optimal comfort. You really should bring your bike into a bike shop and ask them to do a quick fit for you.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

yes I am wearing tennis shoes when I ride. What do bike shops normally charge to fit a rider with a bike that doesn't get purchased in their shop?


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## skyliner1004 (May 9, 2010)

TygherLily said:


> yes I am wearing tennis shoes when I ride. What do bike shops normally charge to fit a rider with a bike that doesn't get purchased in their shop?


they may have different levels, something along the lines of a Quick fit may be, $10-75. An a professional fit for $100+

just tell them whatever you're uncomfortable with and your style of riding and what you want to do.


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

Yes I will check into that


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## ColoradoVeloDude (Oct 7, 2005)

TygherLily said:


> Hello Ladies,
> 
> I wanted to find a forum about biking where I could seek out some ideas and information relevant to biking/cycling. It looks like this might be the place.
> 
> ...



Welcome to cycling. I started riding in January 2005 (at 48 years old and about 60 pounds overweight) and got myself ready for a Ride The Rockies (www.ridetherockies.com) in June 2005 (one week, 480 miles). Lost a LOT of weight and the snow ski season the next year was great! You are probably seeing a lotof positive changes in your body and how you feel. Keep up the great work!

I'm thinking your knee pain is due to your saddle not being high enough. At the bottom of your pedal stroke your leg should almost be completely extended. A little bit of bend, but not all the way extended. If you put the seat up too high, you'll rock in your saddle. 

Also, since you are still using regular pedals, you might be getting some imbalance in your leg muscles. Your quads (the front side of your legs) and calf muscles are doing all the work and have probably gotten in great shape, your hamstrings (on the back side of your leg) are not getting the full effect of the pedal stoke. I think you need to take your cycling to the next level: gloves, saddle, and cycle shoes and clipless pedals.

Gloves. Those shorty cycling gloves (they come in long finger varieties for cold days too) go beyond just being for style. They have padding in the palm area and help you to grip the bars better - you'll find that you don't need the "death grip" anymore. I like the Specialized gloves but there are a bunch of glove makers out there - find something that has good padding and that is comfortable. to wear. Wash them fairly often so you don't get perma-funk (the stink that won't go away) in them.

Saddle: Go to a bike shop and look at saddles. Specialized has a butt-meter that you sit on that will indicate where your sit bones are so you can get the proper size of saddle. Once you have the size down, now comes the hard part - saddle selection. I user a Brooks Professional - it's like sitting on a block of wood but is very comfortable. I'd recommend avoiding anything with copious padding. Saddles are highly personal and it takes trial and error to find the right one. Yeah, your saddle and your body will go through an adjustment period - ride at least three times a week for a few weeks with a new saddle and your body and saddle should come up with an understanding. 

Cycle Shoes: Start with a mountain bike shoe (MTB). These usually have a recess for the cleat to be mounted on the shoe and fairly regular soles so you can walk normally. Regular roadie shoes don't have any treads and the cleat is mounted externally - it can be like walking on ice. Also, get shoes that have Velcro closures and maybe a latch up towards the top - laces aren't fun to deal with because you can't make the micro adjustments quickly. You might also have to put a shim between the cleat and the shoe to cant your leg out a bit to get the interface between your shoe, the pedal, and your leg in the optimum position. A good bike fitter will know about this but you may have to remind that person.

Clipless Pedals. This is where it gets scary for beginners. Try this, while seated down, lift your foot about 12 or 18 inches off the ground. This is the motion that the clipless pedals will allow - you get the benefit of being able to pull the pedal up on one side while pushing down on the other. More distance, less fatigue, and you will be using all the muscles in your leg. Here's the scary part - to get out of the pedals once you are locked in you need to learn to kick your heel out sideways. It's going to take some practice and you're going to fall once or twice. Everyone on this forum/site has had the brain fart that makes you keep pulling up on the pedal to get off the bike instead of moving sideways to unclip - fortunately you're usually moving about 0.5MPH and it always happens in front of a bunch of people. You'll want a Shimano SPD pedal and cleat - get the cleat with the float (the guys at the bike shop will help you). Once installed, have them put your bike on a trainer and learn to clip in and out in that no penalty zone.

Bike: Eventually, you are going to outgrow your bike. Depending on the kind of riding you are going to be doing and where, there are a bunch of choices pried anywhere from about $800 all the way up to $15,000 or so. If you get really serious about cycling (like century rides or multiday tours) something priced between $1500 and $3000 is a great range to concentrate on.

Training: I think it's time to start thinking about branching out and expanding your range. Also, get yourself a target, a goal. You're at the point now where a metric century (100KM or 62 miles) is achievable. Train a bit more and you'll be at the full century (100 miles in a day) in no time. As with the clipless pedals, all of us remember the rush and sense of accomplishment when we completed the first 100 mile ride. 

Next steps: Bike fit. Look at clipless pedals, Cycle gloves. Saddle. Further down the road: Find a century ride and training plan (about 8 weeks to train), cycle computer with cadence, and if you get super serious - start looking for a new bike.

Further training - have you though about adding some free weight and core training on your off days? Cyclists have great legs and incredible aerobic capacity. But, if you're like me, the core condition is lacking. I use a abdominal ball and free weights and am working to strengthen that part of my body (crunches, hamstring curls, push ups, planks, etc.)

Keep up the great work! I think with a bike fit and getting more miles out each time you out, you're going to see the pains go away and expand your cycling experience out to the next level. Welcome, future roadie!

ColoradoVeloDude
Colorado Springs, Colorado


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## TygherLily (Jun 18, 2010)

*Thank you ColoradoVeloDude*

It's been an interesting few days. Much has happened.

ColoradoVeloDude - thanks for that information. I have been seriously thinking about the gloves because I am constantly changing my hand grip on the bars, The heels of my hands go numb all the time and I have to change how I hold the bars. The padding in the gloves may just do the trick. But I don't really see me having a "death grip" on them. I just don't grip them that tightly, but I do rest most of my weight on the heels of my hands.

I like the pedals I have because I do wear regular shoes and it keeps my feet on the pedals. However, I have experienced the situation where one of my shoes came untied and the shoestring got wrapped around the pedal thing and I couldn't pedal because I was out of shoestring. So I had to back pedal to get the shoestring out. I couldn't even get off the bike. That was funny.

My saddle problem seems to be ok. I don't have the discomfort that I once did. My knees seem to be ok for the most part right now.

Budget is a controlling force for me right now. I have to adhere to that. I have to make do with what I have for the time being. But learning as I go will help me when the time comes that I can move forth and improve what I have. But I must be able to work with what I have available. It's not my choice, but it is what it is nevertheless. Plus, some of this is menopausal as well. I get weird aches and pains and swelling here and there, not the fault of the bike, but nature itself. Most of the ladies know what I am talking about.  

You mentioned using free weights. I had someone ask me about that here very recently and I was at a loss as to talk about it. The question was put to me about how I was planning to strengthen my upper body when the cycling was helping my lower body. I didn't really know the answer to that. I would be interested to hear from other people how they are accomplishing that. I had not stopped to think about my upper body.

The weight loss is slow. I have posted my riding times and I have a diet that I maintain but being the age I am (50) and trying to get this weight off is no easy feat. It is coming off slowly and it does disappoint me that I have not made more progress. But the older we get the harder it is to take it off.

Now to the embarrassing part.

Like I have mentioned, we live on the road and are currently staying at a hotel that is located in a business park. The circle that we live on is about 1.5 miles from door to door. Needless to say there are alot of businesses in the business park. So some of my ride will include going through parking lots. There are alot of 18 wheelers through here because of the type of businesses that are in the park. So being on the road isn't always a smart idea. I try to give the trucks the road and take the least dangerous way through the parking lots. I have been lucky up to a point.

The day before yesterday I was riding through one and normally I am very vigilant when there are cars in them. But both biker and driver are at disadvantages. They can't always see me and I can't know when they are going to pull out. Well, day before yesterday that scenario played itself out.

I was riding along as usual and had already made one pass around my route when I was coming through a parking lot the 2nd time around. Traffic wasn't that heavy but alot of trucks were moving out and I was going along and glanced down at my pedals for a moment and when I looked up a minivan was pulling out and I had a few feet to hit the brakes. Needless to say the van stopped me.

Have you ever seen those cartoons from back in the 60's when the guy would slam into a wall sideways and slide down the wall? That was me when I hit the van.

The woman who was driving was scared. I told her I was fine. But I had a slight headache (which I worried was a concussion), and some bruising. I buried the gears into my thighs and have some significant bruising from that. I twisted my handlebars and have a clicking sound in my back wheel now.

I had to walk the bike back to my room and my husband is doing the repairs on it. He said that I was lucky that it didn't do more damage to the bike, He was surprised in fact. I figured I had trashed the bike with the way the handlebars were twisted. But he said as long as the wheels aren't warped it can all be fixed.

I feel like a moron for what happened. But I also have a choice to make. If I want to ride I have to pick the best times. When you live in a business park the best times are after work. I do ride in the evening but I also ride early in the morning and sometimes mid day as well. I have been lucky up to this point. Now I guess I have only to ride in the evenings to avoid this in the future. I guess you live and learn.

Those of you who live in Indianapolis know all too well that the roads here are atrocious and are not bike friendly. The roads are in terrible condition and along with having to work with traffic you have to work with avoiding some very DEEP potholes and cracks. I worry about hitting them and trashing my bike. But I guess I have more important things to worry about now.

But after the dark blue bruising heals I will be back out there again. Just riding a little smarter this time.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Wow, sorry to hear about the accident. Thanks goodness you're okay.


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