newbie introducing myself!

[caligurl]

hello!

i'm brand new to road cycling. my hubby has been riding for a long time and occasionlly would mention i should get a bike.... but fortunately never pushed (cuz we know how that goes).

well.. a couple of weeks ago we dug out my old kmart bike cuz "I" wanted to go out and burn some calories... and i enjoyed peddling around the neighborhood while he was off putting on miles!

soooooo last weekend we went out and got me a new bike. we didn't shop a lot (maybe a mistake).. but i did end up with the specialized elite dolce. (my close 2nd was the very pretty silver ocr1 but the guy at that store really ticked us off!)

i got a bunch of gear including shoes and clipless pedals. i've mentioned in another thread that i fell before i even put one mile on the bike! i didn't get any momemtum going as i floundered to get my 2nd foot in.. and yes.. i had practiced on the trainer in the garage before heading out to the street.

hubby won't let me ride alone now.. so he comes along to motivate, give technigue and push a little... i'm very excited and look forward to getting away from my 5 mile neighborhood loop to another neighborhood really soon!

i already have a ride on my calendar! i want to do the tour de palm springs on feb 5! woo hoo! goals!

i love this forum.. unlike some of the others i've come across where there are some snobby people.. everyone here seems wonderful and has no problem answering all our newbie questions!

caligurl

[bounceswoosh]

My first fall was in the driveway, putting on the brakes and only remembering that I was clipped in after I'd come to a stop and started tipping =)

When you got all that gear, did you get a helmet?

[caligurl]

Originally posted by bounceswoosh
When you got all that gear, did you get a helmet?

ABSOLUTELY! i didn't mention it cuz i figures it was a no-brainer that i got one! :cool:

i totally LOOK the part of a cycliest.. just a bit wobbly... lol! i got the helmet and shoes that match my bike.. the specialized m1 in lt blue. i have gloves too.. that i had forgotten to put on! so i got owies on the palm of my hand (and put the gloves on after the fact and after a mini-lecture on "see why you need to wear gloves!?"

[bounceswoosh]

*nod*

When I fell in the driveway, my hands landed in gravel. I hadn't bothered to put on my gloves because they were inside (I'd have had to take off my bike shoes to get to them) and "I'm just in the driveway; what could go wrong?"

I still have the scar on my palm.

[Ninabike]

Hi Caligurl,

I just joined this forum. I noticed you want to ride in the Tour de Palm Springs - DO IT!! I did it this past February after only having my bike 10 days!! Needless to say, I was pretty wipped out. I did the 25 miler. It was not too bad because there are stops at lights and stop signs. They can't close off all traffic because there are not enough roads for the residents to get around on. It was very well regulated, however, and there was no problem with traffic. It was mostly flat, but with 2 kind of long hills. I was so out of shape that they were kind of a problem, but now I'm sure I could do them better. In reading the other posts on this forum, I've done every single thing everyone else has, i.e., crash and burn because I forgot to take my feet out of the pedals, mostly at the end of my ride. Before getting back into cycling this year, I hadn't ridden in over 25 years, but now I'm "hooked" again a d trying to get my husband back on a bike.

Happy cycling!!
Nina

[KkAllez]

Hi there! I just joined this forum this weekend and haven't posted anything yet.

I bought my road bike (Specialized Allez Sport) a year ago and put exactly 23 miles on it and then closeted it. My first day with clipless pedals was a hoot; I stopped at a light and forgot how to get out of them and just plunked over. I was fine, and only my pride got scraped. Then I got a flat the next ride. All of this was solo..not a very good start for someone who had mountain biked all over the desert for years. Ah well....anyways, the bike was put up and not touched for a year.

This last May I started nursing school and the stress is unbelievable. So it was Ativan (anti-anxiety pill that I tried once and HATED) or biking. I chose to bike but I didn't want to go it alone. I was sneaky and had my hubby watching Tour de France with me ever chance I got (I'm thankful OLN ran it several times a day) that really got him interested in road biking. Two weekends ago we went and bought him a road bike. (Specialized Sequoia)

We are having the best time. It has been the best antidote for stress and gives us something fun to do together. We feel like we are kids again. I cut out of school early on Monday (no wind and a cool day) and biked for 26 miles. All up and down hills. I had thought that when we would bike together we'd visit. HA! I have found that we both have a huge competitive streak and we race each other up and down the hills.

Oh, and those clipless pedals? Don't know how I ever lived without them! Mine are the eggbeater kind. I love them! Also, I had no idea how much more I'd love road biking versus mountain biking. I love the speed and the smoothness of the ride and the effort seems minimal. BTW, I haven't biked, mountain or road, in years. I got into endurance riding with horses but everytime I trained and was on long rides I kept wishing I was on a bike! Funny thing is when I was a kid I biked everywhere pretending my bike was a horse. I'll take a bike anyday over a horse. The wrecks aren't near as bad and if I don't feel like riding for a year the bike doesn't mind.

Kim

P.S. If anyone emails me keep in mind I'm in nursing school and sometimes don't check my email daily. But I will answer back...eventually! :D

[Ninabike]

Hi Kim,

Congratulations on biking AND nursing school. I was a nurse in my "first life"; then I decided to go go law school. Talk about stress!! I've been practicing law now for almost 25 years (I'm 60 years old!!) and I can truly say that biking has been the best stress-reliever I have had. One of the other women attorneys in my office also goes biking and we have set our goals together. We just started biking this past February. Right now, we are "training" for the "Rosarita to Ensenada" ride in September. It's 50 miles and is supposed to be a "rolling party". This is their 25th year doing the ride. Ten thousand people participate!! So far, the farthest we've ridden in one day is 30 miles. This weekend, we'll try for 40.

I had my husband watching the Tour de France on OLN also. He's talking about getting a bike. We'll see. Sounds like you and your hubby have really nice bikes. I have a Bianachi Alfana. It's very light with straight bars. I put a Fizik Vitesse saddle on it and, so far, it's great.

Hang in there with your biking AND nursing!!

Nina

[caligurl]

hi kim and nina!

i'm the opposite of you two! hubby was the first cyclist in the family and i just started! now i feel like the "annoying little sister" that tags along cuz i slow him down.. he's good about it though!

the furthest i've ridden in one day so far is 30... we're thinking of/planning for about 40 one day this weekend.. we'll see!

[Ninabike]

Hi Caligurl,

Did you see the post I did on this thread Re: the Tour de Palm Springs? That was my first ride. I noticed somewhere that you wanted to do that one. It was great, except that I was really out of shape (not on a bike for 25 years!). My friends that I went with go to spinning class, so they were in much better shape. However, some of them had really not ridden an actual bike on a street so weren't used to shifting gears, or even what gear to be in, etc. I used to ride many, many years ago (in high school, 1950's '60's, 10-speed "high-end" Italian bike with my brother), then later with my husband in the 1970's (he used to ride then), so, at least I knew how a bike worked (except for the clipless pedals). But I was so sore, when we sat around after the ride, one of the guys did the 55 mile portion of the ride. I sat there and listened and said to myself, "no way in a million years could I do 55 miles!!" Now, I'm getting ready for the 50 mile Rosarita-Ensenada ride. I can't believe I'm doing this!!. That ride had a big hill at the 22 mile mark - 800 foot elevation over 2.5 miles. The web site says a lot of people walk it. That'll be me!!

I'm glad I found this Team Estrogen web discussion group. It's nice to know a whole lot us have a lot in common.

Keep on biking girls!!

Nina

[caligurl]

hi nina! yes i did! ya know.. i was there last year.. but in the truck while hubby rode the century! lol! i went ahead to the rest stops and waited for him...

i've already changed my mind on which one.. when i first got the bike.. i said MAYBE the 20 or 25.. but now i'm saying i'll probably do the century! WHOA! we'll see come february.. may bump it back to the 55


we're going to drive to oak glenn so i can check it out... OCW have a fall metric with a shorter version... but i want to check out that hill first! if i think i can do it.. i may sign up for that one (the shorter version)! i think we'll take our bikes the day we check it out and if it's not horrible.. we may try to ride it!

i've heard so many fun things about the ensenda ride! you're gonna have a BLAST!!!!!!!

i love this group! no snobs like so many of the boards with the men that all think they are better than everyone else! here they've answered all my dumb newbie questions and no one makes for of you or thinks lesser of you for being new! a VERY comfortable atmosphere!

[Ninabike]

Hi Caligurl,

I agree!!!

Nina

[IronHorse213]

Hi Caligirl,

Welcome to the forum - I would love to hear more details about your new Dulce! I want to buy the Sport, it would be my first wormen's design road bike, but they are all sold out in my size (44cm). How does your elite feel and ride? What size is it? The gear change mechanisim is unusal on the Sport - what's it like on the Elite?

Hope I'm not overloading you with questions - I'm just happy to find someone who has something like the bike I'm looking for!

"calla

[caligurl]

hi calla!

i love my dolce elite! i don't have anything really compare it to since it's my first bike.. but from the ones i was trying at stores... i liked the shorter reach on the shifters/brakes and i LOVE the bar phat! (if i had picked another bike i would have spent the money to add bar phat to any other brand!)

i don't know what you mean about the gearing mechanism being weird.. i thought that all the shimanos worked basically the same??? but i do like how mine work.. i believe i have ultegras which are one of the things upgraded from the sport.

i'm 5'2" and i have a 51cm. that is what was suggested to me by each bike shop i visited. so i assume it's correct! i can stand over the bar :) they commented at a couple of the stores that i have long legs (so i guess i have a short torso.. so the woman's compact works good for me!)

now that i've been riding it a few weeks i like it better than the first week.. poor hubby.. i was constantly griping to him the first week... but i see now i was just getting used to riding... i don't have issues with the seat anymore (hubby did adjust it for me) and even on my longest ride (30 miles) last weekend.. i didn't have any shoulder type pain.. so i guess it fits well??

if you have any other questions.. feel free to ask.. just remember.. i'm a newbie!

:D

[IronHorse213]

Hi Cali!

Thanks for your post! RE: The gear shifters, on my oldest bike 20+ years, one reached down to the top tube of the frame, or on some bikes the front tube of the frame to move the levers to shift gears. This always made me nervous - to take my hand off the bar and eyes off the road...

On the Dulce, the brake levers moved to shift the back and there is a little thumb lever on the side of the brake hood to move the front; on my pal's Specialized Sirrus from 2003 the brake lever is split and one side moves the gears. that's what I'm wondering about.

Sounds like it's just getting better and better!
c

[caligurl]

the brake/shifter is two pieces. the silver longer piece you pull toward you to brake.. you bump it "in" to shift (bumping the long silver one makes peddling easier) behind it is a black "paddle" that you bump in to make it harder to peddle. (see.. told you i was a newbie!)

you don't have to/should have to take your hands off the bard to shift.... one good reason for having the women's cuz they are smaller... with the men's i had a harder reach.

am i making sense? is that what you are asking?

the only time you MAY have to move your hands is if you ride with your hands in the middle.. uhm... top most part of the handle (the part that comes out of the stem)

if you ride the hoods they are right there.. if you ride the drops they are right there and if you ride the "corner" which is my fave spot.. they are still reachable.. but i think i slide my hands forward to the hoods to break.. i'm pretty sure i can shift from that "corner" (i'll check tonight when i ride!)

[Veronica]

Cali is talking about STI shifting. It's Shimano's integrated braking/shifting mechanisim.

I think most new production bikes have STI or it's Campy equivalent. Maybe Pedalfaster or Emily in NC can chime in here.

It sounds like Calla has been riding with friction down tube shifters. Look for the levers on the down tube in the following picture.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/rbw-2004/misc/slides/FA1G3497.jpg




Then there are bar end friction shifters. That's what I use on my road bike. They are the silver levers on the ends of my bars. http://www.tandemhearts.com/bike/ramb/ramb-w-fenders.jpg

I know when I first got my bike I probably looked down to shift.
I don't anymore. It becomes just a natural motion. When Iwas captaining our tandem with STI it was kind of weird at first because I would reach for the bar end to shift. I rode the bike a lot without a stoker to get use to the different shifting.


Veronica

[jobob]

I just have two things to say about that green custom Riv with the deluxe paint job and the hammered honjo fenders:

hubba
hubba

- Jo("whatever rocks your boat")bob

[emily_in_nc]

Hi calla ~

I checked out the Dolce Sport online, and it has standard Shimano STI shifters (aka "brifters" because the breaks and shifters are integrated). This type of shifters are pretty much standard on all new stock road bikes these days. I suppose there are a few that use Campagnolo Ergo-power shifters, but Shimano definitely has the lion's share of the market here in the USA. You'll love 'em once you get used to them - and it won't take long!

Downtube shifters and bar-end shifters ("barcons") are older methods for road bikes and still have their afficionados.

I have a variety of shifters on my three bikes: STI on my Terry, Campy on my Aegis (which I had built up from the frame), and barcons on my Bike Friday touring bike (so I could use V-brakes and fatter tires more effectively). They are all very easy to use - but changing back and forth between all the different methods can get a bit confusing at times! ;)

Hope you can get the bike you want!

Emily

[Adventure Girl]

The past few years STI has been slowly creeping into mountain bike components, too. It started with XTR (Shimano's top of the line) last year, or maybe the year before. Now they also have it on the lower levels. The shifter and brake is the same lever. "Squeeze" to brake and uhhh... shift to shift... How can that be explained? The down side (in mountain biking, anyway) is that you have to have Shimano compatible brakes (AKA Shimano brakes).

By the way, does anybody know what STI means or stands for?

[pedalfaster]

Originally posted by Adventure Girl
By the way, does anybody know what STI means or stands for?

Shimano Total Integration.

A bit creepy, huh?

;)

p.s. to Veronica--every time you post your bikes I think the same thing : freaking beautiful! Long live small custom frame builders!
:)

[snapdragen]

It's soooo difficult to control these Riv girls sometimes......... :D

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jobob
[B]I just have two things to say about that green custom Riv with the deluxe paint job and the hammered honjo fenders:

hubba
hubba

- Jo("whatever rocks your boat")bob

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by snapdragen
It's soooo difficult to control these Riv girls sometimes......... :D
I'm not one of those Riv Girls, but that really is beauuuuuutiful!

[Veronica]

That beautiful green belongs to someone else. :( Thom took the picture on the Riv camping weekend. I just lust after a custom Riv. Mostly for the beautiful lugs. I didn't want to wait for my bike and the Rambouillet fit well. Now don't get me wrong, Fluffy's lugs are pretty - but custom .... drooling like Homer Simpson when he sees a doughnut.

I am thinking about a QuickBeam. But probably won't get one. I like the idea of a fixed gear for riding to work. It seems like the ideal time to work on pedal stroke. My ever practical husband says just pick one gear and ride it the whole way.:p

V.

[Maine-iac]

Let's hear it for stress! :eek: Pre-vet , here. The bike is my salvation. I'd be in the padded room is I didn't have it.

[IronHorse213]

Wooo - I agree, about those Riv pics - hubba hubba!!! And very good visual examples too. Classy!