bran-spankin new

[ladiebug]

Hey all!!! :D I just found this forum and I think it's great. I'm learning new stuff already. I kinda feel outa place. I have never been on a cycling team, or group or anything. I got my first bicycle as an adult just last september. I looooove riding it though. I got on it for the first time this year just two days ago. Now that there's no snow I feel a little safer. I want to join a group, if I can find one. My dilema is how out of shape I am. I'm 5' 2' and weigh just under 170lb. So I got a lot of work ahead of me. I need to find a group that can be patient, or a group that is not too unlike me. I want to see were this new pation will take me. Any advice for the newby? Anybody willing to take my hand and show me the ropes? Thanx in advance! ;)

[snapdragen]

How far are you from Salt Lake City? You could check out the Bonneville Bicycle club:

http://www.bbtc.net/

[SadieKate]

You are in a great location for riding! Check out the Red Riding Hood Century rides put on by the club in Snapdragen's link. They might have some training rides planned.

[nuthatch]

Hey, Ladiebug, greetings from a fellow newbie! I just started riding April 2004. If you participate in one of the local club's invitational rides, it's a good way to get to know what the membership is like. It also really helps to find a riding buddy who can take more frequent rides with you - "ride lots" is great advice!

[DirtDiva]

Welcome, ladiebug - love the dancing banana.

CorsairMac, you just need to copy and paste the link you want into your message and the board should do the rest for you.

Voila: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2001 (Although I see that lb found it without our help.)

[CorsairMac]

Holy Toledo - what a duh!! I even Work with computers all day - I should've figured that one out! ROFLMAO......tnx for the help!!!

(I'm laughin so hard right now I"m crying....what a Great way to end my day!)

[DirtDiva]

Heh - my pleasure. :)

[cyclingnewbie]

Welcome ladiebug! I just started riding two years ago and really like it. I agree with nuthatch; try out some of the invitational rides put on by your local club. Hopefully, they will have a group or some events that fit your capabilities. I am also really out of shape (it's better since I started riding though!). I don't have the speed or distance capability to participate in my local club events, so mostly I ride the many local bike trails by myself. But I find that there are lots of us "loners" on the bike trails and they are all very friendly. It's like being part of a very loosely organized group. What kind of bike do you ride?

[Tigger]

Just found this too, methinks I will have to spend a bit of time browsing thru soem of the chat. I have a MTB at the moment but fancy gettin into road stuff... just too muddy at this time of the year gotta get a bike tho any advice? Seems a lot simpler for bigger people as there are a lot of secondhand bikes around... if you're a girl there's a lot less choice .

[cyclingnewbie]

My advice, as a novice with a bike that doesn't fit correctly who is shopping for one that does, is to be sure that whatever you buy is the right fit for you. Don't just go by what it feels like when you ride it. Many bike shops will do a professional fit for you if you ask (often for a fee). Or, they will at least have some good advice. You could get a good idea of what would be right for you, and then use that to assess used bikes, if that is what you are looking at. My other piece of advice, as a newbie, is to learn some basic maintenance skills. I innocently headed out for long rides on our beautiful bike trails without any supplies for flats, breakdowns, energy, emergencies, nothing! There are lots of good threads on this forum that discuss what people carry with them on their bikes. Nothing ruins a ride worse than getting stranded. Happy cycling!!

[Susan126]

Welcome, ladiebug - love the dancing banana.

CorsairMac, you just need to copy and paste the link you want into your message and the board should do the rest for you.

Voila: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2001 (Although I see that lb found it without our help.)

Or you can use the hperlink option that this forum gives when you reply to a message. It's the world with a little link icon. Just click on the icon, type in the "word" you want to use for the link, ok, then paste in the url, ok. and there you go . . . LINK to the url! (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2001)

[ladiebug]

I've got a mongoose mountain bike, Rock River I think it's called. It's a 21 speed. I'd say it's not the best for road riding, but I do it anyways. It's something that gets me off my a**. I suppose that when I get into good shape and start riding a LOT more, and farther, I'll go to my local bike shop and ask about this special sizing thing. I'm only 5'2". I have lost 12 lbs in the last three months (not just from biking, weight watchers is wonderful), so when I get to my goal weight, I'm gonna be just a tiny thing. I will need a new bike then. Besides, my son is almost big enough to take over my bike now!!! That'll give me a good excuse to spoil myself. :rolleyes: