TREK! 1.2 Triple WSD!

[letsride89]

whata ya know?

another n00b!!! Well, with the help of my rockstar cycling mad man of a boyfriend, i bought my bike yesterday!!! I have to say i'm in love with it.

Today is going to be beautiful and we are planning my first real ride.

C'mon girls, let me in on some advice before I head out! Or if you have a bike like mine, let me know!

oh, just something to make you laugh...
yesterday i got on my bike just to ride around a little bit and get the feel of it. ...no one told me im not supposed to wear anything under my spandex. whoops. talk about getting irritated!! LOL!

Thanks girls!

Mandi-

[Zen]

I saw one of those being assembled at the shop the other day.
Very pretty bike, I'd be interested to hear how that Sora works out...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Today is going to be beautiful and we are planning my first real ride.
C'mon girls, let me in on some advice before I head out!

Wear your helmet. Don't go any faster than you feel comfortable going, especially downhill. Always ASSUME that cars are going to do the wrong thing. Always ASSUME that the car driver does not see you.

Have fun! :p

[redrhodie]

If you see some debris in the road (pothole, glass, stone), don't focus on it. Your bike will want to go where your eyes are looking, so look for the safe way around, and focus on that.

Have fun!

[madscot13]

bring water and a granola bar (or two)

[Starfish]

If you have some little inkling about some sort of goal or ride you would like to do someday...believe it! You can do it, and you will be amazed at what you find yourself doing on your bike. Welcome to biking and TE! Woohoo! :)

[letsride89]

my goodness! i decided to get on here and check out if there were ANY replied to my post and i was suprised to see that you girls are so sweet!

Thanks for all the advice!! I'll be sure to give you girls an update when i get back from my ride!! ahhh i'm going crazy!

I woke up at seven this morning and called my boyfriend and woke him up because i wanted to go riding right then...but he made me calm down and realize its freezing in the morning. i was dissapointed but i guess he's right...

AHHH i'm itching so bad to ride..

anyway, like i said i'll keep yall updated, i just wanted to tell you how stinkin sweet you girls are! i appreciate all your advice and will SURE use it today!!!

[Zen]

AHHH i'm itching so bad to ride..

Go.
It only takes one person to operate your bike.

[Kano]

Speaking of road debris -- if you live where road debris is trendy, y'know, EVERYWHERE, get some tires like the Specialized Armadillos! I was repairing flats with just about every ride until I got a pair for my road bike. On the beast, they were just as important, and now DH uses them. (took my wheels right after I got the road bike, now I've got the heavy, knobby ones again...)

There are folks who say they're heavier, but not a racer, and the enjoyment I get from flat-free riding beats the heck out of a few ounces!

Karen in Boise

[letsride89]

i did it.

i road over twenty miles today. my first time on a road bike and BAM!

I can't believe what i just did, i feel so stinkin good.

Alright girls so i told you i would keep you updated so there you have it! Dang, i feel good. I just ate too so now i feel even better..now i just gotta get outa this spandex...

i learned today:
I HATE WIND.
Two waterbottles isn't enough
Bring chapstick.
move around A LOT on the saddle.
Runners on trails tend to talk smack ab riders.
Point to things in the road that could be hazardous to riders behind you.

i can't wait to go again.

zencentury: your so right, it does only take one to operate my bike! i would have totally gone without Aaron, but my mom won't let me. hahahahha. its sad but true. i just turned 19 and still live with my parents while i'm in college...i guess she's allowed to tell me i can't go ride by myself. even though it sucks! :)

[crazycanuck]

Ummm...it's what you put in the waterbottles dear..Think about doing a search in regards to hydration & you may find the info you need :) There's also a nutrition/hydration section on TE :)

There's nothing wrong with riding alone.
Why do you have to point to things behind you when you're riding on your own?

There are tons of threads out there on this loverly board to help you..

[letsride89]

crazycanuck!

hey! your so right about the whole hydration thing! i'll for sure do some research on that! good point!

i think you may have read the "what i learned today" part wrong...

i learned to point to potholes as i pass them to warn my sister *riding behind*. Pointing it out will make sure she's sees the pothole and she wont get hurt!! thats what i meant by that..

as far as riding alone...i know its safe. my MOM doesn't know its safe. she never will. ahhaha!

thanks for all your advice!!!

[Zen]

Last summer I would ride to my Mom's house. She told me she thought the road was dangerous.
It's the same road I used when I was 14 and had my first Raleigh.
Last summer I was 49 and she was 78.
It never ends.

[letsride89]

i really thought her fear would end when I moved out of my house. thanks for the hope-killer zen. LOL!

I guess that's what moms are for, right?! :)

[KatyLady]

Don't know how many others do this, but when we ride together DH and I hook earbuds in our cell phones, one calls the other, and we keep an open phone connection throughout the ride. That makes it easy to communicate things like "look out for the kids in the path", "I like the landscaping at that house", or "we went that way yesterday lets go left today instead." We experimented a bit until we found ear buds with little/no wind noise. Have gotten so accustomed to being able to talk that it is really frustrating if a phone battery runs down.

[redrhodie]

20 miles is great! Good for you! I thought of a couple more tips you might want to know:

You should pump up your tires before every ride, and it's a good idea to clean and lube your chain after every ride. Learn how to change a tire. Change out of your shorts right away after a ride to prevent UTIs or yeast infections. A good quality chamois creme will help prevent irritation from an uncomfortable saddle. Wear gloves to protect your hands if you fall. Carry a cell phone and ID (I put my name and home phone # on a sticker inside my helmet).

Enjoy being 19! 40 is better ;)

[withm]

Probably one of the most impportant things you should learn right away is how to change a flat tire. Preferably BEFORE you need to.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_levers.asp

Check out the other "how-to" guides right here at TE for lots of good info.

[OakLeaf]

(I put my name and home phone # on a sticker inside my helmet)

If you're unconscious, emergency personnel will (should) not remove your helmet until they get your neck stabilized. Carry your ID information, including your insurance card, somewhere else - jersey pocket or seat pack, or one of those spiffy bracelets.

Welcome to our addiction letsride! Don't let all the emergency preparedness tips scare you. Have fun!

[Starfish]

Welcome to our addiction letsride! Don't let all the emergency preparedness tips scare you. Have fun!

I agree with all the posts about safety, and practicing changing tires, etc.

And, hoping this is not too big a thread drift, the other thing I would say is that perhaps you will find a way to talk with your mom about all the precautions and safety information you are learning. Perhaps it will reassure her that you are learning to ride smart. (And, perhaps not, of course some folks are anxiety-ridden.)

I, personally, really hate being told to "ride safe," or "drive safe," or whatever. (As if I am going to be reckless unless they warn me?) I know that the people who say this mean well. However, as I have explained to a few of my friends, I have enough fear in life on my own. When others consistently warn or admonish me about being safe, it feeds my fear, not my courage. I need to be surrounded by people who literally "encourage" me, rather than worrying about me. Their worry does not keep me safe.

So, I do the best I can to take precautions, whether I am riding my bike or driving across country alone, or camping alone, or whatever. Then, I like to be encouraged with "have fun," and "go for it" rather than "be careful!"

Several of my friends have changed how they speak to me, because they care about me, and my need for confidence. I have explained that I need their boldness, confidence and belief in me...more than I need their worry about me.

I don't know if any of this rambling makes sense. Just thought I'd throw it out there. :)

[redrhodie]

If you're unconscious, emergency personnel will (should) not remove your helmet until they get your neck stabilized. Carry your ID information, including your insurance card, somewhere else - jersey pocket or seat pack, or one of those spiffy bracelets.

Welcome to our addiction letsride! Don't let all the emergency preparedness tips scare you. Have fun!

Thanks for telling me that! New ID going into saddle pack. Hopefully, no one will need to see it!

[Crankin]

Well, I am old enough to be your mom and I can't believe your mom won't "let" you ride alone. You are an adult. Sit down with her and tell her all of the safety precautions you take. She should listen to you and understand. But, after that, if I were you, I would still go out alone. I mean, do you have to tell her everything you do? I bet you don't tell her other stuff...
My son started riding and racing at age 14. I worried when he was out training, but I knew he was doing all the safety stuff and he would call if he needed me.
Good luck.