Newbie Here...

[BreezieD]

Just wanted yo say hi to everyone. I have been reading the threads on here for amout 2 weeks now :) DH and I just purchased our first bikes last weekend so yesterday was out first real ride. We rode 40 miles... way too much for out first outing but we made it.. even got my first fall out of the way... have nice front gear puncher marks across the front of my leg.. will leave a nice scar I'm sure :)

Again just wanted to say hi.. everyone has so much great advice on here!! Thanks

[indysteel]

Welcome! Wow; 40 miles your first time out? The fact that you made it is impressive. You must be pretty fit as it is. Still, I'd suggest dialing it back just a bit as your body needs some time to adapt to riding and the bike position. Otherwise, you might be setting yourself up for an overuse injury. Be sure to eat and drink enough, especially as the weather gets warmer. There are lots of threads on the subject.

[Jiffer]

Welcome, BreezieD. I like your user name. ;)

Yes, WOWZERS on 40 miles for your first ride! :eek: And, yes, you must already be reasonably fit.

I assume you intend to ride shorter rides during the week? If you can do 40 for your first ride (even if it was hard), then around 20 should be reasonable for weekday rides. For a long time 20 or so was about my shortest ride distance. However, when I started doing more interval and speed training, the distance was sometimes less as the focus was on intensity. But you need to focus on building your base right now. Just get your body used to riding a bike. The more base miles you get in at a comfortable pace, the easier all your rides will be and the easier it will be to transition to more intense training, if you choose to do that later.

Again, welcome to the board. Welcome to the wonderful world of cycling, and feel free to ask questions any time and share your stories, even if just small accomplishments. We like it all! :D

[TigerMom]

I have been riding for 3months on my hybrid and 3 months on my road bike and still at 34miles. You are fit! Can't wait to hear about you riding your first Century!:D
____________________________________

2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[BreezieD]

DH started training for a 5K about a year ago and I started about 2 months ago.. We ran our 1st 5K on Mother's Day this year :) this first ride was more of him pushing me.. We know that the 40 miles was out limit for a while until we can build everything up. I do have to say that those 40 miles was on a bike path and there was only about a 2% grade most of the time. There were a few hills to go under tunnels. The path was built on an old railroad bed. It's a very nice ride though.

We don't get to do much riding durning the week. We really don't have a place to ride unless we get out on the rode and I'm not comfortable with that yet. We can make laps around the subd but it's only 1.5 mile total.

Oh, I didn't share what I got.. I have a Trek Lexa SLX :)

I am having issues with the seat though.. I really think that it's too small but I don't know. Dh says that I'm just not sitting on it correct and that it just needs time to get broken in... how long does it take to break in a new seat?

[murielalex]

Congrats on your new bike, and I agree with the wows re your 40-mile first ride out!

There are a lot of threads here on saddles, measuring your sitbones, and what works for different people. I obsessively read them all while waiting for the bike I ordered to come in. I got lucky and chose one that ended up working for me right off the bat, but it's really trial and error for a lot of folks. I think most will agree that the seat that came with your bike probably isn't the best, and it might be time to break out your reading glasses, whether you need them or not :) , and look in the gear section of this forum to get some ideas of where to start. I would advise not listening to your husband on this one.

[Penny4]

Congrats on your new bike! I have an '11 Lexa SLX and love it. No love for the saddle that came with it though...it was brutal. I switched to a Terry Butterfly which has been pretty good so far.

Are you wearing bike shorts?

As mentioned above, there are some great saddle threads on TE...happy reading :)

[lovelygamer]

Hi Breezie. Welcome to TE. I'm a newbie too. :D

[hebe]

Hello and welcome! Congratulations on your lovely new bike and your 40 miles! For saddles, find a bike shop or a brand that is happy for you to try saddles and return unsuitable ones. +1 to riding in padded bike shorts too.

[Munch]

Welcome! I'm still fairly new as well, but this forum has done wonders for me. It's a really great place to learn, find motivation, and ask questions.

Definitely look into getting a new seat. DH will not know what is comfortable for you no matter how much he loves you! Like it was said before, finding the right saddle is really trial and error. I found mine at a local sporting goods store. It was the second one that I had purchased from there and it it very comfortable. It is a bit of a wider seat and fits me well. I don't think it's any type of fancy brand, but my rear likes it so I'm happy.

Be careful when trying saddles though and make sure you don't scratch the rails. A LBS will probably be picky about accepting a saddle that has any scratches. Other retailers may not care or may not check. The first saddle I returned had a few scratches on the rails, but the cashier didn't even look at it. I think the general recomendation when testing saddles is to wrap the rails with electrical tape.

[BreezieD]

:) 14869

[Giulianna23]

Nice bike!...congrats!

[TrekDianna]

New here also. I currently have a mountain bike - a Trek Skye SL disc. I've already become familiar with endos and my knees are covered with band-aides. I love riding

[Koronin]

Welcome!

[roo4]

Nice bike! Enjoy.