Returning to road cycling after 19 years...Yikes!

[Orions.Star]

Well for starters I am usung my old bike, I still love it! It's a Trek 460, I just googled it and it has the word "vintage" associated with it. Oh well! I still love my "vintage" bike. It is blue with gold lettering. So of course I ordered a new Trek baby blue helmet some other fun stuff. They guy at the bike shop tells me, it's cool not to match. So I bought a green CO2 air pump...

I am familiar with the "it's not cool to match" I have been endurance riding on my Tennessee Walking Horses and they have bridles that range from blue, orange, lime green and pink, all on one bridle...you can see us coming down the trail...for miles.

Anyway, I recently took my Trek 460 to a local bike shop and had it tuned up, new handle bar tape, new aerodynamic padded seat and replaced my good ol cat eye with a new computer, I will also be mounting a Garmin 60csx (GPS) so that I will not get lost.

I have looked up local events and clubs and found some groups that have practice rides on the weekends but they are about 40 miles away from me. I prefer to hop on my bike and just ride. I have the advantage of living in the middle of the desert and can ride my bike or horses all day long and not run into anyone else. Peace & Solitude.

I found this year long challenge event and a duathalon that is next month. I am going to start by signing up for the duathalon, train and do my best. It will be the first event I have competed in since 1988. I left for the army and never got back into the sport. I am scared, I am happy, I am hoping to find someone to keep giving me encouragement and of course I joined this discussion so that I can find out all of the latest happenings in the sport and gee, they have some really cute cycling clothes now! I always had to order men's cyclng shorts! Now I have choices! Thanks to all of the women that kept cycling, began cycling or have returned to this wonderful sport, like me!

[mimitabby]

Star,
welcome to TE. You sound like you are full of the right energy. We look forward to hearing more about you. Look in the new riders area for the "getting to know you" thread. There you will find some stock questions for you to answer so we CAN get to know you; although your introduction was great.

Mimi

[Orions.Star]

Look in the new riders area for the "getting to know you" thread. There you will find some stock questions for you to answer so we CAN get to know you;
Mimi

Mimi,
Thanks for welcoming me to the group, I am happy to have found this wonderful place to talk to others about cycling!

I looked for that thread page by page, got tired of going page by page, even searched for that thread, using the advanced search... Can't find that thread. Any suggestions as to how to find that particular thread?

[Adventure Girl]

Any suggestions as to how to find that particular thread?

It is a "sticky" in the Open Topic (cycling related) section. Here's a link to it:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2001

Welcome to TE. And Welcome back to cycling!

[Kimmyt]

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...=2001&page=106

Have fun!

[Bikingmomof3]

Welcome to TE! I look forward to getting to know you.

[Orions.Star]

It's a great feeling to have other women to associate with on my journey back into cycling!

When I was at the bike shop the other day perusing the current Trek bikes on the market, I just stared and stared, thinking sure is expensive! SO before I decide to buy a new bike, I would like to know more about the changes over the past years and what is good and what is bad. I looked at the new clipless? shoes, I'm not even sure of the proper terminology for them... I have toe clips... A gentelman visiting from Portland, Oregon showed me his and how they worked. Interesting concept. I think I might buy some... After I get back into shape! They are not cheap either. I don't mind spending money for quality, useful, well made equipment that I will use, but I must be able justify the means first.

[Bad JuJu]

Welcome aboard, Orions.Star!

I just wanted to say something about toeclips. I started out riding with toeclips maybe 15-16 years ago, and I rode with them happily until about 2 months ago. The only reason I finally went clipless is that I started riding with a club, and having to reach down to tighten/loosen the toestraps just doesn't feel safe in a group. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm very happy with my clipless pedals, and they are easier and IMO safer. Just my 2 cents.

[Kalidurga]

I'll second the recommendation to go clipless as soon as you feel ready. Not only are they safer than you'd expect, you'll be amazed at how much more efficiency and power you get from your pedal stroke. They are definitely worth the money. Just be sure to do some research (including here at the forum), and take advantage of sales on-line or at the LBS.

Enjoy the journey

[KSH]

Welcome to TE! That's great that you are getting back into cycling.

Yea... don't worry about your "vintage" bike... I have a "vintage" 2002 Cervelo.

[Tuckervill]

I have a vintage Fuji S-10-S which I plan to ride wherever it will take me, once I get it redone. Love me some vintage steel.

Karen

[makbike]

Welcome! I'm still riding the bike I purchased in 1984 (Univega). Enjoy your vintage bike. I'm also still using the Cateye computer(Cateye Solar II) I purchased then as well. Both the bike and computer often stop other cyclists in their tracks as they look and look again like they can't believe what they are seeing. Hey, they both work and I love them. Have a great time on your bike.

[SouthernBelle]

Welcome!

I agree that sooner or later you'll probably be converted to clipless, esp. if you are going to compete. But if you plan on buying a new bike in the future, I'd wait and go clipless then. You'll have a regular shoe bike and a bike shoe bike. That's what I did.

[RoadRaven]

Always great to hear/read about another woman coming back to cycling

I was 19 when I last rode, and 39 when I started again...

Welcome to the forum - this is a wonderful group of very supportive women with a huge range of information on every aspect of cycling I could have thought of (and since joining, many aspects I had not known about also!)

See you on the board

[Dianyla]

I agree that sooner or later you'll probably be converted to clipless, esp. if you are going to compete. But if you plan on buying a new bike in the future, I'd wait and go clipless then. You'll have a regular shoe bike and a bike shoe bike. That's what I did.

Or you can get a two-sided pedal that has a clip-in side and a plain platform side like these: Shimano PD-M324