I'm a newbie with injuries

[ColleenT]

Hello, everyone.i'm new here. i just bought a Bike Yesterday at Target (please don't flame me). i did not want to spend a lot of money unless i know i will keep up with the hobby. i got a Schwinn Ranger, which is sort of a mountain bike/road bike. it has been raining, so i only got to ride it for 5 minutes, and i had to figure out the 21 gears..it has been a long time since i rode a bike. When i was 16, i traded in my bike for a horse, and i have never looked back. Now my horse is looking at me, like, "You gonna put your fatt butt on ME?"

SO i need to get in shape. that is the purpose of getting a bike. i live in the mountains so i'll either be going up a hill or down one. very little flat places to ride. so even if i have to PUSH the bike up the hills in the beginning, that is still exercise.

i have a few questions. i sprained my ankle in June, and altho i am walking and getting around pain free, it is still a bit stiff and i am hoping that having regular exercise will loosen it up. has anyone had that happen? also i have Tennis elbow( tendonitis) which is very painful. both injuries are on my right side. has anyone dealt with Tennis elbow here, and did you have to limit your riding time to help your elbow, or did you just ride anyway? did you get better or worse? I live in the Poconos, of N.E. PA. i plan to get a trainer for bad weather so i can ride in the house. Thanks for any advice, ColleenT

[mimitabby]

hey Colleen welcome to TE why would we flame you for buying a bike?
Most of us didn't start with fancy custom bikes; a lot of us will never buy one.
(I got to touch one once!)

If you have serious problems, you should consult with your doctor.
Ride places where you have lots of room and no cars to start with. A school playground when the kids are not there is a good choice. go slow take your time.
mimi

[ColleenT]

thank you. well some of the other bike forums i peeked in were all about Expensive bikes. i'm not working so money is a factor. But the Schwinn i got is pretty nice, at least for a cheap bike. as i mentioned i am doing this for fitness, so if i get better and then i want a better bike, i might be able to get one. my Dr says just try to do normal daily routine with my Elbow, but my days are never routine. so i just play by ear. so i was hoping someone might have had the same experiences and could give me some insight on it.

[Kathi]

Hi ColleenT,

One suggestion, if you haven't done it already, take your bike to a bike shop and have them check it out and make sure it is put together properly. Target employees stock shelves they don't build bikes.

Concerning the elbow, I had golfer's elbow, due to a bike accident. Initially, I wasn't allowed to ride for 6 weeks, had PT and 2 cortizone shots. I went to a hand specialist and he said the pain tends to burn itself out over time. That was 3 years ago but occasionally it talks me.

Did your Dr. give you any stretches to do, they helped me a lot initally with the injury.

Good luck with your bike and think of it this way, you are riding and doing something to improve your health.

[Tri Girl]

Hi Colleen, don't have any advice, but just wanted to say "Welcome" to the boards. My first bike was from Target, and it was the one that got me loving to ride. My current bike (a Giant) is the bees knees, and I love him. I practically live at Target, and have seen their Schwinns. Nice bikes!!!!
Glad to have you join us here! Have many fun miles with your bike.

[maryellen]

hi & welcome! i am a chronic ankle sprainer (when i don't keep up w my exercises). in fact i sprained my ankle in late may. usually cycling itself is great for loosening up stiff ankles as you can go thru a good range of motion without putting weight down on it. it works for me & it's always the exercise (on a stationary bike) that my PTs recommend.

give it a try, starting slowly. good luck.

[Denise223]

Hi Colleen!

Welcome to TE !

Originally posted by ColleenT: SO i need to get in shape. that is the purpose of getting a bike. i live in the mountains so i'll either be going up a hill or down one. very little flat places to ride. so even if i have to PUSH the bike up the hills in the beginning, that is still exercise.

Cycling will surely get you into better shape! And, if in the beginning, you have to push your bike up a hill, I KNOW FOR SURE that after a month (or before that), you WILL be riding up that same hill!

I'm a new rider too, just started in June, and.......I'm having a BLAST!!!!

If I were you, I would learn how to shift FIRST in empty parking lots. Learn how to downshift (easier gears), so that when you are climbing a hill, you'll know how to do that.
It's much easier on your knees to keep "spinning" in lower gears.

Have lots of fun Colleen!

Have a great evening.

Denise

[ColleenT]

thanks everyone for the welcome and for being so nice about my new bike. my Dr says to do lifting with the palms up to help the help the arm heal, and i have been, but it is my right arm and i am right handed, so i use my hand/arm for everything. i wish the rain would stop so i can get out there. i hope this becomes a fun hobby for me..

[Artisan]

Hi Colleen, I just want to share something with you. My husband races mountain bikes. He met a young guy at one of the races that showed up with a wal-mart bike. This guy took second place in his division on that bike.

Have fun on your new bike and I hope your injuries have a speedy recovery.

[ColleenT]

Wow, thanks. I'm glad no one here is getting on me about my cheap bike.

I just went out riding in the rain. i could not help it. it has rained since i brought it home yesterday. so i went about 2 miles, and they were up and down hills with a few flat areas.. i really felt how out of shape i am. i came in the house and felt like i had to throw up. i pushed myself too hard. but i did learn about using the gears and how they can help you on the flat as well as on the hills. i hope i can get into this fairly quickly. it is fun, except for the feeling at the end..

[Dogmama]

First off, welcome to TE! The only requirement is that your bike have a couple of tires (maybe more if it's a recumbent or you need training wheels! ), a seat, handlebars & a couple of pedals. Sounds like you meet the "qualifications!"

Take it easy! Throwing up is optional and certainly not a requirement to belong to TE. Seriously, you may have gone too hard and/or your glucose level fell. What did you eat before your ride? Is there any way you can avoid hills in the beginning?

If your elbow or ankle hurt after your ride, be sure to apply ice. Frozen bags of peas are great and they are reusable!

I'm echoing the suggestion that you take it to a bike shop & have it looked over to make sure the assembly is good.

Finally - the BIG question - you are wearing a helmet, right?

[ColleenT]

yes i am wearing a helmet. i actually made sure it matched the color tone of the bike. i cannot have the fashion police pulling me over, i'll be too busy puking as i push my bike up hills ..my arm and ankle are ok, i had eaten dinner a half hour before i went out, and then a cookie, so not sure what happened. i try to stay hydrated, and my bike has a cute little water bottle holder on it..i may need a tune up b/c i noticed that i could not get the front gears to go back on the large chainwheel. i tried when i was on the flats, but it did not want to give. SO i stayed in the middle gear in front(21speed). i know of one place that fixes bikes around here, so i'll call them this week and see if they can check it.thanks for the advice

[KnottedYet]

Welcome to TE! (and a warm welcome to your bike!)

You won't run into much in the way of flaming around here, don't be shy!

I second you getting the bike a quick check-over, and also hope that you're wearing a helmet every time you ride! (don't be like me. I crashed without one once, and I was only going down the block. Not a good plan.)

[Tuckervill]

SO i need to get in shape. that is the purpose of getting a bike. i live in the mountains so i'll either be going up a hill or down one. very little flat places to ride. so even if i have to PUSH the bike up the hills in the beginning, that is still exercise.

That is a GREAT attitude, and it's the same one I try to maintain at all times....and as a result I never have to push up hills anymore.

Since I grew up in Chicago, Schwinn bikes are near and dear to my heart. My grandfather used to buy them used on Maxwell Street, fix them up and resell them. My first two bikes were Schwinns. I'm a little chagrined that they are now sold in discount stores, because I've always considered them really good bikes. But they still can't be that bad...and if it's going to get folks out riding, that's good enough for me!

*edited to add: I have tennis elbow from using the touch-pad on my laptop. I use a tennis elbow strap when it gets bad (get one at the drug store). It really helps. I also have had surgery on my back twice and the ONLY thing that keeps it healthy is exercise. So my unexpert opinion is that moderate reasonable exercise is better for a stiff joint than no exercise at all.

No flames from here! Welcome to the forum.

Karen

[dingster1]

I agree with the thought to take your bike to your LBS. Other forums report Xmart bikes sometimes are not well assembled. So be safe and get it checked.
Happy riding!!