Newbie - getting my first "real" bike, so excited

[ibcycling]

Congrats on the new bike and welcome from another newbie!! I know what you mean about driving your friends and family nuts with your enthusiasm. I'm doing the same thing. I rode my heavy old Murray MB all summer and last month I got a Specialized Sequoia Elite road bike. I'm so excited and having a blast and while they are excited for me they just don't "get it".

I can't wait to see pics of your bike! You'll be surprised how quickly the miles add up and you're ready to do a century.

Lora

[rij73]

hee hee! I love new bike excitement. We all know exactly how you feel!

My advice: Go for Jake the Snake. It might mean cutting back on other expenses for a while, but it will nag at you if you don't get it... I bought my first bike in April and thought I was being very sensible by getting something affordable. By July I had sold it and bought a bike that cost 4 times as much! The Jake the Snake will keep you happier for longer and you will probably spend less in the long run because you won't be as tempted to make upgrades too soon!

Stay excited and keep us posted! I love both of those Kona's... Saw a Jake the Snake the other day in my neighborhood and it was beautiful.

[firenze11]

The excitement continues!

I went in to my LBS today to make sure the 54 fit me and got to finally test ride it outside. I loved it, had it fitted, and brought my new Jakey boy home today. I was pretty torn for awhile about JTS versus Jake but am comfortable with my decision now. The guy at the LBS who helped me seems partial to the triple on the Jake and I think it will come in handy for me.

I also got a Blackburn fluid trainer, a smooth tire for my rear wheel when I use the trainer, and a riser block.

My next step will come in a few weeks when I get some clipless pedals and proper shoes. I'm going to be trying to use them on the trainer so I can get comfortable with clipping in and out with more stability. The LBS is keen on getting me some walkable, more mountain bike style shoes/pedals. He suggested SPD, I think.

I rode Jake for the first time on my road today and it's so much better than the road bike I tried. Our road is stone chip and oil and there was so much less vibration, it was wonderful. I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow so I can go play some more.

I'll get some pics tomorrow and share them!

~E.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

YAY!!!!
Sounds like you got a great bike. And sounds like you have a bike shop that cares, too.
Can't wait for pictures!

[onimity]

Congrats!!!

I can't wait to see the pictures! Have you named it Jake? Konas seem to come with names that work already. My Cinder Cone is 'Cindy'

I love the description of the Jake on the Kona Site: "The Jake will get you started in the art of turning your lungs inside out for 60 minutes on a weekly basis."

SPDs are a great way to go for clipless...they are easy to get used to and there are a lot of shoes that are easy to walk around in. Make sure that you get shoes that are *really* comfortable, though. If you start riding longer distances you will really regret a pair of shoes with a mediocre fit.

You will really love that bike, I think, and your LBS sounds awesome. There is nothing better than a LBS that really takes care of you.

Anne

[Jo-n-NY]

congratulations and welcome to the forum. You came to the right place to express your cycling enthusiasm.

Enjoy your bike and feel free to post your ride reports

~ JoAnn

[rij73]

Congrats! If you needed a triple crankset, then sounds like you made the right decision... Enjoy! And post pictures!!!