Oh my...what have I gotten myself into!

[QueenCarlotta]

Hi everyone. I'm brand new to the site and to cycling. I'm overweight and I'm hoping to get into shape with cycling among other things. I do have some concerns. First of all, I'm SLOW. Second of all, I don't know a whole lot about the do's and don'ts of cycling. Finally, I'm easily intimidated, so I don't know if a cycling group is for me at this point. I haven't purchased a bike or any gear yet, so any recommendations for a beginner would be great. I've read over lots of the old beginner posts and I've gotten some great info. Just hoping to connect with some folks in my area who can make recommendations, be a riding buddy, mentor, friend, that kind of thing.

Thanks!
Carla

[Tuckervill]

Slow is okay. I've been slow forever. Sometimes I get faster if I've been riding a lot, but focusing on speed makes me enjoy it less. I want to focus on being on the bike in the outdoors, not my performance.

Just ride your bike a lot. That's the point.

Welcome to the forum!
Karen

[chicagogal]

Hi everyone. I'm brand new to the site and to cycling. I'm overweight and I'm hoping to get into shape with cycling among other things. I do have some concerns. First of all, I'm SLOW. Second of all, I don't know a whole lot about the do's and don'ts of cycling. Finally, I'm easily intimidated, so I don't know if a cycling group is for me at this point. I haven't purchased a bike or any gear yet, so any recommendations for a beginner would be great. I've read over lots of the old beginner posts and I've gotten some great info. Just hoping to connect with some folks in my area who can make recommendations, be a riding buddy, mentor, friend, that kind of thing.

Thanks!
Carla

First of all, welcome!!!!! And congratulations for getting into cycling. I may be a bit biased, but it is a great sport, and one that could definitely benefit from more women getting involved.

Don't worry about being slow for now. As you get more and more into cycling and discover what kind of riding you like to do (racing, club rides, solo rides, charity rides, etc) you can decide whether getting faster is something you are interested in.

If you want to learn about the do's and don'ts of cycling, I would recommend riding with a group, at least now and then, to learn from the more experienced riders. It is amazing how much you will learn in your first group ride alone!!! (I learn new things all the time). And don't be intimidated. You should be able to find people to ride with who are eager to help out someone getting into the sport. Here in chicago we have group rides, clinics, etc, dedicated to helping introduce women to cycling, so maybe a women's only group would be worth seeking out for you - less testosterone = less competition on your group ride = no reason to be intimidated!!!!

[PamNY]

Welcome, and don't worry about being slow. Just ride, figure out what you enjoy, and have fun.

I enjoy being slow & recommend it highly.

[Over50Newbie]

What area are you from? I'm a slow rider and always enjoy company!

Lynette

[QueenCarlotta]

Thanks everyone! I'm looking into area cycling groups to visit. I appreciate the encouragement.

Lynette, I'm in Tennessee. How about you?

Carla

[Over50Newbie]

Sorry - I would have loved to ride with you. Unfortunately, I'm all the way up in Connecticut.

Lynette

[NbyNW]

Welcome!

It is better to be slow than to be standing still. Just get out there and enjoy!

[tharley]

Where abouts do you live Carla? I also am newish, overweight and SLOW, so don't feel bad. Because I am top heavy, I have back pain and chose to get a bike that I sit as straight up as possible. I don't know if that helps my back or not to tell the truth. When I got my bike, I honestly didn't think I wanted to ride longer than 10 miles and was hoping for flat roads; never did I realize, that when riding a bike every road is hilly. When DH and I went to the LBS (he refused Walmart) I wanted a "basic bike" with little to no gears because I didn't want to figure out shifting ratios, so I chose a bike specifically with a twist-style seven-speed indexed shifter. My lovely bike is a Raleigh comfort bike and I have had it for about 2 years now and about 150 miles on it (wish I had more, but am not the kind of person to go without a friend/DH). The sad thing is she is a heavy beast and I feel very slow for the amount of power I give her. After reading TE, I wish more and more that I had read about different bikes and chose a lighter bike with more gears. I am now looking at some nicer (ie much more expensive) bikes and think that I may even like to get a WSD road bike with drops in the near future (YIKES)- how's that for back pain?! I also love, love, love my clipless peddles, which have gave me the power to get up some dang tough hills.

The other issue I am dealing with right now is that this past weekend, I bruised my "lady bits" 1/2 way into a 30 mile ride. I am learning the hard way why fat girl seats may not be the best option and why seats with slits in them may be better.

[Bike Chick]

Welcome to TE and welcome to cycling. Don't worry about being slow....just ride your bike. You will learn a lot here and meet new friends. Enjoy and have fun.

[QueenCarlotta]

Hi Tanis. I'm in Tennessee, so I think it would be a bit more of a challenge to meet up with you than I'm ready for I have back problems too and was thinking of getting an inexpensive bike to start out upright and explore the different options, road bikes, mountain bikes, etc. before I drop a lot of money on a fancy one. Thanks for the tip about the seats. I was thinking of the fat girl seat myself, but bruised lady bits sounds terribly uncomfortable.

I saw a Schwinn at Target (I don't do walmart either) called a hybrid bike. From what I read, it's good on paved roads and light trails. It's inexpensive, so it wouldn't be tragic if it got stolen or if I crashed it to bits. It has over 20 gears, I can't remember now exactly how many. Are there particular things to avoid if I'm going the retail store route?

[Grog]

I saw a Schwinn at Target (I don't do walmart either) called a hybrid bike. From what I read, it's good on paved roads and light trails. It's inexpensive, so it wouldn't be tragic if it got stolen or if I crashed it to bits. It has over 20 gears, I can't remember now exactly how many. Are there particular things to avoid if I'm going the retail store route?

Welcome to TE! It's wonderful that you want to start cycling. Don't worry about being slow, it's the best part of cycling. Embrace your inner tortoise.

Would you consider getting a used bike first? And then, once you know a bit more about your wants and needs, get a new bike at a specialty bike shop? (Or buy a better used bike.)

A concern for me is that retail store bikes are often pretty badly made, and can even be assembled wrong. The components are very cheap (don't be fooled by the word "Shimano," it encompasses a wide range of products) and the thing starts breaking down quick. Many parts cannot be replaced by standard bike parts because of the way the bikes are built. Obviously you can't go back to the store to get it repaired, they don't know a thing about bikes. Your riding experience gets unpleasant (and possibly unsafe) fast, so you're not very likely to keep riding. It's also unlikely that the store staff will be able to help you find a bike that actually fits you properly.

I've checked Craigslist in your area (don't know what city you're in but I checked Nashville) and there were lots of possibly reasonable options. You can put $150-200 on a used bike and get something that works a lot better than a brand new big-box-store bike. You can also get some help from a bike shop to fix it if needed (brakes, truing the wheels, etc.).

If the environment is something you're concerned about, it's also good to know that by buying a used bike you're recyling, and slowing down the production of disposable consumer goods (poor quality bikes) that take a lot of energy and materials to produce and transport, and that are seldom worth your hard-earned cash.

You can also go "bike shopping" at local bike shops, ask lots of questions, try bikes in the parking lot, and start learning more about bikes. It will make it easier to shop for a used one.

Good luck and, whatever bike you get, come back often!

[Tuckervill]

Bikes from Target are in the same category as the ones from Wal-Mart. It may say Schwinn on it, just like some bike shop bikes, but they are made of less robust materials to keep them under a certain price point.

I know you are probably thinking bike shop bikes are too expensive, but in the long run they are not. A bike shop bike that you outgrow can be re-sold or passed down. If you buy right at the right place, you may even be able to trade it in on a better bike. A big-box store bike will likely have problems with certain components, like broken plastic shifters, cheaply made brake calipers, etc. Those are the problems I see when neighborhood kids bring their bikes for me to fix.

I spent ALL DAY yesterday driving to bike shops in Boulder, looking for my 25 yo son a bike. I saw a lot of bikes! There are some good deals right now, especially at Performance Bike. Is there one near you? I'd go there just to start, if I were you. Also, if there is a bike shop that advertises as a "family" shop or a "community" shop, you will more likely find a good selection in bikes you are interested in, and personnel who will be well versed in them.

Have fun with it!

Karen

[Tuckervill]

Grog, I wish the used bike market was a little better, at least for road bikes. I happen to be in Boulder on business. Boulder is one of the bicycling capitals of the world! Bikes and bike shops EVERYWHERE.

Not a single used bike in any of the shops. The only place we could find that specializes in used bikes is only open 4 days a week (not open on Monday). We went to EVERY shop. Boulder Craigslist is full of bikes--many many listings every single day. Very very few road bikes, and those that were listed were the high end ones, out of our budget. We were astounded. Lots of mountain bikes on CL.

Maybe it's just Boulder that is like this, but we are still wondering if people just keep their road bikes in the garage long after they stop riding them? So there's no market for them? things that make you go hmmm. (We did eventually get a screaming deal on a road bike, at Performance, the last bike shop we planned to visit.)

I hope QueenCarlotta has better luck in Tennessee.

Karen

[tiva]

Some Schwinns are quite light and good and inexpensive, but they live at your local bike shop, not your target or walmart. 7 years ago, I went to the lbs and bought a lovely Schwinn Supersport--reasonably light, aluminum, cross bike (ie, a more upright position than a road bike, but much lighter and more responsive than a cruiser/hybrid). I paid less than $400 for it (the price has risen, of course, in 7 years), and it's been a wonderful bike. I just went back to the same local bike store and upgraded to a pricey road bike, but I still love my Schwinn and will use it for touring when I need to put panniers on it. Cannondale and Scott also have nice cross bikes that are under $600.

So: go talk to some people at local bike shops. They may be able to find you a nice, light, comfortable bike that will let you improve your technique. I'd personally stay away from comfort bikes and cruisers, and ask about cross bikes, which tend to be lighter and have more road-like tires, but upright bars.

Do be a bit careful about craigslist. Sometimes you can find great deals, but often people want far more than their bike is worth (and more than you might pay at your lbs!). I have found my local bike shops to be great about pricing fairly, doing a lot of fitting, and letting me trade in my bike when I'm ready for a better bike.