New road bike after 25 years: what soreness is normal?

[chicagogal]

-which direction do you lean when you're on a sharp curve? If you're curving to the left, for example, my natural instinct is to lean left, with my left foot down. Is that right?
thanks! Nancy in WI

Oh No, not right at all!!!!!

If you are turning left, you will lean into the turn. However, your right foot should be down and you should be pushing your weight into it and into the right side of your handlebar. This a) prevents the left pedal from hitting the ground (and possibly causing a crash) as you lean left, and b) keeps your center of gravity in place so you don't skid out.

[tiva]

Makes sense--thanks for the explanation.

[oz rider]

-how far ahead of you do you look to keep your neck in a reasonable position? I was trying for about 10 ft ahead of the front wheel, even though most of the time I wanted to look much further ahead?
-and finally, how flat should your back be?

You had the right instinct to look further ahead, especially in traffic, so you have time to react. Keep scanning and let peripheral vision care of the small stuff.

Re your back, have a look at the pros - there's a wide variation from the fabulously flat Spartacus even when he's on a roadie rather than tt bike. With ToC starting, there should be plenty of coverage. I wouldn't sweat it just yet; you will find what works for you in time, and it will change over time. Certainly if you're battling a head try to get down into the drops to reduce your frontal area, but just enjoy everything else while your position settles and your body adjusts.

[tiva]

18 miles this morning, in the wind, on hills! I forgot to check exactly what time I left, but I was out about an hour and a half. For the first time, I rode in the drops while descending, and geared up (down?) enough so that I could keep pedaling on the descents, which made going back up the hills a lot easier. And of course I realized that my earlier description of the turns was exactly backwards--I have instinctively kept my outer leg down, not the inner leg.

Another question: some of our local farm roads are torn up for spring repairs, so they have gravel down instead of the usual pavement. For these short stretches (less than 1/4 mile) do you usually get off and walk, or do you ride through them? They're smooth enough so that it's not painful, but I don't want to damage the bike.

[oz rider]

Another question: some of our local farm roads are torn up for spring repairs, so they have gravel down instead of the usual pavement. For these short stretches (less than 1/4 mile) do you usually get off and walk, or do you ride through them? They're smooth enough so that it's not painful, but I don't want to damage the bike.

Glad it's all working out.

For the gravel patches, I'd ride. I just don't understand why anyone would walk when you can roll, hehe. Just try to keep your tyre pressures up (see the side of the tyre for the recommended range) to reduce the chance of a pinch flat on biggish rocks or potholes, and slow down til you're comfortable. And one day when you're spinning lightly, try a slightly harder gear for a short distance to note the difference in bike handling.

[Catrin]

Glad it's all working out.

For the gravel patches, I'd ride. I just don't understand why anyone would walk when you can roll, hehe. Just try to keep your tyre pressures up (see the side of the tyre for the recommended range) to reduce the chance of a pinch flat on biggish rocks or potholes, and slow down til you're comfortable. And one day when you're spinning lightly, try a slightly harder gear for a short distance to note the difference in bike handling.

I have been walking such patches myself - so it is safe to ride over the rocks with my road tires? I figured that I've been overly cautious but wasn't sure that it was smart to ride over them...

[oz rider]

I have been walking such patches myself - so it is safe to ride over the rocks with my road tires? I figured that I've been overly cautious but wasn't sure that it was smart to ride over them...

I wouldn't ride over rocks on road tyres. One, rocks are unstable and uneven so you could upset your steering and fall. Loose pebbles/sticks on bitumen are the same; I avoid them. Secondly, hitting a rock with road tyres can cause pinch flats. But if it's smooth enough to be comfortable as in tiva's example (so assuming it's not deep/loose gravel), I would ride rather than walk - and clean the drivetrain of grit afterwards.

[klesko]

When I started riding EVERYTHING was sore. I got a Cannondale Quick 4. I was a real beginner (haven't been on a bike since my Bottechia in college 25+ years ago). My arms and seat were the most sore and my wrists hurt terribly until I started focusing on keeping the straight. It is getting gradually better. I am up to 50 miles per week.