Newbie Questions

[pmeverett]

Hi All,
I have been lurking for several weeks now reading all the information and help you have all provided. It has been wonderful finding this forum so early on.

I am currently riding, for the past 5 weeks, an old 80's style Schwinn 10 speed. I bought it from a garage sale and was previously riding a mountain bike on the road. Such a killer getting up the hills on that! I usually ride very very early to miss the traffic and the killer heat here. Humidity is always high here in St. Louis.

My question is about the need for the clipless pedals and shoes. I am hoping to pick up my new bike this afternoon (Lemond Reno), got a bonus from work and it's mine mine mine. Ok the kids (3) did get glasses, contacts and braces, but I am taking some for me too!

My question is simply about getting these now or should I wait. Are they worth the difference it makes in riding? I want to go for longer rides. Yesterday morning I rode for an hour before work. Sunday I did the same amount of time ride, just not as early. Otherwise most of my morning rides are usually about 30 minutes in the AM.

Another question: How often do you most of you ride? What is a recovery ride?
Thanks for all the help!

Pat
O'Fallon MO

[mimitabby]

Welcome Pat!
I think it's hard to answer your questions because we're all different.
When I can, I try to commute to work, it works out to 1-3 times a week (8 miles per day, including a stiff hill).
On weekends i usually get at least one bike ride in, maybe two; and these vary from 10 miles to 100!!! (but usually 20-30)

[denda]

I also just got a Lemond Reno, about 2 months ago! I love it. I try to ride everyday. Sometimes before work, sometimes after. Usually about 17 miles on weekdays and 40-50 on Saturday. Have fun!

[Kimmyt]

I will usually ride 2 days a week 20-30 miles hills and possibly a third commuting in (~14 miles roundtrip is the abbreviated version I do) which is flat. On weekends that I'm around (which isn't to say every weekend) I'll usually do a longer ride, from 50-100 miles.

This varies every week depending on what my climbing schedule is, but basically whichever day I'm not climbing I'm riding.

K.

[Bikingmomof3]

Welcome Pat. I too have 3 kids-glasses and braces, been there. I recently (less than 2 weeks ago) bought a new bike-Trek 1000. I am VERY new to biking and brand new to road bikes. I decided to get clips put on about 2 days after buying the bike. I figured I might as well learn everything at once. My clips are dual sided, with a removable platform on one side. The platform just make the pedal more of a "platform" pedal for when I am not feeling brave. I refer to them as my training pedals. Soon the platforms come off.

As for length of rides. Everyone is so different. Do what works for you. I am a SAHM, so I do not have a commute. I try to get a ride in the morning and then one after dinner, since neither of them are very long-yet.

[CorsairMac]

Welcome to the board pat: if you get a chance there's a thread under the open titled "getting to know you". Gives you a chance to learn more about us than our mothers and tell us some more about you! - if you're so inclined!

Let's start with the clipless question: clipless is truly a personal thing. Yup, they sure will help with your pedalling, they'll give you more power on the upstroke and they're sweet if you ever need to go into a sprint - like NOW - like that dog just came outta Nowhere! Some people find them very scary tho because your feet are clipped in and even some of us who've ridden them for several years will still fall every once in a while, usually not the fault of the clip! lol you might ask your LBS if they'd put them on your bike and put your bike on a trainer, let you try them....see what you think. Plus type "clipless" in the search box and you'll find quite a few hits on suggestions on starting out with clipless. like momof3 said, they do make a double sided pedal with clips on one side, a platform on the other and those are very nice for commuting, starting out and MTB'ng in my opinion.

How often do I ride? every day but I'm a bike commuter so I don't really think about my rides to work as "rides" (yeah...that probably makes no sense but it's how I get to work and home) so I almost always do long rides on the weekend.

A recovery ride is a "rest" ride usually taken the day after a hard ride. The best suggestion I ever read stated " when riding a recovery ride, kids on Big Wheels should be able to pass you". I will - sometimes - take the day after a big ride off and use my next couple of commute days for a recovery ride....but not always. (but then I never seem to follow the rules in anything )

Hope some of this helps and if not - ask away............we love helping getting people into riding!

[Cassandra_Cain]

Hi Pat and welcome to the board.

Amazingly enough I once drove through O'Fallon, MO.

Congratulations on your new bike, or rather, I assume you now have it right?

Hmmmm, clipless pedals - ask 3 people and you'll likely get 3 different opinions.

Moi? I think they have pro's and con's (surprise surprise? nah). If you are just getting back on a bike, getting used to traffic, and generally getting comfortable with riding - then I think clipless pedals are not the wisest choice. While clipless, every stop becomes more than just putting your foot down - as does every restart from a stop. When I was a new rider, the last thing I needed to worry about was clipping out of a pedal - I was a heck of a lot more worried about dealing with traffic and generally staying upright.

A little more obscure thing about clipless pedals....I sometimes worry about being stuck, while clipped in, during an accident or crash. In fact I had an accident just 10 days ago, but I was not using clipless pedals. My bike ended up under the tire of the truck that hit me. Would I have ended up there too had I been clipped in. Probably not, clipless pedals usually release in those circumstances, but I couldn't help wonder a little.

The pros? Corsairmac already mentioned many of them....the stroke, speed, and in general, you feel more connected to your bike. While I enjoy clipless pedals in the flats and what not, where I find by far the most value in them is on uphills, steep uphills specifically. There, the bottom of the pedal stroke normally becomes dead with conventional pedals. With clipless you can push down with one leg and pull up with the other. Otherwise, you are just dragging your foot through the stroke. On a steep incline that makes a big difference~


If I were 5 weeks into riding, I'd probably wait on clipless. Maybe a few months or so once everything on the bike feels natural and comfortable in traffic, etc.

How often do I ride? Very sadly, just twice (sometimes 3 times) per week. I had a knee injury that kept me out of riding for 6 years. I'm grateful I can ride painfree now, and am not going to push my luck!

Either way, let us know and again, welcome

[pmeverett]

Thank you all that have replied. I thought I was going to get my check today for a bonus from work. I had to sell some stock and the check should have been here today but wasn't So I have to wait another day. Hopefully it will be in tomorrow.

I never really realized how many people commute with their bikes. I work from home , go in twice a month and other times for meetings. But it's 27 miles one way to get there and would have to lug the laptop, lunch and change of clothing.

So I have been riding each morning. Usually Sunday thru Thursday. But then noticed how tired I was by Fridays and started taking off Friday and Saturdays. I guess I wasn't sure if I should really push myself by riding each day.

I really appreciate all the responses and the input on the clipless and shoes.

[Geonz]

I would find that the learning to ride a different bike and learnign to ride clipless would be one too many learning new thigns... other people feel like "I only want to make *one* major adjustment." (My theory: those people are more coordinated than I am. I have to think through physical processes and practice them.)
Oh, I think the bike difference will be enough for you right now anyway :-) Save the clipless for when you're itching to go even further and faster.
YOu can commute part of the way... and/or do it sometimes. (I sometimes make a 30 mile route from my job - if it were both ways I'd have to do serious planning, but... I'm addicted now, I think I would do it. Or move. I ***love*** riding by gas stations and thinking that when I refuel, I'm not sending money where I would rather not, I'm not ... oh, all the rest of the righteous drivel )
I commute and do club rides, and most social stuff & shopping, so a few rides each day.