New to cycling

[belvo]

im new to road cycling found this specialized double on bike exchange ill go check it out on Saturday but im sure they'l tell me they sold all of them.
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bicyc.../vic/100384068

[bartsau]

Originally Posted by belvo

im new to road cycling found this specialized double on bike exchange ill go check it out on Saturday but im sure they'l tell me they sold all of them.
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bicyc.../vic/100384068

Looks like a pretty good buy (2010 model) now that 2012 models are well and truly about you can pick up what is left of older models pretty cheap. Specialised tend to be over priced due to the brand name when compared with an avanti, or scott from my experience anyway. Having said that the specialised to my knowledge have one hell of a nice frame compared with most other brands.

Just on the side also, I have not looked around for deals as I don't need a new bike but you can pick up some absolute bargains with older models. For example my boss is selling a 2009 Avanti Cadent Team (Carbon ZERO wheels, carbon frame, seat post, full dura ace) was in 2009 worth 10,500 and he has 4,500 on it. Just one example but do your research and find an older model and then you will get a lot more bang for your buck and honestly the difference between 2009 dura ace and 2012 dura ace is maybe 50 grams and bugger all else.

Very nice bike I am on a Quantum Team the more race oriented version. Pretty much the same thing though.

Ps not trying to sell you this bike just pointing out that you can do better when looking around for what is left of old stock.

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by belvo

im new to road cycling found this specialized double on bike exchange ill go check it out on Saturday but im sure they'l tell me they sold all of them.
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bicyc.../vic/100384068

That's very similar to mine. I also have a Specialized Allez, but I think it's probably a 2009 model. Can't remember quite when I bought it.
It's a good bike. $699 is a good price too. I paid about $1000 for mine.

[HLC]

Some EXCELLENT Advice and VERY NICE bikes posted in this thread already.

Starting out cycling it depends on how hands on you want to be. Do you want to get into it hardcore? decent kit, decent bikes, decent rides? Or do you want to do it more casually? Ride to the shops? Bike path loops etc??? Do your own maintenance?

It all depends on what sort of riding you do.

I myself do around 200-220km a week on a track bike on the street.

Last saturday I rode Perth - Mandurah with a couple of mates, 110 kays in one hit, fixed gear. 32kph average speed. Not bad for a single gear bike (52/16 gear ratio with headwind) and not having done a longer ride like that in a few months. Especially when I'm only doing around 20-30km a day in the arvo's after work.

If you want an easy to use, easy to maintain bike, get a single speed. No gears to worry about, reasonably cheap to get yourself in and a great urban commuter.

If Bike Messengers swear by Single Speeds & Fixed Gears (track bikes) then average joe will do ok.


One thing I do not reccommend is riding fixed straight out - especially brakeless.

Ive built a few track bikes over the last 12 months and all cost a varying amount, from as little as 350 to up over 1500 - which is decent coin on a bike with 1 gear and no brakes lol.

anyway, pic for reference.






Anyway, a lot of these guys have given better advice than me, especially in regards to road training... I can cover off on the more urban/social end of things.

Especially because in a year or 2 my knees will blow out from riding a big ratio brakeless and will need surgery to ride/walk again HA HA

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by HLC

Especially because in a year or 2 my knees will blow out from riding a big ratio brakeless and will need surgery to ride/walk again HA HA

At least you'll have the biggest legs in town!

Very nice bike; Love this thing!!!!
Trying to negotiate with the FIL to let me let loose on his old school Malvern Star - would love to go for the streamlined fixed gear/ no brake setup like yours.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by TZENU

At least you'll have the biggest legs in town!

Very nice bike; Love this thing!!!!
Trying to negotiate with the FIL to let me let loose on his old school Malvern Star - would love to go for the streamlined fixed gear/ no brake setup like yours.

Cheers!!

HA HA yeah! My calves havent grown that much though in the last 12-18 months, definately more toned, but OMG my quads and other muscles on my thighs ha ha all my slim fit business pants are a bit TOO SLIM FIT around the thigh area now HA HA Most of my shorts are cut off jeans because anything with a stich around the bottom of the short cuts off circulation like compression tights HA HA

Depending on what the Malvern Star is just let it slide. Track Frames can he had for really cheap lately - especially quality frames too. Just bought a Leader 721 Track Frame as a prize for a Race im holding tomorrow from www.gearbrisbane.com <-- my fav Aussie retailer for Bike/Fixed related product. $250 landed on my front door! And then you can build bikes with as expensive or as inexpensive parts as you want. Obviously, price does mean quality. Especially when there are bugger all moving parts to worry about!!!

Just ordered a Nitto NJS Jag stem last night and new riser bars for a more agressive cockpit! www.tracksupermarket.com

So my bike there, cheap frame (because I thrash them lol) but Dura Ace Cranks/chainring, Campagnolo Pedals, MKS NJS toe clips w/Cadence Straps and Doublizers, Dura Ace Seat Post, Selle Italia Turbo, soon to have Nitto Stem & Bars, KMC Track Chain. Headset soon to be replaced with a Dura Ace NJS or Tange NJS.

The worst part on the bike is the frame. Wheels are Shimano something or Spinergy Rev X clincher, or Velocity B43 w/ Formula sealed bearing hub, roselli sprocket/lockring or Hed Disc (Clincher/Track) with Dura Ace NJS Sprocket/lockring. Carbon wheelset (Spinergy/Hed) will be up for sale soon. Never ride the wheels because I fear i'll destroy them on the street!

http://njs-keirin.blogspot.com/ is also another good one for awesome Jap track bike parts!

Then there are sites like www.wiggle.com and Ribble, Probikekit, cell bikes etc for good stuff at great prices!

[belvo]

http://www.bscbikes.com.au/bsc2/inde...0-ultegra.html
just bought one of these from bsc for $1200 plus shoes pedals and helmet for a extra $270.

[Sam_Boss260]

Originally Posted by belvo

http://www.bscbikes.com.au/bsc2/inde...0-ultegra.html
just bought one of these from bsc for $1200 plus shoes pedals and helmet for a extra $270.

That looks like a great bike and a good deal too

[Sam_Boss260]

Well I got the bike the other day, got some Look pedals and cleats for my new Shimano shoes and I had my first test ride today.

Really enjoying this so far.

Unfortunately I now have a shopping list for Ribble, wiggle, cell bikes and chain reaction !!!

[gossy]

Originally Posted by Sam_Boss260

Well I got the bike the other day, got some Look pedals and cleats for my new Shimano shoes and I had my first test ride today.

Really enjoying this so far.

Unfortunately I now have a shopping list for Ribble, wiggle, cell bikes and chain reaction !!!

Cycling has got you, hook, line and sinker

[gtfpv]

very game with cleats 1st up my friend . A mate of mine done this and was very embarrassed when he fell over at a set of traffic lights in front of a car , and was on the ground sideways in his riding position !!! couldn't get up for a while . hahaha

[ratter]

Don't worry, everybody has a clip stack

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by ratter

Don't worry, everybody has a clip stack

Yup, non-negotiable.. Usually at the moment where you've just gotten comfortable with them cos you get a bit complacent..

[blueoval]

Agree with gtfpv. clips are great if your a regular rider and coordinated. Clip pedals provide additional range of power on the up stroke as well as down stroke. its a more efficient way odd riding but i have panic and fell off if i need to brake in a hurry. looks bad if people see you fall. lucky for me no one saw me. i would get used to clipping in and out of the pedals a few times to get familiar with its idiosyncracies of now they work.

[mr smith]

Have a look into flat pedals as well.
I ride flats on the Road, Cyclocross and XC MTB.

My experiences are the same as in the link. (I will also add part of my resoning is I had a real bad accident that I put down to being clipped in, that combined with a better riding experiance means flats for me)
http://www.bikejames.com/cardio-trai...s-pedal-myths/

Im looking into getting a set of these.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Tioga-M...Tire-2011.html

[HLC]

wait til you have a 'clip stack' on your track bike brakeless! HA HA

nothing like smashing down a hill and hoping to pull up and you rip your foot out of your pedal from the huge force of trying to skid/stop.. (i run shimano spd's on training rides where i wont be going to the shops/pub unless ive got a bag)...

or trackstanding at lights and keeling over ha ha

that leaves a nice brown stain in the underwear

[blueoval]

haha, love the experiences with clip stacking.

Hey guys, how often do you oil your chains, and what brand type of oil or fluid/spray do you use to do this? Is there any specific type I need to look out for?

[blueoval]

Some TDU news for SA riders

Eddy Merckx to ride the BUPA challenge in 2012 for the TDU
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/...-1226147663087

[kocho]

I just purchased some pedals off ebay. I dont have the shoes yet, they're still coming. My first set of pedals and shoes for my road bike (usually ride around in runners). From what I've read up above... a little nervous now! Hahaha. I've got a windtrainer, so I'll jump on that first and get used to it.

Anyway the pedals I got are Shimano SPD SL Pedals PD-R540 (it has written on them). Also has 'floating' cleats. Are these any good? I didn't want to spend too much because I just want to see how I go.

With the shoes, they're Shimano too. Will I able to drive to where I want to ride with them on or will I have to change shoes?

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by kocho

I just purchased some pedals off ebay. I dont have the shoes yet, they're still coming. My first set of pedals and shoes for my road bike (usually ride around in runners). From what I've read up above... a little nervous now! Hahaha. I've got a windtrainer, so I'll jump on that first and get used to it.

Anyway the pedals I got are Shimano SPD SL Pedals PD-R540 (it has written on them). Also has 'floating' cleats. Are these any good? I didn't want to spend too much because I just want to see how I go.

With the shoes, they're Shimano too. Will I able to drive to where I want to ride with them on or will I have to change shoes?

Sounds like you have the proper road cleats and pedals. They are a decent sized cleat and work well for road use.

The ones I have are different as they are designed for mountain bike shoes. These are smaller cleats and are recessed into the shoes sole so you can actually walk normally in them if need be.

My pedals are something like this


and my cleats are like this


My shoes are these


With cleats fitted, see how the cleats are recessed into the sole of the shoe?


Notice the chunkier sole. The cleats are recessed into the sole of these shoes which protect the cleats from road damage when you walk on them and they are designed for ease of walking.

The shoes, cleats and pedals you have by the sounds of it are proper road shoes. The cleats are different and so are the associated pedals. Both types of shoes, cleats and pedals do the same thing. Transfer weight through your leg, foot and to the stiffened sole to the pedals for more efficient down stroke but also good up stroke efficiency. The mountain bike shoes I have are heavier than road shoes. So you save a few grams on weight alone having the road shoes.

Im guessing your cleats look something like this as an example?


With road shoes, you will not be able to drive a car with them on since the cleat on the bottom of these shoes stick out past the sole of the shoe about half and inch thick and are cumbersome to walk on let alone establish good pedal feel in a car. I would not recommend it. I have driven a car in my mountain bike shoes and it is easier, but I would not recommend that either. Bring a spare pair of sneakers to change into if you are traveling.

[Whitey-AMG]

I just fitted these to my Giant Road Bike
They allow for riding with SPD cleated shoes or just your old skanky runners....LOL You just flip the platform accordingly - they work a treat as I don't always find myself in the mood for a full on 30k ride - just want to go for a quick 10K thrash on the bike path and wear my runners.

http://www.shimano.com.au/publish/co...0.-type-..html

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by ESP

I just fitted these to my Giant Road Bike
They allow for riding with SPD cleated shoes or just your old skanky runners....LOL You just flip the platform accordingly - they work a treat as I don't always find myself in the mood for a full on 30k ride - just want to go for a quick 10K thrash on the bike path and wear my runners.

http://www.shimano.com.au/publish/co...0.-type-..html

These pedals are great if you share your bike with someone else who isnt a keen cleat wearer too. One thing about those pedals though is that for me with cleats, I'd want to make sure the pedal was the right way around after stopping at a set of lights or what ever. I can imagine myself trying to flick the pedal the other way round while still trying to maintain balance and setting off trying to keep up with traffic.

For me, I don't ride without clip shoes. Im used to it now and I make earnest mental notes of where I am when approaching areas where I need to stop and un-clip from the pedal.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by blueoval

These pedals are great if you share your bike with someone else who isnt a keen cleat wearer too. One thing about those pedals though is that for me with cleats, I'd want to make sure the pedal was the right way around after stopping at a set of lights or what ever. I can imagine myself trying to flick the pedal the other way round while still trying to maintain balance and setting off trying to keep up with traffic.

For me, I don't ride without clip shoes. Im used to it now and I make earnest mental notes of where I am when approaching areas where I need to stop and un-clip from the pedal.

Having had them on my bike now for about a month - i can tell you that the pedals have a weighted tendency to "fall" platform side down. That means that the cleated side invariable ends up on top - making it very easy to clip back in...... Its actually harder to find the platform side when you are unclipped and riding with your runners !!!!!!

I've had a couple of incidents when I first started riding 4 years ago with being clipped in.....I ended up on the ground a couple of times after starting off from the lights uphill - incorrect gear - not enough inertia - both feet clipped in - down she goes..........

Not verry happy at the time....but looking back on it now - very funny.


These pedals basically allow you to ride with almost any SPD shoe / runners - clipped in or unclipped.

[kocho]

Ok, awesome, thanks for all the info. To be honest, I'd probably like your setup as weight doesn't bother me too much. I rather be comfortable. Can I get shoes like yours that'll fit on my cleats?

With that being said, every ride I have, around 20 minutes in, I'll get numb hands and it effects the rest of my ride and my enjoyment. I've read up about it and I'm still altering my bike (move seat forward a bit, down a bit, tilt, etc etc) to try and get it to be comfortable. I don't have gloves, they're next on the shopping list and hopefully are a bit of a fix or at least reduce the numbness in my hands. Also read about trying to get more upper body strength so I don't lean to hard on my hands.

Originally Posted by ESP

I just fitted these to my Giant Road Bike
They allow for riding with SPD cleated shoes or just your old skanky runners....LOL You just flip the platform accordingly - they work a treat as I don't always find myself in the mood for a full on 30k ride - just want to go for a quick 10K thrash on the bike path and wear my runners.

http://www.shimano.com.au/publish/co...0.-type-..html

Ohhhh... these sound good too! I probably should have done more research before I went eBaying. How much did these set you back ESP?

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by kocho

Ok, awesome, thanks for all the info. To be honest, I'd probably like your setup as weight doesn't bother me too much. I rather be comfortable. Can I get shoes like yours that'll fit on my cleats?

With that being said, every ride I have, around 20 minutes in, I'll get numb hands and it effects the rest of my ride and my enjoyment. I've read up about it and I'm still altering my bike (move seat forward a bit, down a bit, tilt, etc etc) to try and get it to be comfortable. I don't have gloves, they're next on the shopping list and hopefully are a bit of a fix or at least reduce the numbness in my hands. Also read about trying to get more upper body strength so I don't lean to hard on my hands.

Im not sure you can get MTB shoes with recessed soles that fit road cleats to be honest. Perhaps someone here can confirm. Since the cleats on road shoes are larger, the sole of the shoes do not cater for it as neatly as the MTB style shoe.

As for palm pain, gloves with some ergonomic padding is a must. Plus gloves protect your palms from gravel rash should you take a tumble. When you fall, usually your hands are the first to feel pain on the road. So protection is needed otherwise you will find you may be out of action for a few weeks due to no skin on your palms. lol

I have some Sugoi gloves with gel in specific areas. Cost me about $40 but no I would not ride without them, and I dont get palm pain after a 2-3 hour ride.

I have ones similar to these. Fingerless so I can still use my smart phone.


One thing the owner of my LBS said to me was even if he is a 1km ride or 100km ride, he would never leave home without his gloves.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by kocho

Ok, awesome, thanks for all the info. To be honest, I'd probably like your setup as weight doesn't bother me too much. I rather be comfortable. Can I get shoes like yours that'll fit on my cleats?

With that being said, every ride I have, around 20 minutes in, I'll get numb hands and it effects the rest of my ride and my enjoyment. I've read up about it and I'm still altering my bike (move seat forward a bit, down a bit, tilt, etc etc) to try and get it to be comfortable. I don't have gloves, they're next on the shopping list and hopefully are a bit of a fix or at least reduce the numbness in my hands. Also read about trying to get more upper body strength so I don't lean to hard on my hands.




Ohhhh... these sound good too! I probably should have done more research before I went eBaying. How much did these set you back ESP?

fingerless gloves are a must , or full gloves in winter , they reduce the numbness in your fingers . FLATBAR road bikes are a known cause of hand numbness moreso than a racer , racer handlebars allow you to change your hand positions on the bars . flatbars are normally fixed hand positions . but the gloves help very well .

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

fingerless gloves are a must , or full gloves in winter , they reduce the numbness in your fingers . FLATBAR road bikes are a known cause of hand numbness moreso than a racer , racer handlebars allow you to change your hand positions on the bars . flatbars are normally fixed hand positions . but the gloves help very well .

Agreed!.. Not only that, but it also saves some skin if (when) you come off.

[HLC]

Originally Posted by TZENU

Agreed!.. Not only that, but it also saves some skin if (when) you come off.

This! Gonna go buy some fingerless gloves today getting a bit warm for the full finger gloves and I'm not keen to just lop the fingers off them with scissors ha ha

[blueoval]

I have a flat bar road/hybrid bike and upgraded my handle bars with these
http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gc3


Designed to relieve pressure around the Hypothenar and Thenar areas of your palms. Works a dream on long rides. Zero palm issues to date. And the bar extensions are useful on hill climbs and semi-aero hand positions.

But yes a road bike offers more options on the drop bars.

[kocho]

I've got a road bike. Still got my flat bar though.

I had those bar extensions on my flat bar and they were a nice change up.

I just find on the road bike (which I've had for probably 6 months now) that I find to ride on the hoods only. Sometimes I'll mix it up and go on top but I never use the drops. I'll try some gloves as you guys have recommended. I really hope they are the fix because my hands get numb before my legs get tired. :(