Question:
tips for a first time road biker?
Jimmy J
2010-06-29 14:10:50 UTC
Hi,
I just got a new specialized allez elite road bike and have no experience riding.

But I know I have to do a duathlon soon.

Any and all tips from all the pros welcome !

Please send me advice/links from biking gear/biking tips/bike trails in san francisco bay area/biking groups etc.. everything..


I am ready to ride my bike this weekend.

Thanks in advance,
Jimmy
Three answers:
anonymous
2010-06-29 15:08:38 UTC
Start out with a very easy 10-15 min warm up. That will get the blood flowing and reduce muscle pain. Once you are warmed up start to pedal at a high cadence 70-90 rpm's in a gear that is easy to spin. That uses you slow twitch muscles that use fat as a fuel and can go for a very long time. Pedaling slow and mashing on the pedals uses your fast twitch muscles that use glycogen as a fuel. You have a limited supply of glycogen so what that is gone your legs are dead.



You want to build up your slow and fast twitch muscles. I do hours long rides on rail trails to train my slow twitch muscles and get butt training. To build muscles and strength I climb hills on my road bike for about an hour. Climbing hills will make you much faster on the flats.



Get a cyclocomputer with a cadence readout and a heart rate monitor. They will help you stay in the correct cadence zone and show you how hard you are working. Ride at a speed that you can do for a long time. A road bike can trick you into going faster then you should. That is where the heart rate monitor can help.



It's a great way to get into shape and have fun at the same time.
anonymous
2010-06-29 14:35:59 UTC
Get these accessories if you don't already have them:

bike shorts - more expensive shorts are worth every penny, better padding will make a huge difference (no need to wear underwear under your shorts, go commando) (it's normal to get sores, any medicated ointment will help. there are specialized bike creams: gesass cream and chamois butter)

seatbag - hex wrench for quick adjustments, spare tube (take the spare tube out of the box and put it in a plastic bag, the box takes up too much room and the bag prevents holes from being worn into the tube), 2 CO2 cartridges with a CO2 inflator adapter thing), 2 or 3 tire levers

2 cages and 2 water bottles (at least)

bike computer (this will keep track of your speed, mileage, time, etc)

sun glasses

helmet (more expensive helmets are lighter, really the difference is nominal. anything over $35 should be fine. Bell and Gyro are the best brands).

bike jersey with pockets in back

power food - powerbars, cliff shots, cliff bars, powergel - i liked to go cheap and healthy with dried fruit or raisins and nuts

bike gloves (optional, i never wore them, if your hands get sore in your training buy some)

bike shoes and pedals, clipless, being able to pull up with each stroke as well as push down makes a world of difference

tri-bars - not recommended for a beginner, but maybe later down the road

mirror (helmet or handlebar) - optional (I never used one)



play with your handlebar and seat position while you train to find something that's comfortable. if your neck or back get too sore you may want to have those adjusted. it's an easy adjustment to do yourself - otherwise most bike shops will do it for free. Seat can go up/down, back/forth and tilt at different angles.

likewise play with the adjustments for your pedals to find an appropriate tightness. If you're new to clipless pedals you don't want to get stuck and fallover (it happens), but to loose and you'll fall out when you don't want to. Again most bike shops will help you here for free. learn how to change a tire. it's really easy.





put sunscreen on before you head out. Really get your thighs and shins good - they will get a lot of exposure! Also your face and arms and hands. And don't forget your forehead. Bike helmets have holes in them and you'll end up with a hilarious forehead burn if you don't sunscreen it.



Try to find a speed you can maintain for the duration of your training session. Don't kill yourself going fast for a short while just to slack later.



Never set your gears so that one is in the highest setting and the other in the lowest setting. It can cause the chain to fall off since it's being twisted.



When going up a hill don't stand and pedal unless you absolutely have to. It kills your speed and efficiency.



Always bike with traffic. Use hand signals. When biking in a group there is certain courtesies to follow regarding announcing traffic that you see (car left, car up, car back) just to give other riders a heads up.



Drafting (following closely behind another rider) makes a HUGE differenceto your speed and energy expelled.
neri
2016-10-06 10:40:43 UTC
bypass to the .Library and borrow a duplicate of "street-craft" via HMSO. it fairly is the motorcycle each and all the centers and forces use to instruct human beings to experience a motorcycle and stress a vehicle.. It tells you concerning the convergence element of a bend and how a bend works.. learn how to study a bend that when the kerbs meet and the convergence element strikes in the direction of you, you decelerate. while the kerbs open up and the convergence element strikes faraway from you, you enhance up. %. the line with the main view. no longer the racing line..It merely works while there is no longer something coming in the direction of you IE on the song!!!


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