Cycling..What is it you wish you knew when you started

fred7777

I'd second a lot of what has been said already and add that two of the often most overlooked components can be the most important the tyres and the saddle.

I used to ride a racing bike with it's standard 700Cx19 tyres and it's ride was so harsh it blurred by vision. Changing to higher pressure 700X25 tyres was the best money I ever spent on a bike, ride is smooth and more responsive and I don't break spokes anymore. Paying a bit extra for kevlar puncture proof tyres (well almost) is also worth doing.

Second best money I ever spent was buying a Brooks leather saddle which is difficult to describe how perfectly comfortable it is.

jaffa30

I wish i had knowing about all the extra bit and bobs i would need for the bike, the upgrades, the better tyres wheels etc etc

Alikay

Thin, hard Peugeot saddles do not make comfortable riding for fleshy English bottoms.

thelawnet

cinderfella wrote: »

To always carry a spare inner tube & levers plus pump.
If that is too much or you puncture in the nite, pay out the extra for slime filled inner tubes.
Also keep an eye on who is behind you - you don't want to be overtaken by an 80 year old granny with a bag of shopping on her handlebars. Especially if you have paid out £100 for a lycra outfit.:rotfl:

This is why I like cycling with my daughter on her bike seat. Great fun overtaking people on road bikes.

Jem8472

That cycling shorts/tights for men are really comfortable and far better to cycle in than any trousers/ jogging bottoms that I have tried before.

cubegame

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

And more specifically, buy cheap-buy twice. Although that's a difficult thing to judge when you're starting something new.........that £70 pair of bib shorts did look extravagant when you bought the £20 pair but now????

PasturesNew

When you buy a bike, make sure the shop has/can fit a rear light to it ..... I've still not got a rear light fitted and I bought my bike in about 2005/6.

liz545

PasturesNew wrote: »

When you buy a bike, make sure the shop has/can fit a rear light to it ..... I've still not got a rear light fitted and I bought my bike in about 2005/6.

You should be able to fit a rear light to most bikes - on my town bike I don't have enough seatpost clearance to attach a light to the seatpost, but I found a decent removable light that I can fit to the pannier rack; you can also get ones that bolt onto the rear mudguard. There are also plenty of lights that have stretchy silicone fittings so you can fix them round the seatpost that are cheap and good quality.

PasturesNew

liz545 wrote: »

You should be able to fit a rear light to most bikes - on my town bike I don't have enough seatpost clearance to attach a light to the seatpost, but I found a decent removable light that I can fit to the pannier rack; you can also get ones that bolt onto the rear mudguard. There are also plenty of lights that have stretchy silicone fittings so you can fix them round the seatpost that are cheap and good quality.

Yeah, seatpost was the first problem. For me to reach the ground, they had to remove the seat/seatpost and slide off a 1" spacer, so the seat's sitting directly on the frame/hole without any clearance at all (and I still have to stop beside a kerb if possible to reach).

Having lights isn't a high priority, so I've never looked hard for any - I am a fairweather cyclist.... on a good day without wind/rain I'm happy to cycle very slowly, with some sandwiches, and stop and look at the view. I use my bike to get further along a route than I would if I were walking.... so max 26 miles in a day of ambling.

The one that says "Simple “no tools required” fitting to handlebars, seat posts, helmets, bags, seat packs." would be right up my street £12.50 though, so it'll wait as I only go out in daytime/daylight at the moment, when it's not raining..... so it's not been out this year.

Humphrey10

PasturesNew wrote: »

Yeah, seatpost was the first problem. For me to reach the ground, they had to remove the seat/seatpost and slide off a 1" spacer, so the seat's sitting directly on the frame/hole without any clearance at all (and I still have to stop beside a kerb if possible to reach).

Could you not just get a smaller bike (frame)?