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

armyknife

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun.

Mythical

How friendly my local CC is.
I spent years thinking I can't join a club; you have to have the latest all carbon kit and ride in a chain gang or be subject to ridicule. There are chain gang rides available if that's what you want, and there are a fair few who love to have the latest kit. But the section I ride with are lovely - just show up on a sunday morning, enjoy a nice chat about nothing, or put the world to rights if you want, they always know the best cake stops and if you don't feel like riding all the way with them they don't mind - say your goodbyes when you feel like it and see them when you feel like showing up again.
Absolute bliss and wish I'd joined years ago!

Biketrials08

That trials is better than cross country and spending money on stupid expensive components is a waste of money! Ride don't spend.

Kernel_Sanders

Scale_Rule wrote: »

As the great man said - "don't buy upgrades, ride up grades". This is all you need to know. Its not about the kit or the bike its all about your legs.

I've no idea what that means.

kwmlondon wrote: »

try to remember then when faced with no.9

Don't you mean 'with no.8'?

Big_G_RC

he means you can have a £8000 bike as ridden in the Tour, but if your legs aren't up to the task you'll tootle along at 10mph looking silly.

Idiophreak

Big_G_RC wrote: »

he means you can have a £8000 bike as ridden in the Tour, but if your legs aren't up to the task you'll tootle along at 10mph looking silly.

Sadly, it's a nice idea, but "riding up grades" only gets you so far in the world of cycling.

Saw a thing recently (on the bike show, I think) with an olympic athlete on a boris bike trying to keep up with a fat journo on a roady...poor little olympion got his !!! handed to him somewhat.

It would be nice if the bike didn't make a difference, but it certainly does.