Bike Questions 101
Had a couple beginner bike questions that I’d like to address. Let me qualify this by saying that Darryl over at lovingthebike.com is way more qualified to answer bike questions, but I can answer bike questions from runners!
First question was from Norm, yes Norm the Ruminative runner, who wanted to get a road bike to start doing some biking with his running. This would seem like an easy question but it is akin to the ‘what kind of shoes should I wear question’.
If you ask the road bike purists they will tell you to go to a bike shop and get fitted for a bike. That’s fine if you have unlimited capital and are very sure you are going to be biking a lot and seriously. I’m going to make them mad and say that if you are just starting out and aren’t going to be racing, then going to a shop to get fit is probably too much for you.
Here’s the truth; if you are starting from scratch to get a good bike, the clothes, the helmet the shoes and pedals – you’re not going to get out of the shop without spending $2,000. If you’re ok with that then find a bike shop you trust and make the investment.
If you just want to ride a little in a casual manner there are, how shall we say, ‘less expensive’ options. I’m only talking about road bikes, mountain bikes are an entirely different beast. Here are my random tips:
- Don’t buy a cheap ‘combo’ bike at Walmart for $60. They suck and you won’t be happy. They are a poor compromise.
- Find the appropriate frame size by measuring your ‘stand-over’ height. If you get the frame size close, the rest can be adjusted. You can find frame sizing charts on line by searching or at BikesDirect.com
- Get a second hand bike. Ask around. Every spring people throw away perfectly good road bikes. If you know your frame size, with a little effort you can find a bike literally for free. You won’t be racing in this bike but you can use it to learn whether the sport is for you.
- Most of the things that need to be fixed on a used bike, like tires, brakes, shifting, etc. you can fix yourself. There are wonderful Youtube videos for every possible bike repair and adjustment. You can get replacement tires and tubes from Nashbar.com or Pricepoint.com for less than $20.
- If you really want a new bike buy a ‘middle of the road’ bike from bikesdirect.com. You can get an excellent bike for beginners for $500 – $1,000 that you’ll be very happy with.
- Find a local roadie that you can ask advice from. Cultivate a friend or two who have the bike disease and use them for tools and guidance. If you end up buying a bike online you’ll need someone to help you assemble and size it. It’s not good form to buy a bike online and bring it to a shop for assembly and sizing.
- Get a helmet.
- Get a pair of chamois shorts. Trust me on this.
- After doing it for awhile if you like riding buy some clipless shoes and pedals – they really increase the power you can put into your ride.
The second question I got was about form. The question was when riding on the trainer do you have to be bent over in racing position or can you sit up and crank?
It really depends what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re just doing it for cross training pedal in any position you want. Just try to keep the cadence between 80 and 90 RPM.
If you are training for a triathlon you want to train in the tuck or aero position. In a triathlon wind resistance and turbulence has a significant drag on your bike. People training for longer triathlons need to get used to cycling efficiently in that streamline position.
Hopefully that doesn’t make anyone too mad. Like I said, I’m not a roadie so if you’re serious about cycling ask a real expert. I do think, and I’ve done this myself that you can start with a learner bike and if you get the bug you then trade up to a better bike and do it with confidence.
Don’t be intimidated. Just get started. The helmet is probably the only really important part. Or as we say in the motorcycle world – you need to wear your brain bucket.