Newbie question..

Benzwiz

I have recently decided to give cycling a serious shot and have been riding a ~10 yr old Diamond Back hybrid that I bought in middle school. But I have 2 problems. First is I inflated my tires (original) two days ago, and when I went to look at my bike this morning, the tires were flat (already?).
Are my tires shot? what's the deal..:confused:
Second, I went for a short 10 mile ride over the weekend and after the first 15-20 minutes had this numbing pain in my palms and fingers which made the ride painful. Is this a padding issue or is it a fit issue? Should this happen if I have a correctly fitted bike? I was only 14 or 15yo when I bought the bike and haven't ridden it seriously in quite a few years..

Thanks in advance
Mike

boudreaux

I have recently decided to give cycling a serious shot and have been riding a ~10 yr old Diamond Back hybrid that I bought in middle school. But I have 2 problems. First is I inflated my tires (original) two days ago, and when I went to look at my bike this morning, the tires were flat (already?).
Are my tires shot? what's the deal..:confused:
Second, I went for a short 10 mile ride over the weekend and after the first 15-20 minutes had this numbing pain in my palms and fingers which made the ride painful. Is this a padding issue or is it a fit issue? Should this happen if I have a correctly fitted bike? I was only 14 or 15yo when I bought the bike and haven't ridden it seriously in quite a few years..

Thanks in advance
MikeMaybe your tubes are rotted. Maybe the tires are too.Maybe you have a fit issue.Maybe it's fitness.

JohnO

Doesn't necessarily mean your tires are bad, only that you have a slow leak. But, if the tires are 10 years old, it's probably time for another set.

If you are getting numb hands, then there is a good chance that your seating position is wrong, possibly that your handlebars are a lot lower than your seat. A bike that fit you at age 14 probably won't fit you at age 24, you've probably grown a bit in the intervening years. As you may now be seeing, having a bike that fits is not a matter of style - it's the difference between a ride and agony.

Find a reputable bike shop, and have them check you for fit. There is a strong possibility that you're too tall for the bike now, so if they suggest you buy a new bike, it isn't just salesmanship.

RC2

1. you shouldn't be using paddles for biking.
2. if your tubes are deflating that quickly, buy new ones (and a spare or two), they're cheap.
And 3. it's not surprising you'd have some numbness in your hands/wrists and other aches and pains in getting back into shape. Some or most should go away over time, presuming (as boudreaux mentions) there isn't an underlying fit issue... that we won't diagnose over the internet. If you're serious about getting back into riding, see your LBS for the fit question and perhaps a general once-over on the bike.

Benzwiz

I know I'm in shape, I just recently hurt my knee playing soccer and wanted a non-weight bearing sport. I assume the fit is wrong, but I was trying to see how long it could last me before I went out to pick up a new one.

Appreciate the help..
off to the LBS we go