New bike... What now?

Blue102

Hi folks. I'm a 25 year old female, and I just got a Trek road bike for my birthday. I'm pretty excited and want to get into this biking thing, but I'm very clueless. I have a few questions:

-I want to ride the bike to work (it's about a two-mile ride.) Will I look goofy if I wear my normal clothes on the bike? I'm actually REALLY concerned about this. Not many people bike in my town, and I don't want to look weird. Should I wear bike shorts to work and then change, or what? I wear jeans to my job.

-When riding on the road, aren't there some rules I need to follow, and how do I learn what they are?

-Is there anything important that I should know before I take off on the bike? I'm sure there must be more to it than I think! (It will take me a few weeks to be able to ride it. Who ever said that you never forget how to ride a bike? Pashooey! )

Spin baby

Hey Blue...

New bike??!! Too cool..

So.. about that two mile ride to work... ;o)
If it was me... I'd dress in comfy bike clothes.. pack my work clothes in a bag... and extend that morning ride as far as possible.


Rules for safe road riding from my mentor...

http://bicyclesafe.com/

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Effect...RoadsWeHave.htm



Anything other that's important...

WEAR A HELMET!

StillRiding5500

Get a helmet. If you just wear jeans, you can get some kind of tie to wrap around your pant cuffs so you dont get grease on them. I use the straps from the clips and strap era.

Too bad you have to worry about what everyone is thinking.....But wear a helmet. There is a big gap between a nothing little bump on the head and having your skull crushed. Somewhere in there a helmet just might save you from having to have to learn to walk, talk or stop drooling.

Get Bicycling magazine. It's great for beginners. And try to find a club. They usually love newcomers, especially females.

Good luck and have fun!

ganderctr

I don't know what kind of work you do but if it's permitting enough and considering the distance (2 miles) I would just wear work clothes on the bike and get some straps to secure any pant legs to keep them from getting caught in anything. I don't know what anyone else has to say about this, but from my own experiences, a set of clipless pedals and shoes is a good investment (I've had problems in the past with shoelaces wanting to intermingle with my crank and chain), but that's all predicated on whether you want to deal with changing shoes when you get to work.

Good luck and happy cycling!

Blue102

Thanks for your replies! I can't wait to take the bike out today. Yeah, I am being silly about worrying how I look. If anybody is laughing at me while I'm out riding a bike, then they are probably fatsos sitting around eating chips anyway. I do have a helmet, and I am definitely going to wear it, because I'm scared of accidents.

Thanks again for the great suggestions. See ya'll around on the board.

shewhobikes

What a great birthday present! Have fun and tell us how it goes. Don't be surprised if your backend gets a little sore at first. I don't know what kind of seat is on your bike, but a good seat that fits you well makes all the difference in comfort. And you might also think about taking your bike in to a good local bike shop and let them take a look at you on the bike. With my new bike I felt like I had too much weight on the handlebars; a minor adjustment (moving the seat back) was a huge improvement.

Tmax1

Hi back and happy birthday.

If you ask at your local bike shop I feel quite certain there are other cycling folks in Pensacola. I know there is a mountain bike club -

www.porc.com or is it .org? One of those.

West Florida has a cycling team.

Ask around and I bet you find some folks to ride with.

Have fun and be safe!

Jerry

Blue102

Oh wow, thanks Jerry! I'll check into that. I'm amazed at this site. I only joined yesterday and I've gotten so many great responses. I guess there is a whole biking world out there I didn't even know existed, ha. Jerry, are you in Mobile?

cheapie

if you're worried about what you look like, get a pair of fairly short cargo shorts that are padded. you really want them to be pretty short because long ones will bind up, esp if you have a road bike.

tjocesq

welcome to cycling! congrats on an awesome b.d. present!

I suggest learning how to fix a flat, carry a spare tube, tire levers, and bike pump. I'm not sure if you own these items--they can be gotten pretty cheap. If there is a local bike shop--ask them if they can show you how to fix a flat.

wear bright clothes and if you can, buy a jogger's vest w/reflectors, stick in a bag (if you are too self-conscious to wear in the daylight) but wear it at dusk/night. It helps make you visible to drivers.

I used to commute to work, found that I would find longer routes for the ride home I enjoyed it so much!

romana

Hey, and welcome to riding!! Hope you have as much fun as I do

Leggings are great for riding, no chain tangles. Definitely make sure its adjusted for your height etc, local bike shops are handy to get to know, and usually happy to help you out. I bought my bike from one, they were so helpful, and now I have done 99% of my bike accessory/mod buying there.

A reflective vest or lightweight reflective waterproof riding jacket great investment, and pack down really small. Lights a must if dusk to night riding after work. In Australia, helmets are mandatory, and a damn good lifesaving idea, imho. I wear riding gloves for comfort. Think about repairs - if you commute, can you fix a flat? A small bag with a repair kit/spare tube/small bike toolkit can save you being stranded, like carrying a spare tyre in car, without bulk. I have panniers, even lug my laptop around in them (well padded of course!!). A water bottle is a good idea, depending on distance

And I have a Trek 4100, I love it!