Like the title says, I'm pretty new to cycling. I've owned a couple bikes, but they've mostly been for getting around my college campus.
I'm 18, about 150 pounds and 6'0, if that helps any. My weight is distributed pretty evenly around my body and my previous athletic endeavors have made me pretty fit (cross country, ultimate frisbee).
Recently I've been trying out the exercise bike at the gym and discovered I really enjoy it. I've always seen cardiovascular exercise as something of a chore, but when I'm on the exercise bike it feels good. I've been riding 60 minutes a day at the gym (fairly hard), and I'm finally getting that constant runner's high that everyone's said instead of dreading doing exercise while I'm doing it.
I'm considering joining club cycling at my university, but I'm hoping maybe if I get good enough this summer (although unlikely) I could maybe join the cycling team. If not this year, then next year.
Another thing: I am really sure that I want to get into cycling. Never before have I been so adamant on getting good at a sport, so I'm certain that this obsession (maybe) will continue into the future.
Just a few questions:
How should I go about picking a bike? I've recently come into about $800 from prize money, and I can get a few extra bucks through jobs. A friend of mine told me that the Cannondale CAAD series are really solid bikes (CAAD8, CAAD10), and those look like they're in my price range.
How do I find people to ride with/teach me the basics of cycling? None of my friends or family are into cycling, so right now if I were to start I would be cycling alone, which is never that fun.
How easy is it to ship a bike trans-Pacific? I live in Hong Kong, and I go to university in Philadelphia, which is a long way away.
Is there anything else I should know before I get started? I've been looking at beginner's cyclist guides and have been getting versed in cycling, but I may have missed a lot of important content. Just lay it on me.
I'm 18, about 150 pounds and 6'0, if that helps any. My weight is distributed pretty evenly around my body and my previous athletic endeavors have made me pretty fit (cross country, ultimate frisbee).
Recently I've been trying out the exercise bike at the gym and discovered I really enjoy it. I've always seen cardiovascular exercise as something of a chore, but when I'm on the exercise bike it feels good. I've been riding 60 minutes a day at the gym (fairly hard), and I'm finally getting that constant runner's high that everyone's said instead of dreading doing exercise while I'm doing it.
I'm considering joining club cycling at my university, but I'm hoping maybe if I get good enough this summer (although unlikely) I could maybe join the cycling team. If not this year, then next year.
Another thing: I am really sure that I want to get into cycling. Never before have I been so adamant on getting good at a sport, so I'm certain that this obsession (maybe) will continue into the future.
Just a few questions:
How should I go about picking a bike? I've recently come into about $800 from prize money, and I can get a few extra bucks through jobs. A friend of mine told me that the Cannondale CAAD series are really solid bikes (CAAD8, CAAD10), and those look like they're in my price range.
How do I find people to ride with/teach me the basics of cycling? None of my friends or family are into cycling, so right now if I were to start I would be cycling alone, which is never that fun.
How easy is it to ship a bike trans-Pacific? I live in Hong Kong, and I go to university in Philadelphia, which is a long way away.
Is there anything else I should know before I get started? I've been looking at beginner's cyclist guides and have been getting versed in cycling, but I may have missed a lot of important content. Just lay it on me.
