Complete Newbie...

[MrHatten]

So, after watching the tour for the last three years i've decided to get into cycling, the main problem being, i really dont know where to start. I've gone around the bike stores in sydney, and have looked for a bike (currently giant ocr 2 2005favourite) I only want to spend around AUD$1650 (us$1200) on the bike and any necessary accesories and maintenance tools such as helmets, shoes, computers, patch kits, i'm not really sure. The questions are, what do i need to get to be able to commute daily and maybe in the near future join a club and race? Is it better to buy a second hand bike over a new one? are cycling shoes worth the price? what does it take to maintain a bike? and other real newbie questions like that, after all, i really have no idea. thanx.

 

[jon_stewart]

So, after watching the tour for the last three years i've decided to get into cycling, the main problem being, i really dont know where to start. I've gone around the bike stores in sydney, and have looked for a bike (currently giant ocr 2 2005favourite) I only want to spend around AUD$1650 (us$1200) on the bike and any necessary accesories and maintenance tools such as helmets, shoes, computers, patch kits, i'm not really sure. The questions are, what do i need to get to be able to commute daily and maybe in the near future join a club and race? Is it better to buy a second hand bike over a new one? are cycling shoes worth the price? and other real newbie questions like that, after all, i really have no idea. thanx.

You should search the forum, where you will find all the answers to your questions. I did the same about a month ago.

 

[whackyscientist]

MrHatten

Living in Sydney myself I can see that you have left out one expense.

HEALTH INSURANCE. But I can certainly recommend that you spend the extra money for an excellent protective helmet that FITS.

 

[keydates]

Bike Shorts and Jersey are a must for racing, as are some bike shoes. Bike gloves will probably be more comfortable. If you're commuting, you might want a bike rack/panniers...but you can't really have a combination of a racing bike AND a commuting bike.