Getting back on a bike
Discussion
Well, it's been a few years since I last had a bike and I started to feel the itch to ride again earlier this year. My last bike had 185-odd bhp, so how do you follow that? With something completely different, as it happens.
I had found that since the start of lockdown in March, I hadn't done any serious exercise and I wasn't leaving the house much, apart from essential trips. I missed the fresh air and countryside from being out on a motorbike, so I thought I might be able to recapture a bit of that with a bicycle. Plus, rightly or wrongly, I wasn't that excited about going back to the gym, which I find to be a hassle anyway, as getting travel time there and back effectively matches the length of a workout and makes the process time-consuming and pretty dull. I live right on the edge of Newcastle and Northumberland and there are some great cycling routes around here, it seems a shame not to take advantage of it.
I decided on a road bike, because I did not anticipate going off road any more than down the odd gravel path to get between two different roads. I wanted a carbon bike, though I wasn't especially wedded to any particular frame material or brand. I looked at Canyon, Ribble, Planet X, Cannondale etc, but found that virtually everything is out of stock. except in the smallest or largest frames. I came to the realisation that I'd want two bikes, one for road use and one of at least similar geometry as a semi-permanent turbo trainer bike and that if I ordered a new bike now, I wouldn't get it until at least September.at the earliest. Plus, if I had a bike now, I could get some road miles in and start building up my fitness over autumn and winter, so I set out to get a used bike.
This isn't as easy as it seems either, because some stuff is either A) flagrantly stolen, B), overpriced for what they were and the condition they were in (looked a few "exceptional condition" bikes that looked good until you got to within 10 yards and then it became apparent they were clapped out) or C) sold within hours of going on sale.
Still, I managed to pick up this Planet X Pro-Carbon for a good price after a cheeky offer. The previous owner said he'd bought it and ridden it a little but but not gotten on with the geometry, so he stored it for a few years then sold it when he realised he wasn't going to do anything with it. The saddle it came with, which you can see in the photo below, is an AliExpress special and the pedals were worn out. The chain was ok but a little rough, probably from sitting and not moving for a while. The Shimano 105s feel super slick, the front and rear mech are in great condition and the cassette and front chain ring teeth are in great condition. It came with a decent set of wheels which were true and had really nice bearings, which is more than can be said for some of the bikes I looked at. "Fantastic condition", except the wheels are completely buggered. Thankfully, this bike just needed a clean and everything else was in good order, no expensive replacement parts needed.
I took it to a friend who has built or restored over 100 bikes to learn how to strip it down, look after it and set it up. ,We stripped the whole thing down and cleaned it inside out, give it a thorough check over and clean then reassembled it with new brake and gear cables. The Condor stem in this photo is a borrowed part as the stem the bike came with was a shiny carbon part which looked nice but was super long and with a really steep downward angle, which game the bike quite an unusual setup at a the front end which just wasn't comfortable for me. The chain could probably have been freed up, but I just stuck a new chain on it instead.
The bottle cage from the seat tube is now gone and the plastic one on there will be replaced by a carbon one soon, because grams count right? Especially when the bike will mostly live on a turbo trainer for the next few months.
Now, the bike is on a turbo trainer and I've been blowing the cobwebs off and starting to get fit again in Zwift, which is a fantastic way of making indoor training less dull. I stuck some flat pedals on it which have now been replaced with Shimano clipless pedals once my shoes and cleats arrived. The handlebars in that picture have been replaced with a slightly different profile of Planet X bars and the saddle height and bar position have been tweaked a bit based on my riding position.
The saddle in the picture was a torture rack with a really narrow nose and the rear portion being exceptionally narrow. I'm 6 foot all and 16 stone and my sit bones definitely need more room than that thing offered and riding on it was uncomfortable and even extremely painful, it was pinching a nerve when I was getting hard on the power which felt like sitting on the tip of a knife. I've swapped it for a Selle Italia which has a much bigger surface on the top of the nose and the sit bone-bearing portion is a bit wider and it's a massive improvement. I know that no road bike saddle is an arm chair but it's so much better in terms of comfort. I still think there are improvements to come so based on my sit bone width, which I've measured and my spine and hip flexibility, or lack of, Fizik recommend me their Aliante saddle, so I'm going to get one of those with a decent sized cut-out and mount that next.
I'm going to get out on the road if the weather is ok this weekend, now I've had a bit of practice getting clipped in and out of the pedals so I can avoid embarrassing tumbles at junctions and traffic lights and I've got to the point where I can put out enough watts over an hour to not get passed by joggers. Can't wait!
I had found that since the start of lockdown in March, I hadn't done any serious exercise and I wasn't leaving the house much, apart from essential trips. I missed the fresh air and countryside from being out on a motorbike, so I thought I might be able to recapture a bit of that with a bicycle. Plus, rightly or wrongly, I wasn't that excited about going back to the gym, which I find to be a hassle anyway, as getting travel time there and back effectively matches the length of a workout and makes the process time-consuming and pretty dull. I live right on the edge of Newcastle and Northumberland and there are some great cycling routes around here, it seems a shame not to take advantage of it.
I decided on a road bike, because I did not anticipate going off road any more than down the odd gravel path to get between two different roads. I wanted a carbon bike, though I wasn't especially wedded to any particular frame material or brand. I looked at Canyon, Ribble, Planet X, Cannondale etc, but found that virtually everything is out of stock. except in the smallest or largest frames. I came to the realisation that I'd want two bikes, one for road use and one of at least similar geometry as a semi-permanent turbo trainer bike and that if I ordered a new bike now, I wouldn't get it until at least September.at the earliest. Plus, if I had a bike now, I could get some road miles in and start building up my fitness over autumn and winter, so I set out to get a used bike.
This isn't as easy as it seems either, because some stuff is either A) flagrantly stolen, B), overpriced for what they were and the condition they were in (looked a few "exceptional condition" bikes that looked good until you got to within 10 yards and then it became apparent they were clapped out) or C) sold within hours of going on sale.
Still, I managed to pick up this Planet X Pro-Carbon for a good price after a cheeky offer. The previous owner said he'd bought it and ridden it a little but but not gotten on with the geometry, so he stored it for a few years then sold it when he realised he wasn't going to do anything with it. The saddle it came with, which you can see in the photo below, is an AliExpress special and the pedals were worn out. The chain was ok but a little rough, probably from sitting and not moving for a while. The Shimano 105s feel super slick, the front and rear mech are in great condition and the cassette and front chain ring teeth are in great condition. It came with a decent set of wheels which were true and had really nice bearings, which is more than can be said for some of the bikes I looked at. "Fantastic condition", except the wheels are completely buggered. Thankfully, this bike just needed a clean and everything else was in good order, no expensive replacement parts needed.
I took it to a friend who has built or restored over 100 bikes to learn how to strip it down, look after it and set it up. ,We stripped the whole thing down and cleaned it inside out, give it a thorough check over and clean then reassembled it with new brake and gear cables. The Condor stem in this photo is a borrowed part as the stem the bike came with was a shiny carbon part which looked nice but was super long and with a really steep downward angle, which game the bike quite an unusual setup at a the front end which just wasn't comfortable for me. The chain could probably have been freed up, but I just stuck a new chain on it instead.
The bottle cage from the seat tube is now gone and the plastic one on there will be replaced by a carbon one soon, because grams count right? Especially when the bike will mostly live on a turbo trainer for the next few months.
Now, the bike is on a turbo trainer and I've been blowing the cobwebs off and starting to get fit again in Zwift, which is a fantastic way of making indoor training less dull. I stuck some flat pedals on it which have now been replaced with Shimano clipless pedals once my shoes and cleats arrived. The handlebars in that picture have been replaced with a slightly different profile of Planet X bars and the saddle height and bar position have been tweaked a bit based on my riding position.
The saddle in the picture was a torture rack with a really narrow nose and the rear portion being exceptionally narrow. I'm 6 foot all and 16 stone and my sit bones definitely need more room than that thing offered and riding on it was uncomfortable and even extremely painful, it was pinching a nerve when I was getting hard on the power which felt like sitting on the tip of a knife. I've swapped it for a Selle Italia which has a much bigger surface on the top of the nose and the sit bone-bearing portion is a bit wider and it's a massive improvement. I know that no road bike saddle is an arm chair but it's so much better in terms of comfort. I still think there are improvements to come so based on my sit bone width, which I've measured and my spine and hip flexibility, or lack of, Fizik recommend me their Aliante saddle, so I'm going to get one of those with a decent sized cut-out and mount that next.
I'm going to get out on the road if the weather is ok this weekend, now I've had a bit of practice getting clipped in and out of the pedals so I can avoid embarrassing tumbles at junctions and traffic lights and I've got to the point where I can put out enough watts over an hour to not get passed by joggers. Can't wait!
Edited by Mastodon2 on Wednesday 5th August 01:09
Mastodon2 said:
Well, it's been a few years since I last had a bike and I started to feel the itch to ride again earlier this year. My last bike had 185-odd bhp, so how do you follow that? With something completely different, as it happens.
I had found that since the start of lockdown in March, I hadn't done any serious exercise and I wasn't leaving the house much, apart from essential trips. I missed the fresh air and countryside from being out on a motorbike, so I thought I might be able to recapture a bit of that with a bicycle. Plus, rightly or wrongly, I wasn't that excited about going back to the gym, which I find to be a hassle anyway, as getting travel time there and back effectively matches the length of a workout and makes the process time-consuming and pretty dull. I live right on the edge of Newcastle and Northumberland and there are some great cycling routes around here, it seems a shame not to take advantage of it.
I decided on a road bike, because I did not anticipate going off road any more than down the odd gravel path to get between two different roads. I wanted a carbon bike, though I wasn't especially wedded to any particular frame material or brand. I looked at Canyon, Ribble, Planet X, Cannondale etc, but found that virtually everything is out of stock. except in the smallest or largest frames. I came to the realisation that I'd want two bikes, one for road use and one of at least similar geometry as a semi-permanent turbo trainer bike and that if I ordered a new bike now, I wouldn't get it until at least September.at the earliest. Plus, if I had a bike now, I could get some road miles in and start building up my fitness over autumn and winter, so I set out to get a used bike.
This isn't as easy as it seems either, because some stuff is either A) flagrantly stolen, B), overpriced for what they were and the condition they were in (looked a few "exceptional condition" bikes that looked good until you got to within 10 yards and then it became apparent they were clapped out) or C) sold within hours of going on sale.
Still, I managed to pick up this Planet X Pro-Carbon for a good price after a cheeky offer. The previous owner said he'd bought it and ridden it a little but but not gotten on with the geometry, so he stored it for a few years then sold it when he realised he wasn't going to do anything with it. The saddle it came with, which you can see in the photo below, is an AliExpress special and the pedals were worn out. The chain was ok but a little rough, probably from sitting and not moving for a while. The Shimano 105s feel super slick, the front and rear mech are in great condition and the cassette and front chain ring teeth are in great condition. It came with a decent set of wheels which were true and had really nice bearings, which is more than can be said for some of the bikes I looked at. "Fantastic condition", except the wheels are completely buggered. Thankfully, this bike just needed a clean and everything else was in good order, no expensive replacement parts needed.
I took it to a friend who has built or restored over 100 bikes to learn how to strip it down, look after it and set it up. ,We stripped the whole thing down and cleaned it inside out, give it a thorough check over and clean then reassembled it with new brake and gear cables. The Condor stem in this photo is a borrowed part as the stem the bike came with was a shiny carbon part which looked nice but was super long and with a really steep downward angle, which game the bike quite an unusual setup at a the front end which just wasn't comfortable for me. The chain could probably have been freed up, but I just stuck a new chain on it instead.
The bottle cage from the seat tube is now gone and the plastic one on there will be replaced by a carbon one soon, because grams count right? Especially when the bike will mostly live on a turbo trainer for the next few months.
Now, the bike is on a turbo trainer and I've been blowing the cobwebs off and starting to get fit again in Zwift, which is a fantastic way of making indoor training less dull. I stuck some flat pedals on it which have now been replaced with Shimano clipless pedals once my shoes and cleats arrived. The handlebars in that picture have been replaced with a slightly different profile of Planet X bars and the saddle height and bar position have been tweaked a bit based on my riding position.
The saddle in the picture was a torture rack with a really narrow nose and the rear portion being exceptionally narrow. I'm 6 foot all and 16 stone and my sit bones definitely need more room than that thing offered and riding on it was uncomfortable and even extremely painful, it was pinching a nerve when I was getting hard on the power which felt like sitting on the tip of a knife. I've swapped it for a Selle Italia which has a much bigger surface on the top of the nose and the sit bone-bearing portion is a bit wider and it's a massive improvement. I know that no road bike saddle is an arm chair but it's so much better in terms of comfort. I still think there are improvements to come so based on my sit bone width, which I've measured and my spine and hip flexibility, or lack of, Fizik recommend me their Aliante saddle, so I'm going to get one of those with a decent sized cut-out and mount that next.
I'm going to get out on the road if the weather is ok this weekend, now I've had a bit of practice getting clipped in and out of the pedals so I can avoid embarrassing tumbles at junctions and traffic lights and I've got to the point where I can put out enough watts over an hour to not get passed by joggers. Can't wait!
Sounds like you're all sorted to head outside, and a nice weekend forecast. Good idea to start with a local loop in case of unforeseen bike problems to sort out so you're never far from home. Also, practice changing an inner tube at home first. Not a good time to learn by the roadside I had found that since the start of lockdown in March, I hadn't done any serious exercise and I wasn't leaving the house much, apart from essential trips. I missed the fresh air and countryside from being out on a motorbike, so I thought I might be able to recapture a bit of that with a bicycle. Plus, rightly or wrongly, I wasn't that excited about going back to the gym, which I find to be a hassle anyway, as getting travel time there and back effectively matches the length of a workout and makes the process time-consuming and pretty dull. I live right on the edge of Newcastle and Northumberland and there are some great cycling routes around here, it seems a shame not to take advantage of it.
I decided on a road bike, because I did not anticipate going off road any more than down the odd gravel path to get between two different roads. I wanted a carbon bike, though I wasn't especially wedded to any particular frame material or brand. I looked at Canyon, Ribble, Planet X, Cannondale etc, but found that virtually everything is out of stock. except in the smallest or largest frames. I came to the realisation that I'd want two bikes, one for road use and one of at least similar geometry as a semi-permanent turbo trainer bike and that if I ordered a new bike now, I wouldn't get it until at least September.at the earliest. Plus, if I had a bike now, I could get some road miles in and start building up my fitness over autumn and winter, so I set out to get a used bike.
This isn't as easy as it seems either, because some stuff is either A) flagrantly stolen, B), overpriced for what they were and the condition they were in (looked a few "exceptional condition" bikes that looked good until you got to within 10 yards and then it became apparent they were clapped out) or C) sold within hours of going on sale.
Still, I managed to pick up this Planet X Pro-Carbon for a good price after a cheeky offer. The previous owner said he'd bought it and ridden it a little but but not gotten on with the geometry, so he stored it for a few years then sold it when he realised he wasn't going to do anything with it. The saddle it came with, which you can see in the photo below, is an AliExpress special and the pedals were worn out. The chain was ok but a little rough, probably from sitting and not moving for a while. The Shimano 105s feel super slick, the front and rear mech are in great condition and the cassette and front chain ring teeth are in great condition. It came with a decent set of wheels which were true and had really nice bearings, which is more than can be said for some of the bikes I looked at. "Fantastic condition", except the wheels are completely buggered. Thankfully, this bike just needed a clean and everything else was in good order, no expensive replacement parts needed.
I took it to a friend who has built or restored over 100 bikes to learn how to strip it down, look after it and set it up. ,We stripped the whole thing down and cleaned it inside out, give it a thorough check over and clean then reassembled it with new brake and gear cables. The Condor stem in this photo is a borrowed part as the stem the bike came with was a shiny carbon part which looked nice but was super long and with a really steep downward angle, which game the bike quite an unusual setup at a the front end which just wasn't comfortable for me. The chain could probably have been freed up, but I just stuck a new chain on it instead.
The bottle cage from the seat tube is now gone and the plastic one on there will be replaced by a carbon one soon, because grams count right? Especially when the bike will mostly live on a turbo trainer for the next few months.
Now, the bike is on a turbo trainer and I've been blowing the cobwebs off and starting to get fit again in Zwift, which is a fantastic way of making indoor training less dull. I stuck some flat pedals on it which have now been replaced with Shimano clipless pedals once my shoes and cleats arrived. The handlebars in that picture have been replaced with a slightly different profile of Planet X bars and the saddle height and bar position have been tweaked a bit based on my riding position.
The saddle in the picture was a torture rack with a really narrow nose and the rear portion being exceptionally narrow. I'm 6 foot all and 16 stone and my sit bones definitely need more room than that thing offered and riding on it was uncomfortable and even extremely painful, it was pinching a nerve when I was getting hard on the power which felt like sitting on the tip of a knife. I've swapped it for a Selle Italia which has a much bigger surface on the top of the nose and the sit bone-bearing portion is a bit wider and it's a massive improvement. I know that no road bike saddle is an arm chair but it's so much better in terms of comfort. I still think there are improvements to come so based on my sit bone width, which I've measured and my spine and hip flexibility, or lack of, Fizik recommend me their Aliante saddle, so I'm going to get one of those with a decent sized cut-out and mount that next.
I'm going to get out on the road if the weather is ok this weekend, now I've had a bit of practice getting clipped in and out of the pedals so I can avoid embarrassing tumbles at junctions and traffic lights and I've got to the point where I can put out enough watts over an hour to not get passed by joggers. Can't wait!
Edited by Mastodon2 on Wednesday 5th August 01:09
BrundanBianchi said:
Change the rear tyre before you get out on the road as well. It’s got a Turbo trainer specific tyre on it at present, that won’t work well on the road.
Yeah, pretty sure I did mention that but these aren't the wheels it came with, this is just a set of wheels my dad keeps for his turbo trainer which I'm using at the moment. My wheels are sitting in his garage. No way I'd ride a turbo trainer tyre on the road! Also, my wheels aren't as heavy as these, these are like old tank wheels.I'm resigned to the fact I'll be using his turbo trainer for a few months now, looks like no one is getting a Wahoo Kickr before November. I kind of wish I'd made the jump to get cycling before Covid-19 wiped the cycling kit stocks dry in shops and retailers and closed the factories that make the stuff. It will take a while for stuff to get back into stock.
Nice bike...congrats! But you keep saying "turbo trainer"...just get out on the roads, it's just brilliant for your physical and mental health. You have a long winter not that far away...a quick one hour whizz in the evenings is so good for the soul.
Also, on a trainer, you are very static, and any issues with saddle comfort or positioning will be amplfied. On the road you are much more mobile on the bike and will find it much easier on your body.
Enjoy!
Also, on a trainer, you are very static, and any issues with saddle comfort or positioning will be amplfied. On the road you are much more mobile on the bike and will find it much easier on your body.
Enjoy!
Hard-Drive said:
Nice bike...congrats! But you keep saying "turbo trainer"...just get out on the roads, it's just brilliant for your physical and mental health. You have a long winter not that far away...a quick one hour whizz in the evenings is so good for the soul.
Also, on a trainer, you are very static, and any issues with saddle comfort or positioning will be amplfied. On the road you are much more mobile on the bike and will find it much easier on your body.
Enjoy!
Thanks! Fully agreed on getting out, I'll be out this weekend and mixing outdoor riding with more structured indoor training. There will be plenty of time for indoor stuff over the looming winter.Also, on a trainer, you are very static, and any issues with saddle comfort or positioning will be amplfied. On the road you are much more mobile on the bike and will find it much easier on your body.
Enjoy!
The reason for wanting to get some turbo sessions in initially was lack of confidence in my fitness - thankfully I overestimated how much it had declined. I am still way too heavy, I'm 16 stone, whereas when I'm really working hard at diet and training I'd be below 14 stone. Still, a 30km loop at the weekend will be fun I expect, with spare inner tubes, tyre levers and multitool at the ready.
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