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HELP!IM A NOOB WHO NEEDS ADVICE!

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  • March 20, 2016 at 10:20 am #25511
    NoobRoadie101

    Hiya guys,im 14 and I just got a carrera virtuoso of ebay for £100 or $150 and ive got £70 or $100 to spend,I have no gear,not even a helmet,Im thinking off getting a setup and used clipless pedals and mtb shoes with cleates cost me £30(my pedals are crap cage ones),setup maybe £20,cycling clothess?.Also any general tips for road biking is apreciated.oh yeah and in a month im getting £150 and I wanna spend some on my bike/gear?Cheers guys.

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  • March 31, 2016 at 3:14 pm #868721
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    peddleaway

    Id go for some okay cycling

    Id go for some okay cycling shoes but pack them with some decent insoles (it comes out cheaper that way and you will find them more comfortable too.. well I did anyway.

    March 29, 2016 at 7:45 pm #868719
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    barbarus

    Usually you can do some rides
    Usually you can do some rides with a club without joining to begin with. There are teenagers not much older than you who ride with my local club. A couple of them are much quicker than the older guys!

    March 28, 2016 at 10:19 am #868717
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    Simon E

    See what clubs there are in

    See what clubs there are in your area, you might find one (or more) that is welcoming and you feel comfortable with.

    Our club has members of all ages who ride bikes, from 5 up to 85+. The junior section includes nippers who’ve just graduated from balance bikes to teenagers competing at national level in the velodrome, circuit races & time trials. There are also ones who just like going out with their dad on the Sunday social ride.

    March 28, 2016 at 9:29 am #868715
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    NoobRoadie101

    Okay,so what I got from this

    Okay,so what I got from this is buy clothes and essentials,do my own bike fit,ride as much as I can.if I get £100 is it worth buying upgrades or shall I save and get another bike?Also,wouldnt it be kinda weird if I went to a bike club,considering im only 14,ive checked for clubs and alot say anyone can join but idk,what do you guys think.I have a older brother who I sometimes ride with a

    March 23, 2016 at 10:36 pm #868713
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    Simon E

    Leviathan wrote:

    Leviathan wrote:
    This comes under the ‘lifes too short’ category along with pretty much anything else. Well done on finding a doctor on the internet to stigmatize ordinary behaviour.

    A specialist’s advice constitutes stigmatising ordinary behaviour? Oh dear. Have you been drinking?

    But you’re right, shorts don’t go over the knee. If they did they wouldn’t be shorts.

    March 23, 2016 at 10:27 pm #868711
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    barbarus

    Welcine, it’s great to have
    Welcine, it’s great to have younger people cycling.
    My advice: ride as much as you can, listen to advice here and from people you meet riding but mostly just work out what you enjoy. Have fun!

    March 23, 2016 at 9:49 pm #868709
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    Leviathan

    18.3°C, so basically if it

    18.3°C, so basically if it isn’t room temperature don’t have your knees out. So yeah, in the UK that would be 97% of the time. I don’t know if you noticed but it is easier to cycle without stuff around your legs, which is why traditional bike shorts don’t go over the knee. I’ll decide for myself what constitutes summer, and it won’t be just three days in August.

    This comes under the ‘lifes too short’ category along with pretty much anything else. Well done on finding a doctor on the internet to stigmatize ordinary behaviour. I will wager my ‘some guy on the internet says you will be okay’ against this doctor’s poppycock any day. Anyone for another slice of cake?

    March 23, 2016 at 8:57 pm #868707
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    Simon E

    Leviathan wrote:

    Leviathan wrote:
    I am plenty old enough and plenty wise enough, Simon. Your usual backhanded compliments notwithstanding; I suggest you aren’t working hard enough to generate a bit of a sweat. At 16C I wear a short sleeved jersey in the dry, so the idea that I would still be wearing tights or warmers at 15 is well off the mark. Telling people what you do is fine, but projecting it as the ‘done thing’ is wrong. What you wrote is not common practise; kids love condescension  (winky smile.)

    I’m not telling anyone what to do. I believe the advice to cyclists to cover their knees in cooler temperatures is sensible and based on good reasoning. I choose to cover my legs but I wouldn’t castigate anyone who prefers to ride bare-legged, whatever their reasoning.

    Is it common practice? I have no idea, that’s not how I make decisions.

    You can ignore it. Everyone can ignore it. That’s OK. But I wouldn’t be so arrogant as to dismiss a sensible suggestion as “guff” simply because I disagree.

    As for the heat you or I generate from pedalling hard, if it was proportional then I’d never need to wear gloves while riding to work on a cold morning. I find that even in winter my core easily gets quite hot in a short time but that warmth doesn’t usually reach my forearms, knees or toes. I wish it did!

    March 23, 2016 at 5:36 pm #868705
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    rjfrussell

    If you are 14, surely

    If you are 14, surely spending money on a bike fit is just throwing money away-  you’ll be a different size and shape in a month’s time.  Most decent bike shops will set you up pretty well on your bike for you if you buy some kit from them.

    March 23, 2016 at 5:16 pm #868701
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    Jacobi

    All good advice from everyone

    All good advice from everyone above.

    Lights – don’t forget a decent set of lights. Every now and then the police have a purge on cyclists without them. They can work out cheaper than a fixed penalty for not having any.

     

    March 23, 2016 at 5:16 pm #868703
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    Leviathan
    Simon E wrote:
    Leviathan wrote:
    Please don’t listen to anything about keeping your legs covered up up to 15C, that is a load of old guff

    You might not say that when you’re older (and hopefully wiser) 😉

    I am plenty old enough and plenty wise enough, Simon. Your usual backhanded compliments notwithstanding; I suggest you aren’t working hard enough to generate a bit of a sweat. At 16C I wear a short sleeved jersey in the dry, so the idea that I would still be wearing tights or warmers at 15 is well off the mark. Telling people what you do is fine, but projecting it as the ‘done thing’ is wrong. What you wrote is not common practise; kids love condescension  (winky smile.)

    March 23, 2016 at 4:49 pm #868699
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    matthewn5

    Rather than a bike fit, go to

    Rather than a bike fit, go to here:

    http://www.competitivecyclist.com/Store/catalog/fitCalculatorBike.jsp

    If you measure yourself up carefully, I found this works exceptionally well. You can usually get the fit you want without spending much at all. If you need a longer/shorter stem look on Ebay, they are really cheap second hand.

    +1 for keeping your bike in good working order, there are lots of videos on the web for most things.

    And don’t overlook Decathlon for cheap decent cycling clothes. I got a jersey there for under a tenner, still wear it sometimes.

    March 23, 2016 at 3:26 pm #868697
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    Simon E
    Leviathan wrote:
    Please don’t listen to anything about keeping your legs covered up up to 15C, that is a load of old guff

    You might not say that when you’re older (and hopefully wiser) 😉

    March 22, 2016 at 9:03 pm #868695
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    Dnnnnnn

    Welcome!

    Welcome!

    Some good advice on here, particularly about no wasting money on a bike fit. Certainly you can figure that stuff out for yourself – but is your bike itself the right size?

    I see some people mentioning Aldi – their stuff can be good, if – as some have noted – the sizing can be a bit odd. But they take stuff back if it doesn’t fit. Likewise Lidl, who I notice were selling bike stuff at the moment. Also, and not just an occasional seller – if you’re near a Decathlon store, their stuff is often great value.

    Having people to go out with is a good motivator and source of wisdom. There’s doubtless be a local cycling club – but if they’re a bit too serious or snooty have a look on MeetUp.com.

    March 22, 2016 at 6:40 pm #868693
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    Leviathan

    Please don’t listen to

    Please don’t listen to anything about keeping your legs covered up up to 15C, that is a load of old guff, I see muggins in tights and winter jackets sweating their wotsits off in June. 10C or lower maybe, 8 or lower probably 6 or lower definitely and if it is wet take a couple of degrees off. But if you would be playing football/going for a jog in shorts then you cycle in them. 

    Take all this advise with a pinch of salt; people will project their opinion of what is right based on the way they ride, it may not work for you. As Sergius says above, if you are just starting to ride you should just expect a little discomfort, you are still growing, so a bike fit might wait when there are other things to buy first.

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