I recently have gotten into cycling over the past month or so (I'm in my mid 20s for reference). Work with a guy who has done a lot of road cycling & some mountain biking for several years, and he's convinced me to pick up the hobby. He did me a solid and found me a great deal on a 2022 All-City Spacehorse Gravel bike - I've been riding it 3-4 times per week for the last month, exclusively on road so far, as there are not many gravel/dirt trails near where I live.
I've found it very addicting and am already making some progress in speed/endurance. On relatively flat ground and minimal wind, I can average around 17-18mph over a 20 mile ride. Definitely want to keep improving and chasing better numbers.
Any cyclists on here have any general advice for me? E.g. training habits, bike maintenance tips, etc?
Nice, I have a love/hate with road cycling. I'm more of an offroad/bmx rider but I do like spinning on the road bike. I have a carbon gravel bike that I usually just use on the road. The fun thing with those is you can get bigger tires or an extra cx wheelset and switch between a road weapon and a gravel/trail friendly bike.
Advice: Always be safe and really be aware of your surroundings. Namely, crap on the road and crazy drivers. I ride with a headlight and taillight at all times just to try and help visibility. Always bring an extra tube and tiny pump! Always bring enough/extra water and a snack as well.
Maintenance: Definitely keep up on cleaning the chain, they can get surprisingly grungy from road riding and the more you keep up on it the longer it'll last and not be such a pain to clean (like if you wait until it's caked with shit). Other than that, just obvious checks over fasteners/spokes and tire pressure.
Don't think you have the right of way. Give way and yield to auto traffic. The idiots driving are dumber than the cyclist thinking they have the same right to be on the road
I have a like / dislike relationship with cyclists. I try to avoid them and give them decent space. But fuck are they entitled shits. The road I live on, they'll ride in groups of 2,4,8,20 and do you think they'll move over and let you by? Fuck no. And if I'm going home, slightly up hill so they go REAL slow. Too many curves to go around them if they don't move over. So, I make it a point to not hold up traffic when I ride my bike. My only advice, don't be "that guy" because I don't want you making them angry and then I'm the next guy they come up on and take it out on me when I'm riding my bike.
TM
Drivers are the worst part of cycling, buy a mountain bike and go off road.
If there's lots of snakes around, learn to bunny hop!
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Yeah, Those nasty drivers that actually paid for the road in the form of gas taxes.
Those nasty driver who are too busy texting to notice other traffic.
LOL, like the people on bikes are not on their phone?
You know how many times I've stepped off a curb walking and some ass on a bike thinks he's just going to fly around a right turn and almost run me over?
Entitled shits many of them are. And they create hateful attitude from others with their entitled ways. And it'll just be my luck when I'm out on my bike that some ass wants frustration revenge and fuck with me. Like I need that shit? Like I said, don't be "that guy"
Did you look before you stepped off the curb?
The roads are dangerous...
That's why I suggested mountain biking!
Maybe you don't live in a developed country? But here, we have something called cross walks, and intersections with lights. And when the light is red, you're supposed to stop, even on a bicycle. And, they have little light up walking guys that say it's your turn to walk. Maybe one day they'll have things like that where you live too.
"Maybe you don't live in a developed country? But here, we have something called cross walks, and intersections with lights. And when the light is red, you're supposed to stop"
LOL...
Zwift... some people dont get on with it but I love it. I can be a cyclist without pissing off 100's of drivers and putting myself in danger. I'm in the UK, but the basis is the same, humans and 3 ton vehicles moving at 60mph dont mix.
I find zwift rides are more focused, more targeted and more efficient. Also way cheaper long term as you don't wear anything out, other than very minor drive train wear.
Chain Wax is a game changer. You can use it in bottle/liquid form or go all out and use the hot wax dip method. But your chains will stay better lubed and cleaner for longer, with less drag as well.
Don’t overspend. New cyclists are often swayed by YouTube, dealerships, and other riders to buy the latest tech. Your best option might be the best-fitting frame with a lower grade equipment package. Even Shimano’s lower tech stuff is really, really good. Just perform routine maintenance and upgrade when necessary.
You think cyclists don't own motor vehicles and pay taxes as well?
Some do some don't. Fact of the matter is, most are decent, then you get the few that make everybody despise them. I know 100 fucking percent that when a car swervs close to me on a bike, it's because the entitled few pissed him/her off. The same as the insanely small percentage of dirt bike motorcycle riders "wheelie boys" create a bad reputation for all of us and make people think we are all stupid thugs. So, be a good ambassador for those of us that that don't want to get killed because of the entitled few.
TM
I plan on avoiding riding on actual roads as often as possible - been doing most of my riding on paved paths adjacent to roads. I definitely don't trust drivers either (especially in FL), so I would rather not push my luck.
Valid point, I've definitely been the driver held up by a group of entitled cyclists and it bothers me to no end.
Any particular chain lube/wax that you'd recommend?
Thanks for making a good point. Damn Illegal alien that didn't assimilate to the ways of the developed nation that I live in and call home.
But now he'll be on his way home thanks to King Trump. Maybe you too can learn to live in a developed nation. 🤣
Pit Row
I choose to believe that most drivers have the patience to wait for the cyclist to move over when safe. But when they just continue to "stay in the way" or not follow the rules of the road (like they are legally supposed to) it just causes bad blood between car drivers and cyclists. And to be fair, there's plenty of ass hole drivers that don't need any reason to show us they are ass holes. That's just who they are.
When road cycling I subscribe to the law of gross tonnage over any written law. Sure, I may have the “right”, but choosing not to exercise that right is often more prudent.
And yes, cyclists are their own worst enemy. Which is why I choose to ride solo. I have ridden thousands of miles within a 20 mile radius of my home and had very, very few encounters. My closest call was the right front fender of a county sheriff’s vehicle! A polite “I see what you did there” wave generates better returns than an extended middle finger.
Strava
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