New to cycling, no idea what I’m doing

Hoks
Posts
182
Joined
5/5/2019
Location
Moncks Corner, SC US
7/2/2021 10:40am Edited Date/Time 8/5/2021 7:31pm
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100 to test my feet in it. I was an avid runner before I tore my ACL and now I’m looking for something to get a great workout in and give my knees a rest compared to running.

I have no idea what I should be looking for when it comes to good cycling clothing, pedals/shoes, or other random shit I just don’t know about.

I’m enjoying it so far, should I keep pumping money into this cheap bike or look for something nicer?
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Falcon
Posts
10041
Joined
11/16/2011
Location
Menifee, CA US
Fantasy
765th
7/2/2021 11:14am
I don't road cycle, but bicycle shops seem way cooler than MX stores. Go hang out and ask some questions.
7/2/2021 11:58am Edited Date/Time 7/2/2021 12:01pm
Ride with flats first. Go on a few group social rides with other cyclists.

Then bump up to c group. Flat pedals still fine to see if you’re gonna get full blown addicted.

I hate running. I push myself in the pace line for b groups. I can go about 35-40 in those. I get dropped pretty quick In A At the 25 mile mark. C I can ride comfortably, but b at 18-20mph I get a helluva workout. A is just insane Theyre 20-22 the entire time. If I don’t have a pace line to drag me along I’m dropped well before mile 26 in A.

Pro tip: if you don’t buy super nice shit you’ll never know what you’re missing.
FOSSILMOTO
Posts
36
Joined
5/1/2012
Location
Lakeland, FL US
7/2/2021 12:47pm
How tall are you ? I have a nice Jamis Ventura to get rid of... $250
Reynolds frame / carbon fork 9sp
Lakeland area
1

The Shop

Hoks
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182
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Moncks Corner, SC US
7/2/2021 5:41pm
FOSSILMOTO wrote:
How tall are you ? I have a nice Jamis Ventura to get rid of... $250
Reynolds frame / carbon fork 9sp
Lakeland area
I’m 6’1”

I have no idea what any of that means lol
KMC440
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7764
Joined
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Location
US
7/2/2021 6:46pm Edited Date/Time 7/2/2021 6:47pm
FOSSILMOTO wrote:
How tall are you ? I have a nice Jamis Ventura to get rid of... $250
Reynolds frame / carbon fork 9sp
Lakeland area
But can you ride gnarly wheelies on it ? 😎


(i gots no ideers either Hoks)
1
7/3/2021 7:15am Edited Date/Time 7/3/2021 7:15am
Bontrager is made by trek. Trek has really great warranties. Bontrager shoes with the boa closure system are semi stiff and give you good base for making power with clip ins. Reasonably priced around $120.
1
7/3/2021 7:19am Edited Date/Time 7/3/2021 7:20am
I’ve got a 56cm felt z100. Aluminum frame carbon fork I will ship to you. Freshly tuned. New chain. Ready to rip. Never crashed. Never ridden in the rain. Really great entry level bike that won’t break the bank. I just upgraded to a full carbon cervelo. Probably spent more than I should of.





If I don’t sell this baby it’ll probably be my bad weather riding days bike. Although breaks my heart to do that. This bike is clean.
1
Nighttrain
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2620
Joined
12/5/2011
Location
Charleston, SC US
7/3/2021 8:09am
Hoks wrote:
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100...
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100 to test my feet in it. I was an avid runner before I tore my ACL and now I’m looking for something to get a great workout in and give my knees a rest compared to running.

I have no idea what I should be looking for when it comes to good cycling clothing, pedals/shoes, or other random shit I just don’t know about.

I’m enjoying it so far, should I keep pumping money into this cheap bike or look for something nicer?
Don’t go cheap on shoes and shorts. Those a comfort points on a bike that can help you ride further and faster.
3
7/4/2021 12:52pm
Pulling up 10 strokes and pushing 10 strokes keeps you on the fight when you’re on the verge of being dropped….lol
porterhouse
Posts
60
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
C Bad, CA US
7/7/2021 1:56pm
It’s easy to obsess over small details and spend way too much so focus on the basics to get you going without too much expense and keep you comfortable: helmet, glasses, cycling shorts or bib shorts for comfort in the saddle, jersey to keep you cool that has pockets for stuff, water bottles, and take a little food if you go on a long ride. Get a small saddle bag and carry a spare tube/Co2 cartridges/Co2 filler. Before you ride, get a good floor pump/pressure gauge, air up your tires, lube your chain and be ready to change a flat out on the road.

There is a definite threshold with bicycle parts and gear. Cheap stuff is cheap and doesn’t last. Middle of the road typically lasts the longest, is heavier, and function often close to the expensive stuff. The most expensive stuff is the typically the best performing and lightest, but durability suffers. Plenty of great performing mid priced stuff that will last a long time.

As a moto guy you might enjoy mountain or mixed surface riding. I find myself doing a lot more mixed surface riding with fat tires on my drop bar bike.

4
LoudLove
Posts
1699
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Location
US
7/10/2021 5:59am
Helmet. Get a good one. Bike shops should have an inventory between $50-100. Yeah, not cheap, but if there’s one cycling item that warrants spending a bit of cash, it’s the device that helps protects the noggin. (The $100+ helmets are not necessarily safer, but do have nicer features and weight a little less.).

Also, try to avoid dumping money in a $100 bike. Tune it, ride it, and save your $$$ for a nicer ride.
1
Markee
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Location
Suffolk, VA US
Fantasy
2006th
7/13/2021 6:18am
Hoks, First off, what bike did you get for a 100 bucks?

Incase you didn't know. Performance bikes come in different sizes to fit inseam leg length and upper torso. Fit IS the most important. If you are not comfortable, you won't do it no matter how much or less you spend.

One hurdle people knew to any form of long distance cycling have trouble adapting to a proper saddle. Most people believe the wider and more padding the better. Not so. Your legs are the pistons and crank shaft, the less friction the better, thats why a big ass seat doesn't work. A cycling seat supports your pelvic "sit bones", gives relief to your ass balls connector and supports your "package" to be frank.

Get a standard pair of cycling shorts, you can wear them under loose fitting shorts as well.

Find a local bike shop with good reviews. I'll go ahead and warn you, Mountain and Road cyclist are geeks. They get all lost in the weeds with tech / specs. I worked at my local bike shop for 12 years.

The bike Gorgie posted is a perfect example of performance vs cost.

-Carbon fork (good flex to soak up bumps)
-Aluminum frame (Light and inexpensive)
-Standard components (nothing fancy, they work fine)

A 56cm is a tad small normally for someone that is 6,1 but can be made to work for sure.

Good luck.

Team Ideal
Posts
1142
Joined
9/22/2008
Location
Ste. Marie, IL US
7/13/2021 6:42am
I started cycling about 4 years ago. Started out just like you as a complete noob. I inherited an older road bike from my son that I put the flat pedals back on on started riding. I loved it. I'm now on my third bike and while not a complete geek I've drove in pretty deep lol.

Markee has great advise. Start with some good cycling shorts and make sure your bike fit is correct. Join a local group and find a good shop nearby. I upgraded bikes every year buying used and finally found a great bike last spring that I will probably keep for a long time. Deals right now are kind of hard to find so I'd just take your time and make sure it's something you're going to enjoy before jumping in to deep. All you need right now is a good pair of shorts and time to make sure it's something you want to do more of.
1
Hoks
Posts
182
Joined
5/5/2019
Location
Moncks Corner, SC US
7/15/2021 8:36pm
Markee wrote:
Hoks, First off, what bike did you get for a 100 bucks? Incase you didn't know. Performance bikes come in different sizes to fit inseam leg...
Hoks, First off, what bike did you get for a 100 bucks?

Incase you didn't know. Performance bikes come in different sizes to fit inseam leg length and upper torso. Fit IS the most important. If you are not comfortable, you won't do it no matter how much or less you spend.

One hurdle people knew to any form of long distance cycling have trouble adapting to a proper saddle. Most people believe the wider and more padding the better. Not so. Your legs are the pistons and crank shaft, the less friction the better, thats why a big ass seat doesn't work. A cycling seat supports your pelvic "sit bones", gives relief to your ass balls connector and supports your "package" to be frank.

Get a standard pair of cycling shorts, you can wear them under loose fitting shorts as well.

Find a local bike shop with good reviews. I'll go ahead and warn you, Mountain and Road cyclist are geeks. They get all lost in the weeds with tech / specs. I worked at my local bike shop for 12 years.

The bike Gorgie posted is a perfect example of performance vs cost.

-Carbon fork (good flex to soak up bumps)
-Aluminum frame (Light and inexpensive)
-Standard components (nothing fancy, they work fine)

A 56cm is a tad small normally for someone that is 6,1 but can be made to work for sure.

Good luck.

The bike I got for $100 was an old GMC Denali road bike. It’s been great but recently I’ve been busting through tubes so I’m wondering if the rim just needs replaced… At this point I’m not sure if I replace the rim(s) or just fork out for something new.
308
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Location
Des Moines, IA US
Fantasy
4342nd
7/16/2021 8:40am
Hoks wrote:
The bike I got for $100 was an old GMC Denali road bike. It’s been great but recently I’ve been busting through tubes so I’m wondering...
The bike I got for $100 was an old GMC Denali road bike. It’s been great but recently I’ve been busting through tubes so I’m wondering if the rim just needs replaced… At this point I’m not sure if I replace the rim(s) or just fork out for something new.
Fork out for something better. Nothing on that GMC is worth replacing other than tubes.
Find a used name brand bike in your size. Likely a 58cm.
3
1
Hoks
Posts
182
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Location
Moncks Corner, SC US
7/27/2021 6:34pm
Went with the recommendations and visited four different local shops. 2 of those actually had bikes in inventory to sell. Specialized and Trek. Specialized guys seemed like they really wanted to get a bunch of money out of me, but didn’t really want to talk unless I showed interest in actually buying something (I told them I was looking at every bike shop in the area and trying to find something right for me).

Trek wanted to make sure I knew what the hell i was looking for, explained different components and the pros/cons of buying top, mid, and lower line stuff. Put me on a bike and gave me a helmet and told me to take it around the block a few times to see how it felt. It was a Trek Domane AL 2. I went ahead and put a $100 retainer on it so they don’t sell it while I think it over. All in it’s about $1400 which is more than what I’d like to spend… but the other option is dump money into this bike I already have and hope it holds up, or buy a 8-9 year old used bike for around $400.

Does anyone have anything bad to say about Trek? There are so many brands of bikes out there.
5
308
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Location
Des Moines, IA US
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4342nd
7/28/2021 8:19am Edited Date/Time 7/28/2021 4:07pm
Hoks wrote:
Went with the recommendations and visited four different local shops. 2 of those actually had bikes in inventory to sell. Specialized and Trek. Specialized guys seemed...
Went with the recommendations and visited four different local shops. 2 of those actually had bikes in inventory to sell. Specialized and Trek. Specialized guys seemed like they really wanted to get a bunch of money out of me, but didn’t really want to talk unless I showed interest in actually buying something (I told them I was looking at every bike shop in the area and trying to find something right for me).

Trek wanted to make sure I knew what the hell i was looking for, explained different components and the pros/cons of buying top, mid, and lower line stuff. Put me on a bike and gave me a helmet and told me to take it around the block a few times to see how it felt. It was a Trek Domane AL 2. I went ahead and put a $100 retainer on it so they don’t sell it while I think it over. All in it’s about $1400 which is more than what I’d like to spend… but the other option is dump money into this bike I already have and hope it holds up, or buy a 8-9 year old used bike for around $400.

Does anyone have anything bad to say about Trek? There are so many brands of bikes out there.
Both Specialized and Trek make quality bikes. Even their lower end models will be leaps ahead of your GMC.

I have seen several used but in very good condition Domane AL 2's go for well under a grand locally.

My 2019 Trek Checkpoint SL5 has almost 12k miles on the frame and I have had hardly any issues with it so far. Although I have upgraded most of the group set over the last two years. I hope to get at least another year out of my Checkpoint before upgrading to a similar model.
1
Team Ideal
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1142
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Location
Ste. Marie, IL US
7/28/2021 8:37am
My son, wife and I all own Trek's. Hers is one of the cheaper (for a Trek) unisex bikes, my sons is a Domane 4 I think and I have a Domane 6. We haven't had any trouble with them at all. My son does most of the maintenance on his and I just keep mine and the wife's chain lubed and take mine in once a year for a good going over and get a new chain.

We've had her a new Trek Sport Carbon 4 on order for well over a year. It's finally supposed to be in this weekend. I'll be surprised, we've heard that more than once. If you can find one in stock you like snatch it up.
1
7/29/2021 8:43am
Today will be 3 days in a row riding a bike, polished alum frame cannondale f500. I bought it in 96 , after a knee reconstruction. I love it no hands riding is so easy. I,m riding twice a day, to get better blood flow to my 22 and 10 stitch incisions. 2nd pic is

5 weeks after injury, infected wound.
4
Nairb#70
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1553
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2/25/2020
Location
Ivoryton, CT US
7/29/2021 2:18pm
Today will be 3 days in a row riding a bike, polished alum frame cannondale f500. I bought it in 96 , after a knee reconstruction...
Today will be 3 days in a row riding a bike, polished alum frame cannondale f500. I bought it in 96 , after a knee reconstruction. I love it no hands riding is so easy. I,m riding twice a day, to get better blood flow to my 22 and 10 stitch incisions. 2nd pic is

5 weeks after injury, infected wound.
Evidently, he is still part of the "black sox brigade".
Hoks
Posts
182
Joined
5/5/2019
Location
Moncks Corner, SC US
7/29/2021 3:27pm
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Went with the Trek Domane AL 2 Disc.

Got some basic clipless shoes and pedals, an oh shit kit, and I’m good.

2
skeef
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1203
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Location
AZ US
Fantasy
1571st
7/29/2021 5:16pm Edited Date/Time 7/29/2021 5:17pm
Are speedplays still the beez knees for clips?

When you do go clips I reccomend going speedplays! If you start clocking miles you are going to wish you had clips.
Nairb#70
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1553
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Location
Ivoryton, CT US
7/31/2021 9:15am
Hoks wrote:
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100...
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100 to test my feet in it. I was an avid runner before I tore my ACL and now I’m looking for something to get a great workout in and give my knees a rest compared to running.

I have no idea what I should be looking for when it comes to good cycling clothing, pedals/shoes, or other random shit I just don’t know about.

I’m enjoying it so far, should I keep pumping money into this cheap bike or look for something nicer?
I hope it is a safe place, but do some thread hunting with the topic of Mike Allesi and cycling in the State of Florida. Some scary shit!
Hoks
Posts
182
Joined
5/5/2019
Location
Moncks Corner, SC US
7/31/2021 12:06pm
Hoks wrote:
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100...
Moved for Florida, finally feel like I live in a safe area to cycle on the roads. Bought a used bike off Facebook marketplace for $100 to test my feet in it. I was an avid runner before I tore my ACL and now I’m looking for something to get a great workout in and give my knees a rest compared to running.

I have no idea what I should be looking for when it comes to good cycling clothing, pedals/shoes, or other random shit I just don’t know about.

I’m enjoying it so far, should I keep pumping money into this cheap bike or look for something nicer?
Nairb#70 wrote:
I hope it is a safe place, but do some thread hunting with the topic of Mike Allesi and cycling in the State of Florida. Some...
I hope it is a safe place, but do some thread hunting with the topic of Mike Allesi and cycling in the State of Florida. Some scary shit!
Is anywhere not frightening? People always on their phones, FaceTiming, or just plain not caring.

I came from SC where I never even entertained the idea because I was so terrified of traffic. At least here where I’m at there is 2-3 feet of paved shoulder on 90% of the roads.
2
7/31/2021 4:59pm
San Antonio tx is wildly bike friendly. People are laid back. And they give you the full lane. I was quite amazed.
eeazye
Posts
246
Joined
10/22/2009
Location
Akron, OH US
8/3/2021 5:54am
I’ve got a 56cm felt z100. Aluminum frame carbon fork I will ship to you. Freshly tuned. New chain. Ready to rip. Never crashed. Never ridden...
I’ve got a 56cm felt z100. Aluminum frame carbon fork I will ship to you. Freshly tuned. New chain. Ready to rip. Never crashed. Never ridden in the rain. Really great entry level bike that won’t break the bank. I just upgraded to a full carbon cervelo. Probably spent more than I should of.





If I don’t sell this baby it’ll probably be my bad weather riding days bike. Although breaks my heart to do that. This bike is clean.
I’m interested in getting into cycling and would consider buying your bike. I sent you a PM. Let me know if you’re still interested in selling it.
1

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