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Now i'm no expert but i'm a keen cyclist nonetheless.

A lot of this comes down to personal preference, ha easy to say, there endeth the advice......

 

I have progressed through the various stages of cycling and choosing a new bike each time involved a few months of searching, visiting stores and testing them to get the right one. To which end my latest bike, is a carbon fibre road bike which is light to the point where you can pick it up with one finger! I don't recommend jumping straight to road/racing bikes though.

 

For a start it depends what surfaces you are intending to cycle on: /roads/paths/dirt tracks/rough terrain.

As Ned is fairly flat I imagine mountain bikes are out of the question???!!!

 

For beginners Hybrids can be a good start, gives you good speed on the flat and the tyres & overall design can be more suitable/forgiving for dirt paths. Best of both worlds city and country. this would be my recommendation straight away. I still hang on to my old Hybrid as it's a great all-rounder.

 

Suspension/No Suspension?

Again depending on your surface, If its mainly flat i'd avoid. They add unnecessary weight slowing you down. I've not had suspension for years, this has been firstly counteracted by purchasing a gel seat (v.comfortable) and also by simply looking ahead, I know simple right?

 

Gears?

A standard double is usually the preferred choice for racing. Thats 2 Front chainrings and 10/11 to the rear.

The front derailleur can be the week link in most bikes, if not tuned properly the chain endlessly comes off when changing the front  (high/med/low) chainrings. Most typically have 3 front.

 

Disc Brakes are a must!

 

Here in the UK it's the new midlife crisis as supposed to playing golf, therefore the prices here have increased significantly. I wouldn't reccommened spending over £150-200 on your first sports/road bike. If you can buy it from smaller independent shops, rather than larger chains you'll get a better servcie and Fit. 

 

Fit does really matter! This is by far the most important aspect. as you move into the sport bike category they're almost tailored/based on your size. Mainly your leg/height dimensions need to be accounted for. A quick google will tell you most things, too long to explain. a proper fitting bike is imperative as you can do yourself more harm than good to your knees and muscles if it's wrong. Going independent they'll know exactly what they're talking about, plus things like aftercare servicing/repairs/tedious questions they'll be more than accommodating. I'd recommend you buy one pre-built or pay extra for them to build if for you, unless you like DIY?

 

Don't expect to be keeping up with the Tour de France crowd immediately, as Scrappy says, try building your stamina. a few miles a night (2-5miles) for a week or two. Your bottom will hurt in the beginning as you're not used to the position and constant pummelling, you build up a tolerance after a while. Then increase to 10miles a day and go from there. It'l get easier

 

When time allowed I could fit in 20miles in an evening, daily. This meant tacking the longer Sportive's far easier 50/75/100 seem a doddle!

 

I may have digressed slightly whilst writing this, hope it helps!

 

 

And lastly NO I don't not own any lycra shorts, I have and will continue to resist!

:bandit:

QuickBreakdown and Substanz like this
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I had a shitty ass bike,But here main top tips for your safety.

1- Don't get killed.

2- Don't go bad hoods.

3-Don't go fast,if you do then use your barefoot as brakes (tested 100%)

4-if you have no brakes,use your pistol to shoot at people/cars,shouting won't do any good believe me.

 

 

 

 

 

I already feel my skin chafing.

 

-skip
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