Advice for a total noob!

[cyclebum]

Can't argue with the advice given already and well done for taking the plunge.

As far as the quitting smoking is concerned this is more my field than cycling and I think someone has already mentioned realistic goals. Setting yourself a fixed goal may not necessarily be the best approach as it can be demoralising if you get to 2 weeks and find you are not where you hoped to be. I have worked with hundreds of smokers in the past and every experience is different so there are no diffinative time markers (some have no problems at all while others go through a whole range!)

I would start 'practicing' with your bike ASAP and take it gently. Remember when you get up Good Friday to have no smoking related stuff near you to get in the way. Some people like to have a hidden stash but personally I don't hold with this as it is always too much of a temptation. If you do cough and wheeze as has been mentioned just remember it is only the body finally being able to do the job it was designed to do, and this will all depend on how much, how long, how efficiently you have smoked.

Good luck with it all, you sound pretty determined to stick at it, good on you

 

[Ham]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am currently trawling the net to find the right bike for the job. I am leaning towards the Road/Tour (audax?- excuse my ignorance!) bike to maximise speed/comfort. My route will be on main roads/dual carriageways with some, but not all, cycle ways.

I have picked Good Friday to quit the fags coz I am in Suffolk at the in-laws who, though not, virulent anti-smokers, have no smoking in the house - so no temptation to kick it off!

 

[Crackle]

I have an Audax a Dawes Audax 2006 available at spa cycles www.spacycles.co.uk Naturally I can recommend it! Currently a good price.

 

[Paulus]

Hi there Ham, An Audax bike is like a racing bikes slightly bigger brother, but not as big as a full blown tourer. It has similer, but not the same frame angles but will be comfortable on long day rides, Audax rides over set distances. They are well suited to light weight touring and commuting. I have had a Dawes Audax for ten years and I would not give it up.

 

[fossyant]

Go with the advice about an Audax or a road hybrid (Spesh Sirrus type) - 17 miles is a long way on the road on an MTB, and as a 'beginner' you'll hate it.

If you eventually want to MTB, then buy one for that purpose. I used to do a regular 20 mile each way commute, but that was done on a road bike which I fitted mudguards to in Winter. I also used the MTB in bad weather, and that was hard work.

My commute now if 8 miles each way, and I use my MTB, but that's for the workout and saving the nice bikes for weekend.

Start off with one or two days a week, pick the better weather days if you can, then you won't get put off. You'll soon be riding in all weathers. And to quote "There is no bad weather, just bad clothing".

 

[Andy in Sig]

Touring bike and a couple of decent panniers.

 

[bonj2]

I've always been suspicious of the "mtb 'AS' a commuter" school of thought. If you want to do MTBing, you want to get a PROPER mtb, i.e. one with fat tyres and suspension, and that therefore isn't good for doing long distances on the road (in a reasonable time) on.
For 17 miles you definitely want a road bike.

My advice which I use, being an ex smoker, is to USE cycling to help you keep off smoking.
So start cycling while you're still smoking. Then give up smoking, and see how much faster you get. i.e., the fact that you're better at cycling is motivation to not smoke.

 

[Arch]

My advice which I use, being an ex smoker, is to USE cycling to help you keep off smoking.

Or, use smoking to keep you cycling. Get a mate to drive just ahead of you, with a fag dangling from a stick, like a donkey with a carrot...

Sorry. Spoken with the smugness of a non-smoker. But also with the voice of someone who currently has no will power whatsoever. Good luck with it all Ham!

 

[simonali]

I used to do a 20 mile (each way) commute on a slick tyred MTB and it was no problem at all, so I don't know why people are saying it would be? It's still a bike!

It also meant that I could ride along the river on the way home in the summer, which wouldn't have been comfortable on a road bike. On a fatter tyred bike, i.e. a hybrid/MTB, you have more options for alternative routes if you have a little more time on your hands.

Used to like that ride, I got on the river at Walton-On-Thames and had to get back on the road near Old Windsor, where the river went through the grounds of Windsor Castle. Got back on it again in Eton.

 

[iacula]

I concur with the others about breaking yourself in gently, try shortening the journey or doing it alternate days etc. My experience of commuting tells me though that if you give yourself a choice you'll be tempted to take the easy option. So, sell the car or let another member of the family use it, who cares if it rains you'll feel so virtuous, your warm glow will evaporate the wet as it hits your body.

 

[killiekosmos]

Hi,

You've got lots of advice from others on bikes/clothes etc. You may find 18 miles each way a bit of a challenge early on. We are talking about maybe an hour and a half extra each way. Does your work have showers? Your route seems to have a lot of busy roads - are you comfortable cycling in fast traffic? Buy a copy of Cyclecraft and get practicing. You could try cycling in one day and back the next so that your legs get a chance to recover or if the weather is bad.

Good luck

 

[twowheelsgood]

I would seriously think about only cycling one way to start with maybe 2-3 times a week and then build up, that's a serious distance to do from no fitness base at all. It's definitely doable but do you really want to be on the road 2-3 hours a day in total? You will be to start with. Distance isn't difficult even for complete novices, it's keeping a consistant, fast pace that comes with practice. It's great you have the enthusiasm though. Also this time of the year, you're likely to be in the dark quite a bit....

As for the bike, I'd go tourer or audax with the capacity to take up to a 32mm and down to a 23mm tyre and definitely with the ability to take mudguards and a pannier. The main decision you'll need to make is flat bars or drops. Everyone has an opinion on this but in general flats give you better control in traffic and drops can be more comfortable over longer distances. A good compromise is flat bars with bar-ends. As this type of bike is not exactly fashionable, you can quite often get good buys secondhand. You can use an MTB converted but this often is more hassle than it's worth and to me never feels as good as a real road machine. Most have suspension forks that you definitely don't want, the wrong tyres and the wrong gearing (usually a 44T) - why bother? Ultimately if you are going to ride distance onroad and go offroad, the only satisfactory solution is 2 bikes. Aim for Deore or better level equipment from Shimano or Tiagra or better from the road range. Unfortunately campag doesn't work very neatly in commuter bikes without changing rings - the previously recommended 48-38-28 or 26 triple is advice worth heading. Nearly all standard road/race kit is too tall for general use.

You really don't need all that much special kit to start, just the padded shorts. For the rest, other sports kit is fine AS LONG AS IT ISN'T COTTON. It gets wet and loses it's insulting properties, which is horrible and potentially unhealthy when you have 50kph of windchill going downhill. Man-made or fine wool rules the cycling world. Look out for offers on running kit in Aldi or Tchibo if you don't want to spend much.

Other than that, it's quite likely that you might want to change the saddle and invest in a set of lights. The only rear light to own is the cheap Smart 1/2 watt superflash, the rest just aren't worth it unless you have a silly budget. Front lights, you'll have to do a bit of research here, lots good info about what's available to suit every pocket - think about your runtime for that long commute though, you may end up having to spend more than you think here.

Good luck.

 

[cyclebum]

I used to do a 20 mile (each way) commute on a slick tyred MTB and it was no problem at all, so I don't know why people are saying it would be? It's still a bike!

I am no expert but I have to say I agree with this, I have done all my India training on a mtb and that was with a lot of road work using slicks. In India we did the whole thing on hybrids with knobbly tyres as there were sections we really needed them. We still managed some lovely cycling on the better roads and I didn't find it a problem at all. I suppose it comes down to what you get used to

 

[byegad]

Ham, What you aim for is achievable. I returned to cycling when I was 48 unfit and overweight and before I took early retirement at 56 was commuting 16 miles each way, but not every day!
It took me a year to be really confident that I could commute and was doing 12 miles each way 2 or 3 days a week. The longer commute was the result of a job change and by then 12 miles, 16 miles, 20 miles would all have been fine by me.
The advice to start small and build up is the same for any physical activitey and you WILL need rest days as you start your commuting. I read somewhere that even if you are a fit enthusiast you should build some bike free days into your week. I feel that is good advice, a couple of days off could be the weekend once you are fit. However be warned if the bug bites you'll want to go further and see more than your commute offers.

 

[alicat]

Ham

Well done for taking the plunge.

Not wishing to be alarmist but have you considered going for a check up with your GP before you embark on your fitness regime? Giving up smoking will be an initial strain on your system and starting cycling will be another.