Beginner - not cycled for nearly 10 years!

[Sea of vapours]

Hi and good luck. I started cycling last August after 30 years 'off' and it was a great choice to start again :-) I was unsteady and unsure for a while, but pretty quickly found that you really don't forget how to ride a bike! (Still improving though.)

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Croeso i CycleChat Sion.


Good luck with the first ride. Let us know how you get on.

 

[13 rider]

Hi and rode on sunday with my mate on his new cirrus .great bike for the money enjoy the riding I started riding again in sept after 20 year off the bike and loving every minute

 

[dickyknees]

Croeso mawr ichi - as others have said take it easy at first and enjoy

 

[sionhughes]

Thanks everyone for the welcome messages.

Day 1 with the bike didn't go as expected. Had a ride in the cul de sac and found the seat was loose (moved back/forward and tilted) so went home to tighten. Decided to remove the silly straps and plastic bits designed to go over the feet on the pedals, three screws on each pedal, 5 screws came out fine, 6th wouldn't budge, ended up rounding the head on cycle tool and allen key from set.

Just bundled it into the car, will return to Halfords at lunch tomorrow to complain about the poor nature of their assembly and PDI of the bike and the obvious fault causing one pedal clip screw to be stuck (I assume that it's been cross threaded during manufacture or assembly, not sure if factory or store to blame). I'm not going to be favourite customer at Halfords Chester tomorrow!

Learnt one lesson tonight, seriously dislike the silly strappy pedals.

 

[chrisuren]

Halfords (Halfrauds) is extremely hit and miss for me, I bought my bike from them but after witnessing how the serviced my bike I decided to take it to an independent and local store, they're really grateful for the custom and don't push products on you with commission the main reason.

I hate those silly caged pedals too, but riding clipped in is not for me either. Just got some quite small road pedals.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Cycling

 

[sionhughes]

Just got back from dropping the bike at Halfords. Guys have said they'd give me a new set of flat pedals, would do a once over check (again) and would give me a bottle cage and bottle as means of apology. Seemed good guys, so I now have some confidence in them again. Picking the bike up after work later.

 

[mybike]

Sion

My wife and I have, since November, started riding again after a gap of ~50 years each. We're lucky(?) to have the Grand Union Canal nearby so have been cycling (wobbling?) up and down that for an hour or two a week. As many have said, enjoy.

Oh, I nearly forgot, if you're anything like me people will start to say you're getting obsessive.

 

[jay clock]

we've mostly been there, done that and got the XXL t shirt. Just do little and often. The bike you have chosen looks great as an entry level all-rounder and will do as a back up when you inevitably succumb to a second or third bike

Enjoy it

 

[jay clock]

Re Halfords, generally avoid like the plague seems to be the view on here. As for pedals it won't be long before you decide to try clip-in shoes and pedals. 90% of serious cyclists on here do and love them

 

[Billy Wizz]

Welcome, just down the road from you CQ, I never took my Boardman back to Halfords for its first service after the hassle I had picking it up I did it myself,!!!
I had a layoff of 20 years been back in the saddle nearly 12 months and loving it, its just work gets in the way too much, my commute in London is too short and there are not enough hours in the day when I am home, up to two bikes already the bug has well and truly bit me again, I am sure it wont be long and you will be the same, this place is great for info you will not need Halfords for servicing while your on cycle chat, its great for a laugh too.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Hiya...welcome aboard...just keep riding...then ride some more

 

[the_mikey]

Hello and welcome to CycleChat

 

[sidevalve]

I was off for 30 years and came back to note the following
1 - bikes are better [in most ways]
2 - still can't really get the hang of straps/clip on/clipless pedals I just use flats but I guess each to his own.
3 - A load of nice people out there riding BUT there are a few weird 'urban warrior' types with a chip on their shoulder the size of a battleship - when you learn to spot them, ignore them.
4 - try a road bike, not something so fragile it shatters on the first pebble and belongs on a track but beg or borrow [NOT steal please] a half decent roadi, you really will notice the difference.
Finally the most important of all --- HAVE FUN !!!

 

[sionhughes]

Things looking better after picking up the bike from Halfords. Got the free flat pedals fitted, gifted me the cheapest bottle and cage they had (will do as a spare as have already bought an elite bottle and cage), amd had a once over the bike build. Guy at halfords who initially built the bike had apparently not setup the gears properly so they'd played with them for me too. Not had time for a ride but it feels a bit more solid tonight!! Might venture out tomorrow if I finish work early.