First ride.....how far?

[EnPassant]

Ride by time not distance.
Start quite short and make your first week or so about getting used to being on the bike, riding safely, learning bike control and roadcraft. After a week or 2 of regular riding you can start to apply your fitness to riding and to use riding to enhance your fitness.
Note that clip-in cycling shoes are really better suited to people with good bike control who can ride very slowly without coming off and can do a track stand. Consider using plain platform pedals to start.

...the track stand bit, I can't, well, not quite and I'd imagine there's an awful lot around here that use clipless that when push comes to shove can't track stand either. IME you need to be able to do slow up to a point but not actually trackstand. And doing one in a hurry when you weren't ready because some fool in a car stops dead in front of you would be harder still I'd have thought?
Totally right when starting out though, its one less thing to worry about first few rides if you go with flatties.

 

[mjr]

Handily though, it happened in the next village, outside a pub. The cycle home was.. interesting. It does get easier though and quite quickly too.

The longer I spend in the pub, the easier it gets. Sometimes, if I spend long enough there, I discover it's become so easy that I've fallen asleep in the hedge.

 

[mjr]

Totally right when starting out though, its one less thing to worry about first few rides if you go with flatties.

Your feet will thank you for the nice platform. Your shoes will thank you for the lack of scuffs and sole-bites. Your shins probably even more (no protruding pins or teeth - just comfy rubber).

 

[keithmac]

I find the best shoes to ride in are my Mechanics saftey trainers with steel soles!.

As for miles it's funny but when I was a kid me and a couple of friends thought nothing of doing a 40 mile round trip on a Sunday. Stoped at a local shop for an icecream 20 miles in then road back again.

 

[Goggs]

The longer I spend in the pub, the easier it gets. Sometimes, if I spend long enough there, I discover it's become so easy that I've fallen asleep in the hedge.

In another life I lived in the Highlands and worked in a kitchen in another village 8 miles from my home. After a shift the routine was to go to the bar, sink a few, go to the staff digs, smoke a few, then get on my bike for home. I hit a sheep one night and fell off my bike. I woke up at 5 the next morning in the ditch at the side of the road. I actually felt pretty good that morning but the lesson was learned. I took the car from then on

 

[toddmeister]

Picked it up tonight. Wonder how long she'll let me keep it inside the house??

 

[Tanis8472]

Dont reckon much to the bar tape

 

[Spinney]

View attachment 139184 Picked it up tonight. Wonder how long she'll let me keep it inside the house??

 

[ColinJ]

Is that the final position of your saddle? It looks very low unless you have short legs and a relatively long torso. Maybe it is the angle that the photo was taken from ...

 

[toddmeister]

No I haven't adjusted anything yet. that said I do only have little legs

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Note that clip-in cycling shoes are really better suited to people with good bike control who can ride very slowly without coming off and can do a track stand. Consider using plain platform pedals to start.

I am naff at slow speed bike control (though it has improved over the years), but I have no issues clipping in or out, no matter how slow or how many times in traffic or nipping to the local shop (supermarket about 3/4 mile down a 100ft hill), but it takes time to be comfortable with them.

 

[cyberknight]

No I haven't adjusted anything yet. that said I do only have little legs

Check out jimlangley bike fit for a good basic set up.without knowing your height etc it's hard to say.if the reach to the bars is to far you could flip or fit a shorter stem.im 5 ft7 and to ride a 56 cmctr to CTR top tube i need a 80 mm stem

 

[P.diver89]

I'm guessing hills will play a big part in your distance too this is my problem I seem to be at the bottom of a dip and only way out is hills haha

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I'm guessing hills will play a big part in your distance too this is my problem I seem to be at the bottom of a dip and only way out is hills haha

Its just as bad the other way round when you need to climb that hill at the very end, possible worse to be honest, though the climb I have isn't that great about 80-100ft inside a mile, peaking about 10%

 

[ufkacbln]

The distance is of less importance than the enjoyment, especially on a new bike

Firstly there will be the inevitable tweaks to position, and comfort... It also takes time for the bike to "bed in" (bike skills are mentioned above)

Personally I would suggest a few short rides to sort things out, also to break in the cycling muscles

Then when comfortable start increasing the distance