If you could give one piece of advice to a beginner...

[simon.r]

Embrace lycra. It is your friend

 

[Linford]

That saddle will only bruise your arse if it isn't set up properly...takes a bit of getting used too, but well worth the hassle getting it set up for YOU

 

[ColinJ]

Embrace lycra. It is your friend

Until it wears thin, when it will get you locked up ...

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Learn from these fora. Enough said

 

[Sprout]

Buy a Brooks saddle.

 

[Shortmember]

When you do eventually find a comfy saddle that doesn't make your butt sore, keep it and fit it on every new bike you get.

 

[gavroche]

Just enjoy it and ride whenever you can.

 

[johnboyturbo]

W

Get your saddle height right.

Why do you say that ???

And what do you say is the right height

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Don't buy a £250 bike and ask what to upgrade on it.

 

[ColinJ]

There are two basic approaches to gearing for savagely tough hills:

1. Start off with high gears and keep on torturing yourself until you either give up or get fit. (I know several pretty fit riders who go miles out of their way to avoid 20% climbs, because they don't like tackling them in 39/23.)
2. Start off with low gears and keep using them until you get fit enough not to need them any more. (I used that approach a few years back and did not use the little rings on my road bike or MTB for a whole season.)

 

[Hip Priest]

Be assertive and be predictable.

And don't ever purchase one of those gel saddle covers, you'll look like a nobber.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Why do you say that ???

And what do you say is the right height

Beginners tend to set their saddle too low because they think you are supposed to be able to place both feet on the ground when seated. If the saddle is set too low it strains the knees and makes cycling much harder work than it should be.

To get the height roughly in the right area, set it so that your leg is completely straight with your heel on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. When the ball of the foot is placed on the pedal the leg will have about the right amount of bend in and the height can be fine tuned to suit the rider from there.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Read 'Cyclecraft' by John Franklin.


GC

 

[johnboyturbo]

Just been reading it fella thanks

 

[sazzaa]

Best thing I did was read the commuter guide on here. Absolutely massive help.