steve52
I'm back! Yippeee
- Location
- bottesford scunthorpe
please as a newbi,dont beat ya self up, the most important thing it to enjoy the rideing ,then you will still be rideing in ten years, you will get fit and faster, but let it come?
Oh! My aching legs!
- Thread starter Jeffrey4670
- Start date
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jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
Hi Jeff, pretty new here myself....
Also gained a lot of valuable new information by reading through this thread. The cadence and not being afraid to use the granny gear, spinning like mad on inclines and feeling embarrassed to be hardly moving is me. I'll just go with it from now on. Thanks everyone and welcome aboard Jeff
Hi and welcome , glad the forum is helping.
OP
OP
Jeffrey4670
Regular
Just a thought, I don't think anyone has mentioned saddle height yet. If it is too low (very common with newbies) it will make the legs ache quite badly, especially around the knees.
An easy way to get it about right is to set the height so that with the heel on the pedal your leg is straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The leg will then have roughly the right amount of bend when the ball of the foot is on the pedal and you can fine tune it from there.
I hope this is of use.
This is most interesting. I have checked the pedal stroke you have mentioned and find my leg is bent and not straight, with my heel on the pedal. I have raised the seat this evening and will see tomorrow. I now have to stretch my leg on tip toes to reach the floor with the seat at this height. Before I could just reach the floor ok! Is the bike frame too high for me, won't be returning back to Halfords, will have to live with it!
OP
OP
Jeffrey4670
Regular
If I reflect over the years, I have never taken any exercise and now at my age, I have got to expect some aching. Getting fit is just not going to happen overnight. 4 weeks ago, it was foolish to think I could make it to the coast. I am happy to be able to use the bike to Leeds each day. I have joined a local cycle club and was out last Sunday with all the newbies, but glad to say I was not the one to hold the ride up, in fact it was quite easy an easy 20 miles for me. I've got the bug and will push on, no matter what.
After the last month of being attacked by geese, Yorkshire terriers and greenfly, not giving up, oh and just recovering from sunburn, I'm not stopping now.
I have it in the back of my mind to park up the car outside London and bike it into central London. Going to do it later this year.
After the last month of being attacked by geese, Yorkshire terriers and greenfly, not giving up, oh and just recovering from sunburn, I'm not stopping now.
I have it in the back of my mind to park up the car outside London and bike it into central London. Going to do it later this year.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
This sounds about right. I'm the same on my bike.
If you have difficulty at all, the trick when coming to a halt is to transfer your weight on to the pedals and just step down as you stop. Dead easy, honest.
OP
OP
Jeffrey4670
Regular
This sounds about right. I'm the same on my bike.
If you have difficulty at all, the trick when coming to a halt is to transfer your weight on to the pedals and just step down as you stop. Dead easy, honest.
My seat was originally as low as it could be, but now looks similar to other hybrid cycles, looking on the web. I also get pins & needles in my hands, but this is probably my death like grip on the handle bars.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Pins & needles isn't something I've had a problem with so not sure there. Do you wear gloves at all? Some padded mitts may help.
Chris Norton
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Boston, Lincs
Pins and needles may be because you are putting more pressure on the handlebars now that the saddle is higher. I got pins and needles and or some numbness in my hands when I heightened the saddle even by a cm or so. A longer stem worked for me.
JJ.
Regular
- Location
- Somercotes, Alfreton.
Hello Jeffrey,
I'm new to all this cycling lark as well. I started out at the beginning of the year with an old Apollo, liked it and then bought a new Rockrider 5.29 (my lovely tractor
). I don't care how slow I am or who overtakes me etc, my 29" wheels and my small chainwheel make life easy for me. Just enjoy yourself.
I'm new to all this cycling lark as well. I started out at the beginning of the year with an old Apollo, liked it and then bought a new Rockrider 5.29 (my lovely tractor
). I don't care how slow I am or who overtakes me etc, my 29" wheels and my small chainwheel make life easy for me. Just enjoy yourself.
OP
OP
Jeffrey4670
Regular
Just a thought, I don't think anyone has mentioned saddle height yet. If it is too low (very common with newbies) it will make the legs ache quite badly, especially around the knees.
An easy way to get it about right is to set the height so that with the heel on the pedal your leg is straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The leg will then have roughly the right amount of bend when the ball of the foot is on the pedal and you can fine tune it from there.
I hope this is of use.
Tried lifting the seat last night and biked it into work today. All I can say is, what a difference! Immediately noticeable and my legs feel better tonight, in honesty the best they have ever been. Thanks for your advice.
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
I'm glad it's helped.
Nomadski
I Like Bikes
- Location
- LBS, Usually
Just a thought, I don't think anyone has mentioned saddle height yet. If it is too low (very common with newbies) it will make the legs ache quite badly, especially around the knees.
An easy way to get it about right is to set the height so that with the heel on the pedal your leg is straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The leg will then have roughly the right amount of bend when the ball of the foot is on the pedal and you can fine tune it from there.
I hope this is of use.
I tried this as I suffer from bad aching knees since the cleats went on. Found I had to raise it by about 2 cm. I did the London to Brighton ride on Sunday after and post race didn't have any knee ache whatsoever!
I did have a little back pain going up the biggest hill, which I've not had before so perhaps I need to adjust it by a couple of mms, but even a day after my legs felt better than at any time post ride since the cleats.
So massive thanks to @Rickshaw Phil for posting that tip, worked for me.
jamin100
Guru
- Location
- Birmingham
An easy way to get it about right is to set the height so that with the heel on the pedal your leg is straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The leg will then have roughly the right amount of bend when the ball of the foot is on the pedal and you can fine tune it from there.
I hope this is of use.
This seriously needs to be a sticky at the top of the beginners board.
I've been commuting for just under 2 years looked at my saddle height this afternoon after reading your post.
I raised mine by about 4-5cm and what a difference!
I found keeping my cadence was easier in harder gears which meant that I did my 10 mile route home (uphill) in just under 40minutes at an average speed of 15.2 mph. Beating my previous personal best by around 3 minutes !
Thank you
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Thanks for that.
I've added a post to the "My advice to newbies" sticky in the beginners section.Was surprised that no one appears to have mentioned it in there already.
