10 Tips For Beginner Road Cyclists
When I started cycling, I was "That Guy". I rolled up to my first group ride with a Camelbak, wearing baggies, on a low-end hardtail. Thankfully I was welcomed into the group and given some advice on how to not only fit in a bit better (e.g. get a proper bike) but also on how to enjoy my ride more. Some of it I thought was great advice, other parts of it I tried and disagree with vehemently. Regardless of the outcome, I never would've made up my opinions on any of this if I didn't at least TRY what they all recommended. That in mind, here are my top 10 tips for new cyclists (In no particular order).
EDIT: I would like to mention that all prices are in Canadian dollars which are currently not all that fantastic
10: Get a new helmet (and use it)
Admittedly this one won't apply to everyone, but it's still very important. It doesn't matter if you buy a $30 Walmart helmet or a $300 bike shop helmet, as long as it's CPSC certified, wear it every time you ride, and replace it every 3-4 years (Or if you crash). Of course, make sure it's comfortable before you buy it. If you want to fit in on the road, make sure it doesn't have that plastic piece on the front.
9: Get your nutrition sorted out
Coming from Ultimate (yes, the frizbee one), I was accustomed to bringing along four litres of water, five bananas, and a chocolate bar for post-practice consumption, but for some reason when I started cycling I got really bad at nutrition (I've lost track of how many times I've bonked while at least 15km from the nearest food source).
As a general rule of thumb, I'll bring one bottle for every hour of riding. Once I have three bottles, I'll have two of water, one of sports drink (or water sugar and salt if I'm out of sports drinks). As for food, if I'm racing I try to have a gel every half hour. I fail miserably most of the time because I don't remember to eat, but when I do I perform a lot better. On training rides over an hour and a half, I'll bring along a banana an hour and a peanut butter-chocolate chip sandwich.
I'm not promising this will work for you, but it's a starting point. Play around a bit and you'll find out what works for you.
8: Don't take it too seriously
If you fall in love with cycling like I did, the phrase "Strava or it didn't happen" will come up sooner or later. It's more important that you just get out there and enjoy your ride. Sure it's nice to look back and brag about all the KOMs you get, but that shouldn't overshadow the enjoyment of getting on your bike and enjoying the ride.
7: Don't bother with a new, mid-spec bike
I was lucky enough to get hooked up with a used carbon cyclocross bike and a 105 group for around a thousand dollars. If you don't have such luck finding a deal, head to your local bike shop and get an aluminium bike (I'd recommend the Specialized Allez or Giant Contend for the hopeful racers) ideally with Shimano 105 on it, although if you don't have that kind of budget, it's ok to go lower.
If you have money to spend, go for something made of carbon, with at least Ultegra level components. I'd look at bike over $3500(CAD) to make sure you're getting a good carbon (not all carbon is created equal). The reasoning behind this is you either want to buy a bike you'll be ok with upgrading or buy a bike that won't need upgrading for a really long time.
6: Get a bike that fits you
I don't care if you got a new 2018 S-Works Venge with Red E-Tap for $500, just don't buy a bike that's the wrong size for you. It's really hard to enjoy riding when you aren't comfortable. If you need help determining what size bike you need, head down to your local bike shop and ask.
Although if someone does offer you the aforementioned Venge for $500, buy it, sell the frame, put the parts on a frame that fits you (that you bought with the money from selling the Venge frame).
5: Support your LBS
LBS stands for local bike shop (you'll see that acronym a lot). As much as I just said to get a used bike, a bike shop is still there to help you. Everything from tubes to helmets to rides to service, your shop is there to help you, and if it doesn't feel like they want to help, find another one that does. If you support them as a business, they'll support you as a cyclist (I even know one shop that has free brownies, can't wait to get back to that one)
4: Don't buy a low-end computer
When I was first told this one I was incredibly confused, wouldn't it make sense to get anything to track your rides? It turns out it doesn't, at least when you're starting out. If you really want to track your ride, get something to mount your phone to your bike and save up for a bike computer with connectivity. Had I bought a low-end computer, I would've ended up replacing it 8 months later when I bought my power meter. Now the low-end computers are great once you've been at it for a while and KNOW that all you care about is speed and cadence, but if you ever want to hook up to power or heart rate, you'll be wanting to upgrade. For reference, the Garmin Edge 520 and Wahoo Elemnt Bolt are both what I would consider what's required for those wishing to get more numbers.
3: Join a club
You gain friends who also like riding bikes, get a lot of advice that will help you figure out cycling, have structured rides, and sometimes they buy you coffee. It's really just a good idea. Also most cyclists are firm believers in N+1 so you might be able to borrow a bike for a bit while you're starting out. Not all clubs are the same, so find one you like.
2: Buy a good pair of cycling shorts
This is a big one. The 30-second version, cycling shorts are worn next to skin (no underwear) and fit tight. This reduces chafing, making you more comfortable for longer. They also have a chamois inside (the piece of foam). Better chamois are multi-density, allowing them to support your weight better and breathe better, reducing sweat buildup and the resulting saddle sores. I'd also recommend getting bib-shorts, primarily because they stay in place better and are more comfortable for long rides.
I was told when I started don't buy anything under $80, I'd argue nothing under $150, either way, don't buy the 50 dollar shorts. If you give a good enough story about how you went on an epic ride without cycling shorts and now you can barely sit down, some bike shop employees might even give you a small discount.
1: Enjoy yourself
Very similar to don't take it too seriously, enjoy yourself. For a lot of people, riding a bike is an escape from whatever else is happening in life. If you like crushing watts on the front of a strung out group do that (.... find a group that wants that and do it). If you like staring at your Garmin all ride in an attempt to get KOMs, do it. If your idea of a hard ride is putting on cycling shorts and riding 5km on an old bike to get coffee with your friends, do that. Whatever it is that you love about cycling, latch on to that. Cycling can be anything from a pleasant weekend jaunt with your friends, or an all-out sufferfest up the side of a mountain pass. Wherever you fall in that spectrum, don't let others tell you what you need to do to enjoy cycling (but be open to trying it, you might find something you like).
If you disagree or have any questions, feel free to either drop a comment below or send an email to KelseyGoesCycling@gmail.com
Also if you found this information valuable, consider subscribing to the blog (there's a button at the top of the page) or sharing this post with your friends (button for that is below)
Stay cool internet :)
EDIT: I would like to mention that all prices are in Canadian dollars which are currently not all that fantastic
10: Get a new helmet (and use it)
 |
| Because the scratches on the S-Works logo didn't come from a cat |
Admittedly this one won't apply to everyone, but it's still very important. It doesn't matter if you buy a $30 Walmart helmet or a $300 bike shop helmet, as long as it's CPSC certified, wear it every time you ride, and replace it every 3-4 years (Or if you crash). Of course, make sure it's comfortable before you buy it. If you want to fit in on the road, make sure it doesn't have that plastic piece on the front.
9: Get your nutrition sorted out
Coming from Ultimate (yes, the frizbee one), I was accustomed to bringing along four litres of water, five bananas, and a chocolate bar for post-practice consumption, but for some reason when I started cycling I got really bad at nutrition (I've lost track of how many times I've bonked while at least 15km from the nearest food source).
As a general rule of thumb, I'll bring one bottle for every hour of riding. Once I have three bottles, I'll have two of water, one of sports drink (or water sugar and salt if I'm out of sports drinks). As for food, if I'm racing I try to have a gel every half hour. I fail miserably most of the time because I don't remember to eat, but when I do I perform a lot better. On training rides over an hour and a half, I'll bring along a banana an hour and a peanut butter-chocolate chip sandwich.
I'm not promising this will work for you, but it's a starting point. Play around a bit and you'll find out what works for you.
8: Don't take it too seriously
If you fall in love with cycling like I did, the phrase "Strava or it didn't happen" will come up sooner or later. It's more important that you just get out there and enjoy your ride. Sure it's nice to look back and brag about all the KOMs you get, but that shouldn't overshadow the enjoyment of getting on your bike and enjoying the ride.
7: Don't bother with a new, mid-spec bike
 |
| Off the front on my first first race bike |
I was lucky enough to get hooked up with a used carbon cyclocross bike and a 105 group for around a thousand dollars. If you don't have such luck finding a deal, head to your local bike shop and get an aluminium bike (I'd recommend the Specialized Allez or Giant Contend for the hopeful racers) ideally with Shimano 105 on it, although if you don't have that kind of budget, it's ok to go lower.
If you have money to spend, go for something made of carbon, with at least Ultegra level components. I'd look at bike over $3500(CAD) to make sure you're getting a good carbon (not all carbon is created equal). The reasoning behind this is you either want to buy a bike you'll be ok with upgrading or buy a bike that won't need upgrading for a really long time.
6: Get a bike that fits you
I don't care if you got a new 2018 S-Works Venge with Red E-Tap for $500, just don't buy a bike that's the wrong size for you. It's really hard to enjoy riding when you aren't comfortable. If you need help determining what size bike you need, head down to your local bike shop and ask.
Although if someone does offer you the aforementioned Venge for $500, buy it, sell the frame, put the parts on a frame that fits you (that you bought with the money from selling the Venge frame).
5: Support your LBS
LBS stands for local bike shop (you'll see that acronym a lot). As much as I just said to get a used bike, a bike shop is still there to help you. Everything from tubes to helmets to rides to service, your shop is there to help you, and if it doesn't feel like they want to help, find another one that does. If you support them as a business, they'll support you as a cyclist (I even know one shop that has free brownies, can't wait to get back to that one)
4: Don't buy a low-end computer
When I was first told this one I was incredibly confused, wouldn't it make sense to get anything to track your rides? It turns out it doesn't, at least when you're starting out. If you really want to track your ride, get something to mount your phone to your bike and save up for a bike computer with connectivity. Had I bought a low-end computer, I would've ended up replacing it 8 months later when I bought my power meter. Now the low-end computers are great once you've been at it for a while and KNOW that all you care about is speed and cadence, but if you ever want to hook up to power or heart rate, you'll be wanting to upgrade. For reference, the Garmin Edge 520 and Wahoo Elemnt Bolt are both what I would consider what's required for those wishing to get more numbers.
3: Join a club
 |
| Just a big disfunctional family |
You gain friends who also like riding bikes, get a lot of advice that will help you figure out cycling, have structured rides, and sometimes they buy you coffee. It's really just a good idea. Also most cyclists are firm believers in N+1 so you might be able to borrow a bike for a bit while you're starting out. Not all clubs are the same, so find one you like.
2: Buy a good pair of cycling shorts
This is a big one. The 30-second version, cycling shorts are worn next to skin (no underwear) and fit tight. This reduces chafing, making you more comfortable for longer. They also have a chamois inside (the piece of foam). Better chamois are multi-density, allowing them to support your weight better and breathe better, reducing sweat buildup and the resulting saddle sores. I'd also recommend getting bib-shorts, primarily because they stay in place better and are more comfortable for long rides.
I was told when I started don't buy anything under $80, I'd argue nothing under $150, either way, don't buy the 50 dollar shorts. If you give a good enough story about how you went on an epic ride without cycling shorts and now you can barely sit down, some bike shop employees might even give you a small discount.
1: Enjoy yourself
Very similar to don't take it too seriously, enjoy yourself. For a lot of people, riding a bike is an escape from whatever else is happening in life. If you like crushing watts on the front of a strung out group do that (.... find a group that wants that and do it). If you like staring at your Garmin all ride in an attempt to get KOMs, do it. If your idea of a hard ride is putting on cycling shorts and riding 5km on an old bike to get coffee with your friends, do that. Whatever it is that you love about cycling, latch on to that. Cycling can be anything from a pleasant weekend jaunt with your friends, or an all-out sufferfest up the side of a mountain pass. Wherever you fall in that spectrum, don't let others tell you what you need to do to enjoy cycling (but be open to trying it, you might find something you like).
If you disagree or have any questions, feel free to either drop a comment below or send an email to KelseyGoesCycling@gmail.com
Also if you found this information valuable, consider subscribing to the blog (there's a button at the top of the page) or sharing this post with your friends (button for that is below)
Stay cool internet :)
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