Getting into Cycling - Part 1

I have a confession: I don't like cycling. It's a bias that has built up over a few years, but it all roots back to a few years ago when I purchased a road bike because I wanted to get into triathlons and I knew my mountain bike would not cut it. I saw that there was a bike club that met on weekends, and I went on a Saturday morning to see if I could learn some tips. The ride started at Broken Arrow park and went to Lone Star lake. We started and voom!! they were gone. There I was, biking alone on roads I never drive wondering where I was and possessing zero sense of direction. When I got back, I was told "Yeah, sorry, most of these guys only get one day a week to ride and they're not going to waste their time on a newbie."

Of the sports I've done, cycling is the only one that seems to have a class system. Cycling is one of the few sports that you can get massive improvement from equipment upgrades. Running shoes and swimming body suits can be expensive, but you get far more speed from technique than you do from the latest Nike's. However, a carbon fiber bike is much lighter than a aluminum bike, but is also about $1500(!) more expensive. Racing tires can be $500 a tire. A fully equipped racing bike can cost in the $4000 range. With that much money being spent, there are haves and have nots, and in most cases expect to be in the have nots.

It can also be hard to learn the important tips. Runners are all to ready, often to a fault, to tell someone new tips to get started, what works best for them, what their diet is, how many K they ran this week... honestly, if you get a runner talking they'll never shut up, but they want to help new people out. I've swam in morning master swim classes that meet at 5 am and have a lane specifically for new people. Cross country skiers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, though I suspect that is partially because you cross country ski in Minnesota, Canada and other incredibly nice areas. But cyclists? Assholes. Okay, that's unfair. Cyclists can be very nice; I've just been passed by so many during triathlons that I'm bitter.

All that been said, I am coming around on the sport. Over the winter I used an exerbike to try to get my legs in shape for this year. I had my bike tuned up, and it's made a world of difference. I'm beginning to enjoy longer and longer bike rides, and now that I have a Forerunner I can actually watch myself improve. I'm not great, and when someone on a carbon bike with zipp wheels making that "zzzzz, zzzzz, zzzzz" noise passes me I get frustrated.

So, with all that, where to start? It all depends on what you're looking to do.

1. If you want use a bike to get around town, get some exercise on paved trails, and ride around a city, a hybrid bike might be your best bet. These bikes have wider wheels than road bikes but are less rugged than mountain bikes, making them ideal for city riding. Be prepared to spend in the $600 for a solid, high quality bike.
   
2. If you want to take your bike off road, you'll need a mountain bike. These have fat wheels on front and back, usually have a front shock, and are designed to take a beating. While they're heavier than hybrid or road bikes, they still can handle city riding. My starter mountain bike was in the $400 range, and it still works well.
   
3. If you plan to participate in triathlons or bike races, or plan to ride for more than an hour on a workout, you'll want a road bike. Road bikes are designed to be light and fast. While they're sturdy, you don't want to abuse them as you can easily break or bend components. In this category the sky is the limit, but I got my starter for about $900.

Find the nearest bike shops and shop around, and don't be afraid to ask questions. You might mistake the salesmen at bike stores with hippies, but don't be fooled; they know what they're talking about and they can put a good pitch in for spending $1000. Most bike shops usually only specialize in one or two brands of bicycles, so to really compare your options you'll need to look go to many bike shops. As far as bike vendors, Giant and Trek are great and their websites are good resources to learn what you're looking for. Be sure to talk to the store owners and have them figure out what size of bike you're looking for (as opposed to a "professional fitting" which can cost hundreds of dollars). Usually bike stores have pamphlets of the trails around you. With road bikes the entire street network is your trail, but you'll be riding the roads with cars. Many state parks have off road trails to ride also.

I'm going to follow this up with two more posts - one for getting started in road biking, and another for getting started in mountain biking. They're so different I think they deserve coverage. Until then - happy shopping!