New Cyclists - New Bike - Newbie

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Aushiker
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New Cyclists - New Bike - Newbie

Postby Aushiker » Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:08 pm

G'day

Just really introducing myself and also have a general question. I am new to serious cycling (have played with a cheap MTB or three over the years) but have decided to get into serious commuting to supplant my bushwalking which is my main outdoor activity. To that end I have purchased a Giant CRX 1 based on feedback from colleagues and a friend who is big into cycling and hope to pick it up Saturday.

Anyway that leads to my first general question. I was reading the FAQ on Types of Bicycles and interested in which category the CRX 1 fits. Anyone care to suggest?

Also does anyone have any good links to websites on training, i.e., suggested programs to build up commuting distances. I have six months before I will be looking to commute around 44 km per day.

Oh, once I get the bike I will post photos of the setup.

Thanks
Andrew

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Postby stryker84 » Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:50 pm

from memory, the CRX series is Giant's road hybrid range.

In the FAQ, this would fall under hybrid bikes.

Having said that, the term hybrid covers anything with flat bars that is somewhere between a full MTB and a full roadie. The CRX is more of a road/commuter style, compared to something like - um, is it the Giant Farrago - which is also a hybrid but more MTB style. Your CRX and similar bikes, the more leant over riding position, skinnier smooth tyres, and a trend towards having lower end road gearing is also known a flat bar road bike. I have an Avanti Blade Sport, which is of a similar style to the CRXs.

As for training, nope, no suggestions, besides taking it on longer and longer rides. Others may be more helpful.

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Postby europa » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:08 pm

Go to the Giant website and see what Giant call it (not sure what it is meself :roll: )

Welcome to the nut house. Beware of cyclists apparently making sense - you are probably misreading their post :shock:

Richard

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:21 pm

europa wrote:Go to the Giant website and see what Giant call it (not sure what it is meself :roll: )
Thanks Richard. I think Giant classify it as "road." I was more interested in how it fitted given the categories in the FAQ. Important to know the lingo :-)

Regards
Andrew

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Postby europa » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:32 pm

Aushiker wrote: Important to know the lingo
Nah, guess it like we do 8)

The definitions of different types of bikes works when you look at a broad picture - eg mtb and racer - but when you narrow it down, the differences become rather hard to pick and a lot of it is marketing hype anyway. Most people just stick with mtb, hybrid (for something that's not quite an mtb), tourer and roadie/racer - that's about fifteen definitions short of what's really needed. If you set your bike up for a specific purpose, you might then call it by that purpose - my Black Beast is an all-rounder rather than the tourer the manufacturers tried to produce. My Europa is now a fixie (fixed gear), not the sports tourer she was when sold to me.

Richard

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Postby twowheels » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:34 pm

Giant call the CRX range a flatbar road.

the following from Bicycle Victoria website

Bicycle Training rides
• If you’re going on a large or multi-day ride we encourage you to do as much bike riding as possible, either by yourself or with friends or family. Every hour in the saddle will make the event that much easier.
• Start off with a number of training rides of about 30km along bike paths and trails in the local area. At first 30km may sound exhausting, but regular weekly rides will build stamina.
• Be sure to increase the amount of effort you put into your training rides. You won’t increase your stamina or fitness if you are not forcing yourself to exercise more strenuously.
• You don’t necessarily have to start on roads, but eventually ween yourself off quieter paths and trails – especially if you’re working towards a tour or multi-day event.
• Add 5–10km each week after the training-ride period to slowly increase your distance. Many back streets are ideal for group training as traffic is minimal.
• For the last ten minutes of the ride change into an easy gear and gently spin home. This will help prevent the ‘dead leg’ syndrome when you’re finished – a problem caused by lactic acid pooling.
• Resting your muscles is just as important as the physical training itself. Listen to your body. You can seriously affect your progress if you over-train.
Suggested training program: Four-week ‘Build-Up Programme’
Week Longest Weekly Ride Other weekly rides Total distance
1 15km 5km, 10km 30km
2 20km 10km, 15km 45km
3 25km 15km, 20km 60km
4 30km 20km, 25km 75km

Endurance training rides
• A local cycling group might help you with your training program.
• Once you are feeling comfortable on your bike and have built up the weekly total, include some hills on your training ride. Find a long steady climb and constantly ride it, changing gears to match the hill.
• On hills, use your gears and change down. This will build up strength that you will need when you start riding past the 70km mark.
• There is no need to stand up on the pedals. Riding hills sitting in the seat is more energy efficient. You can stand up for short sessions (say 50 metres) to stretch the legs and give your bottom a rest.
12-week ‘Consistency Programme’
Week Longest Weekly Ride Other Weekly Rides Total Distance
1 35km 25km, 20km 80km
2 40km 30km, 25km 95km
3 45km 35km, 30km 110km
4 50km 25km, 20km, 20km 115km
5 55km 30km, 25km, 20km 130km

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:02 pm

[quote="twowheels"]
the following from Bicycle Victoria website

Bicycle Training rides
• If you’re going on a large or multi-day ride we encourage you to do as much bike riding as possible, either by yourself or with friends or family. Every hour in the saddle will make the event that much easier.

Balance snipped. Excellent stuff. Just what I was looking for. Thanks for this.

Regards
Andrew

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Postby LuckyPierre » Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:11 pm

Here's the program that I followed when I got bitten by the bug:

Monday - Rest day with 15 minutes of stretching / yoga / pilates
Tuesday - Ride ½ - 1 hour with 3 - 8 sprints or other short, hard efforts
Wednesday - Ride 1 hour at a steady, moderate pace
Thursday - Ride ½ - 1 hour with 10 - 20 minutes of any type of hard effort
Friday - Rest day with 15 minutes of stretching / yoga / pilates
Saturday - Ride 1 hour at an easy pace
Sunday - Ride 2 - 3 hours at a varied pace over varied terrain

Obviously, I rode at the 'short' end of those durations early on, but now I'm at the 'long' end. It’s best to vary the intensity of your riding - so when you go hard, go really hard. When you go easy, don’t feel guilty!
The focus on 'time on your bike' makes it very easy to adapt. Distance / speed will come as your fitness and strength build over time. As you get into the longer rides, you will probably notice that the 30 minute ride that was a real effort when you started, now hardly qualifies as a ride. :?
There's plenty of material out there - the program above comes from Fred Matheny at www.RoadBikeRider.com. Fred's a fair bit older than me and silly (stupid?) enough to be tackling the 'Race Across America' later this year.

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Postby Bnej » Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:22 pm

Yeah, I have the problem now that I ride 78km, and at the end still feel like riding more because the pace was too easy. I'm trying to sprint up hills faster now, that still takes it out of me. The 30km rides I do now feel easier than the 10km rides I did when I first started riding again.

44km in a day you will be able to do pretty soon on a CRX. If you can do 10km, then you can do 20 if you pace yourself a bit slower. Save any high energy riding for the home stretch, you don't want to zud yourself out before you get to work.

You don't have to commit yourself to doing the full distance, every time, every day right away - just work your way up to it, pace yourself, and carry plenty of water.

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:30 pm

Bnej wrote:Save any high energy riding for the home stretch, you don't want to zud yourself out before you get to work.
You sure? :-)

On a serious note, thanks for all the excellent advice. Much appreciated.

Regards
Andrew

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Postby Aussteve2712 » Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:41 pm

Welcome to a very informative forum. So you've selected & bought the bike, suppose you think that is the end of it........well wait until you look at what to wear when riding your new beauty. All the clothes, gloves, helmet, footwear..have you got clipless pedals, if not give it serious consideration as they are much more practical. Then you'll need the shoes to go with them. Of course don't forget the drink bottles & cages, and of course you'll be needing a multitool, may as well get an under seat carry bag as well. Would sir / madam be needing lights also? A refelective vest would help with those as well.
The spending just goes on & on with this "magnificent obsession". Still it beats a lot of other things we could be doing. Enjoy & welcome.

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Postby StewieC » Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:03 pm

Hey Aushiker,

I was in similar position last October. I bought a CRX3 and now ride the 30-odd k's a few times a week. As alluded to above - try commuting one way at first, or even partially, but you will soon find yourself doing both easily. Dont worry about the time it takes either - I've dropped down from 42 mins each way to 32 mins.

The comments about lights, clothing etc are very apt! also check out some of the commuting threats about safety.

these forums also really good in terms of advice and inspiring stories.

[/quote]

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Postby mikesbytes » Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:28 pm

Aushiker wrote:
europa wrote:Go to the Giant website and see what Giant call it (not sure what it is meself :roll: )
Thanks Richard. I think Giant classify it as "road." I was more interested in how it fitted given the categories in the FAQ. Important to know the lingo :-)

Regards
Andrew
The bike types listed in FAQ's is a simple overview. A flat bar road bike such as the CRX fits closest to the Hybrid category. Should be pointed out that no 2 bikes are the same.

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Postby twowheels » Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:34 pm

Btw Aushiker, pretty much all the cycle shops in Perth have really good bike maps available, the Perth-Fremantle one should cover Churchlands, basically one side is the "inner" northern suburbs, the other the "inner" southern suburbs. Really good for planning your journey, though not all obvious hills are marked, like Green Street Joondanna, but they include cycleways which can be a real shortcut. If you've got basic local knowledge of area they are cool, they don't have index of street names, just a single sheet of paper, but every street on map is marked and labelled. I rode a 20 km round trip to the city (Perth) today for a job interview, map was really helpful.

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Postby Aushiker » Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:01 pm

Aussteve2712 wrote:Welcome to a very informative forum. So you've selected & bought the bike, suppose you think that is the end of it........well wait until you look at what to wear when riding your new beauty. All the clothes, gloves, helmet, footwear..have you got clipless pedals, if
Oh I understand and went on and on in the bike shop. The sales guy reckoned it was the longest cash receipt docket he had seen. Didn't want to disappoint him but my food shopping for my Bibbulmun Track End to End was two trolleys overload ... now that receipt was long :-)

I do still have to do the clothes thing a bit more and probably some fine tuning of the bike setup up but reckon I am pretty close to setup. Actually spent around $2,000 on Saturday, but that included shoes and shorts as well as a rack and panniers, tools, spare tube etc. Didn't get bar ends yet but will see how I go first. Also need to get a second bottle cage I reckon.

Oh also as a bushwalker I know about spending trust me ... my rain jacket was about $450, the new sleeping bag I am eyeing off around $600 and on it goes. My GPSr was around $1200...

At least one thing in my favour is that if I decided to get into touring or MTB touring I will have the camping gear (lightweight stuff) already.

Regards
Andrew

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Postby Aushiker » Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:04 pm

twowheels wrote:Btw Aushiker, pretty much all the cycle shops in Perth have really good bike maps available, the Perth-Fremantle one should cover Churchlands, basically one side is the "inner" northern suburbs, the other the "inner" southern suburbs.
Thanks for the heads-up. I got most of the 2003 maps bar the Perth-Freo one as they did not have it. I see it is now online so may just go with that and convert to an oziexplorer format and use it in Ozi. Then all I need to do is print of the sections I want.

I believe a new edition of the maps is coming out. Is that right?

Regards
Andrew

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Postby europa » Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:29 pm

StewieC wrote:Hey Aushiker,--snip ---
[/quote]

Yet another new chum. We'll have to extend the holding yard at this rate. Welcome to the mob mate.

Richard

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Postby moosterbounce » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:08 pm

Welcome Andrew.

Love it when a person throws themselves into the activity they love 110%!! It's so...right :) I swore when I bought my bike that I wouldn't be riding it ourside in winter...but last week went and bought some arm warmers and a jacket :? Damn addictive cycling!!

Hope you enjoy your new hobby...maybe the Mundabiddi Trail will be your next long haul :wink:

Moo...

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Postby StewieC » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:25 pm

Thanks Europa,

I too am really enjoying my new hobby (and way to get to work - despite the ever declining temperatures), and thought it was time I started to post instead of just skimming info from the forums...saying that, will be a long time before have anything substantial to contribute...

:D

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Postby Aushiker » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:07 pm

G'day

Whose a happy boy? :lol: Picked up my CRX 1 today and just got back from my first ride. Put in 8.35 km around Lake Herdsman.

Had some trouble initially working out how to get my clip (?) shoes to work and found I had to adjust the seat angle but otherwise a nice ride. Much more aerobic than my walking of same and much faster! 8)

All up a happy new rider.

Regards
Andrew

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Postby Kalgrm » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:10 pm

Congrats Andrew. I hope you have many happy km on your new bike.

Cheers,
Graeme
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Postby Aushiker » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:39 pm

Thanks Graeme.

I have upload some photos to my website. You should be able to see them at aushiker dot com forward slash gallery. Sorry not clickable as I am yet to clear the spam protection time period.

Regards
Andrew

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Postby europa » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:42 pm

OMGosh you go to his site and it's all about people who's bikes have broken down and they have to WALK :shock: Poor things. Maybe they didn't carry enough spare tubes :roll:

I too have done some geocaching. No, I don't have the gear, but I've got a mate who's pretty keen on it. Weird fun but fun just the same :D

Richard
ps no sign of the bike - you'll have to help us old buffers :wink:

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Postby Aushiker » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:46 pm

Hi Richard

Sorry but I can't yet post a link properly. If you type the following in your browswer address bar it should show up:

aushiker DOT com FORWARD SLASH gallery

It should the third set of photos. Let me know if you have problems.

Regards
Andrew

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Postby europa » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:49 pm

You mean this place?

Richard
see, us admin types are rather friendly when we aren't chewing on your leg :D

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