Okay, I have bought a bike, any tips for a newbie?

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

Bought a bike yesterday to commute to college, first time I had been on one since I was 12, planning to commute to college everyday on it, which is 2 miles each way, loads of hills.

I went a similar route yesterday covering 4.5 miles, omg my back and fanjo hurts! And I did have to walk up a couple of steep hills.

Does anyone have any tips? It's a cruiser bike.

Brilliant!

And bella is lovely, mine needs a name too! Maybe I'll crack out the baby names list and find the ones DP vetoed! He can't veto my bike name!

That's basically what I did. :o We had boys so I used the girls name!

Dd has just suggested 'Bucky' like the ship on jake and the neverland pirates!

LOL "Bucky" is Buckfast, the "tonic wine" ("The name 'Tonic Wine' does not imply health giving or medicinal properties.")

That's sweet! :)

Cat It means that here too but that is honestly not the first thing I thought of.

I've just googled it....15%?! Wow!

We don't have that in stratford

This is our Bucky, our trusty vessel! And it's namesake of course!

15% plus loads of sugar plus loads of caffeine, it is insane! And rather a good name for a bike :)

Haha so like an alcoholic red bull? Pass it my way, I'll need it!

You could probably cycle a very long way on it, although not in a straight line!

Our route is a loop....think I could do a good few laps with a sip of that inside me!

You don't need it, it's awful, tastes like sticky horrid cough medicine.

Oh that's dissapointing :( I'll stick to the little relentless shots, had one of them at uni for revision and ended up awake for 3 days straight!

Eeps! I'm a big relentless lover but I stay away from the shots (that just autocorrected to shits!) :o

Just bought 2 cable locks as I figure they're small so it's better than 1? Only parking in the bike park in college anyway. Have to ride to college today for enrolment day.

Campuses are often prime targets for thieves because there are so many bikes in one place. Cable locks aren't very secure, although two is better than one. D-locks are much much better - is there a Bicycle User Group at your college? Sometimes they do heavily discounted locks and lights for students.

I have no idea but will check that out today, it's a pretty open campus and the bike park is right outside the door, couldn't afford the D-lock today and it weighed a ton (was a d-lock with an added cable lock).

What bits of the bike is best to put the lock on? One on frame and one on wheel?

Try searching you tube for how to lock your bike up securely, I've seen a few very helpful videos on there!

www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/HowtoSecure.aspx

Yes D-Locks are heavy, sad fact of cycling life. They should be carried attached to the bike somewhere rather than a rucksack so they annoy you much less - they usually come with a bracket to attach them to the frame. Smaller D-Locks are more secure, but obviously you need one that will still fit around big enough things to lock the bike to.

Kryptonite is a good brand BTW, you can sometimes find second hand ones on ebay, or try this one new www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kryptonite-Keeper-12-STD-Anti-Theft-Security-Bicycle-U-Lock-with-Bracket-/291210533898?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item43cd801c0a

Well I survived getting to college, took about 15 mintes but I realised the roads I need to go on are really quite dangerous and I am pretty slow on slopes...

Will look in to buying a D lock tomorrow.

Bella is an awesome name!

:o

May have gotten some funny looks at college with my combinations of a black and a pink cable lock. It's so pretty and flowery I thought it deserved some pink!

Glad you had success today are you back on it tomorrow?

Thankyou for the lock advice, I have a cable one and have just been looping it round a fence and the frame I'll get practicing the proper way tomorrow!

Just in case no-one else has said, imagine that none of the car-drivers around can see or have passed their tests. I mean that in a nice way, just that if you don't take their intelligence and reactions for granted you will a lot safer.