Getting into Cycling where to start

[Purplemond]

After watching the commonwealth games ive become interested in cycling and only really cycling once a year on holiday its something i am keen to take up. I enjoying running so would some day like to do a triathlon but think i need to improve cycling before anything. I dont know where to start with type of bike and equipment and ideally dont want to spend much. Im just interested those of you who like cycling, how you got into it and what equipment you would recommend for a relative beginner.

Basic bike, second hand or new

Go and try a few to see what fits you

Join a club like breeze or and a local bike club to you, you can search on the British Cycling website for local clubs

Go out a few times to get used to your bike and gears

I started off by cycle commuting daily on a very heavy rusty old mountain bike. I then got a hybrid which was much lighter and faster, it made cycling even more enjoyable so I started going out cycling at weekends and making my commutes longer. I just fell in love with cycling. I then swapped the hybrid for a road bike which was lighter and faster than the hybrid. I went on a few big cycle tours (Pyrenees, Alpes etc). I then splashed out on a ‘best/ summer’ road bike, which was even lighter and faster again. I started racing cyclo cross. I joined my local cycle club and started going out on the club run and doing time trials. I discovered strava which made me even more competitive and upped my fitness even more. I took up road racing and got a coach. I did well and got signed up with one of the big women’s teams. I’m currently having a break from racing (it’s just too hard putting the training/ recovery in with a toddler), but I’m still riding a lot. My life now pretty much revolves around cycling, I’m completely and utterly obsessed and addicted. This transformation has taken 10 years.

I’d echo what the PP said about buying second hand - I picked up my first road bike for a bargain in my local bike shop (it was second hand). Find what your local cycling clubs are and have a look on their forums/ Facebook pages for bikes being sold second hand. Again as the PP said you can find your local clubs via the British Cycling website.

Riding a road bike if you aren’t used to it can be scary as it’ll feel quite twitchy and unstable, so it may take some perseverance. Plus the position you sit in can take quite some getting used to. You could start off with a second hand hybrid (it’s basically a flat barred road bike) then once you feel confident on that sell it on and go for a road bike.

Total Women’s Cycling is a good website to browse for tips, advise and inspiration.

not really related but my dds were home from uni watching commonwealth games and enjoyed track cycling im thinking of getting them a track taster session for a velodrome over the summer but not sure if its suitable for absolute beginners or is it mostly people with cycling experience they are 21 and 20 and only cycling in past few years has been holidays they are both quite sporty and go to the gym a lot so have a decent of level of fitness. Im just shocked looking at pictures how steep the track is on tv it never looks that steep !

When my dd went to Manchester there were people mostly over 50 and up to 70
I don’t know anyone that isn’t a cyclist already that has risen on the track for the first time - so not sure how that would work?

Oh and yes it’s steep..

I love cycling, find it really good exercise and relaxing. Currently riding a cube hybrid (www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/cube-cross-white-2017-hybrid-bike.html) as I find it suits me well both road and wood rides. What kind of rides do you think you'll be going on most and that'll help you decide which bikes best for you? also maybe have a look in to the cycle scheme with you work can make getting a bike more affordable!! Hope this is helpful, let me know what you end up going for??

I've gone from hating cycling to falling in love with my road bike in the space of 5 months! It's because I'm doing a triathlon and I'll admit I'm quite competitive so didn't want everyone whizzing past my rubbish old mountain bike - especially as I'm a fairly decent runner and swimmer.
I'd recommend getting a bike fitted. This made a huge difference. The first time I rode it, I clung on for dear life! I had run faster! But I persevered. Did shorter cycles along roads I know well and soon I was loving it. I built up the gear, padded shorts, better helmet, gloves, glasses etc over the months as it can be expensive. But you don't have to buy the best of everything.
And yes to Strava! Really spurs me on!

@mirage937

I had a track cycling taster session a few weeks ago in Manchester and I loved it. However I do cycle a lot and am used to using cleats. I think it would also help if you are used to riding a drop bar bike. There is a lot to get used to even if you are a regular cyclist as the bikes have no brakes, no gears and are fixed wheel. That means that you can't just stop pedalling and freewheel at all. As it was my first session I spent most of the first half hour learning how to set off, speed up, slow down and stop.

However young people take to it quicker than older adults, my 2 boys went last year at age 9 and 11 and they loved it although they do also cycle quite a bit and the 11 yr old uses cleats.

And yes it is very steep and quite scary.

@purplemond

I think you need to read a bit about it and work out what type of cycling you would like to do, ie do you prefer mountain biking or road cycling. Will you have the confidence to go on the roads or prefer to stick to cycle paths. These different types of cycling lend themselves to different bikes so good to think about it before you splash out.

Total Women's cycling website is a good place to start but also have a look at British Cycling Breeze programme.

Thanks for all the advice i will spend some time looking into it over the weekend, im not certain what type of cycling i want to do or what bike would be best suited i did have a specalized mountain bike which i loved but only really used it on camping trips and summer holiday to France so ended up giving to DN but definately not on busy roads i would panic way too much Im probably going to look into a triathlon for sometime next year and read about the course and go from there

it looks like track taster session was a bad idea, thanks for the tips i watched a few youtube clips and it seems something i would be petrified of doing but i much prefer a spin bike anyway !
Ive had a change of plan and im looking into a trip to Glasgow for the European Championships in summer then dds can see a few different events including the track cycling

Get the lightest bike you can afford and padded shorts with no underwear underneath!

I cycle everywhere. I do utility cycling on my flat barred hybrid, just going to the shops, the school run and the commute. It's a quick and easy way to get around in a suburban/city environment and a good lock means I'm not worried about parking.

I race on my race bike. There's a great women's crit league where I live during the summer months. I do it more for the fun than winning.

My one true love is long distance cycling, Audax, my minimum distance is 125 miles (200km) and I've finished events of over 800miles (1400km). I'm a middle-aged woman and I'll rarely be fast but I can go all day, and night, and the next day...

Everyone has a niche in cycling, road, track, cross, and even triathlon! You just have to find what you love and it'll never be just exercise.