Eeek! I just bought a bike....

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I haven't cycled since 1993. It's just a cheap second hand one at the moment, till I see that I will actually use it, then I'll happily spend some money upgrading.

So any hints and tips for the older, overweight and pretty much beginner cyclist?

I'm planning to head into Halfords tomorrow to get some things like padded shorts, helmet and bike lock.

It seemed like a good idea before I bought it and now I'm bricking it 😱

post us a pic of your new bike?
What kind of places can you cycle near your home?

Welcome back to cycling! I've returned after a very long break (25 years or more!) and am just loving it. I would recommend finding cycle routes close to your house, my favourites are by rivers as you don't have the traffic or need to keep stopping for junctions etc. Do a mile or so and slowly build up how long you can cycle for. You will get a sore bum initially, but you'll build up tolerance by cycling regularly so it doesn't ache afterwards anymore. I have liked getting cycle gloves, winter and summer ones as it's more comfortable gripping after a while. I got a cycling jacket too with pockets at the back for my phone and keys which made it not necessary to take a bag, etc. Enjoy!

Thanks for replying!

I'm really lucky where I am, there's a three mile railway path that is very close to my house, and I'm close to part of the John Muir Way (I'm in Scotland, it's a cycle route from coast to coast). I'm not too far from a canal path that can take me to the centre of Edinburgh. There are loads of options.

I'm hoping to build up to be able to go visit my kids, who are about 9 miles away, without needing to use public transport. That's pretty good motivation to be honest!

(but I'm still a bit terrified)

I wouldn't have thought of gloves, but that's a really good idea! I'll get a photo sorted just now.

This is my new bike. It feels odd just even typing that!

I'm going to be really careful as I'm quite nervous, so I'm not going out on her till I get a helmet sorted. Was hoping to do that today so I could go out early tomorrow before everyone else, but ran out of time.

Me too op! Got it last week. My old bike got stolen and I never got around to replacing it. Got myself a fancy pants second hand specialized from a colleague for peanuts. I needed it to keep up with the kids!

First day we did 20k, love it.

Have fun!

My stereotype about Scotland is wet & windy. Maybe you could get a barbag to put things like a pack-a-mac in. Enjoy. :)

Ooh that's exciting Arietty! Think it might be a while before I get to 20k though...

Great that the kids want to go cycling with you though! Make the most of that!

Ragged, to me this is positively tropical! I used to live in the far North of Scotland. That was wild! It can be wet here, for sure, but people start complaining about the wind before I have even noticed that it's windy... But I like the idea of a barbag and a pac-a-mac. I don't mind getting wet, but I suspect it would be worse on a bike.

Actually, does anyone know how that works with glasses? Can you see riding a bike in the rain while wearing glasses?

Ultimately, if I enjoy it, I think I want to get a touring bike and panniers and go on adventures, just me and my bike and a tent!