As part of my new ‘altruistic outlook’ to 2015, I have joined the CHSW Ride for Precious lives to raise money for less fortunate children. This involves a gruelling 205 mile cycle through the 3 CHSW offices starting in St. Austell, heading up through Barnstaple and onto Bristol.
As a near-complete novice biker I will write several blog posts in the lead up to the big day on July 10th, starting with getting the bike in the first place!
Finding a bike to fit
Get help
Enlist help of anyone you can possibly think of that knows even a morsel about bikes – if these people have even as much as repaired a puncture, hound them relentlessly. Read book, blog posts.
Measuring your biggest features
Find out how tall you are and how long your inner leg is – this tool is fantastic for working out what you need. If you’re a long man like myself, you’re going to be looking for something 60cm+. If you’re looking to do 50 mile+ rides, you need to be looking for a rig that has handlebars at about the same height as your saddle.
Pedaling gear
- Brand new – buying a bike on finance or for a large upfront cost has its benefits; you know that the bike is going to work optimally, if you have any problems you can take it back, and you’ll probably even get some extras thrown in for a good deal.
- Cycle to Work Scheme – available to many, this scheme offers a way of paying for your bike before you pay your tax bill. If you’re clever enough to couple this option with a reputable online store, you can get a seriously good new bike for a decent amount of money. There are also finance options available.
- Second hand – for me this offers the best value for money, and the most fun. Scouting around for deals on places like Gumtree, Ebay and reputable Facebook groups, such as ‘Buy and Sell Cycling Stuff in the South West‘ will often present some great bargains. It’s worth mentioning that forums like those on Facebook often use a ‘wisdom of crowds’ attitude and can provide some excellent advice – in my experience people on here seem to be all too happy to help out a newbie.
- Build your own – fancy yourself as a bit of an engineering hot shot? Trust yourself to make sure those brakes you fitted actually work as you’re hurtling down that hill? Go ahead. This is another fun option and there are plenty of free and paid resources to help you. Youtube has countless videos on every aspect of bike building maintenance and you will find no end of help on cycling forums and Facebook pages. To start from scratch or ‘do up’ a wreck, head start with a frame and work up or visit Wiggle.com for all your part needs.
Cycling gaily along Castle Beach, Falmouth
Accessorise for the occasion
The fun here is in finding out where you can economise and where you can’t! My hot tips are Lidl bargain buckets, Sports Direct and Wiggle, which offer very reasonable prices on gear for protection and things to play with!
‘Appy days!
Measure your training with Strava – a cycling and running app that uses a combination of GPS and social interaction to make your workout fun!
Eventually, after over a month of not being able to find what I wanted, the perfect bike came up for my measurements and I was sure to snap it up immediately …and what a beauty she is. £275 has bought me a 2015 Giant Defy 4 in decent condition. The first time I stepped on her from my mother’s house in Bristol, I got a bit carried away and did 20 miles, ending up in Wales! Oops! Now to imagine what 185 miles on top of that will feel like..
I’d better get to it. A post on how to approach training to follow!
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