Most lifestyle changes, if done correctly, require a lengthy checklist and adequate research to do it justice and warrant the change. Let’s make no mistake about it, cycling is a lifestyle and learning to ride is just the beginning. Everything from your gear and gadgets to your training and talking will consume you and create a level of fascination not otherwise appreciated outside our inner-circle. A close friend once said, mockingly, “We’ll meet you guys after your pedal biking is done.” At its purist he couldn’t have been more accurate, but we know it’s so much more than that, and we love every bit of it, even the jokes from the uneducated.
~”We don’t see many of your kind ‘round here too much.”~
At the end of a lengthy and challenging small group ride, we solicited the finger tapping skills of one lonely stander-by to take our picture and commemorate the day. The husband of an elderly couple starred at us with a look to say, ‘we don’t see many of your kind ‘round here too much.’ We knew this already and even without words we knew what he was saying and it gave us a sense of accomplishment that didn’t need discussed, it was implied. He did, very softly, mutter the words, ‘you don’t see too many overweight cyclists, do ya?’ And with that he got a small chuckle from the group, tapped the cell-phone and captured the moment perfectly, almost like he knew what he was doing. And he was right, we were all strong and fit. We needed to be to do what we did that day and for most in the group it took a commitment to a new lifestyle to get there. But how did we get there? There are many roads, or trails, that lead to the same place and telling the story is part of the journey.
We know cycling was the medium, but the group had to come together in some fashion. The leaders of the group have been endurance athletes their entire lives and are still expressing their competitive nature. The old saying is “father time is undefeated.” And while most sports see their peak years come and go before age 30, the old-man strength required for triathlon and cycling are just getting started. It’s a natural transition for these individuals but certainly not a necessity to enjoy cycling to the fullest, or even challenge the most experienced.
So for the athlete in search of awards and rankings and P.R.s, typically their lifestyle is more part of a process than necessarily a lifestyle change. In regards to triathlon competitors, cycling is merely a portion of the discipline. However, 112 miles is a large portion and requires all styles of training, and for anyone who has trained for Ironman, or any endurance event, training is always better with others!
But what about the rest of us….
Athletes are often envious of “the rest of us.” For you this is new, exciting, a choice, and a myriad of possibilities abound. If you walk into any local bike shop (LBS as it will be referred to) for the first time, it can be everything from exciting to intimidating to downright scary! Most likely, any checklist starts with a price tag, but before you turn around and walk out the door and take up running because sneakers are only $100, let’s learn the lingo and become happy and confident with our investments. After all it’s a lifestyle, it should last a lifetime. My father’s 1970s aluminum Schwinn can still hang with most carbon roadies!
Learning to Ride: Choosing The Right Bike
Talk and Listen
Absolutely, step number 1 when choosing the most essential tool that will take you on the most enjoyable ride (actual and metaphorically) in your life is to talk to, and learn how to listen to the men and women at your LBS. I say ‘talk to’ because they are there to help. Cycling is a community, a family and a language. They love helping newbies! They want to get you out on a ride. It’s good for business, it’s good for the family, but most of all it’s good for you. So, talk. And we’ll learn how.
But perhaps more importantly, 1A is learning how to listen, and this is where doing a little homework will pay dividends in the long run. The truth is, your LBS is a business and they are there to sell to you. In cycling it is very easy to outride your equipment very quickly and look for the next upgrade. Shimano will add a new tooth to a sprocket and the whole cycling community is mind blown and immediately outdated. Cha-ching!
The good news is, often times (and I hope you cannot quickly think of an exception) talking and listening go hand in hand. Know what questions to ask, know how to steer the conversation in the direction you want to take it and show some knowledge and you will command a level of respect and attention that you can trust and take to the bank! If you walk in uneducated and are just window shopping, you will walk out with some aluminum and rubber they are trying to get off the shelf for the next fall roll-out, or you will walk out wondering what the hell just happened. Neither will get you off on the right foot and will leave you resentful of a place that should take the place of the local hardware store if done correctly.
Research
Step number 2, do your research. This is where learning how to talk the talk comes in. If there is one thing cyclists love more than cycling, it’s talking about cycling…almost to a fault and probably where most of the stereotypes come from! But it is important. Know as much as you can, even about areas that are not seemingly of any interest (at the moment) to you. We all remember asking the question in grade school, when am I ever going to use this? And even if you still feel that way about geometry, you now owe an apology to your teachers, and probably your parents! It is undeniable that education is education and may be one of the only areas where there is no such thing as too much.
Type of Riding
Step number 3 in choosing the right bike is to know the type of riding you want to do. The best way to decide this is to try and project what type of riding you might want to do. As we discussed previously it is very easy to outride your equipment, which will always leave you wanting more. Inevitably upgrades will be necessary and they are exciting, but if you are able to project a few steps ahead, the four digit price tag on your next visit to the LBS will be more acceptable as it was part of the plan all along. If you know you want to enjoy some group rides at a comfortable pace but also ask how it’s possible so many people are completing gran fondos under five hours, you may want to find a tool for both. If you want to lead your group and even have the slightest inkling of doing a triathlon, even if on a team, well here’s where that geometry class comes in handy! If you can avoid the cyclocross to TT switch-a-roo, you’ll be able to invest more in other areas and really style it out.
Road or Trail? Race or Commute? Luggage or no Luggage?
We need to understand that there is a different bike for any style of riding you can think up when learning to ride. And unless you have deep enough pockets to fulfill all your fantasies at the same time, you may only have one or two in your arsenal. In order to determine what kind of riding you want to do, or may eventually do, break it down into categories and find some similarities. This will equip you with all you need to walk, talk, look and listen your way to everything it is you are seeking and the ticket to enjoy it for a lifetime!
Ride On!