crozetbiker

Hi all,


Relatively new rider here. I started with a borrowed road bike a couple months ago, riding 5 hilly miles very very slowly and painfully, to train for a sprint triathlon. Now I'm hooked and loving it and did 26 miles last weekend! Still very slow (10- 11 mph on country roads w/ no traffic,pretty hilly). I found out my tires were way under-inflated (like 80 instead of 100!). At only 5' 3" and 175 lbs, I'm lugging a lot of weight up those miserable hills


Some questions:

• Do I need a bike jersey? I just use dri fit running tank tops at the moment. Should I get something reflective? Where can I get an inexpensive one?
• Do I need bike gloves? Some rides my fingers go quite number.

• Should I try even more air in my tires? I felt a huge difference, and think I read that a heavier person should have more air??

• I'm doing a 50+ mile charity ride next month and trying to figure out how to fuel on my long rides. My 26 miler took me over 2 hours--I drank a water bottle of caffeinated BCAAs and took a caffeinated gel shot after an hour. Within a couple hours afterwards I was totally wiped out. What do y'all eat before, during, and after long rides? I am a clueless amateur.

Thanks for any advice you have!

Nstoltzner

I would highly recommend a jersey and bike shorts. They make a huge difference in comfort and just make you feel great in an overall sense. For sustenance I usually drink a bottle of water an hour (whenever I'm thirsty) and use Hammer Energy Gels and fruit bars from the LBS. I try to eat about 100 calories every 45 minutes or so but I am sitting around 290 at the moment so that may be high for your weight. Good luck!

1242Vintage

Welcome!

You don't need a bike jersey. However, The convenience of a bike jersey is it has some nice pockets in the back where you can stuff a spare tube, pump, snacks, phone, etc. I don't do many charity rides but when I do those back pockets generally end up stuffed with goodies and wrappers by the end of the day. I get most of my kit through USA Made Cycling Apparel - Premium Quality Road and MTB Technical Apparel since that's where my club sets up their annual team order. None of my gear is reflective, I have flashing red tail light and a headlight for that job if I am riding in low light.

Your tires should say what pressure is needed. Look at the sidewall for pressure range. I generally keep mine on the low side of the range, but that's just me. Experiment with different pressures within the range to get what feels good to you.

For longer rides and races i generally have a light and well-balanced meal a couple hours before and a snack and water before setting off. During a ride i set my bike computer to beep at me every 30 minutes as a reminder to eat and drink while I ride. It is very easy to forget to eat and drink and fall behind getting the nutrition you need. At rest stops I grab something easily digestible, stuff a few snacks in my jersey pocket for the road, and refill water. I usually only drink water for most of a long event. Toward the end of the ride I might grab a mountain dew or something else sugary to get a kick for those last few miles.

Afterwards I love some nice cold chocolate milk as a "recovery" drink.

Good luck and keep asking questions and sharing your experiences.


Edit:

Good comment above on bike shorts. Those are essential gear. Also I remembered a good site for relatively inexpensive clothing. Try Sierra Trading Post. https://www.sierratradingpost.com/wom...othing~d~2390/

ahanulec

Gloves helped me out with Hand numbness. I was reluctant to switch to gloves but they have helped out a lot. If you find that the gloves alone don't resolve the issues try switching hand positions every time you can remember.

If even that fails, try raising you handle bars or bringing them closer in. This bar movement will help reduce the pressure you are putting on your hands.

175 isn't heavy. You might find lower pressures in your tires is more comfortable. Experiment with different pressures to see what you like.

Black wallnut 

Welcome @crozetbiket! Bike jerseys may be more comfortable and they are more convenient as already mentioned.Gloves may or may not help with hand numbness, adjusting your bike fit so you are putting less pressure on your hands and relaxing your shoulders, arms, and hands while riding will help as well. If you can move your hands around as you ride that likely will help. Air pressure in your tires is somewhat subjective due to where you ride. Although your weight is higher than many riders it is still much less than many others. For example I weigh 230 pounds and run 23 mm tires at 90-100 psi for chipseal and 110psi+/- for smooth asphalt.

For longer rides I drink at least a bottle of water for each hour and do not worry about nutrition until the ride exceeds 2 hours. I eat 100 or so calories per hour starting at the beginning of the second hour. Supported rides that I have done have stops generally set up in anticipation of riders expected hourly pace. Longer routes have fewer stops due to riders that go farther generally also go faster. Shorter routes have more stops for the same reason. Either way it is good to know before you ride how the stops are spaced and carry enough water and groceries to make it past the next stop. For example if the stops are 10 miles apart and you ride 10mph and consume one water bottle in that hour carry two bottles and one extra snack. At some point you will be delayed due to a flat or some other issue, and running out of water between stops is no fun, trust me here.

crozetbiker

What should I look for in a glove? And I can move my handlebars forward??

ColaJacket

How to help numb hands (See Post #7)

VCSL2015

Good luck on your ride. Let us know how it all goes.