Originally Posted by
C_Myers22
Recently injured runner and started biking as cross training. I ended up liking it much more than I thought I would. I love being able to bike for 3+ hours and feel fine the next day. I loved watching the tour this year. I don't think I am very good at it. Here are some things that I think are holding me back. Is this normal for a beginner?
1. I am terrified of going fast. Anything over 24mph feels like I am going to crash and die. Going downhill is even worse. Is this just something that takes time to get better at?
2. My bike is pretty old. It's a Trek 1220 from 1996. Very little maintenance has been done in the past 5-7 years. Taking it to a bike shop this week.
3. My bike just has regular pedals so I'm not able to pull up on them.
4. My bike is too big for me. Probably made for someone 5 inches taller.
1. Think about what is making you scared and if you can address it.
2. The biggest difference between the 1970's and the 1980's is that shifters became indexed (one click per gear), and then before Y2K they moved to the brake levers. Your bike is from a transitional period so it might have this, I haven't googled it to check. Maintenance parts for an old standard road bike are still available and you can keep it working fine. The biggest difference since Y2K has been integration of power meters and smart trainers so you can use software for your training plan and Zwift in the winter.
3. Someone probably already talked about this.
4. Hey! You have an excuse! Don't let us get in your way. For reference someone of an average height of 5-10 would likely be on a 56cm.