Originally Posted by
Tom Stormcrowe
Agreed, do NOT skimp on your noggin. I'm speaking as someone that has had his head hit the road crashing at around 30 MPH, and without a good, proper protecting helmet, likely wouldn't be posting this.
+1
Haven't had a crash yet (thank Dog and knock on wood), but wouldn't wanna trust my head to a cheap helmet.
If your melon is as big as mine, you might need to look into a bigger helmet, too. I found that the regular size helmets were just not big enough to fit properly or be comfortable. If you're like me and your fitted cap size is north of 7-3/4, then you might wanna check out the
Bell Triton which is what I settled on. For a list of other helmets for largue craniums, look
here.
+1 on wheel issues, too. Most common issue we seem to have to face. The stock wheels on my big box store bike weren't worth a darn, and I'm on a new set now. Higher spoke counts and double rims are good if you can get em.
I've been commuting for a few months now and love it. I don't pay too much attention to the scale, but started around 300 or so. I know my clothes are starting to fit looser and that's always a good sign. Perhaps more importantly, I feel stronger and healthier most every day that I ride. My unsolicitied advice: set a goal for improvement. For me, it's trying to keep a good cadence and make it further and further up a couple of the overpasses before downshifting each day, or shaving a minute or two off my commute. Not every day is a victory, but over time, I see and feel the results. Hands down, cycling is the best form of exercise and transportation ever devised by man, IMHO.
Welcome
and good luck getting started!!!