Road Cycling - Gotta love that new bike feeling

Yup, today I bit the bullet and got myself a lovely looking Orbea Enol. It was £350 reduced from £475 (which makes me wonder if it's 2002, but never mind), and it seems to be pretty much exactly what I wanted.

I have a few newbie-type questions of course, the first of which involves the levers. When I put my hands on the forward-pointing part of the bar just above the levers, my hands don't seem to 'fit' on the bars. Either they're at a wierd angle, are not supported in the middle of the palm, or are only supported in the middle of the palm. Is there anything I can do about this without getting new levers and/or bars?

Is it worth getting a pair of proper cycling shorts? I'd imagine it is, like buying proper socks if you're a runner, but what should I look for? Are they all pretty much the same? What about those (baggy) shorts with built-in lyrca shorts?

Can anyone recommend any websites with training schedules and stuff. I'm mainly riding to lose weight and get fit, but I don't want to over do it or lose out by not eating properly.

One last thing, at the moment I have platform pedals with straps, but are there any clipless shoes that one could wear like normal trainers without looking and sounding ridiculous whilst walking around?

Too bad we can't experience that 'new car smell' with bikes.....

Originally posted by Jonny B
Yup, today I bit the bullet and got myself a lovely looking Orbea Enol. It was £350 reduced from £475 (which makes me wonder if it's 2002, but never mind), and it seems to be pretty much exactly what I wanted.

sweet! perhaps it is a 2002, but that seems like a decent price for a Orbea :D


Originally posted by Jonny B
I have a few newbie-type questions of course, the first of which involves the levers. When I put my hands on the forward-pointing part of the bar just above the levers, my hands don't seem to 'fit' on the bars. Either they're at a wierd angle, are not supported in the middle of the palm, or are only supported in the middle of the palm. Is there anything I can do about this without getting new levers and/or bars?

your hand is supposed to fit in the hood (above the levers) by placing the fleshy part of your hand between your thumb and fingers, if your hand doesn't fit in this position or feels uncomfortable you might want to try some padded gloves....

(on a side note, there are different styles of levers made by campy and shimano, so perhaps the LBS can swap them out to a different size if all else fails)


Originally posted by Jonny B
Is it worth getting a pair of proper cycling shorts? I'd imagine it is, like buying proper socks if you're a runner, but what should I look for? Are they all pretty much the same? What about those (baggy) shorts with built-in lyrca shorts?

YES! cycling shorts are so much more comfortable you would not even believe it. That's why we all wear them (even though they look funny :p) as for the baggy shorts, they will work but probably will not wick away moisture as well as lycra (and they are more for mountain bikers :p)


Originally posted by Jonny B
Can anyone recommend any websites with training schedules and stuff. I'm mainly riding to lose weight and get fit, but I don't want to over do it or lose out by not eating properly.


you should check out http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=148 there are many good articles on how to get in shape and links as well. You may also want to purchase a heart rate monitor and keep a log of the miles you put in, this will help you track your fitness and show you the progress you have made towards your goals.


Originally posted by Jonny B
One last thing, at the moment I have platform pedals with straps, but are there any clipless shoes that one could wear like normal trainers without looking and sounding ridiculous whilst walking around?

I believe Sidi makes some shoes that are easy to walk in after you clip out, and most mountain bike shoes are also made this way, but IMHO get used to the bike for 3 months or more before you make the change to clipless.... it will be easier.