General Cycling Discussion - Hello new person here, need some suggestions

Hello

Im 27 have not rode in 10 years or so..maybe more..I used to skate board and ride a bit of freestyle when i was a teen, like every teen mostly. I went to school, work etc..and lost cycling all together in life. I do take karate for 2 years now, and enjoy it very much..

Anyway now that i introduced myself, i have a few questions. I bought a Trek FX 7.3 in silver, it is a nice bike i have taken it around the area. And plan to do red rock in 2 weeks after i do more riding etc. That is 50 mi.

1st question is SLIME worth it? or should i just line the rim with some sort of tape to keep thorns out, glass etc.

2nd. I dont have a helmet yet, what is a good model for under 60 bucks

3rd I purchased a cat eye strada wireless computer, are these worth it?

4th. since this is not a road bike, should i just wear good running shoes or climbing shoes/skate..with platforms..the shop here gave me wellgo steel pedals, that grip pretty good..but im afraid they will tear my shins up in the long haul. Should i wait to get those clipless shoes or whatever? this is kinda of greek to me honestly.

5th how often should i lube chain and should i mess with spokes, one of mine seems loose..or just take it to the shop.

thanks i have other questions but can not think of them right now:D

hmm sorry, i just noticed i missed the introduction forum..

anyway another question the saddle on my bike is OK..but i did a 12 mile ride today and got a bit sore..this chould be a number of reasons, like not proper fit for bike etc. But what is a good brand of saddle to upgrade with.. i have some money to burn

thanks

also what is a good book on maintenance, im the DIY type for the most part..and gringe at taking toy's into a shop for large fee's

thanks

Hello

Im 27 have not rode in 10 years or so..maybe more..I used to skate board and ride a bit of freestyle when i was a teen, like every teen mostly. I went to school, work etc..and lost cycling all together in life. I do take karate for 2 years now, and enjoy it very much..

Anyway now that i introduced myself, i have a few questions. I bought a Trek FX 7.3 in silver, it is a nice bike i have taken it around the area. And plan to do red rock in 2 weeks after i do more riding etc. That is 50 mi.

1st question is SLIME worth it? or should i just line the rim with some sort of tape to keep thorns out, glass etc.

2nd. I dont have a helmet yet, what is a good model for under 60 bucks

3rd I purchased a cat eye strada wireless computer, are these worth it?

4th. since this is not a road bike, should i just wear good running shoes or climbing shoes/skate..with platforms..the shop here gave me wellgo steel pedals, that grip pretty good..but im afraid they will tear my shins up in the long haul. Should i wait to get those clipless shoes or whatever? this is kinda of greek to me honestly.

5th how often should i lube chain and should i mess with spokes, one of mine seems loose..or just take it to the shop.

thanks i have other questions but can not think of them right now:D

1) eh
2) The cheapest one that fits you.
3) If you want to know your cadence, speed, distance, etc then yes.
4) Controversial question. I for one think toeclip/clipless pedals are silly for non-race riding. Other people will tell you otherwise. If you want plain platform pedals, I suggets big fat BMX-style pedals.
5) At the very least, if the chain starts to squeek, it needs lube. You should periodically clean your chain+drivetrain, then reapply lube to the chain. Don't mess with spokes if you don't know what you are doing. If your wheels are badly out of true (they wobble from side to side as they turn), take them to a shop to get trued.


anyway another question the saddle on my bike is OK..but i did a 12 mile ride today and got a bit sore..this chould be a number of reasons, like not proper fit for bike etc. But what is a good brand of saddle to upgrade with.. i have some money to burn

thanks

also what is a good book on maintenance, im the DIY type for the most part..and gringe at taking toy's into a shop for large fee's

Soreness could be any number of things. I would wait to see if you get used to riding, before you start looking at buying a new saddle.

This website has lots of repair info:

http://sheldonbrown.com/articles.html

1st question is SLIME worth it? or should i just line the rim with some sort of tape to keep thorns out, glass etc.

I don't think so, but then there's not a lot of flat hazards where I normally ride. I did do some mountain biking out in SoCal many years ago and starting using tire liners after I flatted both tires on goathead thorns and had to walk back.

So if there's a lot of flat hazards in your area, Slime, tire liners, or something, might be worth it.


2nd. I dont have a helmet yet, what is a good model for under 60 bucks

I have a Bell Metro that, after I starting wearing it, I threw all my other helmets away. Except one for a spare.

Seriously though, the best helmet for you is the one that fits your head. Try on several different makes and models.


3rd I purchased a cat eye strada wireless computer, are these worth it?

I hear they're good, but I'm not really qualified to voice an opinion on that particular computer. Sometimes I ride with a Cateye CC-CD300DW, sometimes no computer nor GPS, usually I ride with a Garmin GPSmap76.


4th. since this is not a road bike, should i just wear good running shoes or climbing shoes/skate..with platforms..the shop here gave me wellgo steel pedals, that grip pretty good..but im afraid they will tear my shins up in the long haul. Should i wait to get those clipless shoes or whatever? this is kinda of greek to me honestly.

I used to have clipless, toe-clips, and platform pedals on different bikes. Then I tried Power Grips and went to those on all the bikes. These days I do all my cycling in hi-top Converse All Stars. Even on my road bike.


5th how often should i lube chain and should i mess with spokes, one of mine seems loose..or just take it to the shop.

I used to worry about chain cleaning and lube way too much. Now I just replace chains as they wear out.

1. I suspect that the Slime question depends on where you live. I'd never even think about using it living here in St Louis but people who live in goat head thorn country may have another opinion.

2. CSPC helmet certification is a pass-fail test so one can argue that all helmets are equal in that regard. More expensive helmets have better strap retention systems and adjust to fit your head better. They're less dorky looking too.

3. Most people want to know how fast they're going and how far they've ridden.

4. I've yet to meet anybody who rides very much who, once they got acclimated to using clipless pedals, wanted to go back.

5. If you have a spoke that feels loose, take your bike back to the guy you bought it from and tell them to fix it. Do it now before it causes serious wheel damage.
Chain maintenance approaches politics and religion in regard to people holding strong opposing views. I do less than most. When my chain starts making noise, I wipe it down with a rag and maybe a little mineral spirits and apply Rock 'n Roll lube as recommended on the bottle. After waiting awhile I try to wipe it all away using a clean dry rag. That's it!