Road Cycling - Questions about my first ride

Today was my first real road cycling ride. I estimate 80-100km as I was lost in the country roads and expected to do maybe 50-60k. 4 hours long. It gave me a really sore underside (and for guys I don't think that's a good thing) and a sore knee. It was fun nonetheless, but a few things need to be clarified.

To start with this getting lost thing, how do most people plan their trips? Do people have drop-in cycle groups I can join, or are they all racing teams? Any other ideas on preventing my ride from ending an hour or two later than normal??

Secondly, is it my seat position that's the problem? I have a hard as a rock old 1980s seat, should that be replaced by a user-friendly one? I also have a theory that my handlebars are too low.

Thirdly, are knee problems common? (mine hurts on the topside of the kneecap) I have them often (when I mountain bike). I'm riding toe clips on my road bike, clipless on mountain, both hurt the knee. Is there a way of preventing this?

And lastly, I felt that there wasn't a nice variety of gear combinations at the 30km/h speed range. I was forced to ride at cadences too slow and too fast since other combinations didn't work well. Is this common? (it could be that I"m so used to 27 speeds) Does anyone know a typical gear cog combination I can compare mine to?

Thanks

Panoram Jazzman aka Panoramic
--

Hey Brian, there's a message in my alphabits. It says "OOOOO"
Peter those are cherios

1) Maps. You can drive the area, go with groups, or consult a Ouija board. I carry a map.
2) Get a new seat. A good one. Problem is, your butt has to harden up, so for a couple weeks it will be sore when you ride. Go to the best bike shop in your area, and ask them for a good bike seat. If you weigh under 200 pounds, a seat with titanium rails is nice. Acts like a shock absorber.
3) You should not have knee pain. You need to fix the problem, and soon. Ice the knee down for 20 minutes. Your seat could be too low or high, or too far forward or back. Could be too much riding too soon. There are a few other likely suspects. Ice the knee down a few times. Then consider a training plan. A plan doesn't have to be fancy. This year my plan is to ride. Weekdays I take it easy, commute to work, buy groceries, go annoy Andy at my favorite LBS. That sort of thing. I ride as much as I can, but I am just cruising around. On the weekends I go long and hard. But increase your speed. distance, and effort gradually.

Today was my first real road cycling ride. I estimate 80-100km as I was lost in the country roads and expected to do maybe 50-60k. 4 hours long. It gave me a really sore underside (and for guys I don't think that's a good thing) and a sore knee. It was fun nonetheless, but a few things need to be clarified.

It sounds like you aren't really new to cycling. What kind of riding have you done before? Have you been constantly riding roadbikes or mountain bikes or what? How long were the typical rides in duration? Even if you're a seasoned rider, hopping on a bike and doing a 60k ride without working up to those distances can result in some body aches and pains.



To start with this getting lost thing, how do most people plan their trips? Do people have drop-in cycle groups I can join, or are they all racing teams? Any other ideas on preventing my ride from ending an hour or two later than normal??

Check around in your area for bike clubs. Some shops host their own rides and clubs too. Since you're new to group rides, be careful about the ride pace descriptions. You really should be honest with the ride leader and ask him to be honest with you. Some rides advertised as 16-18 MPH (25-29 KPH) turn out to be a constant hammerfest at 25 MPH or higher. If you do happen to join a group with a pace too fast and get spit off the back, you may end up just as lost. You then have too choices. Keep joining the same group for future rides and watch yourself improve or pick a different group and try to work your way up.



Secondly, is it my seat position that's the problem? I have a hard as a rock old 1980s seat, should that be replaced by a user-friendly one? I also have a theory that my handlebars are too low.

How long have you been riding with your current setup? When you say "user-friendly" do you mean cushier? That might not be a wise move. What you want is better support of your sitbones. As a matter of fact, softer saddles tend to aggravate the problem more than solve it in the long run. Look for profile and not cushiness. You may want to play with your handlebar height too. If you're not used to the lower position of roadbikes (actually, what kind of bike are you riding?) then it will take time for your body to adjust.



Thirdly, are knee problems common? (mine hurts on the topside of the kneecap) I have them often (when I mountain bike). I'm riding toe clips on my road bike, clipless on mountain, both hurt the knee. Is there a way of preventing this?

You might need pedals that will give you a bit of float. Also you might want to check your leg/foot position and extension. You might be riding with your saddle too low. You might want to consider getting professionally fitted at a bikeshop.



And lastly, I felt that there wasn't a nice variety of gear combinations at the 30km/h speed range. I was forced to ride at cadences too slow and too fast since other combinations didn't work well. Is this common? (it could be that I"m so used to 27 speeds) Does anyone know a typical gear cog combination I can compare mine to?

What are you running right now? You might want to check out some online gear calculators to make some comparisons. Take a look at the one on Sheldon Brown's Website (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/).

It sounds like you aren't really new to cycling. What kind of riding have you done before? Have you been constantly riding roadbikes or mountain bikes or what? How long were the typical rides in duration? Even if you're a seasoned rider, hopping on a bike and doing a 60k ride without working up to those distances can result in some body aches and pains.

I've mountain biked earlier this month, and rode to work. I've also swam for eleven years, and I suppose my endurance is what got me through that. (And I don't plan on feeling fresh tomorrow)
Though this isn't the first time I've let my swimming history make me believe I was invincible - I bonked on the trails in a race halfway through the first lap on my first time out on the bike that year.

-Panoramic

1. raise your seat. almost all knee problems that are toward the front of the knee are caused because the seat's too low.

2. the back: raise your stem, if possible. if not (you want to save money, you want to get into shape eventually, etc.), then every 10/20/30 minutes or so, sit up and go no-hands, or stand up on the bike, or change positions. also, consciously remind yourself to relax your shoulders, your arms, your whole upper body.

3. the butt: are you wearing bicycling shorts? if you are, you should just get used to it with time..

sd

Well, about getting lost..... you can take a map as people suggest. Of course, if you are riding reasonably fast, it is inconvenient to keep checking a map. After awhile, you should learn most of the good cycling roads in your area and you won't get lost unless you stray out of your territory. When I lived in Michigan, it seemed as if I knew virtually all the rural roads in the Lower Penisula. It is sort of the same way here in Central Florida. When I drive, I amaze people with the "short cuts" and "nice drives" I know. That is a nice bonus from cycling. Of course, different people have different techniques for navigation so it depends on the individual. I never remember road names for some reason but if I have ridden a route a couple of times, then I can remember it and I have a reasonably good sense of direction and dead reckoning.

About the saddle, peoples rear ends are different shaped and different saddles work for different people. The really soft saddles look appealing but often they are not that good. Your weight should be suspended on the ischeal processes of your pelvis (2 little nobs on the bottom of the pelvis). You want these to hit the saddle in the right place. A too narrow saddle will fit between the processes and squash the hinder parts (women have this problem more often then men because of their relatively wide pelvises). I recall, I got a bike years back and it came with a really hard narrow leather saddle which I tried out but was intimidated by. I was amazed because it was really comfortable.

The knee problem can be complex, but it might be caused by your low RPM. I find that I can avoid knee aches by keeping my RPMs high. So if your knees start up, you might try running a lower gear and upping the RPM and see if that helps.

Also you mentioned gearing. Gearing is as much influenced by the RPM you favor as your physical shape and the terrain you ride in. People who favor high RPMs will favor lower gearing then people who like riding at relatively low RPM. It sounds as if you have a double chain ring. You might think of switching out your current cassette for one with a bigger rear cog or if that does not give you low enough gearing or a wide enough range switching to a triple.