dixiepixie

Hello from Georgia. I found this group tonight and have been reading posts for a while! I see there are some fellow Georgians... yeah! I'm a newbie bicyclist (not counting my kiddie years many moons ago it seems). As a matter of fact, I am so new that I haven't even gotten on the bike yet! I sure did love my Columbia 10-speed back in my teens, though.

I bought my bike today -- low-end compared to some of the bikes I'm reading about here tonight, but as I have a horrible habit of not staying committed to these things, I didn't want to spend a fortune. If I'm a good girl, eventually, I'll upgrade. I bought a Trek Navigator 300, and in my little test ride today, it felt comfortable. I'm interested in road rides and trail rides.

This is a dual life change for me, as it is my goal to FINALLY put down the nasty cigarettes that I've been smoking for years.

Tomorrow I go out and do a LITTLE bit on the bike. I don't want to do too much too soon as I'm very out of shape. Little, but out of shape nonetheless. I've also put on about 17 pounds since beginning a job in Atlanta in February of this year ... I know. I know. That's a bunch in a short period of time, but they feed me too well!! So.... I'm not as little as I was!

I'm 42 and am really looking forward to my new pursuits. There is so much to learn. If anybody can recommend any REALLY good web sites, that would be great.

Anyway, that's a little about me. Happy trails!

Chris L

Welcome to the forums! This website right here is pretty good. Don't stress over being a newbie, we all were at one point (even me) :blush: . Don't be afraid to ask specific questions, you're bound to get good answers here.

cabledonut

well it's always nice to see people taking up cycling. it's even nicer to see people, who haven't had a sporty lifestyle, ie, smokers/drinkers/overweight people, taking it up. i like to see people give up an unhealthy lifestyle and turn to cycling in order to change themselves and become healthier people. not many people can do it neither.

so good luck dixie!

cabledonut.

ljbike

Conratulations on your resolve to quit smoking and start riding! The first thing you'll encounter is a sore backside. It is normal and will go away after riding a while. Don't let it be a turn-off for future riding. There are web sites posted all over this forum. As you peruse them you have the option of adding them to your "favorites" list for references later. And as ChrisL stated ask any kind of question here that you want. There are no dumb questions, but sometimes there are dumb answers. As a legal secretary, I'm sure you've heard a lot of those.
WELCOME!!!!!WELCOME!!!!!WELCOME!!!!!

Greg

Welcome dixiepixie!

The most important thing is to just get out on the bike and ride.

Explore easily reached places around town and you'll find your range will slowly increase.

Make it fun.

Get those lungs back.

velocipedio

Congratulations.

I was just talking to one of my ride buddies this morning about smoking [I was at a dinner party last night and I really felt the effects of second-hand smoke this morning]. The thing about cycling is that it is FUNDAMENTALLY incompatible with smoking. You can't do both, so you have to chose between the cigarette and the bike. All things considered, I think you'll find yourself chosing the bike. Smoking a a short-term thrill, cycling is something that is fun to do and which improves your life immeasurably by doing it.

My advice -- which you didn't ask for, but which I'll give you anyway -- is to USE the bike to wean yourself from the cancer sticks. Whenever you feel a craving that you can't handle, just take the bike out for a quick ride. It doesn't have to be much -- just five or ten minutes -- but you'll find that the ride ITSELF will minimize your cravings.

ALSO, make a point of cycling right after you've cheated and fallen off the butt wagon. When you can FEEL what cigarettes do to you, you'll stay away.

If the choice is between smoking and cycling, then it's not really much of a choice, is it?

*WildHare*

Welcome aboard. As a former nicotine addict I wish you well in your effort to quit. If you are like a lot of people, you may enjoy having a smoke with your morning coffee? I know I used to (along with beer too ) and I laid off coffee for a couple of months to help out. It worked for me, but everybody is different. Most people I've made that suggestion to cringe at the thought of not having their coffee... No coffee AND no cigarrettes!!!!! No way!!

My former boss used to jog 10 miles a day, lift weights and in general was pretty damned healthy except for the fact that he smoked at least a pack a day. I don't know how some people do it...

dixiepixie

Thanks so much for all the encouragement and the welcomes. I quit smoking before for 8 months and absolutely LOVED how I felt. It was stupid to go back to smoking, but I did. I found the patches to be a great help; however, if really affected my ability to sleep for a couple of weeks. I haven't set a quit date, but am probably going to go with November 4 (I like Monday mornings for some reason).

Today was my first day out with the bike. The road I live on is not what I would consider the most cyclist friendly, and even though it's a short trip to some better roads, I'm a little nervous to try it yet. So.... I loaded my bike in my truck and went over to my brother's neighborhood where there's not much car traffic. I rode for about 20 minutes over some gently sloping ... MOUNTAINS!!! Gosh, those things were a whole lot smaller in the truck! My butt was certainly sore, but I expected that. All in all, it felt good. I haven't been much of a water drinker, but I downed a sports bottle and a half when I was done! I swear I sat on the tailgate of my truck for about 30 minutes recuperating and drinking! It was GREAT!

I do have one question. Bear with me if I don't have the right terminology here. My bike has a Shimano C1 Deck on the handlebars for the rear drive system -- 3 on the left, 7 in the rear. What the heck is the "D" for on the panel? There's a little guy with what looks like wind behind his back -- obviously for cruising and a mountain -- obviously for climbing hills, but I can't figure out the "D." Everything I've read about gear shifting was written by rocket scientists. I shifted to what felt comfortable, but really have no idea what I'm doing yet. I figured today was mostly to get out and get a feel for the bike, but I sure would like to know more about the gearing. I remember with my 10-speed years ago, I probably didn't use the right gears at the right times -- there was an awful lot of crunching going on down there at times -- and I'd just like to get it right this time.

Anyway... not sure if I'll get to ride this week much with my work in Atlanta, but I'm gonna get a light so I can at least get out a little bit hopefully. Don't just want to be a weekend warrior.

Thanks so much.

LittleBigMan

Welcome!

Yup, cycling is fun, and addictive!

Let us all know what happens, and ask lots of questions!

Enjoy you new friends here on BikeForums!

aerobat

I'm not sure what the "D" is for either, I'm not familiar with that shifting system. The main thing is that you're interested in finding out. Try going back to the shop where you bought the bike, they should be able to tell you.

Apart from having the right fit on the bike, and all that entails, being in the right gear at the right time is probably one of the most important aspects of bike riding to make it efficient and comfortable.

You should always be able to pedal easily, with the possible exception of those "mountains", so experiment with the gears to be able to keep pedaling at about the same speed in all conditions (approx. 80-90 rpm). That will tell you that you're in the right gear, regardless of the symbology.

BTY, I think you started out with the right bike. I started with a Giant hybrid seven years ago, which is my commuter now, and it was and still is, a great bike.

GravityBmxer

Welcome to this site! I am new here also. I wish you fun on this site.