Originally Posted by Ballistics

I'm inactive and out of shape, getting close to 30, and decided to do something about it before it's too late. I live in central Florida with tons of bike trails so I decided to buy a road bike.

I didn't know a stem from a saddle about a month ago but I read and then read some more prior to purchasing. I ended up buying a 2010 Fuji Roubaix ACR 2.0--if you're not familiar, it's aluminum with a carbon fork and stays with full Shimano 105 components except the crank which is a FSA Gossamer BB30. It was a $1,669 MSRP bike last year so I feel like I got a fair deal at $1200. I'm 6' and 230 lbs, 34" inseam. The 56cm frame felt the the best so that's the one I got.

In the last week I've taken the bike out 3 times and now have about 40 miles on the bike. Some comments/questions:

1. I can't wait to lose about 40 pounds and develop some leg strength because hills suck right now. I know you're thinking it's pretty flat in Florida, but I live in Clermont which has a national triathlete training center because of the hills here.

2. I was fitted at the shop when I purchased my bike but I knew it was going to take some miles on the bike to really learn how it feels. After my first 3 rides of approx. 12-15 miles each, I notice my butt and hands are little sore. Yes I have padded shorts and gloves. I have a feeling the soreness is due to me being new to the sport so I want to put a few more miles on the bike before I try to adjust my stem or saddle for/aft.

3. Dropping to the low bars may take some time for me. My max speed according to the bike computer is around 37 mph going downhill. As soon as I start going 30+, I put my hands on hoods and have my fingers on the brakes because it feels like I'm going 100+ mph. I assume dropping down becomes more natural over time, just like I assume clipping my pedals will.