I am brand new to road bikes and I am having some difficulty.

After doing some research into options for a good quality commuter/fun bike I decided to hunt down an inexpensive Japanese 80s road bike. I had my eye on a Miyata One Ten, but it fell through. I ended up getting a nice Nishiki Linear. It's light compared to what I have ridden in the past, it looked good, and it came with a bunch of extras (helmet, Scott aerobar, bike cleats, gloves, and a bike rack for my car) so I was happy with my decision. I realized that it would take some getting used to, but after my first real outing on this bike I am starting to realize just how much I am going to have to learn.

The clips were my first struggle. I have never used bike cleats and clips before, so I practiced clipping and unclipping at home, but when it came to real world use I found it extremely difficult to get my second foot clipped. I could get my first foot in without any problem, but when it came to my second foot I had a hard time finding the mark and because the peddals are so small if I did not get my cleat in by the first revolution my foot slid all over (and off of) the peddal. The crazy thin tires of a road bike also made things difficult. As did the change to my usual center of gravity when riding a bike. Now (instead of just having to jump on my bike and peddal) I am trying to balance on super thin tires, while leaning forward on weird bullhorn handles, and all while trying to get a stupid cleat to click into place. It really felt as if I were trying to learn how to ride a bike all over again. But, this stuff will come with time. It's not insurmountable, just a little frustrating.

My next difficulty came when the pain in my hands grew from a dull ache to an unignorable pain. The amount of weight and stress on my hands (especially my thumbs) because of the handle set up is a serious problem. I don't know if I just need to get used to the bullhorn handlebars and my forward leaning position or if I need to make some changes to the set up of my bike, but by the end on the ride I was ready for some ice on my thumbs.

I don't want to seem as if this was a horrible experience, because it wasn't. Going up hills was way easier than on any other bike I have ever used, the clips (once I managed to get into them) made peddaling easier, and I really like having a bike that stands out a little. I just wish that my first road bike experience had gone a little bit smoother.

I'll continue to research and practice, but any tips or suggestions to help in my progress would be greatly appreciated.