Newbie ready to Learn
 

Just picked up a used 2010 Trek 7.3 and now I am venturing out to get back into shape, lose weight, rebuild my knees and possibly commute to work.

I know absolutely NOTHING about biking so you all will definately have to dumb things down for me, and I have not ridden a bike since I was 13, so needless to say, my first ride HURT.

You should start out with a 10min ride and increase gradually, then it won't hurt.

Thanks for the reply, I started with a 5 mile ride, at a maintainable pace, just trying to get a good baseline, and will go from there. I think the pain was more from not using those muscle groups. I will definately do more to get used to the muscle memory before really pushing it.

I started with many 5 mile rides.

I was really out of shape when I started riding with my new bike just a few weeks ago and I've been amazed at how quickly my endurance and legs are building up. I wasn't thinking fitness, mostly for the fun, but I'm feeling so much better and finding myself pushing harder than ever thought I would. I'm 62 and of fairly light build. As others have said, build it up a bit at a time.

Some (hopefully helpful) links.

Sheldon Brown's bicycling site. with this section for beginners being quite helpful.

Hints and tricks, over at the bicycle mechanics section.

Helpful tips for the 50+ newbie rider, with most tips being helpful at any age! ;)

I am fairly new too, I built up slowly. Its 5 miles to work, but for the first week or so, I just cycled to the local train station and then a mile to work. Once and a while I cycled home, but past 3 to 4 train stations so I knew I could catch them if I needed too. I've done a few longer bike rides over 12 miles. I myself need to loose weight and get fit, and Im like you and haven't cycled for years. I have tought about joining a club or something, but know I am no where near any kind of fitness. Im getting fitter, and my legs are getting more defined. Would be interesting to know how your finding things etc. Feel like im doing this on my own.

My experience with biking and all other sports has always been that if you try to do too much at once, you will be sore for a long time, the activity can become physically painful, you are more prone to injury and the experience is not pleasant which demotivates you.

For those reasons, whatever sport you pick up, I think you should just take it slow and focus on enjoying what you are doing. Take some rides that you know wont be a problem and pick a nice route. You will get a feel of what kind of performance you are capable off, and you can gradually increase it from there. Most importantly, go often and take the time for some nice rides.

Since you got a used bike unless you got it from a LBS or had help setting it up make sure that your seat and handlebar adjustments are at least in the ballpark to start with. Some of the links David posted above have some good info on that as well as http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/sport/a/bikefit.htm .

I am fairly new too and I am now up to 10 miles a day, but my problem now is time. Another thing I realized lately is that it is very important to keep your tires at the right pressure, mine were a bit low and my bike felt like it was dragging. With the right pressure it is flying again. I also have the same bike you have. :)

stretch stretch stretch !!!!!!lolol...i learned the hard painful way

As soon as I got it, I took it to the local Trek dealer. He knew who owned the bike and said that I stole it or the price that I paid for it. He then completely checked it out, and set it up for me with no charge! I am sure there will be additional tweaking, but for now I am just riding it o see how it all feels.

I am in the FL National Guard so I get at LEAST an hour a day to do some kind of physical training, which is nice I can come in to work,plan a route and go.

STRONG WORDS!!

I have definately learned to stretch properly. Practically at the end of my bed doing a hamstring stretch, my wife asks, " what you doing"? Just stretching babe, I don't want to end the nite with a pulled back.....

I've heard recently that most studies now show that stretching before exercise is actually worse than not stretching at all...what stretching that is done should be done after the activity, a sort of cool-down stretching.