Mister Cat wants his first bike.

[tiermat]

Well I have done it. 

I have bought my first bike in 30 years.

I bought the Ridgeback, bar ends, Kryptonite lock, Bell helmet, Oxford Panniers, Lights. 

Total £500.

I am wondering if I have just wasted a lot of money or if this is a really smart move. 

Ah well, time will tell.

 

It won't be a waste.

Tru story, about 15 years ago I hadn't been cycling for about 10 years (since my teens, when I had an accident involving me, on a bike, and a motorbike).  I can't run without a lot of pain, due to being heavy footed, so decided to buy a bike to get some exercise.  i went to the bike shop, found a decent bike, at a good price (not bottom of the range, but not top of the range either).  I rode it as soon as I got it home, did 3 miles and was almost dead.  The next day I went out again and went a bit further, the next day further again.  Eventually after 3 months I went back to the same bike shop and traded the bike in for the top of the range model (a Marin Pine Mountain FWIW) and never looked back.

[Kim]

Yup.  Get bike, ride bike, ride it some more, repeat.  It's that simple.  It's hard work until you can comfortably do 25 miles or so, then it gets a *lot* easier.

[clarion]

Rubbish.  The rides just get longer/faster

[nicknack]

I bought the Ridgeback, bar ends, Kryptonite lock, Bell helmet, Oxford Panniers, Lights.  

Y'know I've never thought to protect my bell. Is that if you turn the bike upside down to mend a flat?

[MattH]

Congratulations  
It looks like you've bought the right kind of stuff to have a rideable and useful bike - which will help to prevent it being left in the shed to rot after a week or two.

As others have said, it will be tough to start with. But it gets easier (or you get faster), surprisingly quickly. It'll start out with you going out because it's new and shiny. Then maybe a short period when it seems hard work. But soon afterwards you'll find that doing your mile run to the shops is easier on the bike than in the car, and you'll be taking the long way there because it's more fun   You'll find many born-again cyclists on here (like myself), we know how you'll be feeling and know you are doing the right thing!

You may also be about to find that bikes don't save you any money - you just end up spending the money you would have spent on fuel for the car on cycling gadgets, clothes, and the inevitable N+1.

[LEE]

Well I have done it.  

I have bought my first bike in 30 years.

I bought the Ridgeback, bar ends, Kryptonite lock, Bell helmet, Oxford Panniers, Lights.  

Total £500.

I am wondering if I have just wasted a lot of money or if this is a really smart move.  

Ah well, time will tell.

 

Eventually after 3 months I went back to the same bike shop and traded the bike in for the top of the range model (a Marin Pine Mountain FWIW) and never looked back.

You should look back occasionally, when pulling out to avoid parked cars for example.

Congrats Forum Cat.

Let's see some photos ASAP.

I find that a Country Pub makes the ideal cycle destination.

[Andrij]

Well I have done it.  

I have bought my first bike in 30 years.

I bought the Ridgeback, bar ends, Kryptonite lock, Bell helmet, Oxford Panniers, Lights.  

Total £500.

I am wondering if I have just wasted a lot of money or if this is a really smart move.  

Ah well, time will tell.

 

Hurrah!  Don't forget to post photos here.

[Bledlow]

Well I have done it. 

I have bought my first bike in 30 years.

I bought the Ridgeback, bar ends, Kryptonite lock, Bell helmet, Oxford Panniers, Lights. 

Total £500.

I am wondering if I have just wasted a lot of money or if this is a really smart move. 

Ah well, time will tell.

 

I don't see any waste there. Looks like a sensible bike, & a sensible set of accessories. Now all you have to do is ride it, to get your moneys worth. Enjoy!

BTW, what lights did you get? And do you mean to do any riding on country roads at night?

[Forum Cat]

BTW, what lights did you get? And do you mean to do any riding on country roads at night?

The lights were basic LED affairs.  They were about £16s worth I think.  I figured that for a start they would do.  If I feel the need for more light then I won't have lost a fortune.  For the most part I think I will be in well lit areas or at least initially.

 

[Bledlow]

Makes sense.

[Andrij]

FC, we're waiting impatiently. 

A little birdie tells me you may have some news...
 

[Forum Cat]

FC, we're waiting impatiently. 

A little birdie tells me you may have some news...
 

Some news, yes.

[Bledlow]

Is that you rubbing yourself against the front wheel? 

I'd put a bottle holder on it. Otherwise, looks like a good practical bike. The light bracket on the rack is handy: best place for back light.

[Biggsy]

Bit big for Ginger.

The lock will make it tricky to fit bottle cage.  A mini D lock might leave enough space in the frame, or put the lock on the rack.

[Forum Cat]

Bit big for Ginger.

The lock will make it tricky to fit bottle cage.  A mini D lock might leave enough space in the frame, or put the lock on the rack.

Harold is not too keen on the bike.  It has left him prrrrturbed.



The lock is a PITA.  It does not sit nicely within the frame and it rattles.   

I will  have to find some other solution.  On the rack I think it would still rattle and it would make throwing the panniers over tricky too. 

The D lock does not fit nicely over the frame an wheel either.  All in all an expensive error I think. 

As to a bottle cage I don't think I would use one.  Time will tell but I can't see myself drinking tap water on the move.   

FC

[Biggsy]

How about a smaller lock stored in a pannier?  Shorter D locks are more secure as well, because no gap is left for a thief to insert a car jack or whatever.

You'll like a bottle cage if/when you do longer rides.  It could contain milk. 

[Cunobelin]

Is that you rubbing yourself against the front wheel?  

You have holidayed in Ayr !

[Cunobelin]

UGH!

A bracket that fits the rack and allows the lock to be fastened to it without affecting it's use

[Bledlow]

Ah well. One detail (the lock) wrong isn't bad. I've often carried a D lock strapped to the top of the rack with bungees, which doesn't rattle too much (just make sure they're tight!), or inside a pannier if I have other stuff in it to stop it bouncing around.

Even if you don't want to drink on the move, a bidon in a bottle cage is a convenient way to carry a drink on a hot day. Bottle cages can also hold rolled-up waterproofs, toolkits, battery packs, etc.

I've seen D-lock brackets that fit on racks, but I don't know where you can get one.

[YahudaMoon]

I bungee tie my D-Lock on the pannier rack sometimes. 

[Forum Cat]

Just a quick update.

I am really enjoying my return to the bike.

As a form of exercise I am finding that I am looking for reasons to go out on the bike where I would normally be looking for reasons not to go for a walk/jog.   

As a practical way of getting the shopping it is great. 

I have treated myself to a speedometer/computer thingie.  Made by Catseye of course. 


I have a few issues.

1) I hate leaning my bike against the hall wall.  I will have to come up with a better solution.
2) The gears seem wrong.  I only ever use the big cog at the front and there are time when I could use just one more gear, this is crazy in a bike that sports 24 gears.  (Top speed seems to be about 20 mph)
3) The front light seems a bit fragile.  It often comes apart in my hand when removing it from the handlebars.  A better quality "torch" would be nice. 

Any suggestions on any of the above would be most welcome.

Mister Cat

[Doosh]

The gears look like standard MTB fare, you should be able to manage more than 20mph, try pedalling faster 

[Biggsy]

1) I hate leaning my bike against the hall wall.  I will have to come up with a better solution.

There are various types of propstands to look into.  I have a single-leg near-bottom-bracket mounted propstand on my naffest bike, but don't bother for my better bikes in order to save weight.

2) The gears seem wrong.  I only ever use the big cog at the front and there are time when I could use just one more gear, this is crazy in a bike that sports 24 gears.  (Top speed seems to be about 20 mph)

This is a common feeling with beginner and returning cyclists.  You probably could pedal at a higher cadence instead of using a higher gear, but you don't feel like/able to do this yet.  The chainring(s) could be replaced for some that give you higher gears, but I strongly suggest trying to increase your cadence before considering that.  In fact your gears are likely to be able to take up to 30 mph with a high, but normally achievable, cadence.  When going down a steep hill, it's often faster to freewheel instead anyway - as this can be more aerodynamic.

3) The front light seems a bit fragile.  It often comes apart in my hand when removing it from the handlebars.  A better quality "torch" would be nice.

There is a huge choice.  Look through some previous threads on the subject.  Factors to consider include length of rides in the dark, whether you need it to see where you're going or just be seen, and budget.

[Biggsy]

The bike is this one here, is it?

That says the gears are 48/38/28 + 11-32.  That gives you a chuffing high top gear!  That is higher than any of my bikes have and I can quite easily pedal at 30 mph*, or even over 40 mph if I "go for it".  I am not an athlete.  (Of course I need a downhill or tailwind as well!, preferably both).

Anyway, you won't be able to get or fit a cassette (rear sprocket set) with a sprocket smaller than 11-teeth.  Possibly the 48t chainring could be changed for a larger one - but that may result in shifting difficulties.

Doosh's "try pedalling faster" is not a joke.

What should be limiting you is not the gears, but the power that you can generate.  Sustained cycling at over 20 mph on the flat without a tailwind, for example, is actually quite hard for all but the fittest of riders.

[Bledlow]

Just a quick update.

2) The gears seem wrong.  I only ever use the big cog at the front and there are time when I could use just one more gear, this is crazy in a bike that sports 24 gears.  (Top speed seems to be about 20 mph)

Doosh & Biggsy are right. It's a question of getting used to pedalling faster. It feels wrong at first: you want to push harder to speed up, but you'll probably find you actually go faster if you pedal a lower, easier feeling gear at a higher cadence. You get used to it quite quickly.

I think your top gear is as high as any I've ever had. I've pedalled at over 30 mph on the flat in (slightly) lower gears. The limiting factor has always been my body, not the gears.

On the ride I was on last night, someone had a gear cable problem. He gave up trying to fix it, & just used his small front ring, which is a little smaller than your middle ring (34 vs your 38T). His rear sprockets are 11 to 25 (I know because we discussed the gears he would have with only the small chainring). He was able to cycle at 20mph on that.

With your gears, I'd expect to spend time in the middle ring anywhere that isn't flat, & use the small ring on serious hills. You'll find it easier, & you'll probably go faster, if you use the smaller chainrings when you're going uphill.