Hey guys, i just got a orbeca road bike two weeks ago. im seventeen and some of my friends on a rowing team i'm on convinced me to start biking with them and i was wondering if there are any specific things i should know or workouts to do. my friends and I are going to be in races together this summer, in iowa, where i live.
Get someone very familiar to help you get the fit of the bike right. A seat too high or too low can cause knee problems. (I am just about over one myself.) Wear a helmet. Which one is up to you but make sure it fits well. Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't look cool ect, it only takes once. You are going to be going fast enough that hitting the ground isn't going to feel good anyway. Hit it with your head and it can be life altering or life ending. Did you know that until fairly recently Nascar did not require its drivers to wear helmets? It wasn't a requirement until the HANS device became required after the loss of Dale Earnhardt. Yet I don't ever remember seeing a race where a driver didn't wear one. Also expect the car on the road with you to NOT see you. Yes you are right there and in plain sight, but they are expecting cars and can look right past a bike. Whether you have the right of way or not, car vs bike the car always wins. Most of all have fun. Use your head and you will find that you notice things you pass right on by in other forms of transport. You will find all your senses are heightened. You will smell the flowers off to the side of the road, or the pig farm just ahead. You will hear the running water of a small stream, and those ride snacks seem to taste that much better beside the road.
After you've ridden a few hundred miles, then start worrying about specifics. For now, just enjoy the ride and get a decent base.
+1 to everything said already. Don't count on drivers to be smart. Wear a helmet. Try to keep up with your buddies. Have fun.
Pretty much what I was thinking. If you don't set goals, you'll never get disappointed. Before you know it, you'll be lightyears from where you started.
Just get on the damn thing and ride it till the wheels fall off. When they do replace them with something lighter and keep on riding.
Make sure your cardio is up. As a rower you won't have that issue I'm sure, but coming from lifting, I am still not prepared for races. Probably never will be though. At the end of every ride I'm still gasping for air.
I was going to mention intervals after he had some miles under his belt, and had sorted out any fit issues.
