I didn’t expect a lot for a $50 bike, but Im using this temporary until I can save to get a decent road bike next month.
Anyway, of course the day I get it the wind is 25-30mph. I rode headwind and was moving a foot a minute it felt like lol. Serious, like 1-3mph. Flat lands. If the gears were too low I would just spin my legs like sonic the hedgehog and if it was too high I was going supersaiyin on my legs. Tail wind I was averaging 8-10mph. I couldnt get much more out of it. Even if I pedaled faster it just wouldnt top out at 10mph. Is it just me? I know its not the best bike but please educate me
It is a nishiki alamosa with 7 speed.
by Relevant_Ad_8405
16 Comments
Learn what you can via Google, etc. about basic bike fit and riding position. Perhaps even visit a bike shop that offers fitting as a service. It can make a big difference. Unless you’re very short, your saddle looks very low. Also, mountain bikes tend to be heavier and knobby tires tend to add resistance on paved surfaces. Both of those will slow you down.
Look at other cyclists when they are stopped and you’ll see only the tip of their toe touches the ground, not the flat of their whole foot. I’d suggest raising your seat to that height otherwise you and your knees will work too hard. If it freaks you out stopping for a light etc you can put both feet flat on the ground but take off by raising one foot and stomping on the raised pedal. Right handed people often lead with their right foot which is dominant, so spin your right pedal to a good angle to stomp it. It takes a good few rides to get the fit and feel of your ride down, so don’t give up early!
Unrelated, you should probably look into getting a front brake. You don’t have the actual brake right now, just the lever on the handlebar.
25mph headwind will do that to anybody, even super fit people, no matter what bike they’re on. Also, this bike just won’t be fast no matter what; it’s technically a mountain bike, meaning it’s not built for fast road riding. On top of that, as you know, it’s a cheap mountain bike, so it’s not built for fast dirt riding either.
You might want to try riding around and learning how the gearing works a little better, using both front and rear shifters. At the risk of sounding condescending: were you using one of the shifters more than the other? If you were having trouble with all your gears being too high or too low, you might’ve only been using your front shifter: the one in your left hand. That shifter changes between 3 gears at bigger intervals, so you’ll only get mega-high, middle, and mega-low gears. The right-hand (rear) shifter has more gears–I can’t see in this picture, but probably around 7-9 gears. Those gears are closer together, giving you finer control.
Unfortunately, it might also be a fitness thing. Even if you’re in-shape for other physical activities, you’re using different muscles for biking and you might feel weirdly weaker than usual.
Check tire pressure range on the tires and use a hand pump to inflate them to the highest pressure.
Bicycling is a unique exercise and it may take a few weeks or more to reach your expected speed. Keep riding and it will get better!
Give each of your wheels a good spin while they’re off the ground (pick up the bike or flip it over). Do they spin freely or stop pretty quickly? If they stop quickly something is rubbing, like your brake. You don’t have a front brake like someone else mentioned which seems pretty sketchy to me.
Slowly raise your saddle up every ride until you’re at the proper height. You’ll get used to having to get off the saddle when stopped.
Check your tire pressure. There’s all sorts of calculators online to know what the proper tire pressure is. The tire size should be on the side of the tire. Research bike maintenance in general.
Research how to shift correctly and spend some time playing around with the front and back gears. You shouldn’t be running in to the issue with it either being too easy or too hard. Ideally you should be pedalling pretty quickly, 80+ rpm which a lot of people find awkward at first. At least aim to pedal consistently if you aren’t already, not pedal, coast, pedal.
High winds like that are killer, you’re not alone there. A lot of the other comments had some good advice. It is a little scary the first time you put your seat high enough, but it really does make a difference. You want your leg to almost be straight when you hit the bottom of the pedal stroke. When you need to touch the ground, hop off the front of the saddle to stand over the top tube. Gears can be tricky at first too, so watch some videos to see if you’re using them correctly. It takes a little bit to understand the different levers enough to be second nature.
Most of all, keep riding. It’s fine if this isn’t your forever bike, but it will get you where you need to go for now
Wind! — as others have said … you definitely feel the drag!
A friend’s Mother rode a Walmart bike over 2000 miles as her primary mode of transportation before she upgraded to something a bit lighter. So, just keep going!
that’s a lot of wind! you’re also on a mountain bike which will never be fast on pavement. just how it is. and if you’re new to it, you probably just don’t have a ton of fitness. but the more you ride the stronger you will be.
as others said, the seat should be high enough so you can touch the ground with tip toes. that’s a basic rule of thumb to get full power from your legs. and make sure your tires are pumped up enough. not rock hard, but 40 psi or so so they roll better.
what kind of bike ships without a front brake? since you’re planning on buying a more expensive one, if your budget is still sub $600 get a used bike before you get a Walmart bike.
I hate the wind, anything over 15mph is just a grind.
Once you get your road bike and a nice day you will love it. Keep the faith.
I had that brand bike for a year till it got stolen. It was a decent bike. Fifty bucks is a good deal on that. On the bright side I caught the guy who stole it. So it will always have fond memories for me
When i first started Google said it would take 17minutes to do my commute. It took me 24. It took me a long time to hit 17 minutes, and now im around 12mins. Your not going to be super fast on the first day.
My first was similar to this i only got my road bike about summer last year. It is faster but really not very comfortable
It gets easier, fast. Stay hydrated, eat quality food and just ride.
I promise it gets easier as your fitness builds. You will be a machine in no time. You got this.
Find your local community bicycle space https://bikecollectives.org/wiki/Community_Bicycle_Organizations
Those tyres will be killing your speed. Until you can replace them with better tyres for road use, inflate them til they’re rock hard, it’ll help a bit.
raise that saddle and get a front brake, make sure your tires are full and learn how to shift that 3x correctly
you’ll get it In time