Hi everyone,
I just got my first road bike—a used Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2 with an upgraded Ultegra gearset—and I’m excited to start riding. I’m new to cycling, so I was hoping to get some advice from this awesome community.
Here are a few questions I have:
1. Maintenance: What are some basic maintenance tasks I should learn and how often should I do them?
2. Gear: What are the must-have accessories or tools I should invest in?
3. Riding Tips: Any advice for a beginner hitting the roads for fitness and exploration?
4. Other Advice: Anything else you wish someone had told you when you first started?
Thanks in advance for your help! I’m really looking forward to learning and becoming part of the cycling world.
by garlo95
6 Comments
Congrats on the new bike. It looks like you have a cycling computer that will be beneficial! My recommendations would be:
1. If you’re using wet lube (not waxing your chain), I’d invest in a chain cleaner and degreaser. This should be your first thing to get, especially if you’re planning to put on mileage on your bike. Down the line A chain wear checker is another good tool to have to prevent excessive wear on your groupo from continuing to use a worn out chain. Lastly get lube for the right weather!
2. If your cycling unit supports it, the Garmin Varia is highly recommended if you’re riding on the streets to know your surroundings.
3. Go out and ride. If you’re really serious you can eventually find a workout structured plan.
4. Try to avoid going down the road of spending money on gear to make you faster. Don’t get caught up with spending $300 on bibs, or over expensive clothing that will make you aero. Something more affordable is fine, provided it has good reviews and not some knockoff brand. Or at least not until a year later and you’ve fallen in love with road cycling. Lol. Have fun and be safe!
You have hydraulic disc brakes. Don’t pull the brake lever while the rotor isn’t between the brake pads, and dont contaminate the surfaces of the rotors with anything. Also, if that is a Shimano road chain, it is installed inside out (perforated outer plates should face inboard).
1. Clean your bike regularly. A clean bike will ride better than a dirty bike. Lube the chain after cleaning. There are YouTube tutorials on how to do this effectively.
2. My gear must haves: helmet, floor pump, flat tire repair kit for when you’re away from home, front and rear lights, bike specific multi tool. Some nice to haves: cycling shorts with a chamois, cycling jersey, road cycling shoes, cycling computer.
3. No riding tips. I’m assuming you already know how to ride a bike. Just get out and do it.
4. Have fun. Riding a bike isn’t supposed to be a chore. It’s not supposed to burn you out. Enjoy the activity your way. Whether you’re riding centuries 4 times a week or riding 20 miles once a week, remember that it’s supposed to be fun.
There’s a spring tension adjustment screw in your pedals. Use a Hex/Allen key to loosen the spring which will make unclipping easier. Over time as you’re more confident with cleats you can tighten these to your preference. I typically ride them loose anyway as I’ve never seen the benefit of having them tight, I like being able to panic unclip when mountain biking. Granted, I’ve never used these road SPD-SL cleats, only the regular SPD type.
Bike fit is absolutely essential for longer rides. If you get discomfort, pins & needles, sore neck or back, pain in the knees (just to name a few) it could be a sign your bike fit is wrong. It’s a complex topic and can be expensive to rectify as you might require different components and an expert’s time, but it’s definitely worth the cost & time!
Your saddle is tilting forward too much. It will shift your weight forward onto the handlebar and you might experience hand numbness or pain. A slight tilt (< 5 degree maybe) would be acceptable.
There are some videos about “bike fitting” (namely how to adjust your bike and ride in a comfortable position) on YouTube you can watch.
1. If you won’t attach full fenders, I’d use a chain cleaning tool with baking soda and boiling water to clean the chain every 150 kilometers of riding.
2. I think a multi tool is essential in case you need to do some emergency adjustments on the fly as well as a TPU inner tube, portable air pump and first aid kit. Front and rear lights are also essential as well as a phone holder that’s solid.
In terms of clothing, you should buy a balaclava lookalike head covering that protects your face during cold weather as well as very warm cloves and shoes and a windbreaker.
3. Ride 10-20 kilometers to start and don’t stress yourself out about distance, bring lots of water with you, eat lots the night before and before you set off. You can do big sprints during your ride to train your burst but it’s fine to cruise along at 18-25KPH if that’s what makes it enjoyable.
4. It’s a bicycle, it’s not that deep.