I’m a new cyclist + new to the forum

[khanb1]

Hi all. My name is Belal Khan. I moved to the DC Metro from NYC are April 2011. Currently live in Silver Spring, MD. DC is very different from where I grew up. I love the culture of biking that exists down here.

At my first job when I moved down here two some of my co-workers would bike to work. One of then 15 miles. I thought that was crazy. When I starter at my next job (near Chinatown), one of my co-workers started encouraging me to bike.

I started looking for bikes. Ended up taking my sister’s mountain bike (k-mart mongoose) after she moved with my parents down to Atlanta. I took it to District Hardware by GW University for a tune up and to make it road ready. Got some road tires, upgraded brakes, and a more comfortable seat.

After I biked to work the first time, I realized I ended up doing close to 19 miles. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! However it took me just over 2 hrs (idk if that’s fast or slow for someone starting out commuting with a 50lb dept store mountain bike)

Ive done a commute about 3 times now and looking to keep it up consistently 2x a week…or at least go 2/3 way 3x a week. I started reading up on biking and attending bike clinics in the area as per my co-workers recommendation. Ive learned a lot in these past couple months.

I found this forum and you all seem like a great bunch of folks.

Topic

[Tim Kelley]

Welcome! Thanks for adding your voice to the group. Out of curiosity, how did you find out about the forum in the first place?

[Arlingtonrider]

Welcome to the forum!

[baiskeli]

Welcome Belal, to the forum and to cycling. Be sure to get out on weekends and just have fun riding too. We have lots of great places to ride.

You now have an excuse to buy a new bike. Take it!

[khanb1]

@Tim Kelley 33526 wrote:

Welcome! Thanks for adding your voice to the group. Out of curiosity, how did you find out about the forum in the first place?

I was was searching good bikes under $500 and pro vs cons of diff types of bikes (road, hybrid, mtn, etc) and found myself here.

[aflapr]

@khanb1 33521 wrote:

After I biked to work the first time, I realized I ended up doing close to 19 miles. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! However it took me just over 2 hrs (idk if that’s fast or slow for someone starting out commuting with a 50lb dept store mountain bike)

Welcome!

My recommendation to you – don’t worry about fast/slow, what matters to me is whether or not I’m having fun. You’re enjoying it, so keeping that up should be your goal. IE – if you look to get a new bike, buy some new clothes/equipment, etc – don’t wonder if it will make you faster, ask yourself if it will make the ride more enjoyable.

[KelOnWheels]

Hi Belal!

I just started bike commuting back in May at Bike to Work Day (ignore that “Very Senior Member” thing by my name, that just means I talk a LOT on the forum ) and it takes me about an hour to go 10 miles on my 35-pound MTB, so you sound right on pace!

Like everyone else said, the most important thing is that you’re having fun & being safe – you’ll get TONS of good advice from the very nice people here on the forum as well as invitations to exciting social events attended by people in funny Lycra outfits. 😎

[khanb1]

@baiskeli 33528 wrote:

Welcome Belal, to the forum and to cycling. Be sure to get out on weekends and just have fun riding too. We have lots of great places to ride.

You now have an excuse to buy a new bike. Take it!

Thanks for the welcome all. I appreciate it.

My wife ended up buying a bike too from someone on craig’s list (some vintage cruiser). We started going out to Lincoln Memorial and riding our bikes together along the Potomac. Here are a couple photos I took:
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/albaraa/7993756565/

Idk if I want to get a new bike yet. My main motivator work biking to work was to save money. 2x-3x a week commute saves me close to $100/mo. Maybe in the spring time

[acc]

In theory a bike commute saves money and over the long haul it probably does. But there is this thing, The Wannabike Stuff Syndrome…

You were smart to take classes. Being safe, predictable, and visible on the road is a good way to ensure your survival.

Welcome

[khanb1]

@acc 33563 wrote:

In theory a bike commute saves money and over the long haul it probably does. But there is this thing, The Wannabike Stuff Syndrome…

You were smart to take classes. Being safe, predictable, and visible on the road is a good way to ensure your survival.

Welcome

“wannabike stuff syndrome” << Is that when I start looking at all sorts of accessories to make my bike better - like upgrading my chain ring from a 42/34/34 to 50/34 so I can go faster on the straight stretches? Or is it looking at all the different dream bikes I could buy with a $1300 budget?

[TwoWheelsDC]

@khanb1 33572 wrote:

“wannabike stuff syndrome” << Is that when I start looking at all sorts of accessories to make my bike better - like upgrading my chain ring from a 42/34/34 to 50/34 so I can go faster on the straight stretches? Or is it looking at all the different dream bikes I could buy with a $1300 budget?

Yes.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@khanb1 33572 wrote:

“wannabike stuff syndrome” << Is that when I start looking at all sorts of accessories to make my bike better - like upgrading my chain ring from a 42/34/34 to 50/34 so I can go faster on the straight stretches? Or is it looking at all the different dream bikes I could buy with a $1300 budget?

Both, of course, plus 100 other things.

[KLizotte]

Hi! Welcome to the fold. Glad to hear you are enjoying yourself on two wheels.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) offers confident cycling classes that are very good. They teach you how to ride in urban traffic and some defensive moves (like how to stop quickly without going over the handlebars).

DC, VA and MD all offer free bike maps which show you the trails and recommended bike routes/lanes in the area. Very useful.

For your commute, you may wish to look into whether you can take a metrobus part way since you can put your bike on the front rack. You can take your bike on metro too but not during rush hours (check WMATA’s website for hours).

Yes, a heavy mountain bike will slow you down but it would probably be good for you to see how often you will be commuting (year round? 2-3X/week? 5X/week?), determine your optimal route(s), determine how good the streets are along your route, etc before buying another bike. A couple of months of trial and error will help you figure out what style will best serve your needs.

A lot of the bike shops, and rental places like Bike & Roll, offer everything from mountain, to hybrid, to road bikes. You may wish to spend a day off from work trying a few of them out for a few hours to see which style suits you best. Each type gives a very different “feel.”

And with daylight savings time coming, be sure you have good lights on your bike and some sort of reflective gear!!! Reflective gear can be found cheaply at Home Depot, online, and even at IKEA (I got my reflective vest at IKEA for $5). It’s very important to be visible, esp at this time of the year when you may be riding during dusk/dawn.

Hopefully you can make Saturday’s Illumination Ride (talked about on another thread).

[ShawnoftheDread]

Just as an FYI, Bike N Roll will be selling some of their fleet on the Mall Nov. 11.

[khanb1]

@ShawnoftheDread 33586 wrote:

Just as an FYI, Bike N Roll will be selling some of their fleet on the Mall Nov. 11.

Thanks for the tip – will check it out.

[dasgeh]

Pheonix bikes is also an awesome place to pick up a new-to-you bike!

[Author]

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