New gear for a newbie

[PotomacCyclist]

Good bike (or tri) shorts are important for longer rides. (Not as important for 5-min. CaBi or beach-cruiser rides.)

But bike jerseys are not necessary if you aren’t as concerned about speed. I do a lot of training for triathlons but I wear regular tech running shirts on most rides. I find them more comfortable and I don’t care so much about aerodynamic clothing in training rides.

If you have a really long commute or you just want to help cut down on the time of the commute, then tighter-fitting jerseys might help.

[CCrew]

@OneEighth 4799 wrote:

Before long, I was putting together a new bike roughly each year and was buying expensive bib shorts, expensive shoes, and good pedals.

Please share the secret of only lusting/buying a new one once a year!

[Jsnyd]

Without posting a new thread, can I ask about shoes? I have pedals, cleats and am waiting to pull the trigger on a pair of shoes. I was told not to buy online until I’ve gone into a shop and tried them on. Should I do this? It’s much easier to just buy them now. If I know they are good shoes and have a good idea what size to order. Is it worth the effort?

[OneEighth]

I think that trying on a number of different shoes before ordering is a very good idea. I also think that shopping through places that have free return shipping is a good idea if you are going online. endless.com comes to mind, but their Sidi selection is a bit limited at the moment.
Don’t underestimate the stress you will put on your feet if you ride regularly and hard.

[Joe Chapline]

@Jsnyd 4838 wrote:

Without posting a new thread, can I ask about shoes? I have pedals, cleats and am waiting to pull the trigger on a pair of shoes. I was told not to buy online until I’ve gone into a shop and tried them on. Should I do this? It’s much easier to just buy them now. If I know they are good shoes and have a good idea what size to order. Is it worth the effort?

I’m new to bike shoes, too, and buy most things online. I bought shoes online and had to return them. The sizes are inconsistent from brand to brand and tend to run small for what they list as the U.S. size.

[Jsnyd]

I’m looking at Sidi now. There are some great prices on pricepoint.com, guess I will try some on somewhere first to get a size and then order online if its cheaper. I wish I lived closer to some shops. Suitland doesnt have much :p

[brendan]

I did my first couple of years of (my recent return to) bike riding, including my first couple of century rides, using standard pedals with nylon clips and cross-training shoes. Went to powergrips for a while, esp. for winter riding with my hiking boots and double wool socks.

With that said, padded shorts and a non-cotton top are essential. Tops designed for cycling make it much nicer: bright colors and even prismatic reflective material for traffic, pockets on the back and venting (including a partial or full front zip). Cheap sunglasses are fine to deal with sun, bugs, debris and wind. Gloves to fight off numbness and for grip on long rides. And a helmet.

But mostly: just keep riding.

Brendan

[acc]

Definitely spend some time trying on shoes. The sizing seems to be different among the various brands. I just picked up a pair of white Giro Espadas that are an entire size larger than what I usually wear. These are better than my god-awful hideous starter pair, they are merely regrettably ugly. But they feel great.

Happy trails,
ann

[Dirt]

I’m a buy local kinda guy. I buy on-line for emergencies or for things that are impossible to get locally. That is especially true for shoes. I may pay more for them, but I am sure they fit perfectly and I reward a shop for their great customer service.

I often feel like I’m in the minority in doing that. Some vintage stuff is really only available on eBay. Some Euro clothing is only available on-line. Some eclectic winter clothing/items are not normally stocked locally because there are relatively few of us that ride year-round.

[Greenbelt]

My bike shop is fairly small, but if you know what you want they can order almost anything. Oftentimes I’ve gone in and just told them what I wanted, and they’ll search their catalogues until they find it exactly right, then order it. They’ve ordered me helmets, headsweats, etc. when I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. And they usually end up stocking the stuff, because they figure if I’m willing to be fussy and get exactly what I want, then it’s probably a pretty important thing to have available. Good bike shops actually appreciate that kind of input, and want to make sure they order stuff that people actually want to buy.

[Jsnyd]

I really should buy local. I go against my economic beliefs a little when I buy online. I wish it wasn’t so easy to do it! My local shop is pretty small and I am not sure about their customer service just yet but I think I will stop buy and test the waters. After all, Sidi does name them as a product carrier.

[PotomacCyclist]

I don’t remember if this was mentioned, but a bento box is a nice and inexpensive addition to any bike. It’s simply a small polyester fabric container that attaches to the top tube and the head tube with velcro straps. It’s a very convenient holder for a temporary tire boot patch, antiseptic wipes, Kleenex pack, ID, keys, gels or other small items. It’s more comfortable than putting a lot of stuff in a back pocket. They have a fold-over top that closes with velcro. Some versions have waterproof tops so your items don’t get soaked in rainstorms.

They usually sell for $15 or less. You can move the bento box from bike to bike easily. You can use it for items that you need to grab quickly, unlike items that you store in an underseat bag. It really makes riding a lot more convenient and comfortable.

[Jsnyd]

@PotomacCyclist 4871 wrote:

I don’t remember if this was mentioned, but a bento box is a nice and inexpensive addition to any bike.QUOTE]

Thanks PotomacCyclist, I will check that out. Any thing that can take the backpack off me.

[Dirt]

I’m fortunate to have two local shops that stock most of what I’d like. They also have PERFECT customer service.

When I read comments like “I’d buy locally, but my shop doesn’t sell what I want and their customer service stinks” it definitely does NOT make me wonder why people buy on the Interwebs. If my local shop sucked, I would have serious problems supporting them. I went through that for years. I remember ordering a King headset from Metropolis (my local shop back in the day). They charged me $40 over MSRP, they required 100% payment before they’d order and there were no refunds. When it arrived 6 weeks later and it was the wrong color, I was told “Take it or leave it. You’re not getting your money back.” Am I surprised that shop is no longer around? NOPE!

Buying locally is not an easy choice to make for many. Like I say, it is a very easy choice for me.

This is an interesting thread! Thanks for contributing.

Pete

[CCrew]

@Dirt 4879 wrote:

I’m fortunate to have two local shops that stock most of what I’d like. They also have PERFECT customer service.

Love to know who they are.

I have three local to home. One charges sometimes double list price for small items. Other (my favorite) stocks little for current bikes, but need that small off the wall part and they’ll dig it out of a parts bin. Third is great, they do killer fittings, but they’re fairly high end, Pinarello, Parlee, Moots, etc and a bit rich for my blood. Bit rich for the area these days too, look to be struggling but may just be perception. Unfortunately as a result I buy a lot off the internet.

-R

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