Cycling - Starting Out

L

L-T

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G'day Guys,

This is a thread mainly pointed at the more professional/ advanced people that have been cycling for awhile...I am looking to start cycling, But obviously would not know where to start. I am also thinking about would i lose my muscle or size from this since it would be more cardio?

If any of the more advanced people that are cycler's would be able to give me the positives and negatives off starting to cycle? I would also like to keep my weight training routine but modify it a bit.

I don't have any of the equipment needed for cycling also so if you can recommend some things to start me out that would be great!

Thanks, If you need more info just ask.

Cheers.
 
How do you start?

Buy a bike and start riding... seriously. What type of cycling are you interested in? Mountain, road, cyclocross? Mountain biking is definitely the least expensive of the three but if you pick up a used bike, they all can be inexpensive.

I"m not sure I can address your concerns directly but what I can tell you is that through the years of mountain and road cycling, my legs have changed shape. When I was a mountain biker, I had large calves but when I switched over to road almost exclusively, my calves thinned out. But I'm also a relatively small guy, especially in the upper body.

I would think that if you're a big guy, you're going to appy force in order to move your body, especially uphill on a bike, which would make me believe that you're not going to lose too much muscle. Perhaps someone who has some substance too them who also cycles can chime in.
 
Sorry i should of been more specific...I want to start road cycling. Not just a plain bike and start riding. And i was thinking of 1 day going into comps for this.
 
I have been cycling for 30 years and raced a little in my early 20s. Cycling will not necessarily cause your legs to atrophy. But, because an upper body is not necessarily an asset to a cyclist and is viewed as a disadvantage, most competitive cyclists have no interest in full body workouts. And most cyclists prefer not to work out with lower body weights, concentrating most of their efforts on the bike. As a result, most cyclists have well defined legs, albeit not particularly large, small torsos and small arms. But, if you continue full body workouts, there is no reason I can think of why you couldn't be a muscular cyclist, just not top caliber.

I,personally, don't care for the scrawny cyclist look and have restarted working my upper body now that my sternum has healed from my open heart surgery. There are few Saturday group bike riders who can bench 225 pounds but I am one of them (well, at least I could before my open heart surgery in April).

As for a bike, do what Tsil suggested and go used at first. All you need is an aluminum frame bike with Shimano 105 or Ultegra components to get started and even enter a few races. Then, you can see if where you want to go from there.
 
g8r80 said:
I have been cycling for 30 years and raced a little in my early 20s. Cycling will not necessarily cause your legs to atrophy. But, because an upper body is not necessarily an asset to a cyclist and is viewed as a disadvantage, most competitive cyclists have no interest in full body workouts. And most cyclists prefer not to work out with lower body weights, concentrating most of their efforts on the bike. As a result, most cyclists have well defined legs, albeit not particularly large, small torsos and small arms. But, if you continue full body workouts, there is no reason I can think of why you couldn't be a muscular cyclist, just not top caliber.

I,personally, don't care for the scrawny cyclist look and have restarted working my upper body now that my sternum has healed from my open heart surgery. There are few Saturday group bike riders who can bench 225 pounds but I am one of them (well, at least I could before my open heart surgery in April).

As for a bike, do what Tsil suggested and go used at first. All you need is an aluminum frame bike with Shimano 105 or Ultegra components to get started and even enter a few races. Then, you can see if where you want to go from there.
Click to expand...

Nice little write up there thanks.
So i could scratch my leg workouts routine and the road cycling would be a workout for the legs? And would you be able to say what the components are in english sorry? :confused:
 
Shimano 105 or Shimano Ultegra are the names of the components:



Left hand corner: "Products", then "Road Bikes" then you'll see Ultegra and 105 in the list.
 
So i can get any bike and use the Ultegra or 105 components on any bike?
and whats the difference between them?
 
L-T said:
So i can get any bike and use the Ultegra or 105 components on any bike?
and whats the difference between them?
Click to expand...

If you find a used road bike that fits you and has an aluminum frame (good) or carbon fiber (better) and has Shimano 105 (good) or Ultegra (better) components, this bike will serve you well.

If you post your height and inseam and details on any bike you are interested in I and others will post their opinions on that bike.
 
How many components would the bike have to have?
It looks pretty pricey for these components. I might be able to get a second hand 1 with some of the components i need?...what do you think.
 
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