I posted a few days ago about whether to get the 1000 or 1200 and then the "C" or the non "C". On Monday, I went over to the third shop that I had visited and felt real good about the salesman I was dealing with so I went ahead and made the purchase. I must've spent 5 or 6 hours at the shop, trying out different bikes and buying all the accessories.

I tried a Trek 2100 and it was just too uncomfortable for me. Now, the 1200C is no Cadillac but it rode much smoother. The sales guy said that the 1200C had one of the cushiest seats out there and that I'll get used to it. The other salesman was a little nasty and did NOT like the "C" versions of the bike....said that I'll outgrow it quickly and that it isn't fast enough to keep up on group rides. I told him that the 2100 was 1.) much more than I wanted to spend and 2.) so uncomfortable that I'd never ride it once I left the store. I hope that I made the right decision.

I went on about a 5-6 mile ride tonight and tried to keep my cadence up but probably averaged around 55-65 cadence over the whole ride. (I'm very out of shape and about 25 lbs overweight) It's painful so far but I'm determined to keep with this.

1.) My rear end hurts a bunch. Please tell me this will go away.
2.) I have a lot of wrist/palm pain-pressure. I'll change positions on the handlebar every few minutes which helps a lot but then it just comes right back. If I try to relax my elbows more, I feel more tension in my shoulders and the tips of my triceps, just above the elbow. What am I not doing right?

Thanks for your help.

Congratulations on the new bike! If you are out of shape and over weight, don't expect to be able to do lots of miles out of the gate. I began riding again after a layoff of many years last fall. I started slowly by keeping the rides relatively short and gradually increased my mileage as my fitness improved. Prior to my rides I spend 15-30 minutes stretching my leg, back, and shoulder muscles. It's become a routine, which prepares me both mentally and physically for my rides. As your stomach and back muscles strengthen, they will do a better job of supporting your torso and relieve the strain on your arms. My back was giving me fits, but then one day, it just stopped hurting. When you think about it, it makes sense that your body needs time to adjust to a new physical position. Do lots of stretches and give it time. As your fitness improves, so will your time in the saddle.

You may also want to stop back to your LBS to have them recheck your riding position and make any necessary adjustments to your seat height and stem length that might be needed.

It will also take some time for your rear to become accustomed to your seat. Make sure you have a good fitting pair of padded bike shorts. If things don't improve, you might want to investigate a different style seat. I wouldn't do anything, however, until you have a 100 miles or so on the seat. Some models take a while to break in.


I went on about a 5-6 mile ride tonight and tried to keep my cadence up but probably averaged around 55-65 cadence over the whole ride. (I'm very out of shape and about 25 lbs overweight) It's painful so far but I'm determined to keep with this.

1.) My rear end hurts a bunch. Please tell me this will go away.
2.) I have a lot of wrist/palm pain-pressure. I'll change positions on the handlebar every few minutes which helps a lot but then it just comes right back. If I try to relax my elbows more, I feel more tension in my shoulders and the tips of my triceps, just above the elbow. What am I not doing right?.

Astro...welcome!

I think you made a very smart purchase. You got a bike that you are comfortable on...right now, that is the MOST important factor for you. Nothing will turn you off from cycling more than an ill-fitting rig.

The salesperson was presumptuous in stating that your bike would never keep up on group rides... firstly, he assumed that group riding is something you want to do. Second, the one doesn;t necessarily follow the other. I rode with a 250 lb clydesdale last week who was keeping pace with us roadies on his Mountainbike!

Most importantly, if you grow out of this bike (through lots of use!) you can get another one! Had you made the choice to go with the sexier model, it might just put the kibosh on your "velo-verve"...

Enjoy your new bike...you made the right choice!

Riding is a skill as well as a physical conditioning thing. Pushing 60 here and a lot more pounds than I'd care to, I can still hop on a road bike and crank out 30 or 40 miles on a "first ride" because I've been riding/racing since I was 14. Even out of shape, I can get high performance out of me and the bike because I have the skills derived from years of riding.

It takes practice and learning.

The 1200 is a sweet machine. I looked at them and opted for the 1500 -- but it's because I own 5 bikes, have been riding seriously since 1962, and wanted the extra stuff on the 1500.

Ride because it's fun. Your LBS can check your fit on the bike. Decent shorts help -- no underwear! Cycling gloves help the hands. 55 or 60 RPM on the pedals is decent for someone new to riding and not racing. The 90 -- 100 RPM stuff is for the roadies and takes some time to develop. It's a "skill" as well as a fitness thing.

Rather than trying to ride "fast and hard" take the time to gear down, relax, and enjoy the ride. It's more important to ride smooth and easy than to ride fast.

You don't mention age. But riding can wear you down. It's important to recover from riding. At 30 or so you can't ride every day -- not unless you have a sponsor and a team.

Recovery is important!

Alright, I feel much better then after reading your comments!

I'm 32 yo and will wait a day or two between rides - good advice.

I think I'm going to try and chart my progress so I can see how far I've come from yesterday. What types of things would you chart? Average speed is questionable because the ride I took yesterday was on rolling hills so at some points I was going 5-6 mph (uphill) and other times coasting along at 22 mph (downhill).

Thanks again.

Astro...

I would track simple things like, the ability to climb a long, steep hill without stopping. Perhaps try using a log? I track my mileage on an excel spreadsheet that I created...however, I find that looking back, it is the comments I have made in the margins that are the best indicators of my progress...

The best advice, I think is to ride often. Do as much as is comfortable, and don't try to do too much too fast. Also, try doing one longer ride a week. So, if you are doing 5 mile rides during the week, try a 10-15 miler on Saturdays...after three weeks or so, up your mileage in 5-10 increments. on your rides, try to develop cadence, or the ability to "spin" the wheels at a comfortable pace without having to coast... avoid, "CRANK, CRANK, CRANK, CRANK, COOOOOOOOOAAAAAASSSSSSSSTTTTTTTT....

Recovery IS important, but so is elevating your overall fitness level...try 4 rides a week (3 shorties and 1 long one) with three rest days a week... After a month or so, drop a rest day... You CAN ride every day, if you like...just NOT right now. I am 41 and ride nearly every day. Keep after it, go slowly and enjoy yourself. Perhaps you will meet some of us along the way!

be well~

big bob

Congrats on the purchase,Astro.

You made the right decision.Going with what feels the best to you is always best.I don't know why some of the LBS sales guys think they have to press their opinion on someone to the poin that it is insulting.

Anyhow,like everyone said,ride,rest then repeat.At 32 you will be good to go in no time. :D

Congrats on the new bike. Hope you get a lot of miles and enjoyment out of it.

As for your aches and pains. They will subside with time. You may have to experiment with saddle and short combinations until you find one that works for you once you start riding longer. The neck, back and shoulder issues you are experiencing will also get better with time. (for the first couple weeks I was riding, my pinkies would go completely numb and stay that way for a few hours afterwards). Stretching will help, as will core strenghtening.

I think that logging the miles you ride is a good idea. The most useful part of my log is my comments. Just a short note about how you felt on the ride is a lot more useful than average speed, etc. You'll start to recognize patterns pretty quickly. If you have a number of days in a row where the comments all center on "didn't feel good" or "felt like I was towing a piano" or "got passed by my grandmother riding a vaccuum cleaner" take a few days off the bike to recover.

Right now, the important thing is to have fun. Take short rides, get used to the bike. Take days off to recover. Going fast is fun, but right now just getting out and riding is the most important thing. It's probably more beneficial for you to ride a few days back to back than it would be to go out and see if you can cut time off your best time on a certain loop. If keeping a log starts to make cycling feel like work, stop doing it.

Have a great time, you'll learn a lot about yourself and cycling in the next few months.

Whoa! Slow down and take it easy!

If you try to improve from one day to the next you'll whip yourself to death! You "may" get some improvement week to week, but then again you may have a "good month" followed by a "bad month." Most of the time when you get "declines" in your performance it's because you're not getting sufficient recovery.

For the time being -- like maybe two months -- just ride and get in some miles. Don't whip yourself to death. Once you get the miles in, you'll find that your butt doesn't get sore, and your hands don't go numb -- or at least you'll be able to adjust positions when they do.

The standard rule is to increase miles by about 10% from week to week. But that's for a road rider who is adept at riding and in the sort of shape that allows such increases. Just put in the miles. Take time to recover. Ride because you enjoy it.

When you get to the fitness level where you can ride 25 miles without stopping and do it several times a week -- 3 or 4 -- then you can start keeping records and filling out a "training regimen." But if you start pushing hard too early, you'll just burn out and get exhausted.

I'm convinced that the thing best learned by new riders is "spinning" -- getting the pedals wound up so they go in a circle smoothly and easily. In order to learn that it takes lower gears which will at first mean not riding as fast. But you'll be able to ride farther.

I think "easy distance" should be developed before working on speed. Easy distance is about riding technique. Speed is about strength and endurance.

Anyway, that's my take on the subject, from about 45 yrs of serious riding.

Congrats on your new bike. I bought a 1200c because it was comfortable at the time, and a bargain as well. I had been riding for many years, but decided to become more avid. Persistance will bring improvement naturally. I've lost some weight and hope to lose more. I've changed a lot of things on my bike and you probably will too as you learn to start experimenting. I felt the seat was too soft and replaced it with a Brooks B17, which is an acquired taste since it is covered with upadded leather. I don't sink into padding now and put pressure on the bits as before. One thing I would recommend is the installation of a cyclocomputer with cadence. I have a Cateye Astrale 8. Monitoring your cadence will help you develop the spin others have mentioned, and I just hate to see zero cadence; so it has helped cut down on coasting. If you haven't already gone clipless on your pedals I'm sure you'll start thinkin about it. I started with SPDs and switched to Speedplays.

The 1200c is great bike and about the only thing that can't be changed is the relaxed geometry and the sloping top tube. I see sloping top tubes being ridden by some of the pro's, and I'm starting to like mine better everyday. Your bike is plenty fast enough for anything but an all out hammerfest. Have fun and welcome aboard!!