There are many questions that come to mind before starting road cycling as a sport or hobby. Here is 5 key considerations:
1. Will you like it ?
If you haven't cycled for a while you'll certainly enjoy the feeling again. Basic riding skills are easy to (re)-learn but it'll take some miles on the road before feeling really comfortable.
You're likely to enjoy :
- (Re)-discovering the outdoors.
- Meeting new friends.
- Getting much fitter on and off the bike
You're likely to fear :
- Traffic and other cycling hazards
- Hills (at least initially)
- Saddle soar (till you find the right saddle / position)
If you're into equipment and technology, cycling has got a wealth of choices in both road and off road accessories. How happy you are about your gear will contribute to how you'll enjoy riding.
2. What will you need ?
As a pre-requisite, only use equipment in good condition. Choose a safe area, wear a helmet, gloves and proper shoes. Do not use cleats till you feel ready. Cleats lock your feet with the pedals which has real benefits but no contribution to initial confidence or performance.
Proper equipment consist of:
- Road Bike : tuned and in good condition : your size, good breaks, smooth gears, cleaned and oiled chain, true wheels, proper tires and tire pressure.
- Helmet : high quality, low weight, good ventillation.
- Lights : Front (white) and Rear (red)
- Shoe : sports type (covered toes) or cleats
- Gloves : palm padded and cut fingers
- Cycling Jersey : lycra is the aerodynamic and fashion norm
- Cycling shorts or pants : padded for longer rides
- 2 bottle cages and bottles
- a Saddle bag containing a roadside maintenance kit (spare tube, air cadridge, levers and a minimal set of tool keys)
- a Speed and cadence meter to measure your efforts and progress.
3. How much does it all cost ?
There's a bike for every budget. Read the reviews online, lots of bike are made in Taiwan or China and differences between frame shapes aren't obvious. The lighter the more expensive a bike gets. Beside the bike, you'll also need the (many) accessories.
Key choices are :
Budget : read up and decide yours upfront ( from ~1.5k to xxk ! )
Frame : aluminum or carbon ( or steel or titanium ) correctly matching your size.
Groupset : Shimano or not, entry or advanced mechanism, double or triple front derailleur and 8,9,10 or 11 speed cassette.
Wheels types : clincher or tubular
Saddle : standard or ISM
Tires : endurance or performance.
Pedals : SPD or Speedplay. (flat type or straps initially)
Shoe : carbon or not.
Bottle cage : carbon or not
Bike computer : speed, cadence ( or more sensors such as heartmon, power, gps, ... )
Maintaining all in good working order has costs too.
- the more expensive the gear, the lighter it'll typically weight.
- but the lighter the gear is, the less durable it'll be.
Maintenance typically once (or more yearly depending on how much you ride) consists of mainly consumables such as chain, cassette, tubes, break pads, tires, bar tape ... but eventually also rims (wheels), rings, bottom and then derailleur, bracket, cranks, saddle, shoe, and helmet,...
Regular cleaning is inexpensive (rugs and oil). It will however help preserve your bike in good condition and give you a chance to detect/fix potential issues before your next ride.
Consider DIY or bike shop servicing and advanced services costs such as fitting or lab training.
If you can't choose or decide, lots of bike shops rent proper road bikes so that's always an option to try out gear without regrets. New parts are also easily resellable. Lots of cyclist like to try things out then resell them after a short while (and re-invest in trying some other new gear ... )
4. Is it safe ?
Roads are a shared medium so it's only going to be as safe as its users. Reading up and respecting applicable laws and safety guidelines is very important.
Road bikes don't have air bags, so being humble and riding safely will spare your own skin and bones. Wear a helmet and be visible with front and rear lights. Add a small rear helmet light and wear a road tag or think about carrying emergency contact and identification info if you're going out without your wallet or papers on your own.
Some roads are safer than others and peak hours are best avoided as it'll spare your lungs from bus exhaust or other heavy traffic risks or road rage. Cyclists tend to prefer early mornings or late evenings to avoid traffic. Weather plays a part too, road bikes typically don't break well on wet surface and mid-day sun is preferably avoided. If there is well maintained dedicated infrastructure available, that's a good option. Beware that bike lanes aren't necessarily well serviced and the road often is the only option. Ride safe.
5. Will you have the time ?
You'll have as much time as you can free up, it'll largely depend on how early you can wake up or squeeze between family, work and holidays. For beginners, one or two short (1 hour/25 kmh) rides a week is often a good start. Gradually, rides can become longer and you'll ride faster too. Once you're bike fit, you might be wanting to push distance further and consider century rides (100 miles ! or more).
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