26
votes
Is it normal to stop so much because of thighs burning?
More than likely it is normal and frankly your legs probably aren't used to it. 17 miles is a long way for a beginner so I would pat yourself on the back for that.
You may also benefit from a proper ...
- 9,189
25
votes
What is most important for making biking uphill easy?
I would say that, along with easier gears making it easier to go up hills, a lot of it is just being comfortable riding at slower speeds. A lot of new riders lack the balance and bike-handling skills ...
- 21.6k
24
votes
My husband is a beginner in cycling and needs some motivation
I had the same "motivation" thingy when I tried to keep my wife motivated in joining me during weekend rides.
First we did a really short and slow trip around the city (about 4 or 5 km at such a slow ...
22
votes
First road bike: mech disc brakes vs dual pivot sidepull brakes?
While specific shopping comparison questions are off-topic here due to their tendency to become obsolete, there is a perfectly good generic question here where these two bikes can be used as examples, ...
- 81.7k
18
votes
Is it normal to stop so much because of thighs burning?
In addition to the answer by @Nate, I also commend you for putting in 17 miles after a 24 miles ride. Don't beat yourself up over struggling a little.
Be sure you allow plenty of recovery time. You ...
- 49k
18
votes
Do carbon MTB frames crack easily?
First of all, carbon is stronger than aluminium. It's mechanically on par with steel, while being much lighter. That's why it's the go-to material in aerospace and race cars, and it's also why it is ...
- 3,483
15
votes
Accepted
Road bike gear common practices
I believe your bike has a double crankset with 50-34 chainrings.
The general advice is to attempt to avoid cross-chaining, i.e. avoid the big ring and biggest 2-3 cogs in the rear, and avoid the ...
- 29.4k
14
votes
My husband is a beginner in cycling and needs some motivation
Yes, 4km is good, especially if the road is hilly. Any new form of exercise is difficult at the start because it uses muscles you're not used to using, in ways you're not used to using them. It's ...
14
votes
How can I keep improving after my first 30km ride?
You've got off to a great start, well done. Several answers tell you how to improve quickly, and they're not wrong. But you'll see plenty of improvement just by riding often, occasionally pushing ...
- 57.1k
14
votes
Advice on what to buy for someone who snaps rear axles often
You almost certainly have a 7 or 8 speed freewheel hub. They can do this, especially 8. Google those terms along with broken axles.
8 speed freewheel hubs had some years of prominence circa 2000-2001 ...
- 81.7k
12
votes
Clothing advice for beginner
I'd invest in a pair of bike shorts.
Casual riders going short distances on big comfy saddles can get away with casual or regular sports clothing. You won’t be able to do that riding significant ...
- 75.5k
12
votes
How to find routes
For Germany, the go-to answer is to buy the ADFC-Radtourenkarte for your region, and use that to get ideas where nice bike routes are located. The advantages of these cards are numerous:
They use a ...
12
votes
What is most important for making biking uphill easy?
Biggest factor is the gear combination. If it's a 6-7% climb, you'll probably need a 28T at the back (cassette) and 36T or even smaller at the front (crank set). I think your city bike has not this ...
- 1,432
12
votes
What is most important for making biking uphill easy?
In addition to other answers, I would say the most important thing in making riding up hill easier is your mindset.
If you start at the bottom of the hill telling yourself "that is a big hill, ...
- 49k
11
votes
Accepted
Repair service specifically for bike commuters?
You don't need such a repair service. There is a different, more practical solution: a loan bike.
In The Netherlands, most bicycles are used by commuters, so expediting wouldn't work. However, ...
- 3,637
10
votes
Clothing advice for beginner
I didn't get proper bike shorts until I was routinely riding over 100km. Before that (and still for commuting) I just went for whatever I would wear in the gym. However cheap gel-padded (not foam-...
- 57.1k
10
votes
How can I keep improving after my first 30km ride?
It never gets easier, you just go faster.
— Greg Lemond
It actually sounds like you are doing great, that 30km ride was 50% longer than your previous largest ride which is pretty significant.
Just ...
- 1,382
10
votes
First road bike: mech disc brakes vs dual pivot sidepull brakes?
I'm going to focus solely on the issue of mechanical disc versus rim brakes.
All else equal, I would prefer rim brakes to mechanical disc. Mechanical disc brakes (and the hubs, and possibly the frame ...
- 29.4k
9
votes
Replacing vintage bike tyres
No, that person was confused and you have it right. A new 700x25 tire will fit the same as what you have. Often 40 year old wheels will need new rim strips while you're at it.
- 81.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Which direction should axle lock nuts face?
The rough side should face the frame dropout.
The roughness is designed to increase friction with the frame dropouts. This type of knurling works because the frame dropouts are un-hardened, either low-...
- 3,316
9
votes
Accepted
How to find routes
You could use Komoot, which is an app and a website which can give you recommended rides around your area and you can plan your own.
On the discover page of Komoot you can search routes in your area ...
- 158
8
votes
Repair service specifically for bike commuters?
I think this working is highly dependent on where you live, and I don't think it would work in most places. You need enough people in the market who would use this service (which probably don't exist ...
- 46.1k
8
votes
My husband is a beginner in cycling and needs some motivation
Just having the age of the rider and the distance to ride as information surely does not allow to judge on whether the achievement is good or bad. For some people 4 km is a hard effort, others would ...
8
votes
Accepted
Touring bicycle must-have features
I'd go for a longer bike rather than a short one. This helps handling at speed and makes it easier to hold a line. A shorter bike needs steering input all the time, whereas a longer / more relaxed ...
- 121k
8
votes
Accepted
Should I use slime-filled inner tubes or anti-puncture lining?
If you have a lot of thorns around, slime is probably not going to save you. Perhaps tubeless tyres mounted in a tubeless setup could, but they are more complicated and potentially incompatible with ...
- 16.1k
8
votes
Should I use slime-filled inner tubes or anti-puncture lining?
I put the Tannus Tire Liners in with my tubes.
They are very lightweight, but do not compress easily, so if there is a puncture, you can still ride on them to get back:
I'll report back on their ...
- 191
8
votes
How to find routes
An approach that works well if you have a good memory.
Just go out and ride. Memorize the route while riding. When you feel like you don't want to ride more than the same distance again, just turn ...
- 17.9k
8
votes
How to find routes
I don't know about Germany specifically, but I used to use Strava for finding places to ride.
If you have an account, you can go to Explore and select Segment Explore.
You can move around the map and ...
- 378
8
votes
Do carbon MTB frames crack easily?
Carbon frames are just fine. As with any other frame materials they are designed to take the loading and stress of normal riding for their intended purpose.
That isn't to say they can't be damaged if ...
- 705
7
votes
Starting again my 9 miles challenge
9 miles should not require any changes to your diet, excluding extreme temperatures or excessively mountainous terrain. Your knee hurting is likewise not normal. Your bike may be a poor fit, or you ...
- 8,521
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible