My cycling career begins!
So I pulled the trigger and bought my first real road bike! My first workout will be running from my wife when I tell her how much it cost! Actually I was able to get what think is a great deal on a used 2006 Orbea Orca from a friend. It looks really cool.. Of course, I have no clue what to do next - I guess I will head over to the local bike shop to get accessories. I guess I need to figure out pedals, shoes, a helmet, maybe water bottles... Any suggestions for a true newbie?
Don't have any suggestions as I haven't gotten my road bike yet. I just wanted to say Congrats on your new bike, and that I sincerely hope your wife isn't as fast as you...I'm hoping my hubby is slower than me when the time comes for my bike purchase. 
Katie
Ht. 5'2 HW 234/GW 150/LW 128/CW 132 Size 18/20 to a size 4 in 9 months!
Ht. 5'2 HW 234/GW 150/LW 128/CW 132 Size 18/20 to a size 4 in 9 months!
First of all congrats!
Professional bike fit.
You and your friend could be identical heights, but you may have more height in your legs and he may have more in his upper body.
Getting the bike adjusted for you will pay dividends.
Good quality cycling shorts. I really like the bib type pants or shorts. They keep you from having that plumbers butt feeling. I have several different pairs of pants/shorts/bib pants and let me tell you, they are not all created equally. Some are much more comfortable than others.
Everything else is just what you like.
Tire repair patch or replacement supplies. I prefer to carry the co2 inflators a couple spare tubes and some tire levers. Road tires are much harder to get off than the off road tires at least in my experience. Tubes are cheap, I'd much rather just spend the $3.00 and replace the tube than to spend the time trying to patch the tire on the side of the road. I have patch stuff at home if the hole is in a patchable place, then I can do it at my convenience. Also a good floor pump at home so you aren't going through co2 cartridges. It's a lot of work getting those tires up to 100 psi with a small little bike mounted pump. An under the seat bag to hold the suppplies or you can just put them in the back of your riding jersey.
I highly recommend a RoadID bracelet.
Water bottles and cages to hold them.
Helmet, shoes, cleats pedals like you mentioned
Sunglasses (which you probably already have. A bug in the eye at 20mph hurts)
Riding gloves, I like the gel ones to help kill the road vibration.
Bike computer they can be cheap or very expensive. If you have a garmin 305 or better, you can get the cadence sensor for the bike, and you will have a lot of info at your fingertips. Plus it is rear wheel mountable so if you ride the bike indoors on a trainer, you can still get speed and cadence information even though you aren't moving.
If riding at night a light for the front and one for the rear. It's not about you seeing things, it's about the cars seeing you.
Safety & health stuff should be mandatory, everything else is just a nice to have.
Professional bike fit.
You and your friend could be identical heights, but you may have more height in your legs and he may have more in his upper body.
Getting the bike adjusted for you will pay dividends.
Good quality cycling shorts. I really like the bib type pants or shorts. They keep you from having that plumbers butt feeling. I have several different pairs of pants/shorts/bib pants and let me tell you, they are not all created equally. Some are much more comfortable than others.
Everything else is just what you like.
Tire repair patch or replacement supplies. I prefer to carry the co2 inflators a couple spare tubes and some tire levers. Road tires are much harder to get off than the off road tires at least in my experience. Tubes are cheap, I'd much rather just spend the $3.00 and replace the tube than to spend the time trying to patch the tire on the side of the road. I have patch stuff at home if the hole is in a patchable place, then I can do it at my convenience. Also a good floor pump at home so you aren't going through co2 cartridges. It's a lot of work getting those tires up to 100 psi with a small little bike mounted pump. An under the seat bag to hold the suppplies or you can just put them in the back of your riding jersey.
I highly recommend a RoadID bracelet.
Water bottles and cages to hold them.
Helmet, shoes, cleats pedals like you mentioned
Sunglasses (which you probably already have. A bug in the eye at 20mph hurts)
Riding gloves, I like the gel ones to help kill the road vibration.
Bike computer they can be cheap or very expensive. If you have a garmin 305 or better, you can get the cadence sensor for the bike, and you will have a lot of info at your fingertips. Plus it is rear wheel mountable so if you ride the bike indoors on a trainer, you can still get speed and cadence information even though you aren't moving.
If riding at night a light for the front and one for the rear. It's not about you seeing things, it's about the cars seeing you.
Safety & health stuff should be mandatory, everything else is just a nice to have.
The first time you do something - It's going to be a personal record!
Yes!
They take some getting used to, and you will probably fall. I know everyone I talk to has experienced a 0 mph fall where they stop and unclip the wrong foot or lean the wrong way and bam over you go, but I saw a couple mph increase when I switched the pedals. You are able to get power on both the push and pull. Also being able to stand up on the pedals and really lean into a hill climb, or a sprint helps. I'm actually finding that sitting back and trying to pedal from the big muscles in the legs is more beneficial on hill climbing, but for a short hill or when you are trying to get that little extra speed, being able to stand up and mash the pedals, those clipless pedals are the way to go.
Now as for which kind that is up to you, but I would recommend the ones that give you the most pedal to foot contact. The little speedplay ones are nice, but you have all of your contact in one little area. The look or Keo or one of those types spreads that contact out over a larger area.
But if the store will let you try them, give them both a try. You may find you like the round pedals better.
Scott
They take some getting used to, and you will probably fall. I know everyone I talk to has experienced a 0 mph fall where they stop and unclip the wrong foot or lean the wrong way and bam over you go, but I saw a couple mph increase when I switched the pedals. You are able to get power on both the push and pull. Also being able to stand up on the pedals and really lean into a hill climb, or a sprint helps. I'm actually finding that sitting back and trying to pedal from the big muscles in the legs is more beneficial on hill climbing, but for a short hill or when you are trying to get that little extra speed, being able to stand up and mash the pedals, those clipless pedals are the way to go.
Now as for which kind that is up to you, but I would recommend the ones that give you the most pedal to foot contact. The little speedplay ones are nice, but you have all of your contact in one little area. The look or Keo or one of those types spreads that contact out over a larger area.
But if the store will let you try them, give them both a try. You may find you like the round pedals better.
Scott
The first time you do something - It's going to be a personal record!
Don't forget the bell! When I splurge for my bike, a bell is a going to be a must. I would also like the streamers that come down from the handlebars...but that may be girlie thing 
Seriously though Andrew, Congrats and be safe out there!
Seriously though Andrew, Congrats and be safe out there!
Every morning in Africa
It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning inAfrica
It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.
It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle
when the sun comes up you'd better be running.
RNY 2/9/09 Buh bye Gallbladder 8/28/09; 100% EWL (181 lbs.) on 2/19/10;
It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in
It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.
It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle
when the sun comes up you'd better be running.
RNY 2/9/09 Buh bye Gallbladder 8/28/09; 100% EWL (181 lbs.) on 2/19/10;
welcome to the club! to add to scott's already good information, if you intend on using the bike for tri's, you may want to look into tri specific shoes (if you are going clipless), they are a lot easier to get into and out of during transition. the rest is what you are comfortable with, good luck and have fun.
Where are we going?? And why am I in this handbasket??
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
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