Sooo, maybe I wanna ride...

I'm not going to lie..you guys on this board inspire me like no other!!!

As a result, I decided I could run..and totally have taken off with that.  I like a good gym session, but it's got NOTHING on an outdoor run..  which totally proved itself to me last week and has left me craving more...Thursday is my next day I can run outside and I CAN'T wait!!!

So about this biking thing...

A chick at work gave me her old mountain bike.  It's a Giant, pretty good condition.  I honestly haven't really ridden since my semester abroad in 2001.  Should I start at the gym and get used to riding again?  Just jump right out there and hit the street?  How do you get the right fit for a helmet?  Seriously, it's like "Biking for Dummies" with me..

I didn't really want to sign up for any races because I was planning on plastics at some point  this summer, but I honestly don't want that to hold me back from signing up for a race or event that could be awesome..  I haven't got anything on my race calendar except for a 4 miler in March and the Warrior Dash in June..  I was looking at maybe doing a duathalon (mostly because I'm a sinker, not a swimmer..) or even the Providence Half Marathon in August..  nothing concrete yet though..

Any suggestions from you veterans - aka anyone who has been on a bike since 2001...  :)  I need a race or something to train for..this girl needs purpose in her training!!  Suggestions welcomed!!!! 

I say go for it Katie! Being on a bike is so freeing, especially when you get to cover some good mileage! Have you seen the event calendar on the Competitor website http://competitor.com/calendar ? They have events from all over on it. You can do an advance search for duathlons or if you wanted to check out a century ride which is a more casual environment to get started with. Oh, and any bike store can help you with helmet fit too.
Good luck to you!!

Just sign up! Then it's real. I registered for my first triathlon before I bought a bike, and I hadn't swam in 7 years. I trained hard and placed 6th in division. My division (W 25-29) seems to be very competitive, as well a W 30-34.

I think you should go for the tri, I swim like a log and I still manage,and if I can somehow not drown, I know you will do great! There are a few all women's series that have a really comfortable atmoshpere. Here is one in Webster www.sheroxtri.com/webster-ma-7325.html no date yet but it should be somewhere in the September/October timeframe.

Half marathons are fun too, I have only done 4, but so far its my favorite distance.

I actually did the SheRox as part of a relay team last year (I was the runner) and it was amazing to watch!!  I was so inspired and that's part of the reason I want to strive for something more than running now.. It's normally at the end of July, but they do a Danskin around here in Sept/Oct as well..thanks for the input, much appreciated!!  

Definitely sign up for a duathlon.  I also am not a swimmer, and have no interest in befriending a jellyfish.   I do three to four duatlons a year.  It is a lot of fun to do a sprint duathlon and a lot less investment than a tri, since you don't have to find a swimming hole.  Find one and sign up then you can start your training in earnest.   Before long, you'll be trading up to a road bike (mountain bikes are real heavy).  Good luck.
Rob

I'm with the others, just do it and sign up for a duathalon or a tri.  I did my first tri with not quite enough training and with a hybrid bike and I still had a whole lot of fun. 

As to riding outside vs at the gym - I'd say get outside on the bike if you can (didn't notice where you live, I live in Ottawa Canada and it's pretty cold these days) since riding a spin bike is nothing like riding a real bike, for starters, you are not pulling along your body weight on the spin bike.

You might find that you like biking as much as running outside -- and you can go farther and see more things on a bike than running.  My husband and I took a bike trip in Tuscany for our honeymoon last October - and a bike tour in Maine a couple of years ago, what a fabulous way to see the world!

Enjoy your new adventures!

 Spinning isn't "nothing" like riding on the road.  You should be adjusting the fly-wheel resistance in order to simulate varying levels of effort.  Spinning can be very beneficial in building cycling endurance and technique.  Quite frankly, an hour of Spinning is a lot harder than an hour out on the road... who pedals non-stop for an hour when they're out on the road?

 Check if there are any local bike clubs near you.  They will typically have group rides where you can ride with others that at your similar pace.  Riding a mountain bike is going to make you slower considering the "knobby" tires, so keep that into consideration when deciding which rides to participate in.  They will usually also sponsor longer ride events where they will be supported with vehicles along the route and usually snacks/rest stops along the way.  I'm going to disagree with a previous-poster that suggested looking at a century ride... even a metric century is going to be too much for someone just starting out, especially on a mountain bike.  I did my first metric century on a mountain bike and I had been training all winter in spinning classes.  I finished the ride and I was totally WIPED out.  Later I posted on a biking forum and the seasoned cyclists were saying, "You did what?!?  Nice job!"  Anyway, definitely start riding.  It is a total blast, so invigorating and freeing.  I love it.. and frankly I didn't wait until I was skinny to ride.. I was an avid cyclist pre-op.  

awesome katie!  just get out there, in no time you are going to want to upgrade to a road bike.  to be honest, it will be a bit difficult (at first) to join group rides until you are comfortable in the saddle and upgrade your ride, but you shouldn't hold back, just go for it! everything else will fall into place.

I bike for fun, but here is some imput from over the years...Simple and basic.  Bicycling Magizine...My wife gave it to me for Christmas.  I read it alot.  I was borrowing it from the local library, but it became a hassle to check it out all the time.  You may want to go to Google Maps...Type in your area.  They have in the traffic area a colunm for dedicated bike lanes (in green).  You can find safe routes to go on.  The other thing that bikers swear by is padded bike pants.  The padding makes all the difference in the world for long rides.  Brian  PS  NEVER TRUST CARS!!  ALWAYS ASSUME THEY DON'T SEE YOU AND WILL NOT STOP!!  Be careful out there...