Makes sense. Bike commuting definitely helps me break up the day. At one point i was cycling in the morning and then biking into work, thst wiped me out after a while.
I try and make time where I can. I recently bought a Gravel bike (Ribble CGR Al 105, I love it).
I usually commute to work which is really short distance wise but 2 or 3 times I week I take a really long route home, 30 or 40km so I can go and have a blast that way.
Also curious about this. I saw it pop up on Netflix recently and added it to my list. But I agree, from the little bit I’ve seen it looks like it’s pretty focused on the drama
If only for riding on roads/paved paths any used road bike with at least 7/8 gears in the rear with brifters will do.
If roads are a bit harsher or you want to also use it for commuting/grocery runs, something like a mountain bike would work.
Take a look at craigslist/marketplace for your area to see whats available, definitely try used bikes to get a feel for your needs.
When i started biking in my older adult life i bought a used road bike that i could ride for long distances on the weekends as well as use for commuting to work. After a few years i bought myself a more modern road bike for the long rides and converted the old road bike with flat bars and rear panniers for a more relaxed commuting and grocery hopper experience.
When you find a bike, just make sure the gears arent all chewed up and that shifting through the gears is fine. You can also take it to a bike shop for a tune up, but look for a local bike store as the big bike stores will charge a single, large fee just for tune ups, though they will still be throughout.
I still think used is the way to go. It does lower the bar of entry and if you get a certain style of bike thst doesn't fit your needs, you won't be in the hole as much financially.
It's a tough call. Experienced people are better prepared to evaluate the quality, condition, and suitability of a craigslist find, but on the other hand, it's a low-cost way to experiment and see what kind of bike and what kind of biking you like. The best is if you have a reputable used-bike dealer nearby. For example, a bike co-op can be a good option for that.
Most of the time if I ride it's in the morning. For me its the easiest and most reliable way to plan and execute before day starts. There is also this feeling of accomplishment after the ride and it feels great the rest of the day.
I think a lot would depend on what's your style, where are you going to be cycling? There are some general categories like commuter, mountain, road, recently more popular gravel which now days are more like mountain bikes from 90's. Most important is to start riding wherever you are, whenever you have time. Pick something you can afford and won't break your heart if you drop it (like 10K super bike).
I'd like to add that I personally think a mountainbike is a great starter. It's not the fastest bike you can get but the big tires are more forgiving with obstacles which is great especially for beginners. The slimmer your tire is the more attention you have to pay to the road. On a race bike you can't zone out during the ride.The downside is that you're lacking the capacity to carry a lot of weight comfortably so if you plan to do that go for a bike that's more focused on comfort.
Maybe I'm the product of a generation who grew up idolizing Lance Armstrong and the TDF only to learn that there is so much corruption in the sport. I'd be interested to try the show, but my interest in cycling events is much more oriented towards stuff like the Transcontinental
I don't really get this outlook, like surely all sports are equally tainted?
Personally too, whether someone is on performance enhancing drugs doesn't really make a difference to the enjoyment of watching the sport, especially when almost everyone is on the same drugs.
Good luck on your ride. I think its mostly mental game. If you rode 120km before during the week (combined rides) you should be able to complete it physically. Not sure what's your average ride length during the week but for me its around 40-45km. What I do when I start long ride I mentally say to myself this 40km is a warmup. I can visualize that distance, effort and time because I do it often. After a warmup I actually start my ride. This takes me to first half of a ride with little effort. The only difference is to pace yourself. Prioritize comfort over speed. If you can seat in the saddle for 5 hours you will make it. In the beginning of the ride go slower than normal (during your short rides), because you will likely run out of gas. Fuel yourself, eat something at least once an hour. Alternate food types if you can. For instance I would it a bar after first 1h then 30 minutes later gel pack then some figs and then go back to another bar. If you have sugar mix in bottle alternate that with normal water between solid foods. I'm usually keeping most of the sugar mix for last hours of ride because its harder to eat solids. If you fell like you have in you to finish strong later during the ride, go for it. The longest ride I made using this strategy was 260km. The biggest problem for me during long rides is to stay comfortable.
If you can have a local and handy friend who cycles help, picking something up from facebook marketplace or Craigslist is the best way to get started. As long as the bike is mechanically sound and you don't grossly overpay, you can usually resell a bike with little or no loss in a year or two should you decide it wasn't the best fit/option.
If that isn't possible, buying from a shop is also fine - it will just cost more and you will lose a bit more money if you decide to offload the bike. The benefit would be having a shop for questions, and many will include free tune ups for a period of time after purchase which can be worth it.
You mentioned just getting into cycling but haven't said much about terrain. If you expect to stay on the road or paths, a flat-bar hybrid is probably the most versatile first bike. A mountain bike (accepts chunkier tires, frame is more slack, usually geared lower) would also be ok, but maybe not ideal unless you expect to be off-road at some point. I would probably steer you away from a road race setup (drop/curly bars) if you are just getting started as they tend to be less versatile unless you get something beefy and gravel oriented. Once you figure out where you will cycle and what style bike you want then spend the money to get a more targeted setup (ie road race, touring, gravel, mountain, etc).
Stick with the big names if you buy used - Trek, Giant/Liv, Specialized, Cannondale, etc (not an exhaustive list) instead of Walmart or box store brands. The big brands are more likely to be repairable and sometimes shops won't work on box store bikes.
This is a expansive and complicated topic, any additional information you can provide will help us in assisting you.
Flats are great if you have knee issues or just want normal shoes at the end of a ride. I tend to use SPD clipless for anything that isn't a ride into town due to habit, but I'm starting to use flats more when I commute so I can wear normal sneakers when I get to my destination.
Clipless is only better for longer rides if your position/setup is good. Locking yourself into a bad position will probably be much worse than the gained efficiency from clipless over flat pedals, though whether it is noticed by the end of the ride or the end of the week is the hard part.
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