Borg

Also I recommend something with attachment points for racks. A back pack works and I did it for a long time, but panniers will help keep you cool and allow for heavier loads as it will take the pressure off your spine. I run one on long weekend rides too to carry a picnic. Expect odd looks at the grocery store when you bring your cart to the bike rack:)

+1 for the trek 520 Surly makes bombproof frames too the LHT is a good choice and all of their frames are designed to accommodate large tires which should help out with poor road quality

First off congrats on the riding. It does not sound like you are doing anything wrong, just keep riding. I have found that folks starting and riding with strata sometimes push themselves too hard and as a result work exceed their aerobic capacity. This will drastically reduce the amount of distance you can cover, if this is your case, and apologies if I am being presumptuous. Secondly I would not worry about getting a road bike too quickly. I have an old mountain bike modified for road use and I put at least twice as many miles on it due to its utility. The same goes for the peddles flats mean you can pretty much use any shoe, the less it takes to get ready to ride the more you do it. The one recommendation I can make is if you still have knobby mountain bike tires and are rarely on conditions worse than a gravel road is to swap them out for a smoother tread. This should drastically reduce the rolling resistance, improve ride quality, and traction on roads ( a bit counter intuitive, I know). Feel free to message me if you want more info.

I had a very similar story starting out with my clipless pedals. I also agree with Jothra, de-tensioning the spring that keeps you clipped to the pedal will allow you to easily release. Loosen it to the point where you can pull your foot up and the pedal will release, rather than the normal sideways motion. That should help with the "oh #$%^!" moments until you get use to them. I may also help to practice just clipping in by sitting on your bike and propping yourself up with a wall or tree while you clip and unclip repeatedly to get in the motion.

There are two items that have been stated that should be repeated. Firstly, wear a helmet. After having several crashes where the helmet has cracked on me I can only imagine what my skull would have looked like if I had not worn one. Secondly, fit matters. If you are just starting out and not looking to race a larger frame will probably work out better. If you are buying from a shop make sure that they are well aware of your intentions. When I rode competitively I was on a 61cm frame (classic geometry). Now that I just like to get out and explore I am riding on a 65cm frame. I also agree that clipless pedals are not a must, but once you get use to them you will not look back. They provide better power transfer and are faster to get out of then clips, once you are use to them. If you are going more casual such as into and around town a couple times a week look into fenders. They will maximize possible riding conditions while not needing to lug around a bunch of rain gear for just wet roads. I could keep gabbing but I will just start there.

A method I have used to reach 50 consecutive pushups was to do half of your 1set max followed by a rest... I think I started at 80s or so. Then repeat until the total number of pushups, 50 in my case, was reached or surpassed. Then each week reduce the rest by 5 seconds. I am sure there are other methods and I would be curious how you go about your next challenge.

Congrats!! I am working my way in that direction but not quite there. It is inspiring to see someone making the full conversion. Cheers,

I finished up The Tenacious Test of Toughness today with PRs across the board. Yesterday I made it down to the first hole on my belt, making it three down since I started weight training two months ago. In another few weeks I will probably have to add another. . . . WOOT!

Ok, so I just finished up my sets and I couldn't be happier. I made every lift. I enlisted our local body builder and power lifter for guidance and spotting, which was well worth it. Prior to this I have been doing high volume workouts so my first attempts were my previous PRs with 3-10 reps. The exception being deadlifts where my PR was my second attempt. Working on form for the first 8 or so weeks has really paid off. Without delay. Squat(lbs) 200 230 240 Bench (lbs) 200 210 225 Dead(lbs) 365 385 405 Press(lbs) 095 135 145

Rutland, VT here. I also travel to Burlington a few weekends a month and Southern NH every few months.

I am a bit late on this so I hope you have it sorted out already. It does sound like it could use some oil from your description, however depending on the bearings/bushings the application points may vary and/or not exist. As for the black powder the most likely cause is tire wear. Bicycle tires do degrade over time and become more brittle and prone to flaking. This is more common with the harder compounds found on road tires. On vintage bikes that you find at yard sales cracking is ubiquitous and readily visible. If you can confirm this is the case just place a towel or mat under the trainer so it does not end up on your floor. The tire will be fine to use on the trainer. However if you do a lot of riding on the trainer I would avoid using the same tires on the road. Over time the center of the tire will wear flat which, on the road, will provide more rolling resistance in straight lines and a terrifyingly small contact patch in the corners. Best of luck. Cheers, -J-

Thank you for the warm welcomes. Everyone on this site have been nothing but supportive and informative.

Thank you all for the great advice. I have added an extra tilapia fillet to my daily intake and a scoop of protein powder. These changes have allowed me to meet my 200g of protein a day mark while eating at a deficit. Cheers, -J-

@ This is Seth. Thank you for the valuable information. Being so new, this is a valuable resources.

So, start with the baseline data I am about 270lbs(123kg). I have checked my body fat with(using the impedance method) to be 30% using the look and see it seems to be more like 25%, so I am using25% as my best guess. I am looking to maintain my lean mass while cutting body fat, but I am finding it difficult to get 200g or so of protein a day while keeping the calories low(<2500). I have cut out most grains and a lot of carbs. Is this a time when a protein shake may be a good way to increase protein with minimal addition of carbs. What are some other options without eating gut busting amounts of meat? Thanks in advance.