Cycling Lessons From a Newb

I've been cycling now for 5 months and have learned a huge amount about cycling (which is actually a small fraction of what I have yet to learn), but I wanted to share these tips, best practices and lessons.

1) Fueling - Here's my fueling strategy:

• Rides 1-2 hours:

1. 2 x 24 ounce water bottles - one with 2 scoops of HEED mixed with water (by Hammer Nutrition) stands for High Energy Electrolyte Drink, and the other with 1 Camelbak Elixr Electrolyte tablet and water. I also carried one KIND bar.

• Rides 2+ Hours:

1. In Cooler weather (60 degrees and lower) - 2 x 24 ounce water bottles - one with Perpetuem mixed with water (by Hammer Nutrition) - this is an endurance mix that provides a small amount of protein and carbohydrates for longer distance training. It is also possible to mix a "multi-hour" bottle - meaning that if I was riding for 4 hours, I could mix enough for 4 hours of riding and sip a little over the 4 hours to stay fueled.
2. In Warmer weather (60 degrees and higher) - 2 x 24 ounce water bottles - I don't use Perpetuem as my fueling source - it's too hard to keep cold, and it turn sour after a few hours in warm (80 degrees +) weather. Instead, I mix a 2-hour bottle with HEED and carry 1-2 baggies with HEED powder in it, so I can mix it with water when we stop at gas stations. I also carry PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts for carbohydrates and energy. This works REALLY well.
3. The other bottle had 1 Camelbak Elixr Electrolyte tablet and water.
4. For harder rides and climbs, I'll also carry 2 KIND bars and eat them early in the ride (during the first 1-2 hours).

2) Best improvements you can make to your bike

• I made 5 improvements to my bike that have really helped my performance:

1. Bicycle Fitting: Got to a qualified professional and get fitted on your bike - these guys measure all angles (knee bend, elbow bend, back bend, reach) to make sure you are positioned correctly on the bike. They also make sure your pedals and cleats are positioned properly for maximum power transfer and to reduce injuries. If you have excessive numbness in your hands (on 1-2 hour rides), a sore back, sore knees while pedaling, or achy shoulders - a good bicycle fit can go a long way to eliminating these issues.
2. Cycling Speed and Cadence Computer: I use a CatEye computer that measures Speed, Average Speed, Current Ride Miles, Odometer, Current Ride Time, Current Time, and Cadence. This helped me know key information like speed and average speed and ride time, and inspired me to go longer and faster by knowing the stats of each ride. NEXT STEP is to pick up a Garmin Edge 704 (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&pID=10885) maps your ride, provides grade %, total elevation, total descent, a google map of your ride, heart rate and more.
3. Handlebars: I changed out the standard FSA aluminum handlebars to the FSA K-Wing Carbon bars - these bars are shaped with flat areas for your hands and grooves for when you're riding the hoods. This really helped me stay comfortable on longer rides and allowed me to focus on things like pedaling and cadence instead of numbness in my hands.
4. Pedals: This is one lesson that took me 5 months to learn - I started out on the Shimano SPD pedals and mountain bike shoes. I wouldn't recommend this. I just got Road Cycling shoes (Lake CX401) and pedals (Look KEO Max2) and it makes a world of difference. I'd say the difference is as big as when you go from toe clips to clip-in pedals. I can feel the power transfer to the pedals and feels like my feet are part of the bike. Again - it's one less thing I need to think about while riding, and my pedal stroke feels much more natural.
5. Tires: It's worth investing in new tires that are at least $65 or more - these tires generally have a higher thread count (which means you can run them at a higher pressure), less rolling resistance (=faster) and better overall performance. I started with Specialized Armadillo on the rear wheel and Gator Skins on the front. I switched to Vredestein Fortezza Tri-Comp and noticed a HUGE difference in handling and speed.

Lastly - I want to share some good links that I use to buy products off the Internet. There are some items that I will buy at my local bike shop (bike, shoes, and cheaper items like tubes, canisters, bottles, etc..), but for things like handlebars, pedals, tires, saddles, etc...I search the Internet for the best prices. Here are some of the links:

http://bike.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/bike.cgi

This search allows you to search nationwide Craigslist, eBay and Kijiji listings for bike parts - very useful.

http://www.qbike.com/

This site searches sale items across many websites on the Internet and returns product prices and discounts - you can find some incredible deals on this site.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/

These guys have an excellent selection of high-end products and have some really good sales on clearance items. I got my Lake CX 401 shoes for $189 (orig. $489)

Ride on!