A long time not in the saddle: A Newbie

[pewseydave]

Just wanted to say Hi to everyone.

I used to ride my MTB 20+ years ago prior to getting married, kids and life getting in the way!

I'm in a fortunate position to live in some spectacular countryside in Wiltshire and now have a little more time to enjoy it again and hopefully improve my fitness and wellbeing.

I have ordered a Specialized Levo Comp Alloy...should receive it this week and my first task is to spend some time converting to tubeless. Tubeless is a new concept to me (so is biking) so I'm very much looking forward to reading through the forums and no doubt asking of rtips and Newbie advice in the near future.

Pewseydave

 

[RustyIron]

Hey, Dave. It's not just the absence of tubes that has changed. Everything has changed. Everything is better, and you'll soon see how awful the old bikes really were. Glad you're back.

 

[KnollyBro]

Just wanted to say Hi to everyone.

I used to ride my MTB 20+ years ago prior to getting married, kids and life getting in the way!

I'm in a fortunate position to live in some spectacular countryside in Wiltshire and now have a little more time to enjoy it again and hopefully improve my fitness and wellbeing.

I have ordered a Specialized Levo Comp Alloy...should receive it this week and my first task is to spend some time converting to tubeless. Tubeless is a new concept to me (so is biking) so I'm very much looking forward to reading through the forums and no doubt asking of rtips and Newbie advice in the near future.

Pewseydave

Welcome. Enjoy to content of the forums but have fun with the bike how it is for awhile before making any expensive changes (tubless = good idea!). Out of curiosity, what makes the countryside of Wiltshire "spectacular", as I have not been there yet.

 

[pewseydave]

Welcome. Enjoy to content of the forums but have fun with the bike how it is for awhile before making any expensive changes (tubless = good idea!). Out of curiosity, what makes the countryside of Wiltshire "spectacular", as I have not been there yet.

Hi KnollyBro,
Thanks for your sagely advice, tubeless seems a "no-brainer" however I need to concentrate on my fitness first as it won't matter what I change on the bike it won't be noticeable !
The County is home to Salisbury Plain and wide open green spaces with a network of tracks to use....also used by the Army to train! and also not forgetting the heritage of Stonehenge.
Whilst we don't have any mountains there are miles and miles of rolling hills and steep sided valleys, lots to explore.

 

[pewseydave]

Hey, Dave. It's not just the absence of tubes that has changed. Everything has changed. Everything is better, and you'll soon see how awful the old bikes really were. Glad you're back.

Thanks RustyIron,, I have to say I am so looking forward to cycling again but have a lot of learning to do to master the bike set up etc....but hey, thats' all part of what I miss!

 

[Paulquattro]

Welcome

 

[Tonybro]

Hi KnollyBro,
Thanks for your sagely advice, tubeless seems a "no-brainer" however I need to concentrate on my fitness first as it won't matter what I change on the bike it won't be noticeable !
The County is home to Salisbury Plain and wide open green spaces with a network of tracks to use....also used by the Army to train! and also not forgetting the heritage of Stonehenge.
Whilst we don't have any mountains there are miles and miles of rolling hills and steep sided valleys, lots to explore.

Don't also forget the ancient Avebury Stone Circle, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow.
It's a chalk escarpment landscape.
I lived in Salisbury and Warminster as a baby then Burbage and Marlborough when we came back from Germany when I was ten. Pewsey was my first secondary school!

 

[johnnystorm]

Hi there, welcome to the levo club!

I've only had mine since November but I've enjoyed every minute spent on it.

Do get set up for tubeless before you hit the trail, it's a doddle on specialized with the factory fitted rim strips. You'll only need some sealant and valves if they don't come in the box.

 

[GizzmoShifu]

Just wanted to say Hi to everyone.

I used to ride my MTB 20+ years ago prior to getting married, kids and life getting in the way!

I'm in a fortunate position to live in some spectacular countryside in Wiltshire and now have a little more time to enjoy it again and hopefully improve my fitness and wellbeing.

I have ordered a Specialized Levo Comp Alloy...should receive it this week and my first task is to spend some time converting to tubeless. Tubeless is a new concept to me (so is biking) so I'm very much looking forward to reading through the forums and no doubt asking of rtips and Newbie advice in the near future.

Pewseydave

I've just gone through the exact same process with a similarly timed gap between riding and the same bike

I did a tubeless conversion with Cushcore inserts on mine within a couple of days of it arriving and it was a pretty seamless experience all in all. I did end up having to double tape the rear rim to prevent a leak at the valve though but I put this down to my failing the first time round

 

[jeanmarc]

Welcome to the forums & congratulations on the new ride. You will so LOVE this... It will not only make you fitter, it will clear your brain of everything else. Do as often as possible! Enjoy!

 

[pewseydave]

Well the big day happened last Friday...my Levo Alloy Comp arrived!
Last time I bought a bike it was very much a case of adjust the saddle and disappear over the hills.
OMG so much has changed...for the better...but a huge learning curve.
I spent moist of Saturday on YouTube and this fantastic forum learning how to set my bike up...from suspension to issues with my seat post.
However, nothing was going to deter me from getting on my bike and when I did WOW!....it really was worth it.
I spent the day trying different settings and getting a feel for the bike, motor and the different sized front and rear wheels.
I really enjoyed just the first few miles on this amazing bike. I'm now trying to re-educate my legs into cycling....so I know it will be a bit of a struggle for a few months BUT I know it will be worth it from only my very quick ride so far.

 

[pewseydave]

Just thought I would post an update. I've been riding my Levo a minimum of 3 days a week and gradually building up distance really slowly. Mainly road and tracks at first but just recently ventured onto bridleways and I am staggered at how much improvement has been made with the suspension and total ride experience compared to my old bikes.
The motor is really impressive and allows me to enjoy the experience rather than it being a painful slog. I am enjoying being outside and taking exercise but also being a controlled hooligan is auxilarating!
I did take some more advice from the forum and ensured I had the correct saddle measurement and promptly changed to a Specialized Power Pro with mirror and I have to say that to date I have not suffered at all with saddle issues.
Long may it continue!

 

[pewseydave]

A further update for anyone considering if it's worth the expense of purchasing an EMTB...I'm 4 months in to re-starting my cycling exploits. After some diet changes, lifestyle changes and a lot of hard work I'm over 3 stone lighter (22kg) and have so much more energy.
I'm loving time on my bike just chillin' out and totally focussed on the tracks and bridleways I'm riding. Can't ever think why I stopped riding as this is just awesome...and with so much more energy I can ride in ECO mode for 95% of the time and just use the trail/turbo settings for the nastiest of hills.
If you are still thinking if it would suit you as an unfit older person...then the answer is absolutely yes! Seize the day and enjoy!