Hi Steve. Thanks for joining the forum. Here's hoping someone from the community can help with your query. Good luck with finding a local cycling group /club that meets your needs. Cheers. Ben.

Wow! Just wow, H. It's absolutely fantastic to read this and see how you're progressing. So you stacked it, huh?! Don't worry, fella. Are you even really a roadie if you haven't come off at least once? Bet you've been admiring your bruises in the mirror, too. C'mon, man. Admit it. 😉 On a serious note though, reading your story has put a massive smile on my face on a wet and dreary Sunday. They may not respond to this thread but I'm certain there will be other members of the m2M community who read your story in this forum and are inspired. Please keep us updated with your efforts. If you haven't done so already, have you signed up to any 2023 sportives? Cambridge 100 is a great one for beginners as it's flat. Signing up to one of these bad-boys and doing it for charity is extremely motivational so I can't recommend them highly enough. London 100 is also a great event. If you don't think you'll be ready for your first 100 miler by the summer than i think both events offer shorter routes. I think of approx 60 miles. Ride London definitely does but I'm not sure about Cambs 100. Both are very flat so would be perfect to aim for, for someone at your current level. Please keep us posted with how you get on. Cheers.

Hey, Harry. Welcome. Hope you find the support you're after and good luck with your fitness goals. Cheers. Ben.

There are so many bikes it's impossible to pick the 'perfect' bike for someone I don't know. What I can share is this. For your budget be sure to focus on good quality gears. If you can find a road bike with Shimano 105 gears (or another brand of equivalent quality) then at least you know your gears will be robust. I've shared some blog posts below to help you know what to look for. If you want a decent bike for $500 then you might want to consider the second-hand market too. Look for brands like Specialized, Giant, Cube, BMC, Cannondale, Trek, Cervelo. I doubt any of these do entry level bikes in your price range but you might pick up a bargain in the used market. Good like with the search. Let us know what you end up going for. Thanks. https://www.m2mcycling.com/post/road-cycling-jargon-for-beginners-1 https://www.m2mcycling.com/post/bike-jargon-2 https://www.m2mcycling.com/post/road-bike-buying-advice

Hi there. 👋 Interesting question 🤔 I guess part of the answer depends on how versatile you want the bike to be. Are you ever intending to use it for proper road cycling (with lycra and clip-in pedals)? Or are you just looking for a casual commuter bike with flat pedals, an upright, relaxed seating position and flat handle bars. Like a Brompton (very popular, fold up commuter bike in London, UK). If a road bike is want you're after then I can share some recommendations. If a casual commuter bike then other community members m be better placed to recommend something for you in the US. Cheers.

Fantastic, Drew. Thanks so much for the update. Hopefully it'll inspires others, also. I'll be sure to connect on Strava as I'm not sure that I have! 137 miles is longer than ever done in one ride. Think my longest was 118 so huge congrats. Have you taken your adventure abroad yet? Majorca perhaps? If not then you should definitely add this to your cycling 'to do' list. Keep pedalling! 😁 Cheers. Ben.

Hi there Pete. First off - thanks for signing up and for posting your query. Great to have you here. And amazing to hear you're getting back into the saddle! Don't worry if you haven't ridden for so long. The they say it's like riding a... Well. You know...😁 I'm assuming you're in the US (as you used "$" in your post). If being totally honest, I've never heard of a 'Gates belt drive system' before so I can't comment. All I know is that all the pros on the tours use good ol' chains, so if it's good enough for them then it's good enough for me. Bikes under $1000 is a tricky one. I'm not sure if you are actually US-based but if you are then the US second hand market might offer up some fantastic deals? The UK market has been tough the last couple of years as everyone took up cycling during COVID, so demand went through the roof and supply took a massive hit. I think it's less-so now so there might be a deal to be had if you know what to look for to ensure you don't by a dud (cracked frame, broken /damaged gears and derailleurs etc.) For less then =< $1 my advice would be to ensure the group-set is the best quality you can afford. As a minimum I'd look or Shimano 105 gears and breaks (or other brand of similar quality). Gears and breaks are the things that tend to see you in the workshop more than any other part of the bike in that price bracket, so look for quality in these areas. From a brand perspective I'd look at Giant, Specialized, Cube, Felt, BMC - ones like these. If you're in the UK then Ribble are getting a great name for themselves for excellent quality at a great price. Canyon, too. (German based but delivery to UK) If buying new you may struggle to find a carbon frame with decent gears and breaks but if you're on flat roads then a decent aluminium frame should see you right for the level of riding I think you'll be looking to do whilst getting back into the swing of things. You can always invest in a better bike later down the line if you're still into it this time next year! Hope this helps. I'm sure others in the community will have some great tips and advice to share too. Best of luck with it, mate. Please keep us posted on how you get on. Ride safe. Cheers.

Hi James. Personally, tandems aren't my thing I'm afraid so wouldn't know where to start either??? Hoping someone else in the community can chime in with some advice for you. Best of luck with it, buddy.

Hi James. Personally, tandems aren't my thing I'm afraid so wouldn't know where to start either??? Hoping someone else in the community can chime is with some advice for you.

https://bit.ly/3qvLljM

All the best with it. For a little more motivation feel free to track us down on Strava and join the m2M club there, too. Sometimes seeing others get out gives you a little FOMO nudge to do the same. Cheers.

Hey, Adam. Great to have you onboard. Make yourself at home. 🤜🤛 First off, I hear you. You've got a lot on your plate and juggling everything is challenging. It won't work for everyone as career /life situations are different, as are times of the day when people feel most energetic /productive etc. I also have a very understanding wife who lets me ride a lot (I think she's just happy to get me out the house!) so I appreciate some of the below might not work for you. With that said… Typically, in colder /wetter months I aim to bash out 50 -75 miles a week - just to keep the body ticking over until the warmer seasons. When I'm really 'on it' I'll get up at 6am, get dressed, and then straight on the bike and do 15 - 18 miles whilst fasted (no food. I just take a bottle of water with me). I do intermittent fasting anyway so usually stop eating at 8.30pm and then won't eat again until 1pm (ish) the next day. It's worth noting that I can do 15 - 18 mile in c. 45 mins - 1 hour so tweak this distance based on your fitness levels. Do what you can based on the time you have. (I then need to get home, walk the dog and do school drop off so I can start work at 9ish). When early morning rides aren't possible (either I can't be arsed or due to bad weather) I have a turbo trainer. I'll either jump on this at a similar time for an intense 30 - 45 mins or will do in the evening, after work /before dinner. Then there are the weekends. To fit around social engagements /son's footy training and matches /Uber driver for my 14 year old daughter etc., I ride when I can. This will usually be either early morning or mid-afternoon (depending on chores /commitments etc). Depending on the time I have, weekend rides can either be one or both days and anything from 30 - 100+ miles (usually around the middle). Again, don't use this as your barometer. I've been riding for 10+ years. In short - don't worry about how far you're doing. Any ride is good. My advice? Plan when you're free and use those slots to ride. Your thinking should be "I have a spare 45 mins. I'm going to ride for 45 mins" NOT "I want to ride X miles" Any riding, done consistently, will improve your fitness, stamina and strength. Also, before COVID-forced working from home was a thing I used to commute to work a couple of times a week. This was 18 miles each way going in and out of the City of London. But I appreciate this depends on people's confidence about inner-city riding plus the washing and bike storage facilities at your place of work (amongst other facts that make commuter riding possible for people or not). Check out this post if you're looking for a bit of help with discipline and motivation (the former drives the latter ☺️) - https://www.m2mcycling.com/post/staying-motivated There's also a helpful section in this podcast episode from approx 33 mins onwards (obviously, the whole thing is great 😉 but for this purpose, I think you'll find this particular bit helpful) - https://www.m2mcycling.com/post/on-your-mic-podcast-6 Good luck with it, buddy. Keep us posted with how you're getting on. Shout if you need anything else. Cheers

Well you've written it down and share it now, so your gonna have to do it! 😉

Would you mind if I shared your post on our social channels, Drew? I'd love to shrlare the positve impact we're having on people's lives through the m2M community. Thanks.

Oh man. Any bike shop beginning with "H" or "E" need to be given a massive avoidance. Utterly useless. You might be good to see if you can Google a local, mobile bicycle mechanic to come and check your bike on your drive. I've seen a few popping up recently and they semm like a great service. Failing that, defo find a local, independent shop. Good luck.

Well, holy brown stuff, Drew. I can't tell you how much I'm smiling right now! Honestly, buddy, I'm so bloody proud to read your note. This is exactly what m2M Cycling was set up to achieve and to read this on the last day of 2021 has just proved to me that the hard graft has been bloody worth it! Thank you so so much for your contribution and ongoing support, and all the best for 2022, mate. Here's to you smashing out even more miles and losing that final 3 stones. You've got this, and the m2M Cycling community have got your back! 😁 🤜 🤛 👍 Cheers. Ben. Chief MAMIL Officer.

Hi Drew. Tricky one to advise on without seeing the wear. Typically, I find it's the rear cassette that wears first, with the chain, so I usually replace chain and rear cassette simultaneously. The front chain ring is usually longer get lasting. Also, 1700 miles seems a little low to be changing your chain. It obviously depends on how well you look after it and your gearing style (I.e. Lower cadence /higher power vs. Higher cadence /lower power - with the former more likely to stretch the chain a bit quicker) but you should be looking at c. 2.5 - 3k miles before swapping out a chain and rear cassette. Re: your query about inner and outchain ring changes. My steer would be to always swap both at the same time to ensure optimum performance on both rings. In other words big and small chain ring - always change together. Chain and rear cassette - usually always change together but sometimes a rear cassette might last approx 200 - 500 miles more than the chain. For peace of mind I tend to swap both together if I've the cash to do so at the time.

Ah... Yes... Sorry about the small sprinkling of colourful language (it is just a tiny bit - 12... 12A cert at worst 😉) Thanks so much for that feedback, Drew. It really does mean so much to me that people out there are genuinely finding it helpful (and amusing). The feedback so far has been so positive. Fingers crossed that continues! And double-thanks for the review you left on Trustpilot as well. Honestly mate - incredibly kind of you, and generous of your time 🤜🤛 Sincerely. Ben.

Hi GuitarMan. The only thing you can do to stop your glasses misting up is to not pull the snood over your nose. I don't do this anyway because I don't like the condensation that builds up on the cloth around your nose and mouth when you do this. For comfort I only pull my neck warmer up to my bottom lip and high around the back on my neck. Put a bit of lip balm on to stop your lips from splitting in the freezing temps and you'll be good. Hope you like the book and find it helpful (and amusing in parts!) Cheers.

@Ben Kay All signed up and ready to roll. Can't wait. If the old events are anything to go by then it'll be one of the best events of 2022. The m2M gang will be there. Have signed up for the 4.5 - 5 hours completion group. Hopefully see a few m2M community members around the route, too! Be quick if you want simplified entry. It's £89 for the first 10k entries. Everyone after this goes into a ballot and if not selected will only be able to enter via charities, which will have minimum fund raising thresholds. E.g. The last 3 I did where for different charities. Had to pay between £50 - 80 up front + commit to between £400 - 700 of fund raising. Which isn't really a bad thing as it's for charity but I know some people may struggle to commit to any type of fund raising. Good luck!