u/julieditor

I’ve been cycling consistently for about five months (4–6 rides/week), progressing from short neighborhood rides to 15–30 miles with some decent climbs. I’m 48F, 120 lbs, riding a Liv Rove 2 hybrid (700x42 tires, suspension fork).

Recently joined my first group ride, mostly road bikes, averaging 13–16 mph on flats. I was the only one on a hybrid and the slowest 😂 I struggled to keep up despite pushing hard. My cardio was fine, but my legs were exhausted. Everyone seemed to be pedaling slower while going faster!

My solo rides average around 10–12 mph, depending on terrain and stops.
For those who switched from a hybrid to a road bike, how significant was the difference in speed and effort? I’m not expecting miracles, but I’m genuinely curious how much is my fitness versus the bike holding me back.

Hey ladies! I'm fairly new to cycling and had a great summer on my bike, riding almost every day. With the weather starting cool down, I'm wondering what layer options I should look into. I'm currently wearing a light jersey and chamois/padded shorts. (Riding a hybrid, so I don't need bib shorts.)

Top: I've seen thermal arms, long sleeve jerseys, wind jackets, fleece jackets...

Legs: Thermal leg coverage to pull over the short, or full on padded tights?

I've already ordered a skull cap to wear under the helmet for when it gets chilly.

Open to any other suggestions, but hopefully nothing to break the bank :)

Thanks so much!

I’m new to riding and have a hybrid bike. I’d love to explore the Griffith Park next weekend but looking at the maps (on Strava and Google) I’m not able to discern the full loop. I’d be coming from the Burbank side and was thinking of parking by the LA Zoo. Is that a good idea? Once there is the loop pretty easy to see and follow? I don’t want to get stranded in Los Feliz :) Any pointers, maps and advice would be super appreciated!

I'm a new rider and I'm getting really frustrated trying to find new routes.

I'll find what looks like a good road, but the bike lane is right next to parked cars. Everyone says to stay out of the door zone, but the bike lane isn't wide enough to do that. If I move left to give myself space, I'm basically in traffic with cars flying by. If I stay in the bike lane, I'm close enough to get doored.

Then if I try to avoid busy streets by riding quieter neighborhood streets or sidewalks where they're available, the sidewalk will suddenly end and I'm dumped onto a busy road with no obvious safe way to keep going.

How do you guys deal with this?

Do you just ride in traffic and get used to it? Do you ride closer to parked cars and hope nobody opens a door? Do you walk your bike for a block? Or do you just avoid those roads completely?

I feel like every time I try to expand beyond the same neighborhood routes, I run into another "well now what?" situation. I'd love to hear how more experienced riders handle this.