Check out our first 10 Things I Wish I knew Video HERE: ukposts.info/have/v-deo/gKleiYWjpYd803k.htmlsi=uA2PmKgBiQ7y_AOk

I’ve been burned by so many bike shops in the past that I ended up learning to fix everything on my bike myself. This is the number one tip I’d give to anyone starting out. Not only do you save boat loads of money, get instant service (because you are the one doing it), you’ll quickly discover it’s not nearly as complicated as you may think to service your own bike.

You forgot to mention that it's important to remember, there will always be someone faster and someone slower than you. Ride your ride and not someone else's.

11. Don't get analysis paralysis - too much reading into training methods / data / bicycle material and setup will burn you out. Just ride the damn bike!

This is why I love this channel: no junk and pure honesty while delivering with great humour. Thanks a lot! 😊

on the topic of bicycle weight. Hobby cyclists (at least in my country) usually have a few extra kilos. It makes much more sense to work on that, instead of paying much more for a bike that is 500 grams lighter.

Just remember to like non bike stuff too. Best advice you’ve ever given. And a great video too

4:05 Another important aspect of supporting your LBS, that is rarely mentioned... a good LBS is often one of the strongest voices or a common hub for cycling advocacy in your local area. If you want better cycling advocacy and support in your local area, consider any "extra" money you feel you may spend as a small investment in your local cycling community. Always support a good LBS when you can!

My top tip is ride frequently (more than once a week) and year round. You'll avoid detraining and getting overweight, unmotivated and unfit. Don't worry about the time or distance, just have it as a habitual thing.

The great thing about your channel is that you're not always pushing the most expensive gear. Coming into road cycling after getting by with my 30-year-old Giant mountain bike (still used occasionally), I was blown away by the quality of my second-hand, Sora-equipped steel-framed bike. I did later get a secondhand carbon bike for faster local rides but the steel bike is my regular for commuting and works flawlessly. Most importantly. it's fun and comfortable to ride.

Super great video! Thanks for sharing all! After 2 years that i bought my gravel bike and now looking back , i can fully relate with all stated in the video, it is a great help for the new people in this beautiful hobby!Thanks again and all the best!!

I LOVE the tip about learning slow skills! I didn't figure this one out until going on a big community activist ride with many slow bottlenecks, which was some intense on the spot practice for bike handling. As cyclists we focus on going faster, but the finesse you learn from going super slow makes you such a better overall rider, and those skills are especially critical on group rides or commuting safely in traffic.

Great vid as always. What a journey. From a £200 carerra mtb to a specialised crosstail, building up the tools learning how to change a cassette and chain...becoming obsessed over a clean chain, to doing LEJOG on it. I think I wen't full OTT when I bought my carbon roadie (don't knock a Boardman from halfords BTW at the £1.5k mark and is the best bike I've ridden. Does an 04:30 AM commute sound like an obsession. Thanks again for the great vid guys. Keep them coming!

What a great video! I think every cyclist, whether a beginner or a weathered veteran should see this. 10 great tips and I agree with every one of them. Unfortunately, my LBS is a bit crap, so I have to drive 30 minutes to a good one, but that's ok. It's worth the drive to go to a shop that truly cares and has skilled mechanics. Keep up the great work, and keep advocating for affordable bikes!

Loved this vid, the previous one, and your channel. Particularly loved the bike greatness vs cost graph! I think you were right on the money.

Hi Francis, congrats!!! one of the best videos from this channel.

Great one, all points but especially the "Sweet spot price point". I feel so lucky to have found a EUR 1700 bike, right in the period around end 2021 where bikes were hard to find (besides being able to afford it of course). A sub 8kg carbon Canyon Ultimate with rim brakes and 105 group set, I'm still thrilled to this day! For me that was a sweet spot 🙂

Well said, Nice to hear an honest balanced view from someone that's obviously come 360 and is able to look at his community now with outside eyes.

I wish I’d realised that going flat out up a hill, cos it’s a hill, isn’t the best approach, and that fuelling on rides is massively important 👍😎🚴

Yeah... that #10 got me! Been riding for 2 years now and I'm hooked and I'm having a blast!

Love the honest commentary. Nice job

Great video! I have clicked subscribed! 😊 When I started road cycling in my teens I wished I had started earlier! Also to learn the importance of looking after your bike…im still learning this one. My good friend just sighs when he looks over my bike at the workshop! 😢

Good stuff, and I agree with everything. I'm a bike nut and own eight bikes. One of my favorites is heavy. Oddly enough, I take it on some challenging climbs because I'm comfortable on it when I ride it hard.

Yep, totally agree on the local bike shop. I recently got a frame for a gravel bike. Most of the parts I needed were at the local shop, and since I did not have to pay shipping or deal with potential losses or delays in shipping, the cost generally were pretty close. I am a long time customer of this shop and anything they had already, they gave me a discount on it, and while I know their cost is still less, and they are not losing money, the side benefits of working with them, out weighs the small discounts I would have gotten buying the parts online. I support a local small business, they give me tremendous service and I make them cookies for Black Friday. Win-Win for everyone.

I agree that the $2k-$3k price range is the sweet spot for quality bike pricing- I wish more companies focused on that price point by improving the bikes as much as possible, being it’s likely the most popular option for a lot of people.

Thank you, my uncle gifted me a vintage road bike with a flat handlebar. I was undecided about replacing it with a curved one. I started cycling with this road bike since 2021, and it has made cycling a lot more enjoyable for me than using a regular bike. I'm glad I discovered a new hobby that I love, and now it could even become a new job for me as a delivery driver.

Great practical video. I wish I knew more about bike fitting when I was starting out, especially top tube length!

I felt point 10 the most. Picked up cycling a few years ago in my mid 30’s to stay fit and have some adventures (thanks to Francis’ epic vlog rides). Little did I know that I would fall in love with riding but on the positive even though it takes over your life you make new and interesting friends to share it with!

Find your nearest bike swap community. I got my bike at a swap and I love it. Til death do we part. I got it for $100 almost a decade ago, and over the years bought new parts to make it my dream ride. I spent less than $1000 total over the years. Not everyone is fortunate enough to find a good frame in their size for such good price, but buying an old bike from the past 10-30 years and building it up with more modern or NOS parts can get you a bike that feels and performs better than any new $2000+ bike, for less than at least half the price.

I just love these videos that are meant for everyone really, but especially for the average/rookie/newbie cyclist, such as myself. I don't have the budget for a $400 bike, my current bike is $250 with SENSAH group, and I use it for commuting and the occasional Sunday local climb. These videos in this channel have helped me quite a lot to understand that it is 100% not about getting the MOST expensive stuff (unless you need it for competitions or can afford it for your own fun which is fine too) but about enjoying the ride and being good at it too. Love it, thanks!

Good stuff. Worth considering a spare quick link and even a rear derailleur hanger. I've used both on long rides. The hanger was the difference in limping hone vs. finishing the ride. "It's the shoes!" Spike Lee was right and so were you and James. The right shoes made 6 hour rides achievable as opposed to screaming agony after 90 minutes. Want a lighter bike setup? Lighten the rider. As my fitness improved, my ability to handle longer climbs improved...reverse is true too when I remember how good chocolate 🍫 tastes. Thanks as always Francis

Finally a new one from Cade Media - my dark cold day went a bit brighter now. A big servus from Stuttgart.

How great was this? Thank you Francis. Can`t imagine 10 things more important and therefor belonging in the first video. So i`l have to watch it. Greetings from Germany!

Excellent advice, thank you 🙏🏾

Good list. Definitely debunking the tropes that people fall into. I like folders because they prevent me from taking it all "too seriously", but even with them, I can go really fast, optimize gearing and comfort, etc.

Great video. Good advice/info and keeping it real.

Great channel with awesome content!! I started riding in 2020 during the pandemic after 35 years of not riding a bicycle, I obtained and rode an old 80’s Schwinn Le Tour 10 speed for a year before I found out about brake shifters!!! What a game changer that has become!!! Cycling has become my new #1 hobby!!!

i thought drop bars was for me but went back to flat etc. love my hybrid bike does everything i need. thanks for the video

I wish I knew how helpful the group rides would be! I usually prefer to be alone when exercising. I’ve never played a team sport. Group rides are great!They’ve showed me so many great routes, and continue to push me to grow. For me, it’s still not a team sport (and I like that), but it comes with a lot of the benefits of being surrounded by others with a common goal.

Couple of tips based on my experiences. Don't let the bike shop sell you a bike that doesn't suit your needs re: usage and fit. In my case I sold a bike that was not what I needed re: the terrain I was riding (gearing), my level of fitness and flexibility, and the bike was the wrong size (too small). In other words, sold a borderline race bike (Cannondale CAAD 9), when I needed a more endurance geometry and appropriate gearing for the very hilly area in which I live. Don't let the shop convince you that they can "fit" you to any bike. In my experience, if it feels wildly out of range and not comfortable, it most likely will never be right. Agreed re: weight. I have a Masi Giramondo (27lbs) and a Orbea Avant (21lbs). I enjoy the Avant, and the lower weight allows for higher gearing vs the Masi, but the weight of the Masi is not a hinderance because of it's very low gears and very comfortable ride. Ride what feels good.

A good set of quality flat pedals and shoes are almost as good as clips/carbon shoes for general riding.

thx. good advices. i will start going more often outside and also practice on low speed, as i got intro touble once when i needed to turn on a very sharp angle/curbe because of a tree felt on a path.

really good video brother! shout-out from Brazil!

Great video. Also, the importance of lights!

Thank you. One of the few videos I really like

Never thought I'd say this, but Number 9 / Slow Skills really came in useful today. I got caught in a downpour and didn't fancy getting off when exiting the forest trail. I managed to squeeze out a narrow, gnarly, space by the entrance barrier. The things we do, to preserve a dry saddle, lol.

Thanks Frances. Keeping it real. And if there are multiple LBS, visit all of them. You never know when you will need to visit them.

Here’s my top “I wish I knew” about cycling: you will crash, and the more you ride the more likely you will get hurt very bad. I’m talking hospitalized. Eventually, you will crash so bad it ends your season. But you wanna know something? I keep coming back. I’ve been doing this over 40 years and I’ve had some terrible accidents. I was hit head on by a car, and I broke my neck. Thankfully, I walked away from that one … and I keep coming back.

Diminishing returns graph/discussion was useful and applicable to all things in nature.

A down to earth approach to cycling.Yes, thank you!

All excellent points, but number 10 is great advice!

Great tips and advice, per usual.

Decent clothing, it really can make or break the cycling experience, doesn’t have to be silly expensive although my Goretex Shakedry rain jacket was expensive but it is incredible! When you are troubling the same roads and trails as Francis and Jimmi, you need to be warm and dry 😁

All of this, thank you.

I love the way you explain prices of the bike.

At the start I was led astray by buying a road bike that had no capacity for taking files to the office or picking up shopping. Had to buy a second touring bike for utility.

I wish I knew to lay down the money for a pair of quality cycling shoes when I first began riding. I went through and tolerated for way too long, hot feet. For anyone who's gone through this, you know what I'm talking about. I thought that it was just a matter of my feet getting used to this new thing I was doing. I was WAY wrong! So after purchasing a properly sized carbon pair of shoes and insoles, it changed the entire experience. First, it was pain-free, an obvious advantage. Second, it made me faster because they are much stiffer. And finally, the more expensive shoes tend to have more style and I like that. I'm a form and function kind of guy after all. Great video CADE MEDIA!

The setting an alarm for 5 AM bit got me because I just started doing that recently. LOL

Last thing is so true! I used to shake my head at cyclists and had knee issues so i refused to bike. After getting an ebike i found out cycling is fun and got myself a road bike and now i’m fully invested in the sport 😅

Yes, the 5 AM 10-12 mile ride before work. I just started doing those a couple of months ago. I actually feel more energetic throughout the day than I did before doing them. 👍👍

Great video boys 👍

I’m in love with Gravel bikes ❤

This was great!! Thanks!

"Bikes at entry level have never been so good." Spot on. Any of the entry-level gravel bikes with Microshift or SORA and through-axles are hard to beat, in my opinion. You're getting a lot of capability for not too much money, if you can spend $1200-$1500 USD/£1000.

Hi people, a crazy noob here. Like, super, super noob. I walked to the shop, purchased a Merida Scultura 300 (road bike, mid range). Really cool bike. Then, like an absolute nutjob, just because I was very excited, I purchased: 1. Mountain bike pedals because they matched the bike’s colour and I thought will be more comfortable because they are large 2. Purchased a wide seat because I thought it’s gonna be more comfortable. 3. Purchased handlebar raisers because I thought that will help me sit more upright, which I thought is more comfortable. 4. Purchased Wahoo speed and cadence meters. The moment I joined a cycling club, all the pros there gave me an earful. I used to ride a mountain bike as a kid, and that’s what I was trying to do to my road bike - bring it to an MTB configuration which is a plain stupid ideaz I ended up changing the pedals, removing the stem raisers, and installing back the thinner seat that came with the bike. The wahoo speed and cadence meters are the least bad choice I made. But, I have an Apple Watch, which calculates my speed anyway (using GPS). And if you have the Strava subscription, then it calculates your point-to-point speed as well. Now both of these are probably using GPS and machine learning, and I still trust the Wahoo’s sensors as they do the same thing mechanically, but I compare the results a lot - they are pretty close. So except for cadence, my sensors aren’t really giving me value for money. Please, if you too are an excited beginner like me: 1. Joining a club/consulting a pro should be your first priority, not last. 2. Don’t buy shit you don’t know the purpose of. 3. Don’t self-identify as a bike fitter/physiotherapist. I’m not saying you can’t figure out what’s comfortable for you - but you’re better off doing that with stock setting of the bike, than buying stuff and throwing it away because it’s useless.

Last point is close to home. I unknowingly became a bike weirdo and adapted my schedule to waking up early just to get that sweet spot when there's 0 traffic (as a urban rider that I am), it's quiet and slightly dark outside. The reaction to my first pedal strokes in the morning is of pure agony, it's cold and my body is still sluggish. But I never regret it, especially after I get back home and my girlfriend hasn't even woke up yet, and I can go about my day as if I didn't just pedal 20km by 7 AM that day.

That’s the best video i saw until now, glad I understand English

Agree with everything except the carbon finishing kit. A good compliant carbon bar and seat post can make a big difference in comfort.

I ride every day before work. During the hottest, most humid months, I must enjoy the first two hours after sunrise because afterwards the heat index soars to 30C or higher. Every time you say, "400-pound bike", I must remind myself you mean money, not mass. Another reason for the USA to go metric. 🙂 Keep up the good work.

love the list. nr 9 had me laugh. thanks

good vid.very casey neistat with the graph! i wish i knew: road biking isn't as daunting as i thought

I love your videos! A request for a new video: best upgrades for your MTB to make it the perfect bike for commuting to work. Like, changing to a H-bar handlebar, tires, etc. Is it worth it or not? I am considering trying this, but I have no idea if it is worth it or not. Would love to hear your opinions. I am using my MTB during the fall and winter. Maybe I should just buy a gravel bike?

Also a rear mech hanger is worth carrying.

After 40 yrs cycling, God only knows what I've spent, however, I've met friends, raced, commuted, worked in the industry etc and enjoyed it....... Worth every penny👍🚴‍♀️

Love this video. You have my subscritpion for sure

Drop bars are much more than for comfort. Drop bars when used correctly provide substantial leverage (when out of the saddle) for the arms and core to get involved with power delivery through the legs. Basically, you're using the drop bar as a grab lever opposite your drive leg, and alternating sides to pull maximum leverage from your body. If your just sitting in the saddle however drop bars are mostly for comfort yes I'd agree with that.

The same for running and muscle building ! Volume of training is CRUCIAL, before intensity. (maybe intensity is a little more important for building muscle but still, volume goes first)

Number 10 made me almost fall out of my chair. 🤣

Loved the video

Just learned this recently: The little coloured sticky-down bits on Shimano road bike cleats are *not* necessary for operation on the bike. You don't have to worry if they wear away to nothing. They are there for walking on (which is weird to me since they are such a soft plastic and often fall off entirely, but whatever...)

Love point #10!

Great points!

Love the emphasis on "fun". I'm a rower and using cycling to x-train. Great community but like you say, it can get all-consuming! What to do?? Cycle? Row? Both are amazing and fun

the price of about 2k was in my mind as well. in the 2k you can get a decent carbon frame, 105 gearing, decent alu wheels equipped with mid-range to high end tires and maybe a carbon seatpost to increase comfort. spend another 100-200 to change your saddle and a decent pair of shoes and you are set to begin with...

Wish I'd known about frame sizes better. For years I was riding a bike that was slightly to big for me.

I get this, liking this, thank you

Great stuff. Thank you! I guess I'm one of those nerd-like weirdos. Not that I set my alarm for early morning rides, but I'm a gear nut, have even laced my own wheels (The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt). Time-consuming, but a lot of fun, and such a sense of satisfaction! :-)

Very good video! Things that would have loved to know before: 1) almost all Gravel bikes are seriously underbiked, get that wider range right from the start! 2) you don't want a Gravel bike. You want a mountain bike with Dropbars (they are also cheaper because they aren't hyped like Gravel bikes)

I wish I would have learned earlier on that Strava is just as bad for you as any other social media when not used in moderation. Although it can motivate you it can also massively discourage you. I enjoy cycling much more when I’m riding for myself and less concerned about how it will look on Strava.

On the 'carry spares' thing - you might not know how to use it but the person who stops to help might.

Superb advice, thanks :-)

Hugely valuable and a much needed antithesis to the GCN brigade

Great Video!

I climbed Tourmalet a few months ago on a 10kg Halfords gravel bike.

Thank you!

✨Best video I've seen. ✨

Top advice.

Question.. I have a few pairs of decent pair of SPD shoes for my gravel bikes that I also use on my road bike with Ultra single sided SPD pedals.. What would the benefit be to change the road bike shoes( and pedals) to SPD-SL for my road bike ? All I see is a similar shoe without grip uncomfortable to walk about on , Float seems similar and to change would just be another cost to pedals, another pair of shoes.

Where is Justin these days? Would be great to have him back on the channel again.

Slow skills can end up being crucial during big ride and events where steep hills become an obstacle course in dodging those giving up and walking in the way