Veloron

Great work @Nyx, that is exactly how to do it. It is important to have the seat not too high, nor too low either. A good rule of thumb I use is to set the seat height such that the heel can just barely make good contact with the pedal, when fully extended on the downstroke. That should ensure a proper position when pedaling normally with the balls of the feet. Oh, one other thing... those funky looking bike shorts actually serve a purpose. They are usually padded! Makes a big difference in comfort. Don't need super expensive shorts unless doing big miles/time on the bike. Budget ones off the sale rack of your local bike shop will do just fine, as long as they fit properly.

Grats!!! A good fan will definitely make the experience much more comfortable. I've been logging lots of hours, lately, watching Netflix on my indoor cycling setup! Don't have to go super hard, by any means! Just hard enuf to work up a light sweat with steady breathing. G'luck and enjoy!

Hi @Ezoura! Triathlon is fantastic! While there are a many participants (myself included) who are more performance oriented, that is going for a specific time/placing, the bulk of people in my experience are there simply to finish. These events have a great atmosphere and are very fun, especially the post-race festivities. A local "Sprint Tri" (shortest distances) is a great way to start! As for myself, I did collegiate bike racing back in school, so cycling was my starting point. Running was pretty easy to pick up, although I'm definitely not fast at it. Swimming was much harder, since I basically had no background in it. I just started swimming regularly at my YMCA and, gradually, it became less of a struggle. Most places offer lessons which are great if you have zero background in basic freestyle. I may be biased, but triathlons really are great! It feels good to challenge yourself physically, surrounded by lots of folks doing the same. They do require some preparation, but the payoff is big. G'luck, if you decide to do it!

Hi @Nyx! Congrats on taking steps towards fitness! I am currently in a high fitness phase (triathlete), but I have been in the same boat many times in the past. Usually, it's when there are too many competing interests/priorities, which makes it easy to fall off the fitness wagon. I firmly believe in taking small steps to gain consistency (frequency), and then grow it (duration) sloooowly from there once it is a habit. Too many people take far too big of a step and absolutely hate it, and then end up reverting back to old behaviors. Eg. "New Year's resolution" folks at the gym going gangbusters in January but who are gone by February. Good news is, fitness is totally doable! You mention you have a gym membership? If it isn't too far away (say, within a mile or two), one good way to do it is to walk/run to the gym (cardio). If it's farther, can ride a bike. If nearer, can take the scenic route. Then do a quick 15 minutes of nonstop circuit training (muscle and cardio) and walk/run back home. Done in less than an hour, 2 birds 1 stone on the cardio, weights. 3 or 4 times per week to start. It's perfectly fine to start with walking and a few steps of jogging here and there. With consistency, it's really remarkable how quickly fitness can come, which feels great and enables more running and time on the weights! Anyhoo, just an idea/example. So many ways to do it! I dislike following specific dietary restrictions, but I do believe in limiting calories to maintain a small deficit. There are apps like MyFitnessPal that can help with this, as I'm sure you've heard about. I wish you and others well on your journey! Moderate to high fitness feels super good, and is so worth the effort, IMHO. (I'm a cardio junkie now, but was into weights in my younger years.)