Many people have found reason in taking up cycling. Some people choose to ride bicycles because they cannot afford the cost of gas and automobile maintenance. Some people decide to take up cycling because it is a healthier choice for the environment.
And then there are those who choose to cycle because they simply love it. No matter your reason for choosing to take up cycling, you need to know some important things before you decide on your first bicycle. Bicycles should not just be chosen because of their looks or their brand name. Here are some helpful tips that you can use to help you decide which bicycle you should buy.
The first thing to ensure is you get a bike that is the right size. To do this, you will need to measure your inseam. Your inseam is the amount of inches from the bottom of your foot, up the inside of your leg to your groin. Ideally you should be able to place both feet on the ground while on your bike. This is for saftey reasons and will allow you to stop the bike if your brakes fail, avoiding any injury.
For a road bike you should take away 9" from the inseam measurement you took earlier. This is to account for the size of tires you will use on a road bike. City riding is done with thin tires, designed to work perfectly with the smooth concrete roads and sidewalks you find find out here in a city. For a mountain bike you will need to take 12" away from your total inseam. Again this is to account for the size of tires. You will find them to be much bigger and designed to handle rocky terrain. You can of course use a mountain bike for road cycling but this isn't supposed to be their primary use.
How many gears will you use on a regular basis? If you are going to be travelling in relatively flat places, you will not need as many gears as you would need in rockier terrain or a terrain with lots of hills. A bike isn’t better just because it has more gears than another. You may never even get around to using all the available gears. Don’t spend money on something you won’t use. Know how you’ll ride your bike; make sure you have the correct gears for traveling, especially when this is your main mode of transport.
When purchasing a bicycle, you have tons to consider. Your choices range from safety issues to those of fashion. It’s perfectly normal for you to feel a little overwhelmed and perhaps a little perplexed when starting out. A little time spent looking into the choices will allow you to relax and buy the best bike for you.
Look up some of your choices before you hit the store. It will pay off in the end.