There is no shortage of reasons for choosing to cycle. Some decide they want to cycle more now because the price of gas has risen so high, and because it costs so much to keep a car maintained. Others choose it because riding a bike is better for the environment than travelling in a car or using public transportation.
Still others simply ride bicycles for fun. Whatever your reason for going cycle shopping there are some definite criteria that you need to think about before you make your choice. If you really want to choose the perfect cycling bicycle, you need to think about more than just what it looks like. Outlined hereafter are some pointers you can take into consideration when going out to buy your bike.
You want to first and foremost, ensure that you are able to come to a stop on your bicycle, and the key to that is selecting a bicycle that allows you to rest your feet flat on the ground, when you are sitting on the seat. There are those who say that this isn't the best way, though. These experts say in order to have the best cycling experience you can, you should allow for a few inches between the ground and your feet. If your feet are on the ground and your knees are bent when you sit on the seat of the bike, it generally means that the seat is sitting too low for you and too close to the crossbar. If you can bend your knees, your knees will come up too high when you are pedaling.
For road bikes take away 9 inches from the total of your inseam. This is to account for the size of tires you will use on a road bike. Designed for cycling around the city road bike tires are thin. For a mountain bike take away 12 inches from your inseam. Again this is to account for the size of tires. Mountain bike tires will be thick and designed for mountainous terrain. Mountain bikes can travel on city pavement but that is not what they are designed to do.
Just exactly how many gears do you think you’ll use? If you plan to ride in rocky or mountainous areas, you’ll need more gears than riding on flat land. Many beginning cyclists think that the more gears a bicycle has, the better it is. The truth is that you might not need all of those different gears. Why spend extra money paying for something that you don’t need? Of course, if your cycling bicycle is going to be your primary mode of transportation you might need to make sure you have enough gears to handle rough situations.
The options and technologies available for biking are overwhelming as you search for a new bicycle. From fashion to safety, you have a multitude of choices to make. If you feel like you are being deluged by choices, you are perfectly normal. By investing a bit of your time additional reading to look at your preferences you will make the best decision.
Try to understand your choices before you go shopping. The peace it will offer during shopping makes it very worthwhile.