Selecting The Best Bike

There are many people who decide to cycle as a way to get from one place to another. There are a lot of reasons to ride a bicycle that have nothing to do with your preferred method of getting places. Lots of people go cycling as a form of exercise. Some people are competitors in cycling. Still others ride bicycles as a hobby because they enjoy the feeling of riding a bicycle around their neighborhood. Regardless of your reason for needing to find a bicycle, you need to take some things into consideration when the time comes to choose the perfect bicycle for you. Here are some hints to help you make your choice.

It is important to know how your bike comes to a stop. You need to make sure you understand how your brakes work and what kind of brakes you need your bike to have. There are some bicycles that have breaks that are designed to grab onto the wheels and squeeze then in order to stop the motion, and this is great for a hobby rider. If you are going to be using your bicycle more often or in heavy terrain, you will want brakes that are a little more hard core and complicated. For such cycling you should look to disc brakes, these are located within the a knockout post wheel itself and are less likely to be weakened over time or worse, fail. The handlebars you choose are another important aspect. You may think all handlebars are the same, but they're not. Traditional handlebars that just go straight out are good for maneuvering over difficult terrain. These handlebars will also evenly distribute your weight over a larger area. If you are using your bike for racing, then you want to pick some handlebars that are more slim and allow you to lean forward on your bike so you can go faster. For those of us who only plan to use our bikes sporadically, you may wish to go with a handlebar style that is comfortable and yet easily stored away.

Be sure to allow room between the crossbar and yourself. When selecting a bike make sure you move the seat up slightly, to around a few inches above the height of the crossbar. Your feet should still comfortably rest on the ground. Each type of bike requires different clearances. A touring bike for example will require around 1", perhaps slightly more. With a mountain bike however you will need some more, 3 inches should suffice.

You should keep these things in mind when you go out and buy a bicycle, especially if you want to find the one that is right for you. There are so many different bicycles and accessories available that it can feel overwhelming as you try to decide which items are best for you. If you will not jump into things and try and educate yourself on what you need, you will be pleased with the results.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *