Popular methods of transport have altered in recent times. Cars were the king of the road, however we can now see a growing trend in the popularity of cycling as a main method of transport. It could be down to efforts to remain green, perhaps people want to save money on high gas prices, or maybe many people just want to get in shape! No matter what has caused it, the fact is there are now more cyclists on the road than in a long while. Have you been tempted to use a bike for your everyday transport needs? If so the following is some handy advice on what to look out for.
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. You should ideally be able to place both feet on the ground when sitting in on your bike. This is for safety more than anything else, if your brakes should fail you will not be able to easily stop the bike otherwise.
Take 9" away from the total of your inseam if you plan to get a road bike. The size of the tires a road bike uses are the reason for this. Road bikes are meant for city cycling—the tires are thinner and work best on concrete paving. With a mountain bike you will need to take away around basics one foot from the inseam. The tires on a mountain bike are not the same as a road bike. They are thicker and meant for a rockier terrain. It is possible to use mountain bikes for city cycling although this is not what they are best suited for.
The number of gears you’ll use will also affect your choice. Make your choice by knowing that if you ride in mountainous areas you’ll need more gears than when riding in a flat area. Just because a bike has more gears doesn't make it better. In actuality, you may never use all the gears. It’s a waste of money to pay for all those unused gears. Find out where you’ll ride your bike, especially if this is your main vehicle, and make sure you have enough gears to handle the areas through which you will travel. You will need to think about many different things when choosing a bike for them. The durability of a bike may be the most important thing depending on how you intend to use it. While other people just want a bike that is comfortable and will get them from one place to another without risk of breaking down. Price may be the biggest thing you want to consider. It is important to do your research and to shop around before you buy a bicycle. If you just get the first one you find it may not be the best suited for you and could even be a bad bike.