Bicycling is a fantastic means to increase your cardiovascular capacity, save money, while helping in keeping the air unpolluted at the same time. Biking also doesn’t damage your muscles in severe ways that jogging and working out in the gym can. Not only that, it’s pragmatic as one is able to get exercise by travelling to work, or doing the shopping, so it’s not like you’re having to put time aside for exercise as most other forms of work out enforce on your schedule.

But what type of bike to buy? A bike that’s comfortable for you while biking, and has plenty of gears so you can tackle slopes with comparative comfort – we don’t all live in Holland! You should also be able to pick up your bike with comparative ease as you’ll find yourself needing to do so occasionally, for example up a few stairs.

In addition, ensure you buy decent accessories for your bike : bicycle clothing, front and back light, a pump, reflector lights, reflective jacket, mudguards, helmet and strong lock. Such bicycle accessories help you keep safe in the dark, and your bicycle out of reach from thieves. Make sure you lock the cycle in a reasonably public place.

Finally, it’s a smart move to commit a bit of time into cycle repairs. There’s no need to become an expert, but it’s handy if you can learn how to adjust the brake cables and brake pads as these frequently require calibrating following heavy usage. Also make sure you keep the bike well oiled and the tyres pumped up to a reasonable pressure to make riding less difficult. And of course, take great care on the streets – use your arms to indicate when turning, and keep on the left at all times.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 4:30 am and is filed under Bikes + Bikers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.