Anyone can give advice on bicycles?

[hello there]

I was wondering, anyone here used to or ride a bicycle(bike). If so, anyone can give advice on what to look for in a good bike, for instance, the type of seat, handle bar, tires, breaks, or anything that would be helpful in looking for one. Last time I rode a bike was when I was a teenager when those mongoose or those banana seats were around, but nowadays, it looks so advanced, not sure what specifics I have to look for in determining one that is good.

 

[KotysDad]

Re: Anyone can give advice on bicycles?

Hello there....

I can give you a few things to keep in mind when buying your bike.

First, where do you plan on riding it? If you plan on doing alot of street riding, then you get a bike with the thinner tires. If you plan on riding off-road on trails, then you get a bike with the wider knobby tires for traction. Buy the bike that fits your price range.

Second, make sure you buy from a place that will let you take it around the parking lot for a test ride. You dont want a bike that is too big or small for you. My rule of thumb is: when you are riding, if you have to overextend your leg when the pedal is closest to the ground, then the bike is too big for you. Of course this is also a function of seat placement, but you get the point.

As far as the bike seat, ask yourself how far you plan on riding it when you do take it out for a spin. A good day's ride for me is about 20-30 miles. If you plan the same, then make sure you get a bigger softer seat. Also along the same lines, buy a good pair of bike shorts. Most bikes on display dont have the bigger seats. Some places will let you exchange and you pay the difference. A good bike seat is worth its weight in gold if you plan on doing any kind of serious riding. If you first go for a 10-20 mile ride and you dont wear bike shorts and you are sitting on the small thin seat, I I'd bet you will be back at that bike store the next day looking to purchase bike shorts and a better seat.

As far as handle bars, again this is a function of how much riding you do. If you plan on going on long extended rides (over 20-30 miles) then get handle bar extenders. They allow you to lean forward and be more comfortable so you arent always sitting up taking the full brunt of the wind. As far a types of handle bars and placement of hand brakes, test drive a few and just see what feels comfortable.

As far as other accessories, get a pair of riding gloves if you plan longer rides. Some handle bars are tough on the hands after a few hours. Also, make sure you have a kit for fixing flats.

Hope this helps. Not sure what else i could have missed thats important to remember....except the bike helmet of course.

 

[hello there]

kotys,

That will definitely help me when l do look for one. I'll take into consideration everything you said. I was wondering about bike seats because some of them look so small, it would hurt your....and I was wondering if i should test ride one, now I will before I buy one. They can get pretty expensive. The handle bar extension sounds good. Great advice! Thank u, very much appreciate it!!