Bike Buying Tips by BlueSkyCycling
The Right Bike for You
Want to buy a bike but don't know where to begin? Maybe a friend of yours recommends getting a certain bike, while another biking buddy insists that his bike is the best choice for you. Who do you listen to? How about neither? What you need to do is sit down, relax and figure out what your priorities and preferences are to determine what bike is going to work best for you. Here are some points you will definitely want to consider before you pick out your new set of wheels.
What's Your Riding Style?
Start by asking yourself why you want to ride to begin with.Is it for exercise? Do you want to fly through the air for the thrill or the sport of it? Where are you going to ride? Through city streets or back road trails? Once you define your style of riding, it will be easier for you to choose the kind of bike you need.
There Are a Variety of Bike Options Available
Although there is a multitude of bike styles, the followingare some of the most popular:
Mountain Bikes: These are durable bikes you can take off the road.Mountain bikes have fat tires, comfortably wide handlebars, and low gears for easier navigation of hills.
Road Bikes: If you plan on doing long rides, pavement riding, this is the bike for you. Road bikes are built for speed, have thinner tires and handlebars, and are overall,much lighter in weight.
Hybrid Bikes: This type of bike combines the features of mountain bikes and road bikes. Hybrid bikes are perfect for those who want to experiment with all styles of riding.
Cruisers: These bikes are generally one speed and are constructed for literally just that--cruising.
Comfort Bikes: These are specialty mountain bikes or hybrids that offer more upright riding and softer seats. These bikes are essentially designed for riders who desire more comfort in their ride.
Size Matters
Some bike models offer up to eight different sizes. To determine the right size for you, measure your inseam--this will determine the right size frame, in terms of stand-over-height. Like a pair of jeans, the right fit is important.
Ask Questions
Don't be afraid to ask advice about what you don't understand,such as quick release, bike maintenance, what kind of equipment you need, etc.Knowing what you need to know is the difference between easy riding and not so easy riding.
Buy a Bike You Like
Take even thesmallest details into consideration when buying a bike: how it rides,size, how it looks, color--everything. After all, it's your set ofwheels--ride it proudly.
BlueSky Cycling is committed to bringing you the hottest mountain bike partsand mountain bikeaccessorieson the market today for the lowest possible prices. We guarantee it!Feel free to email us at: info@blueskycycling.com or give us a call:1-800-585-4137. This article was written by the expert staff at BlueSky Cycling. Please retain all links.
About the Author
Blue SkyCycling is committed to bringing you the hottest mountain bike partsand mountain bikeaccessories on the market today for the lowest possibleprices. We guarantee it! Please retain all links.
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Bicycle Repair Can Save You Money If You DIY
By: Rae Goodman
Save Time And Money With Do-It-Yourself Bicycle Repair
Anyone who often rides bikes, whether around the neighborhood or during a race, probably has a few stories about how their bike broke down and they had to walk ten miles home … uphill and in the rain of course! Well, you can save time and money if you learn a few do-it-yourself bicycle repair basics. That way, you at least have a better than average chance of riding your bike home rather than walking it.
Luckily, with bicycle repair, most bikes have standard interchangeable parts that are great news if you are not home and you have to pop into a bicycle shop for parts. In addition, some of the tools needed for basic bicycle repair are those that you would likely have anyway for other household projects.
Basic Tools Needed For Bicycle Repair
For short hops around the neighborhood, you likely would not even think to carry any repair tools or supplies with you. However, if you are biking long distances, it makes sense to carry the most essential tools for impromptu bicycle repair to avoid being possibly stuck on the side of the road with no means of getting home.
Many screws and bolts have either a hexagonal socket in the head of them, a Phillips or a flat head slot. Therefore, you should be prepared with a set of Allen wrenches which are L-shaped tools with hexagonal ends to tighten or loosen screws with corresponding heads. A Phillips and flat head screwdriver would be helpful for the other bolts and screws which need those tools for tightening and loosening.
A chain tool, cone wrenches, a box wrench and even a spoke wrench can all be helpful for impromptu bicycle repair. A chain tool allows for the mending of the bicycle chain while the cone wrenches are flatter than other types so as to get to small spaces. A box wrench is adjustable to fit varying sizes of nuts and bolts while a spoke wrench can adjust the tension for each spoke in your wheels.
Basic Bicycle Repair Jobs You Should Anticipate Probably just about every biker should expect to make a few repairs to flat tires during the course of their biking life. Therefore, having a few spare tire tubes and puncture kits would be a smart plan. You can buy small kits for tire repair at most outdoor or bicycle shops that easily strap on to your bicycle frame. Adjusting brakes and replacing pedals are also par for the course in terms of basic bicycle repair. This is where those basic tools can come in handy, especially when on the road. Therefore, you will want to create your own basic tool kit with some of those tools as well as a few replacement parts. Most kits do not take up much room and can easily be strapped to your bicycle frame or even a simple backpack. If you have the room, you would definitely want to pack at least one extra pedal and even perhaps come bicycle chain as well.
Bicycle repair is a lot more involved than just tires, brakes and chains although these three things are the main problems that most bike riders have. Bicycle repair involves continuous maintenance like tweaking the brakes, adjusting the tension on the wheel spokes or repacking the bearings on the wheels. Your best bet would be to invest in a bicycle repair manual and brush up on all the moving parts of your bike to that you can save time and money doing all maintenance yourself.
Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article57379.html