Choosing the Right Bike for You
Picking the right bike involves taking a lot of different factors into consideration if you want to be happy with your purchase. There is nothing worse than clunking down some hard earned coin, only to find you can’t stand the bike you bought. If you buy a bike that isn’t right for you, it’s going to discourage you from riding it and sour you on the sport in general.
The last thing you want is a bike gathering dust in your garage or parting with it for a fraction of what you spent just to be done with it. That is why you need to map out your needs carefully before you rush off to the bike shop. Without fully knowing yourself, your riding needs and your preferences, you could buy something that seems like a great deal or looks cool but in the end wasn’t the right bike for you.
Flat Bar Road Bikes – All You Need to Know
Along with the hybrid bike, the flat bar road bikes are one of the latest evolutions in the biking industry. There are more than six billion people on this planet and apparently they enjoy a wide variety of biking activities. Not content with dealing with current bike models that don’t completely meet their needs, many biking enthusiasts, designers, engineers and companies have pushed for the development of sub categories of bikes like the flat bar road bike.
The flat bar road bike is like a hybrid bike in many ways. They are both combinations of mountain and road bike designs, engineering and technology. Hybrid bikes are more mountain bike than road bike, while flat bar road bikes are more road than mountain bike. The place where the flat bar road bike misses out in the minds of many bike lovers is that while the hybrid can go both off road and on road, the subject of this page can only ride on pavement.
Light the Way – Helpful Tips for Finding the Right Bike Light
Unfortunately, a majority of bike accidents occur during dusk or dawn hours when the suns light doesn’t fully illuminate the road. Drivers don’t have to be in a hurry or be distracted to miss a rider on their road bike during poorly lit situations. Sometimes you just can’t see someone until it’s too late. You need to be able to be seen by drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists when you’re riding or you’re creating a dangerous situation not only for yourself but for others as well.
On the other hand, you can also use bike lights to see things around you. If you’re biking at times where there is no or low light, having a powerful light on your bike will keep you on track and clear of obstacles in your way. No matter how you look at it, having a bike light is a matter of safety and should not be over looked. You wouldn’t drive without your headlights on your car, so why don’t you have a light on your bike?
Going Green – Electric Bikes
As the world’s population grows and the roadways become more crowded, electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular. While electric bike designs have been around in one form or another since 1890, they only started seeing rapid worldwide growth in 1998. There are an estimated 120 million of these bikes in China alone! European sales are projected to exceed 1 million and the United States’ sales are looking like they will double year over year. There is one thing for sure – electric bikes are here to stay!
History of the Cruiser Bike
It’s pretty clear from the name; cruiser style bikes are all about laid back comfortable riding. Often referred to as beach cruisers, these bikes are designed to maximize comfort and easy riding over efficiency and performance.
Cruisers commonly have balloon tyres, a comfortable upright seating posture and simple steel frame construction. They often come as single speed bikes, can sometimes be found with three or even twenty-one speed drive trains. These multi-speed bikes are noted for their durability and heavy weight as well. While other styles of bikes are constantly getting lighter, faster and made with a plethora of super high tech materials and high-end components, cruisers have maintained the same basic construction for the better part of a century.
Keep Your Bike in Tip Top Condition
Proper bike maintenance is vital if you’re serious about getting the most out of your cycle, keeping it around for as long as possible, getting the best resale value and riding safely. Whether it’s scrubbing the mud of your Mountain Bike or putting some oil on your bike chain, cleaning your bike also makes it look better, and while that may not be important to some people, if you have spent a lot of money on your bike or just take pride in your purchase, then keeping it clean is one way to show that.
Bike Helmets – How To Find The Perfect Fit
It goes without saying that every bike rider should always wear a helmet when enjoying this activity, whether you are on mountain bikes or a road bikes. It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you ride, your age, your experience level or the terrain; a helmet is the most important piece of gear you can own.
Years of statistics have proven that a large majority of people who died while riding were not wearing helmets. Many of the local communities, states and several countries around the world have made wearing a helmet mandatory for at least some riders. From personal experience, there is nothing like taking a nasty spill and seeing the crack down the middle of your helmet that would have been your fractured skull.
If the Shoe Fits…Wear It
Whether you ride mountain bikes or road bikes, finding the perfect fitting cycling shoe is vital. If you do a lot of bike riding, then you need to look into getting yourself some shoes specifically made for cyclists and the unique needs of the sport. Having the right biking shoe on could make a lot of difference in your overall comfort, proficiency at the sport and your enjoyment.
How Are Bike Shoes Different?
Shoes specifically designed for cycling have cleats built into the soles that allow you to snap right into the pedals. This system is very similar to that used with skiers and is commonly referred to as a clipless pedal when listed as an option by bike manufactures. The original system was actually invented in 1895 by Charles Hanson but wasn’t used on a mass production scale until 1971 by Italian bike manufacturer Cinelli. In this system though the rider had to latch and unlatch the shoe by hand, giving them the nickname of ‘death cleats’. In 1984, the modern version of clipless pedals and corresponding bike shoes was introduced by the French bike manufacturer LOOK.
How To Choose The Right Bike for Your Child
Whether your child is asking you for a Tricycle or a Mountain Bike, it is important to know what you are looking for. Buying the wrong bike for a child is not only a waste of money and time but it can also be unsafe and lead to serious injury or worse. Obviously, when choosing a bike for your child, you want to be very careful and take your time looking into all of the available options.
Bikes come in a seemingly endless variety and to find the right one for your kid, you need to take several factors into consideration. Avoid the urge to buy the first shinny, cool or cute bike they fall in love with in the store. Do some research first, so you can guide your child’s choices and present a viable list of options for them to choose from. Running through this checklist of criteria will give you a better idea about what bike is right for your kid, helping you make your final decision.
Everything You Need to Know About BMX Bikes
Unlike road and Mountain Bikes, BMX bikes have evolved from garage made creations for a small racing niche into a huge industry and one of the biggest markets in cycling today. BMX bikes are built for fun and are so versatile there is almost no end to what can be done on them. The thrills you get from riding combined with the huge amount of exposure from events such as the X-Games and countless other competitions and races all around the world, make this one of the most popular styles of bicycling today.
BMX, or bicycle motocross, originated during the early 1970’s in Southern California. Kids started racing their bikes on dirt racetracks to imitate their favorite motorcycle racers. Most bikes were simple mass produced bikes that had been altered in garages or by small shops in the scene. With the release of the documentary On Any Sunday in 1972 the trend exploded in popularity all around the country. As the sport became more popular, riders soon found they could ride outside of the track and that they weren’t limited just to the dirt. Freestyle BMX, a popular discipline of the sport, where tricks and big air is the goal, exploded in the 1980’s and now rivals the original form of BMX racing in popularity and sales. Another faction of the sport to emerged focused on big air off jumps. Jump BMX bikes spun off from freestyle BMX and has a huge following today. The sport and industry was promoted with the help of very talented and individualistic athletes that showed the world what was possible on these simple one-geared bikes. Names like Dave Mirra, Matt Spinner, Matt Hoffman, Ryan Nyquist and Bob Haro can be found not only on BMX bikes but video games, clothing lines and a slew of other products and promotions.