Get On Your Bikes and Ride!

I love riding my bike. And, since I've started riding every day, I've found that it really helps me feel better when I'm feeling down or had a bad day. Exercise changes the chemistry of the blood, and can alleviate depression. Since a lot of people haven't ridden a bike since they were a kid, I figured a tutorial about how to choose the right bicycle for you might be helpful.

Fit: The Most Important Thing

For me, personally, it is a feel thing. The bike has to *feel* like it is part of me in order for me to really want to ride it. If it is not comfortable to ride, I just won't do it.

Components -- the brakes, shifters and shocks -- are secondary, particularly if you are not going to ride competively. If you do plan to ride competively, you probably won't decide to do so right now, so for a first bike since childhood, the feel is the most important to get you to *want* to do it all the time. People go on and on about components, but honestly, the quality from one good quality bike to another is negligable unless you plan to compete. So for a first bike since you were a kid, the feel is the most important thing.

Quality

I've learned over the years, it is important to save up money and buy a good quality bike from a bicycle shop. I've learned that bicycle shops can really help fit you to your bike: a quarter of an inch in seat height can make all the difference between having knees that ache and knees that feel great. No, your knees should *not* hurt* after you ride a long distance. In fact, cycling is not hard on the knees at all, contrary to popular belief. More on that a bit.

You can expect to pay somewhere around $400 and up for a good quality new bike, but if you don't have that much money, I'd recommend finding a good bicycle shop and seeing if they have some good quality used bicycles you can purchase for less. And, very often, bicycle shops will service your bike for free if you purchase it from them. That is very handy when you get a flat and you just don't want to deal with changing out the tube, or you have a shifter that won't let you get out of high gear.

I've had many friends buy their bikes at Walmart or some other retailer because they believe they get a better bargain. But usually what happens is, they never ride it because their knees hurt and the shifter stops working. Their knees hurt because they didn't have anyone help them fit their bicycle to them: something a bicycle shop does for all of its customers. In the end, that bargain is a waste of money. So I do not recommend buying your bicycle from a large retailer like Wal-Mart. It really is worth it to buy from a bike shop.

The Trip to the Bicycle Shop

What I recommend is taking one or more afternoons to go to a bicycle shop. Explain to the staff to the staff you don't know what bike you want. Tell them what types of riding you'd like to do and how much money you'd like to spend, and when the last time was you rode a bike. Explain to them you'd like to test ride some bicycles to see which one feels right to you. Most bicycle shops are glad to help you do this. You may have to leave your credit card with them or leave a cash deposit..I'd ask. But it should not cost you anything to test ride the bike.

Next, make sure you have them fit you to the bikes you are going to test ride. This is very important because you don't want your knees/ shoulders/ back to hurt. The way they will fit you to a bike is to put the bike on a stand and have you pedal it while someone watches you from the front and back. They will ask you what your knees feel like and will know from watching you how to adjust the seat and handlebars. It may take 15 minutes or so to do this. Be patient, it is worth it.

Once you are fitted, take the bike out for a ride...at least 30 minutes or so.

How Do You Know If the Bicycle Fits?

You'll know if the bicycle is right for you because it literally feels effortless to pedal it. You shouldn't feel strain in your back or shoulders or knees. And, while you may be huffing and puffing due to being out of shape, you shouldn't have aches or pains anywhere in your main muscle groups. If your knees hurt, take the bike back and tell them exactly where in your knees it hurts (outside of knee or inside) and they can readjust the seat. People with knees that hurt after cycling usually don't have their seats adjusted correctly. Literally, a quarter of an inch up or down can make all the difference in the world.
Ride as many different types of bicycles you can. Only then will you know which one is the one that feels right. This process may take several afternoons but when you get done, you will KNOW which bike is the one for you.

What Else Do I Need?

In addition to the bike, I'd also invest in the following:

Helmet
A good pair of bicycle pants (Might be $75 or more)
Shoes
Pedals
Gloves

Helmet: you only get one brain. In my mind, helmets are non-negotiable. You are the smallest thing on the road, and people drive like crazies. Helmets now are quite comfortable and you forget you even have them on. Believe me, I didn't know how much I've needed a helmet until I've crashed, and then I was grateful my noggin had a brain case!

Like the helmet, the pants are non-negotiable. You only have to get one saddle sore on a part of your body where you really *don't* want a saddle sore to learn this lesson. Believe me, $75+ for a *good* pair of pants is so worthwhile. If you are shy about wearing the "everyone-can-see-my-hiney-skin-tight-roadie-pants" you can get some mountain bike pants that look like normal cargo shorts but have padded bicycle shorts underneath.

Shoes and pedals to go with them. I use speedplay frogs as my pedals and diadora for the shoes. You won't realize how much you like shoes and pedals until you use them for a while and then ride a bike without them. They are a godsend and make hill climbing MUCH easier. Instead of just pushing with the pedals, the shoes allow you to pull up on the upstroke and make pedaling much more efficient. You'll never want to ride a bike without them once you use them.

Gelled gloves. These prevent your arms from going numb when you ride. There is a nerve in your hand along your pinky and wrist that you rest on when you pedal and without gloves, your arm starts to go numb and *ache*. You can get fingerless, gelled gloves for about $20. Well worth it.

If you are short on cash, start off with the helmet, pants and gloves, then add the pedals and shoes when you can and if you want to.

I hope this helps you! Now, get on your bikes and ride!

Or, for more about fitting your bicycle see also:

• Why Do My Knees Hurt When I Ride My Bicycle?
• Why Do My Shoulders Hurt When I Ride My Bicycle?
• Why Do My Hands Go Numb When I Ride My Bicycle?

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