There are so many reasons to ride a bike these days. There's the environmental aspect; a bicycle has no emissions like a car and is much better for the environment. Then there's the family aspect; going bike riding with the whole family is a great bonding experience and a good way to have fun.
So why don't more people ride bikes? One reason may be that they don't know how to go about buying a bicycle. So here are five tips to help with the purchase.
One important thing to keep in mind is not just to make your purchase based on how a bike looks. The shiniest bike in the world will just tarnish and rust in your garage, unused, if it doesn't handle properly.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
1. Where will you go bike riding the most often? This question is a good place to start. Even though lots of different types of stores carry bikes, such as fitness shops, department stores, and specialty bike stores, there are really only a few main types. There are road bikes, cruising bikes, mountain bikes, and hybrid bikes. Determining where you will ride most often and the types of routes you will take will help in choosing the correct type of bike for you.
2. How tall are you? The answer to this question is really important to keep in mind when bike-shopping. If you are a short person, you don't want a bike made for someone tall because every time you try to stop, you'll hit the crossbar. And if you're tall, but on a bike made for a short person, your legs won't reach the proper extension when you peddle. So make sure when you sit on a potential purchase, you keep in mind how it feels in relation to your height.
3. Ride the bike. Try to test drive as many bikes as possible to get a feel for them. If the store you are going to purchase from won't let you do this (call ahead and ask), try to find friends with the models you are interested in.
4. Don't be cheap. This is one purchase you don't want to skimp on. You don't have to get the most expensive bike in the world with a lot of features you don't need, but keep in mind that you may ride with your family. Perhaps you'll add a child carrier to it some day. You want to get a bicycle you can depend on and that is safe for everyone involved.
5. Ask experts. Don't feel bad about going to a bike shop to do some research, even if you're not ready to buy from them. An employee in a specialty bike shop should be able to answer your questions, such as the type of bike you should get for your style of riding, how to get correctly sized for the bike, etc.
So before you set out on your new bike, make sure you take the time to correctly research the options and choose a bicycle that is right for you.