There is no shortage of reasons for choosing to cycle. Some folks are having a hard time keeping up with the rising cost of gasoline and maintenance bills, so they choose to ride a bike. Some decide to cycle because they want to have less of an impact on the environment when traveling.
And there are other riders who love to do it because it's fun. If you fall into these categories or are in one of your own and you are shopping for a new bike, take the time to read up on some of the things you should know before buying. You will be surprised at how much more there is to a bicycle than just the looks. Here are some helpful tips that you can use to help you decide which bicycle you should buy.
Consider how the bicycle brakes, for one. It is vital you understand how your brakes work and what brakes will be best suited for your style of cycling. If you are choosing a bicycle for sporadic hobby riding, you can get by with the brakes that are little more than pads that squeeze your tires to keep them from moving. For more hardcore cycling on tough terrain you may want some better brakes. For such cycling you should look to disc brakes, these are located within the wheel itself and are less likely to be weakened over time or worse, fail.
If you want to ride a road bike, you will need to subtract about nine inches from your inseam measurement. This is down to the tires a road bike equips. Road bikes are meant for city cycling—the tires are thinner and work best on concrete paving. You will want to subtract 12" for a mountain bike. Again this is to account for the size of tires. Mountain bike tires are thicker than road bike tires, designed for rocky terrain. You can of course use a mountain bike for road cycling but this isn't supposed to be their primary use.
How many gears will you use on a regular basis? Make your choice by knowing that if you you could try these out ride in mountainous areas you’ll need more gears than when riding in a flat area. You can’t evaluate the bike only by the number of gears it has. The truth is that you might not need all of those different gears. Don’t spend money on something you won’t use. Find out where you’ll ride your bike, especially if this is your main vehicle, and make sure you have enough gears to handle the areas through which you will travel.
Your main priority is the physical fit of your bike. If you intend to use your bike a lot, perhaps as your main method of transport, it is important you keep this in mind. Safety is important when on a bike but do not overlook comfort, otherwise those long rides will soon grow tiresome.