Why The Choice Of Bicycle Seat Is So Crucial For Your Biking Enjoyment
Often when or if you buy a new bike it will always come with a stock seat. The seat that is stock on the bike is made to fit and take your weight. Most of the stock seats are very uncomfortable and hurt. That is why you can get other bike seats with a gel mesh that is like a bed for your butt while riding your bike.
If you have never ridden with a different bike seat then the one that is stock on your bike then you’re in for a surprise. The thing you will need to think about when you are getting anew seat is whether you like it hard or soft. If you are a heavy rider than you will probably like it soft and not hard it is better I say to ride soft then hard. Others may like a hard seat thought.
The other choice is whether to buy a narrow or rather width size seat. You should get the seat that fits your bottom. If you get one that’s too small take it back and gets one that’s bigger because you are not going to enjoy the ride at all. So when you pick one out do it right the first time and buy the best one that will fit you and that will last.
You can even choose from what kind of material your bike seat is made from. You can get a mesh gel kind, soft, hard, cushiony all kinds of seats are made to comfort your ride wherever you go or how far you go.
As a man you need to pick the one bike seat that will fit you as tests have proven that it is hard on the penile areas in the legs. If ridden like this over time may make you infertile. If you ride with the right kind of seat for your body then you will not have these types of problems. Women may also like to ride so she will need to choose the right seat for her too. Women need to have the seat that fits them too so when you are picking out your new seat make sure whether you’re a female or male to buy the correct seat.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of time upgrading the seat then pick one that is quick to install and will comfort you as you take a ride. When you buy a bike seat you need to always buy the one that will make it a comfortable bike ride for you. If you don’t then it wont be such a good ride and might result and some pain to your butt.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about bicycle accessories as well as bicycle seats at http://www.bicyclepartsandclothing.com
Why You Must Buy A Bike Lock For Your Bicycle No Matter Where You Live
When you buy a new bike lock you need to buy the one that is going to guarantee that your bike will not get stolen it is better to have a bike than have to walk. It does not matter how often you ride your bike or how you ride your bike you are always going to need a bike lock if you go some where in public with your bike. If you’re going to the store real quick someone who needs a new bike only needs a minute to steal your bike while you’re inside the store.
This crime happens everywhere. Even though New York has the most number of bikes stolen every town and small city will have its bike stealers. There are all kinds of bikes that can be stolen from a thousand dollar race machine to a junky bike just needed by someone to make it home. Some thieves will steal the bikes to sell them and get money for your bike. Maybe a thief just needs a ride to get somewhere and he needs your bike and you are not watching it at the time. If you have a cheap lock on the bike the thief could pick it or clip it.
If you have that cheap lock and it has been working for you your day may soon come. You need to buy a lock that is going to make sure that your bike is safe. You can buy any kind of lock. You will need something that will have some sort of key not a combination as someone with a good bit of luck could just say, “oh lets try it just for a second”, and might pick your lock and steal your ride.
Chain locks are the other really good type of lock. They can be very heavy and a thieve wont think about clipping the chain it will probably make a lot of noise and also probably wont be worth going to jail or getting beat up over. The bigger locks that are out there on the market will help you with securing your bike though and companies like bell will make a good lock for you. If you buy the right bike lock then you will be able to ride anywhere you want and be able to lock it up anywhere you want without it getting stolen. That’s the last thing you would want to happen as you ride up to the store for a soda is to walk out and see your bike gone when you could have just bought a lock for your bike. So do the right thing for your ride and buy the lock so it doesn’t get jacked like all your other bikes did.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about bicycle accessories as well as bicycle locks at http://www.bicyclepartsandclothing.com
How To Choose The Best Urban Road Bike For You
Racing bikes are good bikes and they all have similar traits to them. The light weight frame that you might have to your bike may be made of some light weight metal such as aluminum. The wheels that you are riding on called tires are made to be able to withstand high pressures. The handle bars are slightly lower than usual and the gears and brakes may be in a cluster so you don’t have to take your hands off the grips anytime.
If you just like to simply go on an easy going bike ride, than more than likely a racing type of bike isn’t for you. The bike and its wheels are made smaller for lighter weight and the breaks are made for light weight also and not a quick stop so you may want another bike like a mountain bike. The gear ratio is probably going to be a lot longer on a racing bike to gain speed but you can get another bike such as the mountain bike that you can climb steep hills and mountains with, with ease.
With a light weight frame that you can pick up with one hand and the tight positions you may have to sit will make you accelerate at high speeds higher than a normal bike. The way the bike is made is to limit the wind and create a good position for the rider. With owning a racing bike they can reach pretty high speeds up to 35 mph I would say or at least what I have seen. They might be able to go even faster but I am not a bike rider fan so I wouldn’t know.
Another thing that racing bikes don’t have that a regular bike would is mud flaps to keep you from getting mud all over the back of your legs and bottom. Mudguards are good when riding in a dirt environment or a muddy road. As I stated this is also a choice that goes with a regular bike and not available in racing bikes.
Although you might have been thinking of getting a racing bike, and might have had the rack up for it in the garage already. It might not be the bike for you if you just like to go on easy rides and not fast speedy races. Other people may prefer to challenge their friends or family when owning a racing bike, but the family just may like the regular bikes too. Just choose whichever bike is right for you and what you want out of it. Don’t get the bike that you just want to have to own, get the bike that’s right for you and that you will enjoy riding.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about bicycle accessories as well as bicycle clothing at http://www.bicyclepartsandclothing.com
How To Choose The Right Bicycle Accessories That Will Make Riding Your Bike Fun And Safe
If you like riding your bike then you know it’s hard to ride without the best accessories. Especially when you know a lot of the best accessories out there are for safety as well.
The one bike accessory that you will always need to wear and own is the bike helmet. A lot of states have made riding without one illegal. So you should wear one anyways to be on the safe side.
Also when you are taking a little bike trip on the road you need to be motorist friendly. Even though a lot of drivers are good ones there are bad and you are also on a bike. Accidents happen and you can’t stop them so do the right thing and just wear a helmet.
Another thing that is bad to do when riding your bike is to take a ride at night. The best thing that you can do to protect yourself if you are going to ride at night is to buy some type of light source or reflectors for you and your bike. So people can see you at night when you ride.
Something else you can buy is reflector striped shirts or pants possibly. So when you ride at night when you move your legs and arms the reflectors will shine off the lights of the cars and you will be seen and not road kill. You can probably buy any type of light or reflector source at any bike shops near you.
Another accessory that you can add to your bike can be lights to the handle bars or to the back of your seat to shine and show others you’re on the road too. When you get rained on or you are going on an early morning ride and there is fog lights will help you in some way. Some you can buy can be attached to where they can’t ever come off others you can get that are detachable and you can bring with you where ever you go.
The other good bike accessory to have is a horn. This is so if some bad driver is swerving you can honk. I would recommend and air horn of some type something that is really loud and will get the attention of the driver.
Bike accessories can be a very good way to upgrade your bike. There are also the things that you will need anyways to ride like mentioned the reflectors, lights, light clothing as well will always help, and remember to wear your helmet. These are the things that you need to buy and remember to do when you go riding whether it be at night or during the day.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about bicycle accessories as well as bicycle parts at http://www.bicyclepartsandclothing.com
Some Of The Main Reasons Your Really Need To Wear A Bike Helmet When Bicycling
If you are going on a ride anytime soon you will need to remember one thing, to wear your bike helmet just to be safe and not get a ticket. Even if you are not riding on the street you should wear a helmet. If you are riding on streets you should always where a helmet, you will lose an in accident and be hurt if you are not wearing a helmet.
As you probably already know there are all kinds of add on bike accessories that you can buy like lights, light clothing, reflectors and horns as well. Every single one of those items is made for your safety. You need to at least wear a helmet and have some type of reflectors on your bike. You might also want to wear light colored clothing as well.
If you look at what happens when a car hits a biker it’s not good, most of the time the injuries are to the head and this is the main cause of the deaths. As I write this article a seventeen year old boy was just killed by being hit from behind while riding his bike, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. The best thing you can do riding a bike and preventing a head injury is to wear your helmet. Though you can not stop accidents you can still wear your helmet and protect what you can while riding. Some bike accidents aren’t even that bad but you should still always where your helmet.
At least bike helmets being made today are created to comfort your head and protect it as well as it can. Although they may look like they can break easily but they wouldn’t be being sold if that were the case. You should always check just to make sure that the helmet is certified to be a bike helmet. So be sure when you are buying one to pick the best and right one for you and your noggin.
The most important thing to think about when you are buying your bike helmet is to make sure you get the one that fits your head well. If you bought a helmet that slides and moves around your noggin then that’s what will happens in an accident and your head will be open to the ground. You need to have it just right on your head not to tight not to loose but you always want it more tight than loose so it wont slide and move.
In a lot of parts around the world today they have made it a legal law that you have to wear a bike helmet everywhere and anywhere you ride your bike. Even though you may not like to wear a helmet it may be the law and it will protect you in an accident and will save you from getting a ticket which if you are traveling you may not be able to afford at the time.
Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about bicycle accessories as well as bicycle helmets at http://www.bicyclepartsandclothing.com
How To Choose The Appropriate Mountain Bike Accessories For Your Bike
So you went out and picked up a new mountain bike. It was probably pretty overwhelming at first. There were so many designs to choose from, different stores to shop at, different manufacturers to consider. You finally picked the bike you wanted and brought it home. You forgot something important, though. There are some accessories you ought to consider for your mountain bike and for you.
The first thing you should think about is safety. Safety accessories for mountain bike riders are diverse and plentiful. A key ingredient for rider safety is the helmet. Many riders shun helmets, but no intelligent rider should be without one. Statistics woefully back up the significance of helmets. Helmets save lives: it’s that simple. It’s not just your mortality you should be concerned with but also your long-term health. A serious head injury can leave you with a whole lifetime of health problems. Even a minor wreck can result in serious injuries if you hit your head and you’re not wearing a helmet. Modern mountain bike helmets are light and sleek and do a better job of protecting your head than their clunkier predecessors. In the past, riders looked down on riders who wore helmets but in recent years reason has prevailed. More and more riders choose to wear helmets. Cost shouldn’t be a factor as a good helmet can be acquired for around $30. If you want a top of the line model, be prepared to spend over $200.
Another important safety accessory for mountain bike riders are lights. If you’re going to be riding at night you should have a light. Most jurisdictions require them. Even if you’re riding off-road, it’s pretty obvious that you’re going to want a light for your mountain bike. You want to see the trail, don’t you? And if you’re riding anywhere near traffic you’re going to not only want to be but you’re also going to want to be seen by drivers. Who hasn’t suddenly come up on a bike rider and found themselves thinking, “He’s lucky I saw him.” Mountain bike lights these day are made with cutting edge LED lamps so they almost never need to be replaced and more and more are being made with rechargeable batteries so you don’t have to keep spending money on new batteries. There are also those classic models which are powered by the wheels of the bike. You should invest in lights for the front and the back of your bike to make sure you visible from every angle.
Beyond safety accessories, there are plenty of other items which will begin to be necessary as you get into mountain bike riding. One such necessity will be a repair kit. What are you going to do if you get a flat tire on a trail miles from the nearest road? This is when you’ll wish you had a repair kit. Basic repair kits are cheap and will let you patch a tire, repair brakes, fix your derailleur, and other simple tasks. Along with patching that tire you’ll want to be able to inflate it again! A small pump which attaches to the bike frame is an excellent purchase.
Another good idea is either a water bottle or backpack hydration system. When riding in the summer heat you’ll be thankful you brought some liquid refreshment with you.
This by no means an exhaustive list of mountain bike accessories. This just gives you an idea of the range of products available. These are just the basic ones you’ll want. The more you ride your mountain bike the more you’ll find the need for more accessories. For every need there’s a product.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling performance at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com
Bikes Aren’t Retro, They Seem To Be Timeless
When I was a kid there were few things more important to me than my bike, and there were few things I’d rather be doing than riding my bike. Just up the road from me was an empty dirt lot known as “the Jumps”. All the kids in the neighborhood went to the Jumps to jump our bikes. The local streets and driveways were where we attempted the tricks we saw on TV and in freestyling magazines. This was when freestyling was just getting popular, before the modern era of X Games and multi-million dollar stunt riders. The names of pros were known only to the dedicated few who spent their allowances on freestyling and BMX magazines.
I remember there was an older kid a few blocks over who was the hero of all the younger kids. He just seemed cooler, ya know? And his bike was better than ours. He rode a Redline. Nobody else I knew had a Redline. Redlines were the ultimate bike in my mind. It was the brand legendary freestyler R.L. Osborn rode. That cool older kid a few blocks over had a Redline and he was the best rider I knew. Now that I think about it, though, I have no recollection of having actually seeing him ride. I just remember him sitting there on his gleaming Redline, just being cool. That’s what cool’s all about. Another bike company which was popular at the time was Haro. Haro had all the best riders like Ron Wilkerson and Dennis McCoy. Then there was Hutch. Know anyone who had a Hutch bike? Know anyone who still has one? It could be worth something because Hutch is no longer in business. Other popular brands when I was a kid were Mongoose, Diamondback, GT, Dyno, and CW. The fact that I can still list these brands at my age is a testament to the impact this period had on my life.
I’m talking about 80’s, that halcyon decade when BMX and freestyle riding was just getting big but it wasn’t the huge deal that it is today. These days you can see riders on television hawking everything from deodorant to mobile phone companies to video games. Heck, a bunch of riders have video games named after them. Dave Mirra comes to mind when I think of such mega-popular ridres. Another superstar is Matt Hoffman. Hoffman has his own bike company. I remember when he was the young gun. Dennis McCoy, who I mentioned earlier, was another young up-and-comer who exploded on the scene, took over, and has since become one of the old guys. Time flies, doesn’t it?
If you’re interested in learning more about BMX and freestyle history, there are some excellent web sites which will jog your memory and take you back to the days when doing an “endo” was the coolest thing to do, when riding in circles in your neighbors driveway was a way to pass an afternoon. If you’re in the market for a bike today, there’s also plenty of info online for that. Most of the companies I mentioned are still in business and continue to lead the market and sponsor the top riders. All of them have web sites providing more information on their history and their current product lines.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling news at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com
Tips To Understanding The Basics Of Mountain Bike Gears And How They Work
Remember when you didn’t think about the gears on your bike? Your bike had a bike sprocket connected to the pedals and a small sprocket connected to the back wheel an that’s all you needed. Then you got a little older and got your first 10-speed. That bike had two sprockets up front and five on the back. In all likelihood, the shifters were a pair of levers connected to your bike frame near the handlebars. As time went on the shifters moved to the handlebars themselves and then became advanced-looking dials right beside the grips. And next thing you knew, instead of a paltry ten speeds on your bike, you were riding a 27-speed mountain climbing machine!
Why all these gears? To make riding faster and easier, of course. Whatever the number of gears your bike has, if it has 2 or more then there’s a basic set-up which almost every bike employs.
First of all you have your front and rear sprockets. These, along with the chain, form the most basic components of the gearing system. To determine your gear ratio you compare the number of teeth on the front sprocket to the number of teeth on the rear sprocket.
If your front sprocket has 52 teeth, and your rear sprocket has 20 teeth, then you’re looking at a ratio of 2.6. The higher the ratio the faster the gear. Typically the gears on the front, starting from the inside, get larger as you move out. On the back wheel, though, the largest gear is typically the farthest inside and they get smaller as you move out.
The next key component for your mountain bikes gears is the derailleur, or derailer. The derailleur is what moves the bicycle chain from gear to gear. A typical shifting system employs both a front and rear derailleur. Without the derailleur you wouldn’t be able to shift gears. The derailleur consists of pulleys and the cage, which is the part which actually comes into contact with the chain. The pulleys are attached to the gear cables. There are separate cables for the front and rear derailleurs. The gear cables connect to the gear shifters.
There are a variety of gear shifters available today and they cover a wide price range. The gear shifter is what allows you to change gears. The first type of shifters were levers known as friction shifters. These worked simply by pulling the cables attached to the derailleurs.
Friction shifters can be troubling because the way they’re designed you can easily get caught between gears and accidentally damage your gears or even wreck. The more advanced variety of shifter is known as the index shifter.
Index shifters have specific stopping points and are calibrated to perfectly shift from gear to gear. They remedy the drawbacks of the older friction shifters. Gear shifters may be placed anywhere from the frame to the handlebar base to the grips to models which seem to be part of the brake levers.
Mountain bikes have multiple gears to make it easier for you to negotiate difficult terrain. Higher gears are there to help you speed downhill or across the flats, and lower gears are there to help you surmount those difficult inclines. Remember, it’s best to shift gears when you’re not putting a lot of stress on your pedals. Shifting when there’s heavy pressure on the pedals can damage your shifting system.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling clothing at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com
If You Want To Be Healthier And More Fit You Should Consider Cycling
In today’s fitness market, there are any number of workout options. Many people choose to purchase a membership at a local gym or fitness club. Other people decide that running is the way they want to get healthier. Some people prefer swimming, walking, hiking, etc. There are plenty of options for people looking for exercise.
One popular option is bicycling. Bicycling is less stressful on the joints than running and more convenient than dashing off to the gym. Most people already have a bike so it’s cheap to get into, and even if you don’t have a bike, the investment is well worth it. Which do you think you’re more likely to waste, a gym membership or a bike? At least you can loan out your bike or sell it if you don’t want it.
So you’ve decided that you’re going to get into biking as a way to improve your health. The first thing you need to do is get a bike. If you already have one that you feel is suitable, then feel free to skip this paragraph. For those of you looking to buy a new bike, your options can be narrowed down to a few basic choices.
First of all, how serious are you about bicycling? If you really intend to do some serious riding then you need to look at the more expensive, elite bicycles. The bikes carry higher price tags because of their decreased weight and increased features. They use space age materials such as carbon fiber and advanced designs. For most people a decent mid-grade bike will do. These bikes will have some of the features of more expensive bikes but without all the bells and whistles that a normal rider can do without. These bikes utilize reliable steel (or chrome-moly) frames and good shifters and solid brakes.
If you just want some kind of cheap ride to get around town, there are plenty of low-cost bikes out there, but you’ll end up with a heavier bike that’s more prone to falling apart. Such bikes should be fine for the short-term, but you’ll probably have to replace it sooner than you’d like, especially if you use it a lot.
Another question you need to ask yourself is where you’ll be riding the bike. Are you going to be mostly riding on sidewalks and roads, or will you be taking it on trails and rugged terrain? As you may’ve guessed, there are bikes designed specifically for the road and ones made for taking off-road.
Road bikes are light and fast and off-road bikes, popularly known as mountain bikes, are more rugged and often feature ride-softening suspension systems for the front and back wheels. There are also hybrid bikes designed to be taken pretty much anywhere.
After your bike, the next most important purchase you make will be safety gear. A good helmet is of the utmost importance. Many riders shun helmets but the smart rider knows how important they are. Nobody can predict an accident, and even the best riders have their bad moments so a good helmet is an extremely wise investment.
You may also want to look into gloves and possible knee and elbow pads if you’re going to be doing some serious mountain biking. Also a pair of shoes with a good sole is important. A safety item many riders forget about is a light. You should do everything you can to make yourself visible to drivers. Good front and rear lights are mandatory if you’re going to be riding in low-light conditions or at night. You may also want to consider clothing with reflective strips to make yourself more visible to drivers.
When it comes to the workout itself, remember the basics which apply to any kind of exercise. Eat properly. Drink plenty of water and sports drinks. Warm up before you take off on your bike. Do some stretches, and don’t forget to stretch afterwards. You won’t believe how much it’ll cut down on your soreness if you stretch after your bike ride. Bicycling is a great, fun way to get into shape. It works almost every muscle in your body and builds up your cardiovascular health.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling shorts at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com
A Look At Some Of The More Common Mountain Bike Designs
Mountain bikes are designed for off-road riding. Whether made for racing or the more leisurely rider, there are four basic frame designs for mountain bikes: rigid, hard-tail, soft-tail, and full suspension.
The rigid (also commonly known as fully rigid) mountain bikes resemble a conventional sort of bike as you would imagine it. A rigid mountain bike has neither a rear suspension nor a front suspension. These used to be the most common kind of mountain bike but they are rapidly being replaced by the more comfortable models which feature some sort of suspension system. Fully rigid bikes tend to be lower-priced than models with a suspension. Many riders still prefer rigid bikes because it’s what they’re accustomed to, and the feel that the rigid design allows them greater control.
Another common mountain bike design is the hard-tail. Hard-tail mountain bikes are so named because they have a conventional rear end without a suspension. Hard-tails differ from fully rigid bikes in that they have a front suspension. The hard-tail is perhaps the most popular mountain bike design. Many professional riders prefer the feel of a hard-tail and the comfort of a front suspension.
The next kind of mountain bike design is the soft-tail. As you probably guessed, soft-tails employ a rear suspension. Rear suspensions are a more recent innovation than front suspension due to the complexities of the design. Soft-tails are often more expensive than hard-tails, but they also tend to be more forgiving.
Finally there’s the full suspension mountain bike. Bikes with this design feature both front and rear suspensions. These bikes are the latest mountain bike design. For a long time riders avoided full suspension bikes because they were heavy and they tended to sag in the middle like an old swayback horse. It took years for engineers and riders to perfect a viable, functional full suspension mountain bike. It was in the 1990’s when these bikes finally reached a point where they were marketable.
In addition to the frame and suspension, there are other differences in mountain bike designs. One key area where bikes differ is the brakes. Mountain bikes either have some form of caliper brakes, which are the kind of brakes typically associated with bikes. This kind of brake squeezes the rims to slow and stop the bike. The other type of brake is the drum brake. Drum brakes on bikes are similar to the braking system on automobiles. Drum brakes are more expensive than caliper brakes but they’re also easier to maintain. Mountain bike braking systems have even been made which utilize hydraulic power.
Another area where you have some choice in mountain bike design is tire size. Mountain bike tires typically range in size from 24″ to 29″. Smaller tires are used when greater maneuverability is required as in stunt-riding and jumping. Larger tires are used when speed is the key.
As with any other important purchase, do your homework before buying a new mountain bike. Think about your needs and your budget. Mountain biking is a terrific past-time. It’s a fun way to get some fresh air, enjoy the outdoors, and improve your health.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling fitness at http://www.cyclinggearplus.com
