There are lots of reasons to choose a bicycle as your primary means of transportation. There are a lot of reasons to ride a bicycle that have nothing to do with your preferred method of getting places. Some people take up cycling in order to exercise. Some people are competitors in cycling. Another group of individuals take pleasure in a simple, relaxed ride through their neighborhood. No matter your reason for needing to choose a bicycle, you need to consider a number of different things in order to choose the one that is right for you. Here are some hints to help you make your choice.
The first thing to ensure is you get a bike that is the right size. Begin by measuring your inseam. This is accomplished by measuring from your groin to your foot down the inside of your leg. You should be able to sit on your bike while keeping both feet flat on the ground. This is for safety more than anything else, if your brakes should fail you will not be able to easily stop the bike otherwise.
For road bikes take away 9 inches from the total of your inseam. This is to account for the size of tires you will use on a road bike. Road bikes are meant for city cycling—the tires are thinner and work best on concrete paving. With a mountain bike you will need to take away around one foot from the inseam. Again this is to account for the size Click Here of tires. These tires are designed to handle rocky and jagged terrain so are therefore thicker. You can always use a mountain bike for city cycling, although this is not how they are best used.
It is important you allow for room between you and the crossbar. When choosing a bike move the seat so it is a couple of inches above the crossbar. Make sure you can place both feet on the ground if need be. You will want to leave different clearance lengths depending on the type of bicycle you are buying. As an example, with a touring bike you will only require around 1". With a mountain bike a clearance of 3" will be necessary.
How well you fit physically with your bike is what is most important. If you intend to use your bike a lot, perhaps as your main method of transport, it is important you keep this in mind. Comfort and saftey are the two most important aspects of riding a bike.