When winter finally leaves, skis, skates and sleds are hidden until the next season, many people seriously think about buying a perfect bike.
Someone takes it to work in the warm season, many people like leisurely riding on the weekends, some hope to
Some people simply cannot imagine summer without cycling in nature.
- Whatever different motives may motivate the purchase of a bicycle, the purpose of the purchase in most cases is the same – to have fun!
- We will tell you about the main points that will help you choose the right bike, optimally combining the parameters “.
- By the way, there is data from an interesting study conducted in England ( University of Birmingham and King’s College London ), according to
- which active cyclists do not lose strength and muscle mass, their levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood do not increase with age, and men maintain
- A high content testosterone, and in general, cyclists age more slowly! Agree that this is a great reason to buy an “iron horse”.
Let’s start with what bikes are.
- age – children, teenagers, adults.
- gender (according to the shape of the frame) – male and female ( often there are “unisex” models ).
- type of riding – city ( road ), road ( they are also sports, cyclocross ), mountain ( they are also MTB ), tourist ( a mixture of mountain and city ), stunt ( BMX ), tandems.
- compactness – standard sizes, compact, folding.
- Watching cyclists in the city and looking at the range of sports shops, it becomes obvious that the majority of Russians prefer mountain bikes, then tourist, city bikes.
- Teenagers often choose BMX bikes. Rarity – road, and exotic – tandems. And absolutely “wonderful marvelous” are elliptical bicycles, although
- They are not suitable for everyday use as a convenient vehicle. In general, if you look at the emergence of this type of bicycle,
- we will see a funny situation: first, exercise bikes appeared in order to be
- able to simulate a bike ride in the comfortable conditions of a gym, then they evolved into some combination of different simulators like
got a new elliptical trainer
- And then its mobile version appeared – an elliptical bicycle, which is easily recognizable by its appearance – it has no seat instead of “platform” pedals.
- Of course, it is very useful as a health remedy, but, you see, it’s not very convenient to ride comfortably on such a “standing bike” on your own business.
- Therefore, we do not consider it as a candidate for purchase (well, they are also very expensive!).
- As for the compactness of the bike, modern fashionable small-sized models or folding ones, as a rule, are more expensive than standard options.
- If there is not enough space to store your “iron horse”, you will have to overpay a little and buy just such a version.
- But keep in mind that in this case the bike will have a less durable frame and less comfortable riding.
- In most cases, the choice in favor of mountain bikes is dictated by the desire to ride in parks or in nature outside the city, and the lack of normal roads
- in most Russian settlements. But if you are a typical resident of a modern metropolis
- who has already forgotten when he last got out of the city, then your option is a classic city bike.
- And in the article we will consider the criteria for choosing a bike on its mountain version, but they are applicable to other types.
First, let’s decide on the price .
In our city, you can buy good quality bicycles in the range of 13,000 – 21,000 rubles. This price is acceptable for most family budgets.
- You should look at more expensive models only if you decide to take up a bike at a professional level, well, or if you have extra money .
- Next is the manufacturer. Choosing well-known and well-established brands – FORWARD, STELS, KROSS, MERIDA, GT and a number of others –
- you can be sure of the quality of components and the assembly as a whole, and keep within the amount announced above.
- We will not dwell on bicycle components in detail, since these brands always have high-quality ones from leading manufacturers (SHIMANO, SRAM).
frame material.
The frame gives the main weight of the bike, so if it matters to you, then choose aluminum. In principle, steel frames are not much heavier,
- there is practically no difference in price. We do not think about titanium and carbon frames, as they are many times more expensive.
- By type of suspension , mountain bikes come in three main types: rigid (Rigid) – a rigid frame and fork; hardtail (Hard Tail) –
- only the front shock absorber; double suspension (Full Suspension) – front and rear shock absorbers. For comfortable riding on rough terrain and around the city,
- we recommend choosing hardtails. Rigid bikes are really stiff, and full-suspension bikes are a little slower because of the wobble while riding,
- although you may prefer these types of suspension, as they say, a matter of taste. From personal experience, I can say that
- when the time comes to finally part with my current “two-suspension”, I will definitely look for a “hardtail” for myself well,
-
I don’t need an average shock absorber at all ( this, of course? My subjective opinion).
- If you decide to purchase a city bike, then you will not have any special options with suspension,
- The forks on them are fixed, that is, without any depreciation at all, but it is not needed when driving in urban conditions.
- As for the options for bicycle forks for mountain models, you will find various types of shock absorbers: spring, spring-elastomer, air, oil-air, oil-spring.
- Of these, I would advise you to immediately cut off air and oil-air, since despite a number of advantages ( low cost, excellent depreciation, ease of setup ),
- They are very short-lived. The ideal version of the fork is an oil-spring one, it is of high quality, reliable, comfortable, but very expensive .
- Therefore, we stop at a spring-elastomer shock absorber, which, most likely, will be installed on a bicycle within the price range we have set.
- By the way, shock absorbers have options for settings, we won’t talk about them here, otherwise the article will no longer
- Be a review article, and if necessary, consultants in the store will explain everything to you in detail.
After buying a bike, you
- need to set the position of the saddle. A very important parameter, the neglect of which can cause serious problems. We sit on the bike, one of
- The pedals is in the minimum position from the ground, put our foot on it and set the height of the saddle so that the knee is almost completely extended,
- i.e. with each revolution of the pedals, the knee joint must relax, otherwise you will quickly get tired and experience discomfort.
- Another way is to put the cranks parallel to the ground to get a vertical straight line connecting the axis of the pedal and the knee joint.
- It should be remembered that the optimal position of the foot on the pedal is the position in which the axis of
- The pedal passes under the widest part of the foot. The saddle can also be adjusted in angle and back and forth.
- These values are rather individual in nature and are chosen individually. A general recommendation is the location of your “fifth point” so you can buy mushroom online
That the saddle does not interfere,
- comfortably supports, and you do not roll over from it to the left, to the right.
- If you don’t want to delve into the technical part of owning a bike at all, then there are options here. For example, many large stores,
- When buying a bicycle from them, set it up and fit it to the buyer for free, and even provide a free service for a while !
- There are also paid service centers that will do the necessary work on your “iron horse” for a very reasonable fee.
- Fix the steering wheel. The correct position of the steering wheel is considered to be in which it is slightly below the saddle or at a level with it.
- It is necessary to carefully read the passport for the bike. Follow the recommendations contained there.
- It is also necessary to stretch ( additionally tighten ) all the bolted connections of the bicycle. But do it without fanaticism, so as not to break the thread.
You will not have to do all these manipulations yourself if you buy a bicycle in a normal specialized store, where
They will immediately adjust it for free, and also give you the opportunity to pass the first technical inspection for free or get a discount on further maintenance.
What else to look for
- Wings ( wheel guards ). They are not always included with the bike, although they are a very useful addition for riding in wet weather. If possible, purchase, the price is 500 – 2000 rubles.
- pump . Essential for out of town trips. Preferably with a pressure sensor so as not to pump tires. It costs about 600 – 1000 rubles.
- A folding set of hexagons and screwdrivers for tightening bolts, a canopy of accessories (trunk, fenders). From 300 – 500 rubles and more.
- Repair kit ( bike first aid kit ), so that you can seal the camera yourself if necessary, 300 rubles.
- Trunk (1000 – 1500 rubles) or a special bicycle backpack for folding food / clothes when riding long distances. The trunk is better to take the most durable of those sold, with thick rods. If you ride without a trunk, you will have to buy a backpack. Better – a special one with a “bent” back.
- Footboard . Not always included. The price is about 500 – 1000 rubles.
- Bike computer . It will spur your interest in skiing, show speed, distance, calories burned – depending on the “tricked out”. The price is from 600 to 3500 rubles.
- Cyclist protection. Knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, a helmet – for safety, of course, it’s better to have all this, count on an amount of at least 1,500 rubles.
Rear and front flashlights for driving in the dark, from about 1000 rubles per set .
Bicycle lock – you don’t need to save on this item, buy a quality one that will cost at least 800 – 1000 rubles.
- In general, the list of bicycle accessories can be continued for a long time
- all depends on your needs and financial capabilities; to save money, it is better to buy components in winter or at the end of the summer season, when there are big sales.
Author Profile :- About Deep Mistry. Deep Mistry is a content marketer who formerly worked out of office. A writer by day and a reader by night, he is loathe to discuss himself in the third person, but can be persuaded to do so from time to time.
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