While choosing the right bike does not necessarily involve the same commitment as choosing say a wife, for instance, it still does need some considerable thought. If you are buying a bicycle for the first time and are not really sure what you want it for, the options are virtually endless. So you probably want to figure out what purpose you want to use the bike for. This is your very first determination.

Basically, today there are four different types of bicycle and your choice should obviously be based upon what your purpose for the bike is.

Road Bikes have been designed for use on paved surfaces. They feature thin tires and a lightweight frame. They also seat you in a position bent forwards over the handlebars and are suitable for traveling at higher speed over longer distances. They will not stand up to heavy loads and rough terrain, much like walking in the woods in high heeled shoes.

Mountain bikes have become ever more popular over the past twenty years. In fact, the popularity of mountain bikes could be considered to be explosive. These chunky bikes are extremely strong, the tires have knobby treads and they are specifically designed for really rough terrain.

One of the trade-offs for the durability of a mountain bike is the fact that they do not have the speed of road bikes. But they have a far more comfortable riding position, and this alone makes them popular with people who suffer from back problems, and want to ride a bike purely for the exercise of it.

Be warned though that because of the popularity of mountain bikes, they are more likely to be punted by sales people. But if you are looking for purely a road bike, and you purchase a mountain bike, you will be paying extra for a whole lot of features that you don’t, or won’t ever need.

Hybrid Bikes are a merger between mountain and road bikes and features allow the rider to have the upright seat and handlebars yet allow more speed than the typical mountain bike. Hybrid bikes are a good choice for city riding and offer durability, speed and comfort.

Cruisers have wide tires, upright handlebars and sometimes even a gear. These bikes are most often seen in relaxed surrounding such as the beach. They are the simplest bike mechanically and are perfect for people who want comfort over any other bicycle feature. Quite notably, they are durable and easily maintained.

If none of these bikes is what you are seeking, there is still a huge variety of other options available. You could even go for a tandem, providing you have a riding partner, or recumbent, which has a long wheel base and seats the rider in a supine position. And if you don’t fancy the falling-off aspect of biking, why not even consider a tricycle.

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Countless accessories are manufactured for bicycles and bicycle riders. When thinking about such products we often think of helmets, lights, water bottles, specialized clothing, speedometers, and racks. One important accessory your bike should never be without is a good locking system. Just because you live in a relatively safe neighborhood doesn’t mean you have no need for a lock.

Bicycle theft is a growing crime throughout the United States, and it doesn’t matter where you live. Bicycles are relatively easy to steal and easy to sell or get rid of. They’re an easy target for dedicated criminals, opportunists, and bored teenagers. Unless you never intend to leave your bike untended, you should invest in some sort of locking system. Even if you’re just leaving it outside a convenience store for a couple minutes so you can go inside real quick, that’s all the time a thief needs to make off with your ride. Don’t think that thieves won’t steal a cheap bike, either. They’ll take whatever they can get their hands on, whether it’s a rusted old girl’s bike with faded streams dangling from the handlebar grips and a torn-up banana seat or a sleek high-dollar professional mountain bike with full front and rear suspension.

There are basically two options when it comes to locking systems for bikes. The most popular is the chain or cable lock with either a separate padlock or combination lock or with the lock integrated into the chain or cable. If this is the type of lock you’re looking into, make sure that it’s long enough to wrap around both wheels and the frame. With this style of locking system, the best choice is a chain that’s as thick as you can comfortably carry.

If you’d prefer a cable lock, again, make sure you purchase the thickest one possible. The thicker the chain or cable, the more of a deterrent it’ll be for thieves and scoundrels. The downside, of course, is weight. Cables tend to be lighter than chains, but they also tend to be easier to cut. You have to consider the importance of weight relative to your bicycling activity.

An avid racer is extremely concerned with weight, but such a competitor isn’t going to be leaving his/her bike just lying around, either. In all likelihood, weight is not a serious issue to you. One advantage chain/cable locks have over other varieties of locks is their ability to encompass oddly shaped shaped objects such as trees, bushes, etc.

The other popular bicycle locking system is the U-lock. As the name implies, such locks have a big bend in them and are essentially big padlocks. Some are only big enough to go around the back wheel and the bike rack. Others are big enough to go around the frame as well. These sorts of locks are nice because they’re quick to employ and come with clips to hook onto the bike frame without scratching it.

Whatever kind of bike riding you intend to do, unless it’s solely competitive racing, you should invest in a good bike lock. You should get the heaviest one you can. An important feature to look for is some sort of guarantee by the manufacturer. Good locks come with assurances that if used correctly, and your bike is stolen, the manufacturer will reimburse you for the cost of your bike.

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Whether you are riding a road bike or a mountain bike, you certainly need to wear a helmet for safety purposes. A good helmet can protect your head from the sun and from any accidents.

It used to be the case that for some road races that finish up in a mountain, racers can ride without having to wear helmets. But even that rule has been scraped now. For safety purposes, all racing events (road and mountain bikes alike) must take place with helmets on – no exceptions. If a rider is found without a helmet, he or she will be disqualified.

But what about if you are not riding in race? Do you still need to wear a helmet? Common sense tells us that the helmet can help protect our head in the event of an accident. Still, many riders take this issue lightly and fail to put on helmets while riding.

On a road bike, the bicycle is traveling at a higher speed. During downhill descents, speed reach up to 100 kph. That’s as fast as a motor vehicle! A crash can cause serious injuries or in the worst case scenario, may even be fatal. There are so many riders blogging about their crashes, and many were just glad that they had their helmets on when they crashed. They kept their broken helmets as souvenirs. Now they can show off their “scars” to their friends.

You may shocked when you see those pictures of the helmets because in most cases, the back of the helmet cracked. That means if you are not wearing a helmet, your head is going to absorb the full force of the impact. And any strong impact to the back of the head can only spell disaster. So don’t take this lightly, wear your helmet when you ride.

If you don’t have one, how do you choose a good helmet? Most helmets have been tested in labs to be able to cushion a strong impact during an accident. However, better quality helmets offer more comfort and reduce drag.

If you ride a road bike, stick to a road bike helmet. Road helmets are built more aerodynamically to reduce wind resistance. The frontal area of the helmet is more pointed so that wind travels smoothly to the back of the head. Besides, you will look better in a road helmet.

But if you already own a mountain bike helmet, you may just want to use the same helmet, especially if you are into leisure riding. Unless, of course, your mountain bike helmet is a full face helmet. Then you need to get something else. You certainly don’t want to wear a full face helmet while riding a road bike. A full face helmet can prevent injuries to the face when you are riding in rough terrain on a mountain bike.

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There are shoes made for every activity, and bicycling is no exception. As there are a variety of bicycling activities, there are also a variety of shoes made specifically for each activity. Before getting into the types of shoes made for cycling, you first need to decide what your budget is. This will help you narrow down your choices. You don’t want to spend more than you can afford, but you also don’t want to go home with a shoddy pair of shoes. A decent pair of cycling shoes can be purchased for under $100, and, of course, you can go way higher than that.

Once you’ve decided how much you want to spend, you need to focus on the kind of riding you intend to do. Will you be riding a road bike, mountain bike, or a BMX/freestyle bike? Are you looking to race or to just do your own thing and get some exercise in the process?

Whether it’s a road bike, mountain bike, or BMX bike, if you’re just going to be a leisurely rider than almost any pair of athletic shoe will suffice. Your only concern should be the grip of the sole. For safety’s sake you need to be sure that your shoes are at least good enough to hold onto the pedals.

Now, if you’re going to be a little more serious about your riding then you need to start looking at more specialized shoes. First we’ll start with cycling shoes made for road bikes. Shoes made for the serious road cyclist feature a cleat on the bottom which hooks onto specially made pedals. This design allows for maximum power transfer as it allows you to generate power while pushing down and raising your feet. The disadvantage to this kind of shoe is that you’re likely to wreck a few times as you acclimate yourself to them. Also, such shoes are no good to walk in as the cleat constantly gets in the way. Such shoes are made just for riding and racing.

There are also road shoes which don’t latch onto the pedals. Typically these have smooth firm soles. Shoes made for mountain bike also may feature a cleat and binding system similar to road bikes. Typically, though, such shoes unhook easier because mountain bikers often have to remove their feet from the pedals. The more common type of mountain bike shoes don’t latch on at all. They feature rugged soles similar to hiking boots and are, in fact, very similar to hiking boots. For a recreational mountain biker, hiking boots will work just fine.

BMX riders and freestylers use shoes which are very similar to shoes made for skateboarding. These shoes have stiff soles with excellent traction so they grip the pedals and provide as much power as possible. The uppers on these shoes are strong and durable to withstand the beating they’ll endure while doing tricks and flying around dirt tracks.

If you’re just an occasional bike rider, any pair of sneakers with a good sole will do, but if you’re a more serious rider than you need to get a pair of specially made cycling shoes. They’re produced by a variety of manufacturers based all over the world. Figure out what your budget is, envision the sort of riding you intend to do, and do some research. Ask the pros at the local bike shop and look online for reviews and information.

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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.

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