BICYCLING
AREINTRODUCTION
AVISUALGUIDETOCHOOSING,REPAIRING,MAINTAINING&OPERATINGABICYCLE
KARENRUTH
Contents
INTRODUCTION
WHYBIKE?WHYNOW?
MoreBikeChoices
MoreRidingOptions
MoreHealthBenefits
MoreRoomtoGrow
GetaBike
BicycleGallery
GETRIDING!
BikeRidingSkills
SAFETYANDSECURITY
Security
CLOTHESANDACCESSORIES
Clothing
Accessories
CarRacks
THEBICYCLE:ANOVERVIEW
PartsofaBike
FIXIT
ToolsandSupplies
StoringYourBicycle
BasicBicycleMaintenanceandRepair
BicycleMaintenanceSchedule
APPENDIX:CYCLINGFUN&ADVENTUREGUIDE
GlossaryResourcesPhotoCreditsIndex
Introduction
Perhapsyouhaven’triddenabikesinceyouweretwelve,andnowyouwanttohittheroadagain.Maybeyourkneesaresorefromrunning,andyouwanttofindanotheroutdoorexercisetoenjoy.Oryoufeelthatitissillytostartupthecar todriveamile to thegrocerystoreor the transit stop.Yourcolleaguesareshowinguptoworkwithbrighteyesandrosycheeksafterhavingbikedinonabeautifulmorning,andyou’rewonderingwhetheryoucoulddothesamething.Ifso,thisbookisforyou!Thisbookisforyouifyouhaven’triddeninyearsandarewonderingwhat’s
newincycling.Thisbookisforyouifyouwanttoexploreadifferentwaytogeta good aerobic workout.Want to start shopping or commuting by bike? Thisbookisforyou.Bicycling: A Reintroduction covers all the basics you need to hop back on
yourbikeafteryearsaway.Howtobuyanewbikethatfitsyourbodyandyourneeds iscovered.All thebafflingstylesand trendsondisplayat thebikeshopwillbeexplained,soyoucandeterminehowbesttomatchyourcyclingneedstooneofthoseshinynewmachines.Ifyouaren’tinthemarketforanewbike,howtoevaluateyourcurrentbikeorfindaqualityusedbikeisdiscussed.Tipsand tricks forbecomingacompetent, efficient rider areoffered.Safety
andsecurityconcernsareaddressed.If you are a beginning biker but are curious about what is out there to
challenge you and improve your skills and increase your fun, a chapter isdevotedtomovingbeyondthebasics.Finally,anumberofbasicfix-ittasksarecovered,soyoucantakecareofflat
tires,crankyshifters,anddirtychains.
TheworldofbicyclinghaschangedalotsincethedayswhentheSchwinnStingRayruledtheplayground.Yourmodernbicyclewon’thaveabananaseatoragearshifteronthesissybar,butifyoustayoutridingpastcurfewyouprobablywon’tgetgrounded.
WhyBike?WhyNow?
In the 1880s and ’90s the bicycle was enormously popular inAmericaandEurope.Theadventoftheautowasdecadesaway,andbicycles were cheaper, faster, and cleaner than horses. Composerswrotepopularmusicfeaturingthebicycle.Bicyclingclubslobbiedforpaved roads.Thepneumatic tirewaspatented for bicycle use.EvenSusan B. Anthony lauded the bicycle as one of themost importantadvancementsforwomen’sfreedom.Theadventofbloomersandthedemiseofthebustleweredirectlytiedtothepopularityofcyclingforwomen.
But what happened? In America, the automobile, two world wars,urbanization—allplayedaroleinpushingthebicyclefromahighlytoutedadultvehicletoatoyforchild’splay.Fortunately,wehavecomebackaroundtoexcitementaboutcycling,perhaps
notfullcircle,butpartially.Morebikestylesareavailableinmorepricerangesandmore sizes.Cycling organizations are lobbying formore bicycle services,and more bicycle access. We can all benefit from the resurgence in cyclingpopularity.Americans are, perhaps, beginning to see that bicycles are a legitimate
transportationtool,andnotsimplyatoyorpieceofathleticequipment.Thetimetobikeisnow.
Adult-SizeBicyclesSoldintheU.S.(InMillions)
Year UnitsSold
2008 13.4
2003 12.9
1998 11.1
1993 13
1988 9.9
1983 9
1973 15.2SOURCE:NationalBicycleDealersAssociation
Afterreachinganall-timehighof15.2millionadultbicycles(20"wheelandlarger)soldin1973,salesvolumefelloffabitintheU.S.,onlytoreboundnicelyinthepastfiveyears.Currently,theU.S.bicycleindustryisestimatedat$6billion.
•MOREBIKECHOICES
Today,you’llfindmoreequipmentoptionsthaneverbefore.Unlikethe1970s,whenyouronlybikechoiceswerethe10-speedroadbikeoranupright3-speed,orthe1990swhenmountainbikeswerethehotitem,wenowhavemany,manychoicescombiningthebestconfigurationsforavarietyofactivities.Fortunately,someonecaughtontothefactthatmostofusaren’troadracers.
Comfortbikes arenowwidelymade.Bikeswithchainguardsandeasy ridingpositionsarenowmadesowedon’tgetdirtyandcrampeduponourwaytothepark.Racks,packs,andtrailersmakecartinggroceriesorthekidsmucheasier.Superlowgearingmeansthatitiseasiertopullthekids’trailerorrideupthosehills.Youcanbuyafoldingbikethat,injusttenseconds,knocksdowntothesize
ofalargebriefcase.Ridetothetrain,foldupyourbike,andhopon.Youcanbuybikesorbikeextendersthatallowyoutobiketothebeachwithyoursurfboard.Youcan findbikes in anyprice range and through avarietyof outlets. If youwant,youcangetyourhandsdirtyanddoallyourownmaintenanceandrepair.You don’t need fancy electronics to diagnose bike problems, and with a fewexceptions, if you have evenmoderatemechanical aptitude, you can fixmostcommonbikeproblems.Ontheotherhand,ifyouneverwanttothinkaboutbikemaintenance,thereareoptionsthatareprettyclosetoworryfree.
Needalittlemoreoomphtogetupthosehills?Anelectricbikehaspowerattheready.
Ifyouwantacargobikethatcanhaulyourpurchaseshomefromthehardwarestore,youcangetthattoo.Needhelpwiththosepeskyhills?Anelectricassistbikecangiveyou theextraboostyouneed.Howaboutabike that isyours ineverydimension?Custombuilders likeBespokeCyclesofSanFranciscowill,foraprice,createwhateveryouwant.
Foldingbikesofferacomfortableridewhiletakinguplessspacefortheultimateinportability.
•MORERIDINGOPTIONS
With more and more auto traffic on the roads, it’s important that someheadwayhasbeenmadeincreatingbikefriendlyroutes.Federalhighwaydollarsare now linked to increasing pedestrian and cycling options along with roadbuildingprojects.Thismayincludebettersignage,widershoulders,ordedicatedbikepaths.Wealsohavemoreplacestoride.Railroadrights-of-wayhavebeenconvertedtobiketrailsalloverthecountry.AccordingtotheorganizationRailsto Trails, there are nearly 20,000 miles of rail trails currently available, withalmost 10,000miles of potential routes in theworks. These trails range fromroughgraveltrailssuitableformountainbikeusetoasphaltpavedtrailsthatanybikecanuse.Thegreatthingaboutrailtrails?Mostrailbedsaregradedatlessthan2percent,soalltheclimbsarelongandgradual.Citiesandtownsarealsomakinggreatstrides in improvingcyclingoptions.
Dedicatedcyclinglanesandpathwaysareshowingupallovertheplace.Mapsofgoodcyclingroutesareavailableforalmosteveryurbanarea.GoogleMapsnowhasabikingoption.Insomeurbanareasyoucanrentabikeforshorttripsfromastreetkiosk.Bicyclerentalforadayorweekofsightseeingisavailableinmosttouristareas.
Moreandmorecitiesoffershorttermrentalbikesavailableatkiosksspreadthroughoutdowntownareas.TheNiceRideprogram,forexample,isco-sponsoredbythecityofMinneapolisandahealthcareorganization.
Evensomethingassimpleasasigncangreatlyincreasesafetyforbicyclists.
Greatbicyclingtrailsandcommuterroutesarebeingbuiltallover.
•MOREHEALTHBENEFITS
Bicycling is ahealthy choice.You typicallyburnmore calories cycling at aslowpacethanyoudowalkingataslowpace.Andyoucovermoreground!Yougenerateyourownbreeze,soyoudon’tgetaswarm.It’sagreatwaytosaveongas,whichofcourseisbeneficialfortheenvironment.Bicycling ismuch less jarring on your body and easier on your knees than
jogging.Manypeoplecyclewell intooldage—infact, ifyourideasupportedcross-countrybiketour,theaverageriderageisaround60.Bicyclistsaremoreconnected to theirsurroundings.Withoutclimatecontrol
andwindowstorollup,thecyclistfeelseverynuanceofwindandtemperature.Andalsoeverybumpintheroad.Psychologicalstudieshavefoundthattimeoutof doors is a greatmood enhancer. Exercise out of doors ismore effective atmoodstabilizationthanexerciseindoors.Ifyoucancommute,evenpartially,bybicycle,youwillsooncometorelish
the happiness that biking home can bring. By the time you arrive at yourdoorstep,theworriesofthedayarebehindyou.Youhavefilledyourlungswithoxygen and pumped your blood around to burn off stress—much better thansittingintheoutboundlaneforthirtyminutes.Ifyouwish,youcanchoose frommanycyclingorganizations to join ifyou
don’twant to bike alone. Socializingwith like-minded people is also a healthbooster.
Bicyclingisalifelongsportanditcanbeahealthfulformofsocialnetworking.
Ridetothetrain,foldupthebike,ridethetraintothecity,unfoldthebike—it’spoint-to-pointwithoutwaitingorwalking.
•MOREROOMTOGROW
Oneofthebeautiesofcyclingisthatyoucanbeascasualorasseriousariderasyoudesire.Youcancruisearoundtheneighborhoodfor20minutes,orcycleacrossthecountryin60days.(Yes,that’sallthetimeittakestoridefromcoastto coast.)Bicycle tours come in all shapes and sizes in all parts of theworld.Cycling is an excellentway to play tourist—you can seemoreout-of-the-wayplacesandexperienceanarea’struebackroadnature.Youcanpurchaseluxurypackages complete with catered meals and beautiful accommodations, or youcanroughitandcamp.Mountainbikingisawonderfulwaytoseemoreofourcountry’soutdoorareaswhilehavingawhiz-banggoodtime.Cycling isanexcellentway to touranarea.Becausecycle touristsaremore
likely to frequent back roads, they experience the unique qualities of an area,rather than the urban build up that is remarkably similar regardless of whatcountryyouare in.Orbicyclingcanbecombinedwithcar,RV,orboat travel.Many national and state parks have paved bike paths or low-speed-limitparkwaysthatareperfectforfullyenjoyingthebeautyofthearea.Clubs and charities regularly sponsor rides and tours of all sorts. In some
cities, streets are closed tomotor traffic along a route for a day or weekend.Many clubs sponsor century (100 mile) rides on summer weekends. At leastfortystateshaveamulti-daysupportedride,andmoreareaddedeveryyear.Ifyouhaveacompetitivenature,youcanjoinacyclingcluborteamandhone
yourspeedandridingtechniquewithteamridesandraces.Likerunning, thereareagegroupand levelcategories, soyoucompeteagainstpeopleata similarlevel.
Thereisstunningscenerywithinviewofmanybike-accessibletrails.
Bringingalongabikeaddstothevarietyofanyvacation.
•GETABIKEHaveyoubeeninabikeshoprecently?Thechoicesavailabletocyclistsare
greater than ever.Bicyclemanufacturers are catering tomore riders andmoreridingstyles,whichcreatesanabsolutelyoverwhelmingnumberofpossibilities.The good news about the various choices is that almost any rider can findexactlywhatheorsheneeds.Bicycles are wonderful machines and delightful transport tools. But any
simplicityfliesoutthewindowwhenyouwalkintoabikeshop.Thesalespersonisexcitedtorattleofflistsoffeaturesandadvancementsinframegeometryandsuspensiongizmos.Soonyourheadisfilledwithspecsandpricesandgearratiosandyouforgetwhyyouarereallythere.It’seasytodo.Mostbikeshopsdon’temploy casual bike riders, because repeat customers are typically cyclists—serious riderswhooftenconsidercycling tobe their lifestyle.Cyclistswant totalktoothercyclistswhentheygotobuycyclingparaphernalia.Ifyouareacasualrideritisimportanttofindabikeshopthatunderstandsor
caterstoyourstyle.Theshopsareoutthere;youjustneedtofindtheonethatisrightforyou.
Largebikeshopswillstockhundredsandeventhousandsofmachines,soitpaystodoalittleplanningandresearchbeforeyoustarttobrowse.
FindingaBikeShop
Ifyouarepurchasinganewbike,takethetimeupfronttofindabikeshopthatsuits your needs. In ametropolitan area thismay be easy, as bike shops havebeenspringingupallover.Inruralareasyoumayhavetotravelabit,butthetripwillbeworth it.Onceyouhavedeterminedwhat style rideryouareandwhattypeofridingyouwillbedoing,takethetimetoresearchthebikeshopsinyourarea. Some shops specialize in racing bikes. If you want a cruise around theneighborhood kind of bike, youwill not be happy in this kind of shop.Othershopsspecializeinrecumbents—ifyouaren’tlookingforarecumbentyouwon’tbehappywiththischoice.Checkoutwebsitesormakeafewphonecallstostart.Also,askyourfriends,neighbors,orstrangersabouttheirbikeshop.Ifyouseesomeone riding a bike that looks appealing to you, ask about it. Cyclistsgenerallyenjoysharinginformation,andyoucanlearnalotfrombeingalittlenosyandoutgoing.
Manybikeshopsspecializeinafewbrandsoraparticularformofbicycle.Thisshopisknownforrecumbentsandfoldingbikes.
Allbikesarriveatretailerspartiallyassembled.Ataprofessionalbikeshop,anexperiencedmechanicwillassemblethebikeandtestrideit.Then,thebikewillbeadjustedtofityoucorrectly.
BuyingOnline
Whataboutbuyingabikeonline?Ifyoucheckoutthewebsitesformajorbikemanufacturers, youwill see thatmost do not sell their bikes online.Bikemanufacturersunderstandthatpersonalinteractionsandtestridesarecrucialtosatisfactorybikepurchases.Somesmallerbikemanufacturersdosellonline,becausetheyhavenotbuiltanetworkofsellersortheysellsofewbikesnobikeshopwantstocarrytheoverheadofhavingoneonhandtotestride.Manytouringbikesandutilitytransportationbikesfallintothiscategory.Ifthisisthestyleofbikeyouareafter,youmayhavetobuyyourbike on faith. Another option is to plan your cycling vacation aroundvisiting themanufacturer or a shop that does carry stock. Itmay help tosearch the Internet for reviewsof thebicycle,or forowners’groups.Youmaybeabletofindownersnearbywhowouldletyouinspecttheirbikes.
Big-BoxStores
Whataboutbuyingabikeatalargenationalchainstoreordiscountretailer?For a child’s bike, this tacticmakes a lot of sense. Children quickly outgrowbikes, so a two-or three-year lifespanmightbe all that is reasonable to expectfromakid’sbike.Abigboxstoreisalsoanoptionforprocuringanadult’sbike,butonlyifheorsheisplanningnothingbutshort,leisurelyandinfrequentrides.Anentrylevel,massmarketbicyclewillhavealifespanofabout2,000miles.Ifthebikeistobeusedforridesaroundtheneighborhoodandanoccasionallongerrideonabiketrail,avalue-drivenchoicemightbebest.Aninvestmentofonlyahundreddollarsortwoalsomeansyoumaynotfeelasguiltyifyournewbikestaysparkedinthegarageforweeksonend.There are some significant drawbacks to purchasing your bike at a big box
store.Most important,youcan’t test-ride thebike!Fit and feel is important incycling—buyingwithoutridingdoesn’tmakemuchsense.Thebikemaynotbereturnableoncethetireshaverolledoverpavement.Theotherbigdrawbacksarethatyou’llbeunlikelytogetusefulassistancefromaknowledgeablecyclist,andthebikeyoubuymaynotberepairableormodifiable.Becausethesebicyclesareproducedinverylargenumbersforverylowcost,manypartsarepush-togetherpiecesthatcan’tberemovedwithoutdestroyingthem.
EvaluateYourExistingBike
Youmayalreadyhaveabikesittinginyourgaragegatheringdust.Isitdustybecauseitwasapaintoride,ordidyougetbusywithotherpartsofyourlife?Ifitwasapaintoride,moveontosomethingdifferent.Bikingshouldbefun,andoutrightpainshouldbenon-existentorminimalunlessyouaregrindingouthighmileageworkouts.Ifyoucan’trememberhowthebikefelt,putsomeairinthetiresandtakeit
outforaspin.Asyouridethinkabouthowthebikefeels.Isitcomfortable?Areyousittingasuprightasyouwouldliketo?Doyoufeeltoostretchedout,ortooscrunched up? Can you easily stand over the top bar? Does it feel like yourwristsandhandsarecomfortable?Doyoufeelthatyoucancontrolthebike,ordoes it feelunmanageable?Are theshiftersandbrake leverseasy toreachanduse?Istheseatcomfy?Someoftheaboveissuesareminor—therearemanyseatstylesyoucantryto
find for a more comfortable perch. However, if you feel that you are toohorizontalorstretchedoutonthebike,oryoucan’tcomfortablystandoverthetop bar, then a different bike is probably in order. Donate your old bike andmoveontosomethingbetter.
Aleisurelybikeridethroughparklandsisawonderfulwaytobeginorendtheday.Anuprightbikewithmediumsizedtiresisperfectforthisride.
PurchaseaNewBike
Yourfirstobjectiveistodetermineyourridingstyleandwhatyouwillneedfromabicycletomatchthatstyle.Herearesomequestionstoaskyourself.Thinkabouttheanswersinadvance
soyou’repreparedtohaveaproductiveexperiencewithyourbikeseller.
•Whattypeofridingdoyouwanttodo?
•Willyoubecommutingtoworkandpickingupgroceries?Everydayoronceaweek?
• Do you want to take a leisurely turn around the neighborhood of anevening?
•Areyouinterestedinlongerdistanceriding,perhapsaweekendtriponalocaltrail?
•Whattypeofsurfaceswillyouberidingon?Offroadondirt,sand,androcks?Ongravel?Pavedorhardpackedtrails?Citystreets?
•Doyouwanttomaximizephysicalcomfort?•Doyouwanttomaximizespeed?•Doyouneedthetoughestbikeoutthere?•Howmechanicallyinclinedareyou?• Do you need a bike that never needs any input from you, or are youwillingtogetyourhandsdirtyonceinawhile?
• Are you concernedwith appearance (it’s okay if you are)? Or are youstrictlyinterestedinperformance?
Ridingondirtorgravelroadsrequireswider,squishiertireswithalittlebitoftreadfortraction.
Roughterrainwithhillstoclimbrequiresatoughmountainbikewithsuspension,goodbrakes,andknobbytires.
Forspeedonsmoothroads,nothingbeatsasuperlightaluminumorcarbonfiberroadbikewithskinnytiresandaerodynamicfeatures.
RidingStyleandPrimaryUse
Thestyleofridingyoupreferhasgreatimpactonwhichtypeofbicyclewillworkbestforyou.Youdon’tneedtobedowninanaerodynamictuckonaroadbikewhenyousimplywanttoridearoundthepark.Conversely,ifyourgoalishigh-mileageworkouts, that comfy, chunky cruiser is going to hold you back.Beforeyouheadtothebikeshop,clarifywhatstylerideryouare,orwishtobe.How you use your bike is also an important aspect of choosing a bike,
especiallywhenitcomestogearingandaccessories.Ifyouwillbetransportinggroceriesorachangeofclothesyouwillneedracksorbaskets. Ifyouwillbecommutinginallsortsofweather,fendersareinorder.Ifyouwantspeed,you’llneed lightweight components and skinny tires. Here are some categories todescriberidingstyles:
Leisurely—youwanttobeascomfortableaspossibleasyousituprightonabike that feels easy-as-pie to ride. Your ideal ride is rolling around theneighborhoodoralongascenictrail.Thebicyclefortheleisurelycruiseristhecomfortstyle.
Casual—youwantcomfortforlongerridesontrailsorroads.Youmaywantthe option of different hand positions to accommodate for longer ride times.Yourbikeneeds tobe ready forvariable roadconditionsand terrain.Ahybridbikeismostlikelythefitforthecasualtouristorcommuter.
Fitness—youwant tochallengeyourself to increasingriding time,speed,orpower.Youwantasturdy,yetlightridethatwillbecomfortableonlongroutesoversmoothsurfaces.Thefitnessbuffiswellmatchedwitharoadbike.
Off-Road—youwantatoughbikewiththefeaturesnecessarytobangdownrocky,rootytrailsandhandledirt,mud,orsandwithease.Youneedabikethatis responsive and easy to control. It’s mountain bike all the way for the off-roader.
Dedicated—you really are devoted to many miles on a bike either forcommuting, sport, or touring. You will eventually want multiple bikes toaccommodatemultipleridingstyles.
Regardlessofbikestyle,theremustbeaminimumofonetotwoinchesclearancebetweentheriderandthetoptube.Standoverthebikeandliftupseatandhandlebars.Thetiresshouldbeonetotwoinchesoffthegroundbeforethetopbarmakescontact.
BikeSize
Abikeneedstofittherider.Someaspectsoffitcanbetweakedbyadjustingseatsandhandlebars,butiftheframeisnottheproperbasicsize,noamountofadjustingwillmakeitcomfortable.
StandoverHeight—ifyourbikehasahorizontaltoptubeyoushouldbeabletostandoverthetoptubewithbothfeetflatontheground.Thereshouldbeaninch or two between the top bar and your crotch.Most new bikes, even roadbikes, have a sloping top tube, so standover heights are now much moregenerous.
Length—even on a road-racing bike, which is ridden in the most downposition,yourelbowsshouldalwaysbeslightlybent.Regardlessofwhattypeofbikeyouareriding,ifyoucan’tkeepyourelbowsslightlybentwhileriding,thebikeistoolong.
FrameSize—bikes used to be sold by inch or centimeter frame sizes. Theframesizewasthelengthoftheseattubefromthetopendtothemiddleofthebottombracket.Now,withmostframeshavingslantingtoptubes,thisnumericmeasurementnolongerhasthesamerelevance.Butforcomparison,alltheotherframecomponentsareproportional totheseat tube.Thatmeansthat ifyouarelookingattwobikesoftheexactsamemodel,thesmallerframesizewillhaveashortertoptube.Ifyoupreferashorterreach,thesmallermodelwouldbebetter,aslongastheseatpostislongenoughtogiveyouaproperseatheight.
Fit
Unlessyou’rebuyingahighendcustombike,orarewillingtoshelloutquiteabitofextramoney,thebikeyoutestrideatthebikeshopneedstofitwithoutmodificationexceptforraisingtheseat.Don’tletasalespersontellyou,“You’llgetusedtoit.”Ifitdoesn’tfeelgoodonatestride,itwon’tfeelgoodonaten-mileride.Takethetimetotestrideasmanybikesasyouneedto.Takenotes—writedownthemodelnameandaoneortwoworddescription.Bringahelmetorborrowonefromtheshop,andtakeyourtimeridingaroundonthebike.
Arideronaproperlysizedbikewillbeabletoridewithbackstraightandelbowsslightlybent.Thesalesattendantataprobikeshopwillbehappytohelpyouevaluatethefit.
Feel
Ride some figure eights in theparking lot (takecare thatyouare safe fromtraffic).Doyoufeelcomfortablemakingtightturns?Standupandpedal.Doesitfeellikeyouhavecontroloverthebikewhilestanding?Mountanddismountanumberof times.Stop,putyourfeetdown,andrestartanumberof times.Payattentiontohoweasyordifficultitistoshiftgearsandtobrake.Evenifitisnewtoyou,somesystemswillfeelmorenatural.Don’t be concerned about gears or brakes that seem a little out of sync or
grindy.Thebikesareassembledatthebikeshopandadjusted,butthentheymaysitonthesalesfloorforweeks.Newbikecableshaveabreak-inperiodduringwhichtheymustberegularlyadjusted.Itisnotuncommontotakeanewbikeforaspinandhavethegearsnotworkright.Askthemtomakeanadjustment,andtakethebikeoutagain.Ifyouaretestingaroadbike,trytoincorporateahillortwo into your test ride if possible. Thiswill give you a feel for how the bikehandlesunderpressure.
Price
Alwaysastickingpoint,priceis.Rememberthataqualitybikecaneasilylasttwentytofiftyyears—orevenlonger—withpropermaintenanceandconsistentparts availability. The upfront costs may seem prohibitive, but your ongoingcosts will be smaller, especially if you choose to do much of the standardmaintenanceyourself.Unlessyourideinveryharshconditionsorputthousandsofmilesonyourbike,you’llonlyneedtooverhaulthebikeeveryotheryearorso.Allthatsaid,bepreparedforsomestickershockifyouhaven’tbeentoabike
shoprecently.Youmayrecallhavingpaid$150foryourblueSchwinnTraveler,butthatwasthreedecadesagoandbikeshavechangedasmuchasyouhave.Ifyouaregoingtorideconsistently,andridemorethana thousandmilesayear,expecttospendatleast$1,000onawell-selected,qualitybicycle.
Yourtestridesareimportant.Takeyourtimeandreallygetafeelforthebike.Beforeleavingtheshop,makesureyouunderstandthebrakingandshiftingfeaturesofthebike.
TakeaTestRide
Soyou’vefoundabikeshopyoulike,andyou’reprettyclearaboutwhattypeofbikeyouwanttopurchase.You’reattheshopandit’stimetotestoutafewmodelsthatareinyourpricerange.Whatdoyoulookforonatestride?First,ifyouhaven’triddenanewbikeintenortwentyyears,youwillbeamazedatthebrakingpowerofthenewbrakestyles.Thewonderofindexedshiftingwillalsohave you clicking through the gears with a smile on your face. Yes, the newbikesareslick,butstopdroolingandpayattentiontofitandfeel.Beforeleavingtheshop,makesureyouunderstandhowthegearshifterswork
ifyouaren’tfamiliarwiththecurrentstyles.Gripandthumbshiftersarefairlystraight forward,but the integratedbrake shifterson roadbikescome inmanydifferentstyles.Anddon’tforget,thebrakesworkreallywell.
UsedBikes
Ifyouliveinanareawithlotsofcyclists,youmaybeabletofindtheperfectusedbicycle.Somecycleshopstaketrade-ins,whichtheytuneupandsell.Bikeswapsarearegularannualeventinsomeareas.SearchforlocalbikeswapsontheInternet,oraskatashoporbikeclub.Youmayfindjustthebikeyouwantatagarage sale, ausedmerchandise store,policeauctions,oronan Internet sitelikeCraigslist.Whileyoucancertainlyfindworkingbikesfor$50orless,highqualitybikes,evenif theyare twentyor thirtyyearsold,arestillgoingtocosttwoorthreehundreddollarsunlessthesellerisnaïveaboutbikevalues.Ifgoingtoabikeshopcanbeoverwhelming,shoppingforausedbikecanbe
time-consumingandfrustrating.ConsiderhowvaluableyourtimeisbeforeyouspendhourstrollingthroughInternetsitebikelistingslookingfor“theone.”Tospeedyourquest,searchbasedonbrandnamesorstyles.Skipoveranylistingsthat don’t have a picture of the actual bike that’s for sale (a screen grab of asimilarbikefromthemanufacturer’swebsitedoesn’tcount).Sometipsforgettingagoodusedbike:Makesurethebikeyouarelookingat
fitsyourneedsandisn’tjustagreatdeal.Italsoneedstofityou.Anill-fittingbike won’t be a good deal at any price. Find a friend who has more bikingknowledgethanyoudoandaskthemwhattheythinkaboutyourpotentialusedbikepurchase.Andtestridethebike!Adding up the costs of bringing a used bike up to good, safe working
condition may negate all savings on purchase price. At minimum, discountprices, twonewtiresandtubescost$60,newbrakeandderailleurcables,$20,andlaborwillcostatleast$80inanymarket.Thatdoesn’taccountforbearingadjustment, greasing, or replacing,which adds another$100 to$200.Acheapused bike is a great learning adventure if you aspire to be your own bikemechanic.Butitcanalsobeamoneypit.
Hundredsofusedbikescanbelocatedforsaleinyourareaatanygiventime.It’suptoyoutodecideifsavingsomemoneyisworththeriskofbuyinganunknown.
ANoteaboutComfort
It is important to remember that cycling is an athletic endeavor. Itinvolves exertion.Abike canbe fittedproperly, but some riderswill stillcomeback to thebike shopandsay, “I’mnotcomfortable ridinguphill!”Well, most cyclists aren’t “comfortable” riding uphill—it’s hard work!There are some aspects of cycling thatwill be uncomfortable, even on aperfectlyfittingbike.Rearendsgetsore,legswearout,andhandsgettired,especiallyifyouhaven’triddeninyears,areoutofshape,orareridinglongmiles.Painfromcyclingcanalsostemfromposture issuesorpoor ridingtechnique(seeBicyclingPosture,page26andAchesandPains,page41).
•BICYCLEGALLERYFollowingarephotosanddescriptionsofsomecommontypesofbicycleslike
thoseyou’llseeatyourlocalbikeshop,alongwithafewbikesthatyoucanfindat specialty shops. The category names are based on current conventions, butregionalvariationsexistandinsomecasesbikesmaypossesscharacteristicsofmore than one category, making them a little tricky to describe. The modelsshownwereselectedtorepresentafullrangeoftheavailabletypesandnotforpromotionalpurposes.Workwithyourlocalbikeprofessionaltoselectamodelandbrandthatmakessenseforyou.
RoadBikes
Thisbike is commonly referred toas a10-speed, even though ithasbeenageneration since theyhadonly ten speeds.A roadbike typicallymeansabikewith: drop handlebars; 27 inch (700 mm) diameter tires; front and rearderailluers; 8 to 11 sprockets on the cassette; usually 2 but sometimes 3chainrings; and caliper brakes. The tires range frommedium to super skinnywidths,dependingonwhetherthebikeisusedfortouring,commuting,orracing.Roadbikesareavailablewithframesmadeofaluminum,steel,carbonfiber,ortitanium.Asthenamesuggests,roadbikesaremeantforfastridingonsmooth,pavedsurfaces.
Roadbike
MountainBikes
The mountain bike is designed for riding on rough trails made of dirt orgravel.Tofacilitatethis,thetiresarewide(calledfattires)andmayhaveheavyorknobbytread.Thebikeframeissmallertoallowforgreaterstandoverheight.Thebikemayhaveshock-absorbingsuspensiontosmooththerideandprovidegreatercontrol.Thesuspensionmaybeonthefrontforkonly,orthebikemaybefullysuspended,whichmeansbothfrontandrearwheelshavesuspension.Thehandlebars are straight bars. Shifting is donewith either a grip shift or thumbshift.Brakeleversarestubbywithashortreachsoyoucaneasilyridewithtwofingers on the brakes, and brakes are cantilever, linear pull, or disc styles toprovidegreaterstoppingpowerandmoreclearanceformud.
Mountainbike
HybridBikes
Ahybridbikeisonethatcombinesfeaturesofthemountainbikeandtheroadbikeinaneasy-to-ridepackage.Theframeisusuallysmaller,withaslantingtoptube, like amountain bike. The handlebars are also usually the flat,mountainstyle bars, with twist or thumb shifters. The wheels and tires, however, arenarrowerandsmootherthanmountainbikestomakeforeasierridingonsmoothsurfaces.Brakesareusuallycantileverorlinearpullstyle,toprovideforgreaterclearanceandbetterbrakingpower.
Hybridbike
ComfortBikes
A comfort bike features an upright riding position usually with curvedhandlebars.Theseat iscushyandthetiresarewidetoprovideasoftride.Theseat postmay have suspension to further dampen bumps in the road, and thefront fork may have suspension as well. Comfort bikes usually have triplechainringstoprovidelotsofgearchoices.
Comfortbike
Cruisers
Thesebikesmayalsobecalledbeachbikes.Theyoftenaresinglespeedwithacoasterbrake,thoughmanyhavegearsandhandbrakes.Cruisersfeaturesweptbackhandlebars,andusuallyareconfiguredsotheridercanhavebothfeetflatonthegroundwhileseated.Thesebikeshavebigcushytiressotheycaneasilyrideoversandandgravel.
Cruiser
CommuterBikes
Acommuterbikemayfeatureanuprightridingposition,ormayhaveamorehorizontalridingposition.Theframeisfairly tough.Tiresaremediumwidetoprovidesomecushion,butnarrowenoughtoallowforgoodspeed.Adedicatedcommuter bike will come with fenders and racks installed, otherwise acommuterbikeframehasattachmentpoints(braze-ons)forthisgear.
Commuter
Cyclocross
A cyclocross bike is one developed for the sport of cyclocross. Cyclocrossinvolvesalternatelybikingacross rough terrainand runningwhilecarrying thebikeoverobstacles.Sincecyclocrossisusuallydoneinthebicyclingoffseason(winteror rainyseason) thecoursesare typicallymuddy.Or icyandsnowy.Acyclocrossbike looks likea roadbikewithdrophandlebars,but thegearing ismorelikeamountainbikeandthetiresarewiderandhavemoretread,butnotasmuch as mountain bikes. Brakes are usually cantilever or linear pull. Manycommuterschoosecyclocrossbikesfortheirdailyride.
Cyclocrossbike
FoldingBikes
Foldingbikesareexactly that.Theyfold intoacompact, lightweightbundlethat can be easily carried by handle or carrying strap. They feature smallerdiameterwheels andusually aremadeof lightweight aluminum.Some foldersarelightandcompactenoughtocarryontopublictransport,whileothersfoldordismantleintoabundlethateasilyfitsintoacartrunk.Couplingbikesareoftenfullsizebikeswithjointsinthetopanddowntubessotheycanbefoldedinhalf.
Foldingbike
RecumbentBikes
Arecumbent isdesignedsoyouare ridingas thoughseated inachair,withyourlegsoutinfrontofyou.Thereisnosinglestandarddesignforrecumbents.Somehavea27-inchwheelinthebackanda20-inchwheelinfront.Somehavetwo small wheels. For some the front wheel may be under the rider. Thehandlebarsmaybe infrontof theriderorunder theseat.Themajorbenefitofthe recumbent bike is no stress is placed on the arms and hands, and the seatprovidessupport.Recumbenttricyclesarealsoavailable.
Recumbentbike
BMX
The BMX (bicycle motocross) is a specialty bike for trick riding or BMXtrackortrailriding.Thisbicyclehasonegear,sometimescoasterbrakes,andasmallframe.Ifithashandbrakes,theyareengineeredsothehandlebarscanbespunwithout restriction.Thewheels areusually20-inch size.The seat is keptlowsoitdoesn’tinterferewiththeriderwhileperformingtricksorjumps.
BMXbike
FixedGearBikes
Afixedgearbikeisabicycleofpracticallyanystylethathasoneforwardgearandnofreewheelorcoasterbrake.Onafixedgearbikeyoucanpedalforwardorbackwardand that’s thedirectionyougo.Usuallyused for track racing,manyurbanridershaveadoptedthisastheepitomeofbicyclesimplicity.Thisisnotabike for a casual rider, as it typically has no brake except the resistance youprovide by slowing your tempo, and only has one gear, which makes hillsdifficult.
Fixedgearbike
TandemBikes
Yes,thebicyclebuiltfortwoisstillaround,andbetterthanever.Tandemsareavailable in road, mountain, and hybrid versions. Tandems are great formismatchedridersasthestrongerridercannevergettoofaraheadoftheweakerrider! Tandems have heavy-duty wheels and advanced frame structures tosupport the weight of two riders. They often have disc brakes for additionalstoppingpower.
Tandembike
CargoBikes
Cargobikesmayhaveextendedseatandchainstaystoallowforlongerracksand platforms to be installed over the rear wheel, or they may have a cargoplatforminfrontof therider.Someversionsare tricycles, like theoldbicycle-powered ice creamcart.Cargobikeshavegearingandbrakes tohandleheavyloadaccelerationanddeceleration.
Cargobike
GetRiding!
Youhaveyourbike ready to roll, andnow it’s time togetoutthere.Itisimportantthatyouunderstandthebasicsofhowyourbikeworks.Thebrakesmaysaveyourlifeandthegearswillcertainlysaveyourknees.It’salsogoodtoknowthattherearerightwaysandwrongwaystositonabike,becausehowyousitonthebikewillaffectyourcomfortandyourlongevityasabiker.
There are many ways to improve your biking skills and strength for yourcommute,daylongrides,hillclimbs,orbiketour.Ifyouareridingoff-roadforthefirsttime,therearespecificskillstodevelopforthiskindofbiking.Hydration and nutrition are discussed in this chapter, and some hints about
howtoavoidcommonbicyclingachesandpains.Ifyouhaven’tbeenonyourbike forawhile,oryouhavepurchasedanew
bike,takethetimetopractice.Thiswillimproveyourskillsandawareness,andmakeyouasaferrider.Youmayfeelsillyridingaroundincirclesinaparkinglot,buttrytorelaxandenjoybuildingyourskills.
Practicinginacontrolledenvironmentisthebestwaytobuildbasicridingskills.Practicegearshifting,braking,andmaneuveringthroughobstacles.
BIKERIDINGSKILLS
Regardlessofhowmuchyouhaveridden,therearealwayswaystoimproveyourridingskills.Timein thesaddle is,ofcourse, theprimarywaytodothis.Butsomeremindersonposture,shiftinggears,braking,safety,andsecurityarealwayshelpful.Ifithasbeenyearssinceyouhaveriddenabike,it’sagoodideatopracticein
acontrolledenvironmentbeforeyouhittheroadortrail.Asidewalkortrailwithsoftgrassoneither sideoranemptyparking lotarebothgoodplaces to start.Practice starting and stopping, riding in increasingly smaller circles and figureeights,andusingyourshifters torunthroughthegears.Usethebrakes tostopsuddenlyandslowlyandgently.Practicegettingonandoff thebike.Carefullypracticestandingupandpedaling.
BicyclingPosture
Mostpeople,includingsomelong-timecyclists,donotrealizehowimportantriderpostureis.Poorpostureputsexcessstrainonyourbodyandmakesitmoredifficult to enjoy longer rides. If you already have poor walking or sittingposture,chancesareyourcyclingposturewillalsobepoor.
•Regardlessofbikestyle,alwaysridewithyourshouldersdownandback,not up around your ears or rounded forward.You should not look like avultureonyourbike.Ridingwithyourshouldersupandforwardputsmorestrainonyourneck,evenwhenridinganupright,comfortbike.
•Yourbackshouldbeflat,notarchedlikeahissingcat.Bendatthehips,not in an arc along the upper back.Riders ofmountain bikes and hybridbikes often make the mistake of rounding the shoulders forward andlockingtheelbowstoextendforward,ratherthanbendingatthehips.
• Your elbows should always be slightly bent. Locking the elbows putsstressontheligamentsoftheelbowjointandwilleventuallycausepain.Inaddition, locking the elbows limits your reaction time and prevents youfromabsorbingroadshock.
•Ridingabikedoesrequireacertainamountofcore,upperback,andarmstrength.Unfortunately,ridingabikedoesnotdeveloptheseareas,soitisimportant to participate in strength training (weightlifting) and flexibilitytraining(yogaorPilates).
Properpostureiscrucialtobikingcomfort.Keepyourbackstraightandflat,shouldersdownandback,andelbowsbent.
Braking
Safelycoming toa stop is important. Ifyourbikehas rimbrakes, there isabrake lever foreachwheel.The lefthandbrake is for the frontwheel,and therighthandbrake is for therearwheel.Due to thephysicsofbraking, thefrontbrake is more powerful. Walk beside your bike and apply the front brakessuddenly.Thebikewill stopand thebackwheelwill liftoff theground.Walkbesidethebikeandapplytherearbrakessuddenly.Thereartirewillskid.Thisisbecausethemomentumofthebikeistothefront.When braking with hand brakes, always use both brakes. Apply double or
triple the amount of force to the front brake (left lever) compared to the rearbrake.Ifyouapplysudden,fullforcebrakingtothefrontwheelalone,andyouare riding downhill or at great speed, youmay flip the bike over the abruptlyhaltedfrontwheel.Suddenbrakingtotherearwheelwilllockupthewheelandcause it to skid. If your bike has a coaster brake, you engage the brake byapplyingbackwardpressureonthepedals.Thebrakeworksontherearhubandbringstherearwheeltoastop.Suddenbrakingcanresultinyourbodybeingthrownagainstthetoptubeor
thehandlebarstem.(Ouch!)Practicingvariouslevelsofbrakinginacontrolledenvironment will make you familiar with these forces and better able tocounteract the deceleration.While moving very slowly, practice braking hardenoughwiththefrontbraketolifttherearwheel.Practicebrakingwiththerearbrakehardenoughtoskid.Practicebothactionstogether.Practicemovingyourweighttowardthebackofthebiketooffsettheforwardmomentum.Ifyoufeellikeyouarelosingcontrolofthebike,releasethebrakes.Wearyourhelmet!Do not apply the brakes during a turn. This demands that you think ahead.
Brakebeforeenteringa turn,or, ifona longsweepingdownhill,brake lightly.Sharpbrakingongravelorsandwillresultinaskid.
BrakinginWetConditions
Wetconditionscreateatotallydifferentbrakingenvironment,unlessyouhave disc brakes. Rim brakes operate through friction between the brakepad and the rim.Wet ormuddy rims and pads do not generate asmuchfriction. Inaddition,your tiresdonothaveasmuchgriponwetsurfaces.Stoppingdistancesundertheseconditionsareincreasedsubstantially.Brakelightlyonslipperysurfaces toprevent the frontwheel fromskidding,andpumpthebrakeswhenwettodryouttherimsandpads.
Theforwardmomentumofthebicyclecausestherearwheeltoleavethegroundwhenonlythefrontbrakeisappliedsuddenly.Shiftingthebodyweighttowardthebackofthebikeandapplyingbothbrakespreventsthis.
StartingfromaStop
Howdoyoucreatemomentumwhenstartingfromastop?Abikeisdifficulttobalanceifyouaremovingtooslowly,soit is important tobuildmomentumquicklywhenstartingfromastop.Thebestwaytodothisistoproperlypositionyourpedalsfortakeoff.Everyriderhasafootheorshefavorsforplacingonthegroundfirst.Withtheotherfoot,rotatethepedalbackwardssothatitisnearlyatthefront topof itsrotation.Whenyoustartpedaling,youwillnowhaveafullrange of pedal thrust on that side while you bring your other foot from theground to the pedal. Practice thismaneuver so it becomes second nature, andyouwon’tbewobblingacrossintersectionswhileothersareshootingpast.
WearingaHelmet
Makesureyouarewearingyourhelmetproperly.Thehelmetshouldfityourheadsnugly.Itshouldsitlevelonyourhead,withthefrontaninchorlessaboveyoureyebrows.thestrapshouldhavenomorethantwofingerswidthofslack.
Forfurtherdiscussionofhelmetselectionandusage,seepages48to49.
Toinitiatemomentumfromacompletestop,theriderstandsoverthestoppedbike,leaningforwardslightly.Thenearfootshouldbeonapedalthatispositionedbetweennoonand1o’clock.Thefarfootisontheground.
ShiftingGears
If you have looked at other bicycling books, you may have beenoverwhelmed, or at least somewhat intimidated, by the lengthy discussions ofgearingand inches and ratios.Don’tworry: It is possible to enjoy ridingyourbike for decades without having the faintest understanding of any of thisinformation.Youshould,however,haveaworkingknowledgeofhowtheshifteronyourbikeworksandhowtomaximizeyourridingefficiency.Asyoubecomeamoreadvancedrider,youcandelveasdeeplyintotheendlessgearingdebateasyoucareto.The majority of bike shifting mechanisms require that you be actively
pedaling to shift gears. This is because the derailleurmoves in amanner thatpushes, lifts, or drops the chain onto different sprockets. Without chainmovement,thederailleurcannotperformtheseactions.Internalhubgearsworkslightlydifferently.Youcanmovetheshifterwhenthebikeisstoppedorwhencoasting.Witheithergearingsystem,however, it is importantnottoattempttoshiftwhenexcessiveforceisbeingappliedtothechain.Mostbicyclesareequippedwithmultiplechainrings(thetoothedringslocated
bythepedals)andcassetteswithmultiplesprockets(theclusteroftoothedringson the rear wheel). Read more about these parts on pages 94 and 97 in theBicycleOverviewchapter.Somebikesareequippedwithan internalgearhub.Allthegearingishiddeninsidethehuboftherearwheel.Onabikethathasthreechainringsandeightorninesprocketsonthecassette,
you would think that you had 24 or 27 speeds. Because of the crossoverconfigurationofthechainbetweenthechainringsandthecassette,twoorthreegearswillnotbeusable.(Don’tworry,20optionsisstillplenty.)Whenthechainisonthesmallestchainring(front)andthesmallestsprocket
(rear),thederailleurtypicallycannottakeupalltheresultingchainslack,andthederailleur pulleys will ride up against the cassette. It is not particularlyproductivetorideinthisgear.Theoppositeissue,withthechainonthelargestchainring and largest sprocket, results in an angle that compromises chainstrength.Therefore,thesegearingcombinationsarenoteffectiveoruseable.
Downshiftbeforeyougettoastopsign,especiallyiftheroadontheothersideoftheintersectiongoesuphill.Tryingtogetstartedinahighgearfromafullstopcanbedifficultanddangerous.
TIP
GearNumbers
Alowbikegearwithacorrespondinglownumberisonethatiseasytopedal.Theeaseinpedalinghasadrawback,whichisthatthebikedoesnotmoveasfarperpedalrotation.Ahighbikegearnumberishardertopush,but yields greater travel distance. It is the same relationship as inautomobileswithstandardtransmissions.
BikeChainPositions
To make your riding as efficient as possible, it is important to becomethoroughly familiarwithyourgearoptions.Thebestway todo this is findanempty parking lot or quiet street and practice. Wear your helmet! Begin byshiftingintothelowest(easiest)gear.Thisisthesmallestchainringonthefrontandthelargestsprocketontheback.Iftheshiftershavenumericlabels,shiftsothateachshifterison“1.”Onabikewithinternalhubgears,shiftto“1.”Pedalaround a bit and see how easy it is to pedal but how slowly you progressforward.Shiftthroughtherearsprockets(righthandshifter)oneatatimetofeelhow thepedaling resistancechangesandhowmuch fartheryoumoveoneachpedalstroke.Youmightnotice that the lefthand shifter activates the frontderailleur, and
therighthandshifteractivatestherearderailleur.(Andyoumayrememberthatthelefthandbrakeleveractivatesthefrontbrakeandtherighthandbrakeleveractivatestherearbrake.)Youmayalsonoticethatthemovementneededtogotoeasiergearsonthe leftside is themovementusedtogotohardergearsontherightside.Thisiswhyyouneedtoaccustomyourselftothegears.Withpractice,youwon’t have to think aboutwhichway to shift to go upor down, andyouwon’thavetotakeyoureyesofftheroadtolookatthenumbersonyourshifterorthepositionofthechainonthechainringandsprocket.Ifyouhaveabikewith triple frontchainrings,donotuse thesmallest front
chainringwith the twoor three smallest sprockets on the rear.Onceyouhaveshifted throughtherearsprockets,shiftback to thesecondor third largest rearsprocket,thenshifttothelargerfrontchainring.Progressthroughthereargearsagain.Rememberyouaremovingfromlarger(lower)gearsinthereartosmaller(higher)gears.Whenyouarriveatthesmallestrearsprocketyouwillfindthatagreatdealofeffortisneededtopushthepedalsaround,evenonflatground.(Ifyouhaveamountainbike, thegearingmaybesomewhat lower,so thehighestgearswon’tbesotough.)Once you have shifted through all the gears, try starting from a stop in the
lowest(easiest,smallestinfront,largestinrear)gear,inamiddlegear,andinthehighest (hardest, largest in front, smallest in back) gear. You’ll feel quite adifference.Nowimagineyouareridingalongwith thewindatyourbackona
gentlyslopingdownhill.Youhaveshiftedintoyourhighestgearsoyoucanstillpedalwithoutflyingoffthebike.Upaheadisastopsign,andafterthestoptheroadbeginstogouphill.Ifyoustopwithoutshiftinggears,youwillbestuckinasituationwhereitbecomesdifficulttoshift.Thatisbecausethederailleursystemrequiresthatyoubepedalingtoshift,butalsoislimitedinthatyoucannotapplyfullcrankingforcetothechainwhileshifting.Inthisinstance,youwanttoshiftbeforeyoucometoastop.Infact,itisbesttodeterminewhatyourfavoritestartupgearis,andalwaysshiftintothatwhenstopping.Ridinginhillyterrainwillgiveyoutheultimatepracticeforefficientshifting.
Ifyouwait too longwhenclimbingahill toshift intoeasiergears, itbecomesdifficult toshift.Thefrontderailleurcanusuallydrop thechainfromthe largechainringtothesmaller,buttherearderailleurispushingthechainupontothelargerrearsprocketsanditcannotdothiswhenthepressureonthechainistoogreat.
Thebikeisinthelowest(easiest)gearwhenthechainisonthesmallestchainringinfrontandthelargestsprocketinback.
Thebikeisinthehighest(hardest)gearwhenthechainisonthelargestchainringinfrontandthesmallestsprocketinback.
Crosschaininghappenswhenthechainisonthelargestchainringandlargestsprocketorwhenthechainisonthesmallestchainringandsmallestsprocket.Crosschainingdamagesthechain,andisusuallynoisy.
Whenthechainisonthesmallestchainringandthesmallestsprocket,thederailleurridesveryclosetothesprocketsandtheloosechainslapsaround.
Spin,Spin,SpinWant to bike all day without hurting your knees? Many cyclists make the
mistake of pedaling in a high gear (hard to pedal) then pausing and coasting,pedalingandcoasting,pedalingandcoasting.Thismannerofridingisactuallyinefficient andhardonyour legmuscles andknees. It ismuch easier onyourbodytopedalconstantlyinaneasygear.
CommonNoviceMistakes
•Failingtomaintainasteadycadence•Usingagearthatistoodifficult•Ridingwithseattoolowortoohigh•Brakingwithrearbrakeonly
When biking on a bike with multiple gears, you can practice riding withdifferent cadences, or pedaling tempos. By putting your bike in a lower gear(easiertopedal)youcanspin,whichmeansyouarepedalingatahighcadence.Ifyoudesiretogettechnical,youcanpurchaseacyclecomputerthatincludesacadence sensor.The cadence sensor tells youhowmanypedal revolutions perminuteyouaredoing.Aimfora60-rpmcadencetobeginwith.Thisiseasytofigure,becauseyoushouldbeabletocountoneMississippiforeachfullrotationoneofyourfeetmakeswiththepedal.Trytomaintainthisconsistentlyonflatgroundandgentlehills.Thepurposeofspinningistobuildenduranceandcreateasmootherpedaling
technique.Yourmuscle output per pedal revolution in lowgear is very small;ideally,itshouldfeellikeyouareexertingonlyasmallamountofforce.Onceyouhavegottenintothehabitofconsistentlypedalingatabout60rpm,
workonincreasingyourcadence.Practiceonaflatstretchofroadandshiftintoanuncomfortablyeasy(low)gearandpedalasfastasyoucan.Initiallyyouwillfeel foolish and your bodywill seem to be flopping all over the place as youmove your legs so quickly. The more you practice, the smoother your pedalstroke will become. Attempt to push your pedal rpms over 100. This will beuncomfortableatfirst,buteventuallyyouwillbecomeaccustomedtoit.
Acadencesensoraccuratelycountspedalrevolutions.
Timingyourcadencewithouta sensor isdifficult,butyou reallydon’tneedthenumber.Simplypushyourselftomoveyourfeetasfastasyoucanandstillbecomfortableandincontrolofthebike.Note:Spinningveryfastshouldonlybedone ifyouhave toeclipsorcliplesspedalsandshoes.Whenyour feetaremovingsoquicklyitisveryeasytoslipoffthepedals.Slippingoffthepedalsisamajorcauseofbikeaccidents.In daily riding, always choose the lowest gear (easiest) that you can
comfortablyrideinwithoutfeelinglikeyoumightflyoffthebikefrompedalingsoquickly.Youwillbeabletoridefartherandfeellessfatiguebyridinginthisway,asopposedtoridinginthehighest(hardest)geartopedalin.The drawback of spinning is that you do not have the potential for quick
acceleration.Becauseyouareinalowgear,youmovethepedalsaroundalotforasmallamountofforwardmovement.Inordertoacceleratequickly,youmustuse a higher gear where each pedal revolution pushes the bike farther. Usinghighergearsrequiresmorepower.
Professionalcyclistsrideathighcadencesinhighgearstoattainsteadyspeedsoftwenty-fivetothirtymilesanhour.
Forroutineroadcycling,trytomaintainaconsistentcadenceintheneighborhoodof60pedalrevolutionsperminute.Ifyourcadenceexceedsthisratesignificantly,youshouldweartoeclipstopreventslippage.
Theonlywaytogetfasterandstrongeristobuildpowerbyintervaltrainingandhillclimbing.
BuildingPower
Like most riders, as you gain experience on your bike you’ll want to seeimprovementinyourcyclingpowerandspeed.Inordertogofaster,youhavetoincreaseyourlegstrengthandyouraerobiccapacity.Thisalonewillallowyoutocomfortablyspininhigherandhardergears.Yourpedalcadencemultipliedbyahighergearwillmoveyoufartherandfaster.You can begin to focus on building power after you have been riding
consistently for a few weeks. It is important to take care of your knees, andpushinghardgearsbeforeyourlegsareaccustomedtocyclingwillbepainfulorpotentially injurious.Tobuildpower, finda longflat stretchof roador trail topractice on.Get up to your normal speedwith a quick cadence.Shift into thehardest gear you can pedal in and ride for a hundred yards—you should bebreathing hard at the end.After a hundred yards, shift back into your regulargearforanotherhundredyardsoruntilyourbreathingreturnstonormal.Repeatthisuntilyoucannolongerpedalinthehighgear.Makecertaintostretchyourhamstringsandquadricepsafterthisexercise.Dothisexerciseacoupletimesperweek.Youwillsoonseeitsimpactonyourregularriding,asyouwillbeabletomoreeasilymaintainyourcadenceinhigherandhighergears.You can also build strength on the bike by riding hills. Instead of shifting
down to your lowest gear, try increasing the gear that you use to ride a hill.Whenyougettothetop,ridebackdown,spinningasyougo,andrepeat.Ifyouliveinanareathatispancakeflatwherehighwayoverpassesaretheonlyhills,you may need to do this strength training off the bike with lower-bodyweightliftingmovessuchaslungesandsquats.
Pacing
Pacingisallaboutadaptingyourridingstyletothelengthanddifficultyofaparticular ride. The goal is to end your ride physically tired, but not utterlyexhausted. Ifyouare ridinga150-mileweekend tour,burningyourselfoutbyriding at the top level of your fitness on the first day won’t be enjoyable.Decreaseyourcadenceforridesthatarelongerthanyouraverageride,ormoredifficult due towind or hills. If youwear yourwork clothes to commute, it’susuallyagoodideatopaceyourselftominimizesweating.
RidingHills
Some cyclists hate hills and some love hills. Hills can be short and steep,rolling,orlongandgradual.Whenclimbingsteeporlonghillsyouwon’tbeabletomaintainyourcadence.Shiftintoacomfortable,lowgearandworkyourwayupthehillatwhatevercadencegetsyoutothetopwithoutshootingyourheartrateintothestratosphere.Leanyourbodyweightforwardasmuchaspossible.Keepyourupperbodyrelaxedandtrynottopullonthehandlebarsasyoupedal—thisexpendsenergythatisneededbyyourlegs.At timesyoumayneedorwant tostandup toeitherpushpastaverysteep
gradeorprovidesomevarietyinyourpedaling.Ifyouareridingwithdropbars,position your hands on the drops or over the brake hoods. If you are riding amountainbikewithbarends,eitherpositionworkswell.Ondownhillruns,brakebeforeyouneedto,andoverestimatehowslowlyyou
need to go through turns.Youwill be surprised howquickly yourmomentumbuilds as you zip downhill.On straight roads, youmaywant to go faster—anaerotuckwillgiveyoumorespeed.
Decreaseyourwindresistancewhencoastingdownhillbygettingintoanaerodynamictuck.Remembertolookaheadandkeepyourhandsnearthebrakes.
Standingisanexcellentwaytocopewithshortsteepinclines,ortogiveyourselfabreakfromsitting.Leanforwardslightlytomaintainyourbalance.
Off-RoadRiding
Riding off-road requires some special techniques beyond the basic ridingskills needed for pavement. Off-road trails have steeper ascents and descents.Trail riding, whether it is on singletrack (wide enough for one bike), fire orloggingroads(wider,butstilldirt),orgravelsurfaces,leadstoencounterswithtree roots, logs, rocks, loose gravel, potholes, and sand.One fact that quicklybecomesobviousasyouembarkonoff-roadbikingisthatyouspendalotlesstimesittingdownandalotmoretimeasahumanshockabsorber.Maintainingaconsistentcadencewhileoff-roadridingisnotpossible.Dueto
trail conditions, you will often need to pedal very hard, then coast with thepedalsat9and3o’clockpositionstoclearrocksandroots.Themostimportantskillsforoff-roadridingaretheabilitytomoveyourbody
tochangehowthebike isweighted,anddevelopinggoodupperbodystrengthandbalance.Sometimes the rider’sweightneeds tobewaybackover the rearwheel,andsometimesitneedstobeoverthefrontwheel.Sidetosidecontrolisalso important tokeep thebikesteadyoveruneven terrain.Amountainbikingclinicorsomeone-on-oneinstructionfromafriendwhobikesoffroadisagreatwaytolearntheskillsneededforthissport.When riding off-road, it’s no fun (and inefficient) to dismount andpick the
bikeupoverlogsorrocks.Thepointofthemountainbikeconfigurationisthatitcanbeused torideor jumpovermanyobstacles. Ifyouhaveamountainbikeand plan to do some trail riding, take the time to practice these skills in acontrolledenvironment.Fortunately,withthemountainbike’sbigsquishytires,practicingonnicesoftgrassiseasy.Makesurethatyouhavepracticedallofthebasic riding skills and are comfortable with the bike. And always wear yourhelmetandgloves.
Wheeliesaren’tjuststuntsforkidsontheirStingRays.Developingtheskillstowheelieandbunnyhopisimportantforoff-roadriding.
Begin to develop your off-road skills by working on your weight shiftmovements. While the bike is rolling, stand on the pedals with the pedalsparalleltotheground(3o’clockand9o’clockposition).Moveyourrearendalltheway back past the back of the seat,while keeping your knees and elbowsbent.Adjustyourbikeseatdownwardifitfeelslikeitisintheway—mountainbikeshavequickreleaseleversontheseat.Then,practicemovingyourweightforwardoverthehandlebars—keepingthepedalsparalleltothegroundandyourkneesandelbowsbent.Next, practicemoving yourweight up and down.This is how to create the
springing force that will move the bike over obstacles. In the same ridingposition, quickly bend your elbows and move your body downward. Then,withouthesitation,pushyourbodyupwardsandpulluponthehandlebars.Thiswillliftthefrontwheelofftheground.Practicedoingthiswithoutanobstacle;then practice this move to go up over a curb. Make sure to approachperpendiculartothecurb.Assoonasthefrontwheelisoverthecurb,moveyourbodyweightforwardandpullyourfeetuptowardyourchest.Thiswillmovetheweighttothefrontofthebikeandtherearwheelwillrolloverthecurb.Asyougetbetterandbetteratmovingyourweightandcreatingspring,youwillbeabletobunnyhopthebikeoverobstacles.Alsopracticegoingdownoff thecurb.Standing,with thepedalsparallel to
theground,kneesandelbowsbentandweighttowardtherear,rolloffthecurb.Useyourarmsandlegstoabsorbtheshock.
Practiceshiftingyourweightallthewaytothebackofthebike,evenbehindtheseat.
Practiceshiftingyourweightsoitisoverthehandlebars.
Off-RoadandInclines
Climbinganddescendingonroughtrailsalsorequiresspecialskills.Off-roadridingrequiresevenmoregearshiftingskill thanridingonpavedroads.Goinguphillandshiftingintoasuperlowgearandspinningonloosesoilorsandwillonlyresultintherearwheelspinningandthebikestallingout.Keepyourweightslightlyforwardwhileclimbing—evenso,sometimesthefrontwheelwillcomeofftheground.Onadescent,shiftyour rearendbehind theseat,andhold theseatbetween
your thighs. Keep your knees and elbows bent and relaxed. Your index andmiddlefingersshouldbeonthebrakeleversatalltimes.Itisimportanttobrakecarefully. Too much braking on the rear wheel will cause skidding, whichdiminishes control and ruins the trail. Too much braking on the front wheelincreasesthepossibilityofflyingoverthehandlebars.Makesureyoufocusonthepathyouwanttotake,nottheobstaclesyouwanttoavoid.Ifyoustareatthebigrockpokingupinthetrail,youwillhitit!
Leanforwardwhenridinguphilltokeepthefrontwheelincontactwiththeground.Standuptogainleverageandgeneratemorepower.
Tomaintaincontrolwhileridingdownhill,shiftyourweightbehindtheseatandkeepyourkneesandelbowsbent.
Off-RoadRulesOff-road riding can be destructive and dangerous if basic principles are not
followed.Mountainbikes,withtheirknobbytires,canquicklydestroytrailsandwildlife. Hikers and cyclists also tend to share trails, which can lead todangerous encounters. Consequently, the International Mountain BicyclingAssociation(IMBA)hasdevelopedalistofrulesforoff-roadriding.Alongwithabidingbybasicsafetypractices,youshouldfollowtheserulesatalltimes.
•Rideatappropriatespeedstopreventharshbrakingandskidding.• Wet or muddy trails are quickly degraded when ridden on—chooseanotherdaytorideifyourfavoritedirttrailiswet.
• Ifyouencounter apuddleon the trail,go through it—donotwiden thepathbygoingaroundobstacles.Youareonamountainbike,afterall.
•Beespeciallyconsiderateofhikersandhorsebackriders.Bombingdownatrail when you can’t see around the bend can have catastrophic results.Some off-road riders treat other trail users inconsiderately. This type ofconflictresultsinlimitedaccessforalloff-roadusers.
•Rideonopentrailsonly—donottrespassonprivateland,donotrideontrails marked “No Biking,” do not ride in federally protected wildernessareas.
• Leave no trace—don’t ride onmuddy or wet trails, do not create newtrails or ride off the trail to avoid obstacles. Pack out all trash—noexceptions.
•Controlyourbicycle—ridewithinyourlimits.
•Yield to others—bicyclesmust yield to all other trail users (horses andpedestrians)unlessthetrailismarkedbicyclesonly.
•Neverscareanimals• Plan ahead—go equippedwith the proper gear for terrain,weather, andemergencies.
Bicyclistsmustusecarewhensharingatrailwithotherusers.
Observeandobeyallusagesignsthatpertaintocyclistsofanytype.
HydrationandNutrition
Itiscommonforbeginningcyclistswhoareincreasingtheirridedurationorintensity to misjudge howmuch water or food they need. Cycling is a fairlydehydrating activity, and riding at amoderate or high intensity burns between500to600caloriesperhour.Acyclistcreateshisorherownbreezethatcausessweattoevaporaterapidly.
As you are riding, you don’t realize how much fluid you are losing. It isimportanttohavewaterwithyouifyouareridingformorethantwentyminutes.Whileridingatmoderatetohighintensity,youshoulddrinkfourtoeightouncesofwaterevery15or20minutes.Theeasiestwaytodothisistodrinkonebikebottle of water per hour. If it is very hot or very humid, eating a banana ordrinkinganelectrolytedrinkwillhelppreventcramping.When cycling for longer than two hours at a time, you will also need to
replenishyourbody’sglycogenlevels.Cyclistsuse the term“bonk” torefer tothe light-headedness, shakiness, and fatigue that happens from depleting onesglycogen stores. You need not be an endurance cyclist to experience this—infact, ithappens tocyclistsatany levelwhohaveriddenabit too longwithoutfood.What’s interesting is that youmay not realize it while on the bike andriding. Often you experience it when you stop and you keel over withoutwarning.Besidesbeingembarrassing,thisispotentiallyquitedangerous.Whenyourglycogenlevelsaredepleted,yourbrainprocessingspeedslowsdown.Itisveryeasytomakeseriouserrorsinjudgmentwhenyourglycogenislow.Evenifyouarecarryingalittleextraweight,yourbodycannotconvertstored
fat into fuel quickly enough to keep up with your rate of consumption. Themoralof thestory is,makesure tobringalongsomethingtoeat ifyouwillberiding atmoderate or high intensity formore than two hours.And don’twaituntilyoufeelhungry.
Thesunandwindworkquicklytodehydratecyclists.Learninghowtotakeadrinkwhileridingisanimportantskilltomaster,sinceitwon’tbeafunrideifyouhavetostoptotakeasip.
Stop,takeabreakandeatsomeenergyfoodatregularintervalsasyouenjoyyourcyclingworkout.Bananasareaprime,all-naturalenergyfood.
The best food options are fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas. Theycontainnutrientsandwater,plusthesugaryouneedtokeepgoing.Avoidcandybars and soda unless they are the only choice. They both contain too muchsimple sugar,which hits the bloodstreamquickly and results in a blood sugarspike,andthenabloodsugarcrashabout20or30minuteslater.Energybarsandsports drinkswork, but be aware that their high calorie countsmight bemorethanyouneedorwant.
AchesandPains
Bicycle riding can be a pain in the butt. Literally.Also a pain in the neck,hands,andback.Somecyclingpainiscausedbythefitofthebike.Abikethatistoolongandcausestheridertostretchoutwillcausebackandshoulderpain.Aseatthatistoohighislikelytocauselowbackpainbecausethepelvisisrockingbackandforthastheriderreachesforthebottomofeverypedalstroke.Aseatthatistoolowcancausekneepain.Other pain can be caused by poor posture—even on a good fitting bike.
Hyperextendingorlockingtheelbowsstrainstheelbowligamentsanddecreasestheshockabsorptionofthejoint.Usuallylockingtheelbowsalsoresultsintheshouldersbeingshoveduparoundtheears.Elevatedshouldersputsexcessstressontheupperbackmusclesandstrainstheneck.
Don’tridelikethis.Ridingwithpoorposturecanbeverypainfulanddecreasestherider’sflexibilitytoabsorbimpactsormakesuddenmaneuvers.
HandandWristPain
Handandwristpainisacommoncomplaintofbicyclists.Ridingwithpaddedglovesandpaddedhandlebarshelps.Moreimportant,however,istomaintainthewrists in a straight line, not allowing thewrists to drop down to form a rightangle at the joint. Think of how your wrists are aligned when your arms arerelaxedatyour sides.Maintain this straight linewhen riding.When thewristsare bent, stress is placed on the tendons that run through the wrist; thisaggravatesthetendons,which,whenaddedtothepressureofthehandlebaronthelowerpalm,canleadtocarpaltunnelirritation.Unfortunately,thealignmentof the brake levers onmost hybrid andmountain bikes promotes a bentwristridingposture.Havethebikeshoploosentheleversandrotatethemdownwardso you can ride with straight wrists and still have proper access to the brakelevers.Also, ridingwith thehandsonabar that isperpendicular to thebody is the
mostuncomfortableforthewristandforearms.Bettertohavearidingpositionwhere the hands are rotated so that the palms are facing inward rather thandownward.Drophandlebarshavenumerousoptionsforthisposition.Addingbarends to flatmountainbikebarswill allow for thisposition.Moving thehandsaroundtodifferentpositionsonthehandlebarsisimportanttopreventoneareaof the hand from becoming over used. If you don’t have strong abdominalmuscles,youmayberidingwithtoomuchofyourbodyweightonyourhands.
Ridingwiththepalmsfacinginwardandthewristsstraightreducesstressonyourwristsandyourforearmtendons.
If you have arthritis in the hands or wrists, or previous shoulder or elbowinjuries,itisparticularlyimportanttoridewithproperridingposture.Youmayalso want to consider riding a suspension style bike to minimize the shocktransfer.Steel and carbon fiber frameshavemoregive and transfer less shockthan aluminum frames. Riding in a more upright position will remove someweightfromthehands.Someridersfindnocomfortablewaytorideanuprightbike,andfindreliefinridingarecumbentcycle.
KneePain
Kneepainisusuallycausedbyaseatthatistooloworbyridinginagearthatis too high for your leg strength or the riding conditions. Raise your seat aquartertoonehalfinchandseeifthathelps.Also,uselowergears.Whenridingon a level grade, it should feel like you are exerting onlyminimal force (seepages32to33).
SeatPain
Thereisnowaytototallypreventsaddlesorenessifyouarebikingformorethananhourattime.However,wearingbicyclingshortsandchoosingtheproperseat for the type of riding you are doing will help in minimizing this pain.Uprightridersneedampleseatpaddingduetotheincreasedproportionofweightbeingplacedontherearend.Widepaddedseatsaregreatforthistypeofriding.Riders who ride in a more extended posture need to use narrower seats topreventchafingoftheinnerthighsandrear.Yoursitboneswillbesoreafteryourfirstlongride.Theywillbeevensorer
thenextdayifyougetonabike.Theonlyremedyforthisistoridemoreoften.Yourbodyneedstobecomeaccustomedtothepressurepointsofthesaddle.Ifyouare still terrifically soreaftera solidcoupleofweeksor soof riding, it istimetolookatadifferentsaddle.If you are experiencing tailbone pain when riding, look for a seat with a
groove or cut-out between the padded sides. Thiswill provide a gap for yourtailbone.Ifyouareexperiencingchafingandarenotwearingbicyclingshorts,it’stime
tomaketheinvestmentinpropershorts.Streetclotheshavenumerousseamsinallthewrongplacesforbikingcomfort.Ifyouhavechafingandyouarewearingbikeshorts,tryanti-chafingcream.Mostbikeshopssellthesecreamsinhandyroll-on applicators.Make sure your shorts fit snugly enough that they are notridingup.Andremember,nounderwearwithbikeshorts.Finally,itisimportantthatyoudon’tloungearoundinyoursweatybikeshorts
afteralong,hotride.Changeimmediatelyintodryclothing.Alwayswashyourshortsbetweenrides.Thisisespeciallyimportantifyouarebiketouring.Rashesandyeastinfectionshaveputanendtomanyabiketourist’sridingpleasure.
WhatifYouHurtAllOver?
Manynewriderscomplainofoverallpain.This isoftendue tooxygendeprivationthatresultsfrominsufficientbloodflow.therearetwowaysyoucanaddressthis:moveyourarmsandbackmorewhileriding;doshouldershrugsandrolls,armwindmills,andbackstretcheswhileonthebike;andstopfrequentlytodomoreshrugsandstretches.It’salsoimportanttobuildupthesemuscleswithweightliftingandotherexerciseswhenoffthebike.
NeckPain
Riding a road bike in the down position will place strain on the neck,especiallyifyourridingpostureispoor.Whenridinginadownposition,makesure that your back is flat, your shoulders are back and down, and you areholding yourself in a relaxed way. Many road bikes are configured with thehandlebarsone to six inchesbelow the levelof the seat.Most casual ridersortouristsdonotneedtorideinthisextremeposture.Unlessyouareracing,makethe handlebars level with the seat. Raising the handlebars will decrease neckpain.Bicycleridingrequiresholdingyourupperbodyfairlystillforlonglengthsof
time. Counteract this stress by building up your strength through resistance(strength)training.Buildflexibilitybystretching,orpracticingyogaorPilates.These activitieswill increase your riding pleasure by decreasing the strain onyourneck,back,andarms.
SafetyandSecurity
Therearenumerouswaystohurtyourselfwhilecycling,butitisalsopossibletorideforyearsandneverhaveanaccidentormishap.Mostofushavebeenwalkingand running fordecades,butwe stilloccasionally slip or fall down. The same will be true of cycling.Practice your skills, wear a helmet, maintain your bike, follow therulesoftheroad,andchooseappropriatebikeroutestominimizeyourrisks.
It is true thatmany cyclists are killed every year. It is also true thatmanypedestriansandmotoristsarekilledeveryyear.Itisriskytoleavethehouse,butitisalsoriskytositonthecouchandwatchtelevision.Manybicyclistscomplainthatmotoristsareparticularlyinattentiveorrudeto
cyclists. It is important to remember two things. The first is to think of howmany inattentive or rude drivers you encounter when driving your car orwalking.Thenumberof these typesofdriversdoesn’t increase the instantyouhoponyourbike.Also,thinkofallthetimesyouhaveseencyclistsbehavinginrudeorinattentiveways.Thebottomlineis,whenyouareonyourbicycle,youaremorevulnerabletomotorists,pedestrians,androadhazards.Thatmeansyoumustbemorecareful,moreconsistent,andmoreawarewhileonyourbicycle.Thegoodnewsis,whileyouareonyourbike,youareprobablyhavingmorefunthanmotoristsandpedestrians.
Safety
Yoursafetyonabikedependsonmanyfactors.Youcan’tstopthatmotoristfrom texting, but you can make sure your brakes work well. You also candiminishyourrisksbybeingsmartaboutwhere,when,andhowyouchoosetoride. Mentally preparing yourself for the challenges of riding in difficultsituationswillhelpyoubecomeabetter,moreattentiverider.
Pre-rideBikeCheck
Beforeeveryride:•Squeezethetiresoruseapressuregaugetochecktirepressureandinflateifnecessary.•Squeezebothbrakeleversandmakesurethebrakepadsaremakinggoodcontact with the rims. The levers should not make contact with thehandlebars.thebrakepadsshouldnotremainincontactwiththerimsaftertheleversarereleased.•Checkthatthequick-releaseskewersonbothwheelsandtheseatpost(ifpresent)arefullytightened.
InspectYourBikeBeforeEachRide
Before each ride, always check that the brakes are working well, that thewheels’ quick release levers are tight, that the seat post is tight, and that noclothingstrapsorshoelacesarenearwheels,chain,orderailleurs.Shoelacesorpantlegscaughtinbetweenthefrontchainring,chain,andderailleurcancauseacrash.Detanglingshoelacesfromthefrontchainringscanbeextremelydifficultandcertainlygetsyouverydirty.Strapsthatdanglefrombagsorpanniersalsocanbecome lodgedbetween thewheeland thebike frame,causing thebike tosuddenly stop. A jacket or sweatshirt tied around the waist can get caughtbetweenthewheelandframe.
SAFETYTIP:Tokeeppantlegsfromgettingcaughtinthefrontchainring,useatrousercliporbandtoholdthefabrictighttoyourlegandawayfromthechainring.Manybandscomewithreflectivestripingforaddedsafetyprotection.
PracticeYourSkills
If you are comfortable on your bike and competent in your essential ridingskills,youwillbeable to reactquicklyandsafely tosurprisesorhazards.Theopposite isalso true:uncomfortableand inexperiencedor inattentive ridersaremorelikelytohaveaccidents.
Twist,Tuck,andRoll
Ifyouareridingwearinglace-upshoes,twisttheloopsandendstogetherandtuckthisbundleunderthelacing.Thiswillpreventthelacesfrombeingcaughtupinthechain.Ifyouareridingwithlong,loosepants,rolltherightpantlegupabovethelevelofthebiggestchainring.Or,useacliporstraptosecurethelegsoitdoesn’tgetcaughtordirtiedbythechain.
Themostbasiccyclingskill toperfect is riding inastraight line.Awobbly,uncertainriderwillbeatriskofbeinghitbyacarwhileonthestreet,orbyothercyclistswhileonatrail.Ifyouhavedifficultycontrollingyourbikeandridinginasmoothstraightline,youmayneedabetterfitting(orjustbetter)bike.Practiceridinginacontrolledareauntilyoucancomfortablymaintainstraight,forwardmotion. Also practice looking over your shoulders while maintaining thestraight-linepath.Becausethebicycleiseasilyguidedbybodymovement,whenyou lookoveryourshoulder thebicycle tends to followyoureyesandveer inthatdirectionifyouarenotcareful.Inanemptyparking lot,practice riding incirclesand figure-eights.Practice
applying the brakes and using the gear shifters while looking straight ahead.Practicesignaling.Practicetakingadrinkofwaterwhilemaintainingastraightline.
Practiceallofthebasiccyclingmaneuversinasafearea.thisincludestakingthewaterbottlefromthecage,takingadrink,andreplacingthebottlewhileridinginastraightlinewitheyesforward.
WearaHelmetWearingahelmetwhilecycling is the singlemost important safetymeasure
youcantake.Youwillrecoverfromaskinnedpalmorabrokenwristorrib,butasevereconcussionortraumaticbraininjurycanchangeyourlifeforever.
Approvals
Bicycle helmets must be approved by the Consumer Product SafetyCommission.Do not buy a helmet that doesn’t have this approval. For ahigher level of safety, youmay be able to find helmets approved by theSnellFoundation.Newdesignsarerigorouslytestedtoassuretheymeetthebasicstandardssetbytheseorganizations.
Mostbikeaccidents involveablow to thehead.The forwardmomentumofyourbodysuddenlystoppedbyimpactwiththegroundorotherfixedobjectwillwhipyourheadwithincreasedforceintothatobject.Watchafewslowmotionclipson the Internetofbikeaccidentsandyouwill see riders’headssmashingintotheground.Thebikehelmetisengineeredtodotwothings:preventlacerationandabsorb
impact.Thehardshellontheoutsideofthehelmetismeanttoallowthehelmettoslideovertheimpactsurfaceandalsotopreventtheheadfrombeingcut.Thedense foamof thehelmetprovidesa crushzone todecrease the impact speed.Thetypicalbikehelmetismeanttobedestroyedinacrash,soifyoudocrashwiththistypeofhelmet,youmustreplaceit.Hard-shellBMXhelmetsaremeanttoprovideprotection for repeated falls, asmighthappen ifyouare learning torideorperformingtricks.Bicyclehelmetsaredesigned tobalanceconsumerdesire forventilationand
light weight against safety features. The resulting helmets do not providemaximumprotection(thatwouldbeamotorcyclehelmet),buttheydoprovidealevelofprotectionfargreaterthanridingbareheaded.Wearing ahelmet is not aperfect guarantee against brain injury, but helmet
usecanpreventaminoraccidentfromturningintoalifelongheadacheordeath.According tomany statistics, 95 to97percent of cyclistswhodied in crasheswerenotwearinghelmets.
Bicyclehelmetscomeintwopopularstyles:thecommonventedhelmet(left)andtheBMXstyle(right).
Manycyclistsmake themistakeof thinking that if they rideon adedicatedbike trail theydon’t need towear ahelmetbecause there is novehicle traffic.Andsomemayevengosofarastothinkstickingtothemarkedbicyclelanesinstreet traffic somehow insulates them frommishaps.Althoughkeeping tobiketrailsandlanesissaferthanridinginopentraffic,dangersbeyondyourcontrolalwaysexist,makingthewearingofahelmetamandatorypracticeandagoodhabittoboot.Biketrailshaveahighvolumeofnoviceusers,non-cyclists,dogwalkers,andotherrandomhazards.Youwillhitthegroundjustashardwhetheronthestreetorabiketrail.Makesureyouwearyourhelmetcorrectly.Itshouldfityourheadsnuglywith
thefrontofthehelmetnomorethanoneinchaboveyoureyebrows;itcertainlyshouldn’tbeperchedatopyourhead.Thestrapsshouldbesnug—nomorethantwofingerwidthsofslackunderthechin.
Don’tridelikethis.Manypeoplemistakenlythinkthathelmetsarejustforkids,orthattheyarenotasnecessaryifyousticktotrailsorbikelanes.
Inproperadjustment,yourhelmetshouldbeflatonyourheadandsnug.Thefrontofthehelmetshouldbeparallelwith,andnomorethan1″above,youreyebrows.ThebottomoftheVoneachsideofthestrapshouldfalljustundertheears,andwhenbuckledthestrapshouldbesnugbutnotuncomfortable,withnomorethantwofingers-widthofslack.
Do’sandDon’ts
Don’tRideAgainstTraffic
Ridingagainst traffic isveryunsafe: infact, it is illegal ineverystate intheU.S.Therearemanyreasonsforthis.First,bicyclesareconsideredvehiclesandare expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorcycles, cars, andtrucks. Pedestrians are not vehicles, which is why pedestrians walk againsttrafficwhenthereisnosidewalk.Ifyourideagainsttraffic,youincreasethelikelihoodthatvehicledriversand
pedestrianswillnotseeyoubecauseyouareinthewronglane.Nooneexpectsyouthere,soitislikelyyouwillbehit,oratleastswornat.Anotherreasonnottorideagainsttrafficisthecombinedspeedfactor.Ifyou
areridingwithtrafficat15mphandacarovertakesyouat30mph,thedriverisapproachingyouat15mph.Thedriverseesyouaheadandhastimetoevaluatethesituationandoncomingvehicles,andanticipatewhether to slowdownandwaittopass,orsimplytopass.Ifyouareridingheadfirstintotrafficatthesamespeeds,youandthecararenowapproachingeachotherat45mph(your15mphplus their 30mph).Even if they come to a dead stop, you are still coming atthem at 15 mph. If they swerve to go around you, they are running intooncomingtrafficthattheyhavenothadthetimetoevaluate.Finally,ridingagainsttrafficputsyouinahazardouspositionatintersections.
Ifacargoingthesamedirectionasyouisturningleftandyouareproceedinginastraightline,notonlyisitunlikelythatyouwillseetheirturnsignal,butitislikelythattheywillhityou.Amotoristturningrightontotheroadthatawrong-way cyclist is traveling will not see the cyclist—the motorist is looking intooncomingtrafficlanes,notthelaneintowhichtheyareturning.Even though there arewide variations in reporting of bicycle accidents and
fatalities,thereishighagreementacrossstudiesthatridingonthewrongsideoftheroadincreasestheaccidentandfatalityriskby4to7times.Evenridingonthesidewalkonthewrongsideoftheroadincreasesyourriskofbeinghitbyamotorist.
Don’tRideonSidewalks
Although it is counterintuitive, riding on sidewalks ismore dangerous thanridingonthestreetinthedirectionoftraffic.Why?Sidewalksaredesignedforpedestrianswhocanstopinstantaneously.Whenacarshootsoutofadrivewayoranalleyobscuredbyshrubbery, thepedestrianusuallyhears thecarcomingandstops,or sees thecarand leapsback in time.Acyclist travelingdown thesidewalkat10mph(averyaveragecyclingspeed)willhitthecarbeforeseeingit.
Don’tridelikethis.Neverrideyourbikeagainsttraffic(andalwayswearahelmet).Ifyouaresensitivetopollutionorallergensaparticlemaskisrecommended.
Don’tListentoMusicWhileYouCycle
Mostofus love to listen tomusic.Butwearingheadphonesand listening tomusicwhilecyclingisabadidea.Youcan’thearvehiclesastheyapproachyoufromtherearorside.Youalsocan’thearyourbike.Ifyoucouldhearthetickingofyouruntiedshoelaceagainstthechainrings,youcouldstopandtieyourshoebeforegettingcaughtupandthrownoffbalance.
DoSignalYourTurn
A key factor to safe cycling is being predictable. Signaling your intentionsallows those around you to know where you will be next. You can use thestandardhandsignalstaughttodrivers—leftturn,leftarmpointedstraighttotheleft;rightturn,leftarmoutandbentupat90degrees;stop,leftarmoutandbenddownat 90degrees.Because cyclists are able touseboth arms to signal, it iscommon for a right turn to be signaled by a right outstretched arm. Becausemanypeoplearenowunfamiliarwithhandsignals,pointinginthedirectionofyourturnismoreclear.Don’tbelazy—fullyextendyourarmsoyourintentionsareclear.
HandSignals
LEFT:Fullyextendyourarmstraighttotheleft.
RIGHT:Fullyextendyourarmstraighttotherighttosignalarightturn.
STOP:Bendyourleftarmata90-degreeanglepointingdownwardtosignalastop.
RoadHazards
Bicycles are more affected by road conditions than cars. Cars may bangthrough potholes or pass over sand without much ado, but bicycles can beaverselyaffectedbymanyseeminglyinsignificantroadfeatures.
Railroadtracksarehazardoustocyclists,asthissigninPortland,Oregon,pointsout.
RumbleStrips
Rumble strips are pressed or machined bumps installed on shoulders ofhighways.Meanttowakesleepydriversiftheydriftofftheroad,rumblestripsare dangerous for cyclists.Most state transportationdepartments have stoppedinstalling strips on roads potentially used for cycling, and cycling groups arelobbyingeverystatetofollowsuit.
Cracks
Cracks in the road surface canmake even themost practiced cyclist take afall. Be very mindful of cracks running parallel to the curb. Cracks that areroughlythesamewidthasabiketirecancauseyoutolosecontrolofthebikeasyoutryandgetoutofthecrack.Ifyoufindyourselfridinginacrack,cometoastop,liftthebikeoutofthecrackandproceed.Itisdifficulttomakeacontrolledexitfromthistypeofhazard.
Potholes
Hittingapotholecanflattenatireorbendarim;swervingtoavoidapotholecanputyouintothelineoftrafficorparkedcars.Sometimesitisnecessarytohitapothole.Ifthisisthecase,brakeasmuchaspossible,standonthepedalswiththepedalsparalleltotheground,andbendyourelbows.Thegoalistoabsorbasmuchoftheshockofthepotholeaspossible.
Buckling
Pavement, whether asphalt or cement, can buckle or becomewavy. Hittingthesewavesorbucklesathighspeedwilljoltyouandpossiblybuckyouoffthebike. If you are ridingwithout toe clips or clipped pedals, your feetmay slipfromthepedalsandcauseyoutofallofftheseat.Slowdownifyouseeyouareapproachingbucklesorwaves.
Water
Wet pavement can be extremely slick.When riding onwet pavement, slowdownandrideasuprightaspossible.Donotleanintocorners.Wateronmetalandpaintcreatesazerotractionsituation,sotakecarenottohitaccesscoversorroadstripinginthearcofyourturn.
RailroadTracks
Railroadtrackscrossingyourpathatadiagonalareveryhazardous.Evenonthesmoothestcrossingstherearegroovesbetweenthepavementandthetracks.Thesegrooveswillcatchyourtiresandtossyouinaninstant.Thebestwaytocrosstracksistoorientyourbikesoyouareperpendiculartothetracks.Thisiscritical if the tracks are wet. Before adjusting for the perpendicular crossing,makesurethismaneuverdoesn’tputyouinthelineoftraffic.
SandandGravel
Sandorloosegravelintheroadwayisverydangerous.Ifyouareridingabikewithskinnytiresandyouhitdeepsandorgravel(likeontheroadshoulder)youwill instantly losespeedandcontrol. Ifyouhit sandorgravelon the roadwaywhileturning,itcancauseyoutolosecontrolandfallontheturn.
NightRiding
Therearemanydangersinherentinridingabikeatnight.Almostallofthemhavetodowithvisibility.Indarknessyouarelimitedinwhatyoucansee,andothercyclistsandmotoristscan’tseeyou.Lightsandreflectorsarecriticalnightridingequipmentthatisrequiredinmostcities.Even if you ride on a dead smooth, straight-as-an-arrow asphalt bike path,
hazardsspringup.Ifyouhavenolighttoilluminateyourpath,youmightnotseethegarbagebagfulloftrashthataraccoonhasstrewnaboutthetrail.Hittingthetrash, not to mention the raccoon, at full speed is likely to cause a tumble.Therefore,youneedsomekindoflighttoshineonthepathinfrontofyou.Headlampsandhandlebarlampscomeinanawe-inspiringvariety.Beforeyou
plunkdown$500forabikelight(yes,youcanpaythatmuch),thinkaboutwhattypeofridingyouwillbedoingatnight,andhowdarknightiswhereyouride.The $500 headlamp is for riderswho ride 24-hour races in rural areaswherethere is little ambient light. For the urban commuter, a $25 light might doperfectlywelltoilluminatethepavementinbetweenstreetlights.LED (light emitting diode) technology has done much to increase the
brightnessand thebattery lifeofcyclingheadlights.TheLED, incombinationwithadvancedlenssystems,cancreateablindinglybrightlight.Ifyourideregularlyatduskornight,considergettingarechargeablelighting
system, or at least using rechargeable batteries in a standard system. Mostheadlightscomewiththreesettings:high,low,andflash.Batterylifeforthehighsettingsmightrunfromthreetotenhours,dependingonthesystem.Batterylifefortheflashsettingisusuallythreetotentimesthesteadyruntime.As with daytime riding, nighttime riders are least visible to oncoming and
crossing vehicles.To increase your chances of being seen, use flashing lights.Reflectorsonwheelsshowupverywellincarheadlights,butonlyifthebikeisperpendicular to the car.A flashing red taillight is required for night riding insomeurbanareas.Thebatterylifefortheflashingtaillightseemsindefinite—intherangeof100to300hours.Reflectiveclothingisalsoagoodidea.Vestsandjacketsareavailablewithreflectivestripingormadeentirelyofreflectivefabric.
Reflectiveclothingspeciallydesignedforcyclinggreatlyincreasesyourvisibilityandmakesnighttimeridingamuchsaferpursuit..
LEDbicyclesafetylightshavemuchlongerbatterylifethanolderbikelights.Usethemincombinationwithreflectors.
AnimalHazards
Dogscanbeamajorthreattoyoursafety,especiallyinruralareaswhereitiscommon for them to be unleashed. Fortunately, you can often out ride a dog.Unfortunately, you will often become closely acquainted with a dog whileslowlysloggingupalonghill.Beforethedogreachesyou,firmlyshout,“No!”Ifthissimplemeasuredoesnotwork,andthedogisgainingground,preparetogive it a squirtofwater fromyourwaterbottle; aimfor the face.Thisusuallygivesyouenoughtimetomovepasttheirrange.Donotkickthedog.Notonlydoesthisslowyoudown,andspeedisyourprimedefenseagainstadog,butitalsomovesthedogintoamoreaggressivestate.Most dogs will simply run and bark along the edge of the road without
nippingatyou.Onceyouexit theirestablished territory, theyusuallybackoff.Occasionally, however, dogs succeed in takinga chunkof skin fromaheelorcalf.Inreallybadsituations,youmayneedtodismountandretreat,holdingthebikebetweenyouandthedog.Squirrels can be an urban riding challenge. They seem to have a perpetual
dare amongst themselves about who can dart into the street the most timeswithout getting killed. The best thing to do ismaintain your steady pace anddirection;theytypicallymove.Slowdown,shoutorringyourbelliftheyseemtobecontentsittinginyourlineoftravel.In ruralareas, ifyouareoff-roador road riding, it isprobable thatyouwill
encounterwildlifeorfarmanimals,especiallyatduskordawn.Themostlikelyscenarioforacrashisduringarapiddescent.Mostanimalsfreezebrieflywhenstartled,andifyouarehurtlingalongat30mphonabigdownhill,thismomentis enough to keep them in your line. The best option is to be overly cautiousdescendingduringthesetimes.
Dogsthinkchasingcyclistsisgreatfun.Eveniftheydon’twanttobiteyou,theycangettangledinyourwheelsorpedals.
Youneverknowwho(orwhat)you’llmeetonabiketrail.
RidingInTraffic
Ridingintrafficisanintimidatingproposition.Ifyouareanovicebiker,youshould plan your routes to avoid heavily trafficked areas. If youmust ride inheavytrafficwithoutbenefitofmarkedbikelanes,herearesomepointers.
TIP
Don’tSwoop
When riding on a busy road with a parking lane, some riders swoopcloser to the curb in the gaps where no cars are parked. You are morevisible todrivers ifyoumaintaina straight linea fixeddistance from thecurb.
Themostcommoncar-bikeaccidentsinvolveoncomingorturningcars.Carsovertaking you are most likely to see you. Drivers coming toward you arelookingatthecarscomingatthem;theymaynotseeyouagainstthebackgroundofmovingandparkedcars.Alargenumberofbike-caraccidentsinvolvedriversmakinglefthandturns.Theyhavewaitedforanopeningintrafficandtheyseeone,buttheydon’tseeyou.Alwaysassumethataleftturningoncomingcarhasnotseenyou.Generallywhenridingonmulti-laneurbanstreets,youwanttorideoutfrom
thecurborparkedcarsat least threefeet.Thispositioninggivesyouplentyofleewaytoavoidroadhazardslikepotholesandalsoputsyoufarenoughoutintothelanethatyouarevisibletocarsanddon’tblendintothebackground.Ifyouareridingalongsidearowofparkedcars,threefeetisenoughclearancetoavoidthesuddenlyopenedcardoor.Ifyouareable toride thesamespeedas the traffic isflowing,youcantake
your place in the lane as if youwere a car. If you are notmoving as fast astraffic, you should position yourself so that traffic can flow aroundyou.Eventhoughyoumayhave the right tobeon the road, itdoesnotpay toaggravatedriversbytakingupawholelaneifyouaremovingslowly.Again,ifyoucan’tconsistentlyrideattrafficspeeds,youprobablyshouldbelookingforadifferentroute.Ona streetwithout parked cars, youmaywant to ride closer to the curb to
allowtraffictopass.Thisisdependentupontheconditionofthecurbareaandtheprevalenceofstormgrates.
Don’tridelikethis.Carsarehazardousenoughbytheirverypresence.Don’tinviteaccidentsbyfloutingtrafficrulesordisregardingbasicsaferidingpractices.
Riding in traffic requires vigilance. Not only do you need to constantlyappraise the road surface for hazards, but youmust also be aware of the carsahead of, beside, and behind you, as well as those crossing, or potentiallycrossing,yourpath.Pedestriansarealsoahazardtocyclists.Theyoftenunderestimatethespeed
of a bicycle, andwill step off the curb directly in front of you.They also arelookingforcars,notbikes,sooftenwillnotseecyclists.Youshouldassumethatanypedestrianstandingonthecurbwillbesteppingoffthecurbinfrontofyou.Abellisagreatpreventivemeasure.
RidingwithChildren
Before you allow them to ride bikes in the public thoroughfare, haveyourchildrenpracticethesamebraking,shifting,andridingmaneuversyoudid.Toward thisend,bikerodeosforkidsareoftensponsoredbyschoolsandpolicegroups.theyaregreatpracticeforyoungriders.Wheneverridingwithchildren,alwayshavethemrideaheadofyou.Youcaneasilymonitortheirbehaviorandshoutoutcorrections.
Bikelanesareconfiguredinmanyways.thisbikelaneinMinneapolisputstheridersbetweenthecurbandparkedcars.
NegotiatingIntersections
Intersections are very dangerous for cyclists. Motorists are often intent ongetting through an intersectionbefore the light changes or aheadof oncomingtraffic.Motoristseitherdon’tseecyclistsormisjudgethespeedofcyclistsandturninfrontofthem.Acommon,andsometimesdeadly,accidentistheso-calledright hook. A cyclist riding on the right side of the road is cut off at anintersectionbyamotoristturningright.Sometownshavepaintedbikeboxesatintersections to limit this occurrence. At these intersections, cars must stopbehind the square box and cannot turn right on red.Whether or not this hasdiminished incidents is not clear.What is clear is that youmust be especiallytunedintothevehiclesaroundyouwhentravelingthroughintersections.Itisimportanttoplanaheadwhenapproachingintersectionswhereyouneed
toturn.Therearemanyscenariosforintersectionsindowntownzones.Themostimportant concept is that the arc of your turn should take you into yourdestinationlanewithoutcrossingtrafficlanes.Thatmeansthatifyouareturningleftontoatwo-waystreetwhereyouwanttoendupontherightsideofthecurblane,youshouldlineupforyourturnintherightportionoftheleftturnlane.Ifyouareturningleftontoaone-waystreetwhereyouwanttoendupintheleftsideoftheleftlane,youshouldlineuptotheleftsideoftheleftturnlane.Thepurposeofthisistonotonlyallowtraffictomovepastyouasyouturn,butalsotoprotectyoufromtherushingleftturnerswhomayrunyoudownintheirhaste.Ifyouareinabikelane,obviouslyyouwillridedirectlyuptostopsignsand
stoplights.Ifalonglineofcarsisbackedupatastoplight,youcouldridealongthecurborshouldertothefrontofthelineiftheroadiswideenoughandcarscaneasilypassyouwithoutslowingorswerving.Butiftheroadisnarrowandall thecars in frontofyouhavealreadypassedyouonce, it’sprobablybest tostayinline.Itneverpaystoaggravatedriversonnarrowroadswhentheyhavetopassyoumultipletimes.
RidingwithaGroup
Ridingwith a group is fun. It is also a prime scenario for accidents of thebike-on-bikekind. Ifyouwatchprofessionalbikeraces,youwillsee thatevenridersofthatlevelhavemomentarylapsesofattentionorjudgmentthatleadtocrashes.Unlessyouareridingonroadsthathavebeenclosedtocartrafficoronextremely wide bike trails, your group should not be riding more than twoabreast.When riding in agroup, it isvery important tobe consistent in speedandpositioning.Weavingorwobblingwhileyou fiddlewithyourwaterbottlecouldbringyouoracompaniontothegroundwhenyoutouchwheels.Signal,by putting your left hand down, slightly out from your body, palm facingbackward ifyouaregoing to slowdownor stop.Let the rider in frontofyouknowifyouareclosebehindbysaying,“I’mwithyou”or“I’monyou.”Signal,bypointing,upcomingroadhazardsoroverhanghazards.Keepyourfingersonyour brakes at all times—because you cannot clearly see the road ahead, youwillhavelessreactiontime.Butremember,ifyousuddenlyslamonyourbrakes,youwill pile up the riders behind you.Novice riders riding in groups shouldmaintaindistancesofatleastthreeorfourfeetfromeachother,atminimum.
Don’tBeAnonymous
Alwayscarry identificationwithyouwhenyouride.Thebestoption isanIDwristband—ifyourwalletisinyourbikebag,itmightnotmakeittothe hospital with you. Shoe IDs are not the best system—cyclist andpedestriansareoftenknockedoutoftheirshoeswhenhitbyavehicle.Getin thehabitofputtingonyourhelmetandyourwristbandevery timeyouride.
Practicealonetoprepareyourselfforgrouprides.Rideinaperfectlystraightline at a constant speedwhile taking drinks ofwater or shifting gears.Ratherthanswervingtoavoidsmallobstacles,standuponthepedalstosoftentheblowofasmallbumporhole.
Ridingwithagroupcanbechallenging,butitisalmostalwaysfun.Practiceyourridingconsistencybeforegoingongrouprides.
KnowYourPhysicalLimits
Perhapsthemostimportantaspectofsafelyridingabikeistohavearealisticsense of how skilled or unskilled a cyclist you truly are. Many peopleoverestimatetheirabilities,onlytofindthemselvesinadangeroussituation.Thebestthingtodoistostopandthinkandaskquestions.DoyoureallywanttorideinmidtownManhattanonyourthirddayofowninganewbike?Andrememberthat a dangerous situation may arise from any variety of sources. Theinexperiencedriderwhoshowsupwithoutwaterbottlestoa50mileclubrideonahotsummerdaymaynotrealizetherisksinvolvedthatgobeyondautomobilesor helmet use. If you are trying something new, ask someone else who hasalreadydone it.Theycan tellyou that ridingover the steeldeckbridge in therainatrushhourissuicidal.Andremember,youcanalways,alwaysstopandgetoffthebike.Sometimeswalkingyourbikeisthebestoption.
Ifyouneedtoactuallystopandtakeanaptheoddsaregoodthatyou’repushingyourselfalittletoohard.
Thisisamajorthroughstreet,andmanycyclistsrideoniteventhoughbetteroptionsaretwoblocksorfeweraway.
Thisisthestreetoneblocktothesouthofthemajorthroughstreetshownabove.Sametimeofday,yetmuchbetterridingconditions.
Thisbikepathonaconvertedrailbedislocatedtwoblocksnorthofthemajorthroughstreet.It’savirtualbicyclefreeway,withalmostnointeractionwithtraffic.
ChooseaSafeRoute
Choosing a wise cycling route is important for your safety and yourenjoyment. Many cyclists make the error of cycling on the same route theywouldchoose fordriving. Ifyoudrive toworkonamajor throughstreet,youhavechosenthatroutebecauseitisthebestrouteforacar.Thebestrouteforabikemaybetotallydifferent.Ifyouhaveneverbeena regularcyclist,youmayhavenever thoughtabout
getting from point A to point B without using the highway or other majorthoroughfares.Thefactis,inmanyareasgoodorevengreatoptionsexistforapeacefulcyclingroute.Theeasiestoptionisoftentosimplymoveoneblockoffthemajorroute.Someriderswillsay,“ButIhavetherighttorideonanystreetIwant.” Yes, that is true. But why suck car and bus exhaust, deal with lanechangersandimpatientdrivers,andbicyclehaters,whenyoucanusuallyfindalesscongestedroute?Theaddedbenefitofsidestreetsisalsothattheconditionofthepavementmaybesuperiortothemainroads.
Manymapsofbicyclerouteshavebeenpublished.Localmapscanhelpyouwithyourcommuteanddaytrips,andnationalmapscanhelpplanvacationroutes.Cyclistsandcyclingorganizationsalsopublishbooksofmapsandroutesforridesormulti-daytours.Moststateshavewebpagesorpublishedmaterialrelatedtobicyclingoptions.Evenifyouhavelivedinanareaforalongtime,youmaybesurprisedattheoptionsavailableforgoodcycling.
Look at a map of the area where you want to ride. See what options areavailableforyourroute.Checkyourcityorcountywebsiteforbikeroutemaps.Many areas havemarked off bike lanes on certain streets. The advantages ofbikelanesaretwo-fold.Oneisthatmotoristsareguidedbypaintedlineswhichmeanstheyarelesslikelytodriftintoyourlane,andtheotheristhatmotoristsareaccustomedtoseeingcyclistsonthatrouteandwillbemoreawareofthem.Ifyouarelucky,yourcityortownmayhaveadedicatedbikepathornetworkofbikepaths.Thesepathsusuallyofferamoredirectroute,andsometimesprovidetheonlywayforcyclistsandpedestrianstocrosshighwaysorrivers.Ifyouareplanningacommuting route,makesureyoudoa test ridebefore
yourfirstridetoworkday.Justbecausearoutelooksgoodonthemapdoesn’tmeanitisrealistic.EvenusingthecitybikemapsandawebfeaturelikeGoogleMaps for bikes doesn’t guarantee a good route choice. A nice ride along aparkwaymay actually include hills or numerousmeanders,while a residentialstreetmightbeastraightflatride.Ifyouare riding in suburbanor rural areas, the same ideas apply.Youmay
havetogosomewhatmoreoutofyourwaytofindquietbyways,but inmanyareas it is possible. Local bike clubs usually have mapped out local rides orroutes.Checkoutwebsitesfor this informationbysearching“bicycletrails”or“bicycleroutes”.
Someruralhighwayshavenicewideshouldersthatareperfectforcycling.
RidingonSidewalks
Riding on sidewalks is prohibited inmost urban areas or business districts,with good reason. No one is going to be satisfied if you are riding on thesidewalk—you can’t ride very fast because of the pedestrian hazard, andpedestrians do not want to see a bicycle bearing down on them at speed.Sidewalkridingisbestlefttochildrenundercloseadultsupervision.
BridgesandUnderpasses
Underpasses, overpasses, and bridges are typical pinch points for bicycleroutes. Some are traversable only by sidewalk. In these instances, slow downand be prepared towalk your bike. Cyclists do not have the right ofway onsidewalks andpedestrians shouldnot be expected to jumpaside to let cyclistszoompast.Ifheavytrafficisanissue,lookforotherroutes.Sometimeslesser-usedcrossingscanbeincorporatedinaroutewithoutmakingitmuchlonger.
Kidsunderadultsupervisionaretheonlyriderswhoshouldbecyclingonasidewalk.Limitthisusagetoresidentialareasandbeonconstantlookoutforcarsbackingupindriveways.
Thisbridgehasabikelanemarkednexttotherighttrafficlane.Bridgesandunderpassesthatdonothaveabikelanepresentachallengetocyclists.Thebestsolutionistodismountandwalkyourbikeacrossinthepedestrianpassageway.
GalleryofBikeTrailsandLanes
Bike lanes come in just about any imaginable shape and location.Even thesignagevariestremendously.Themostimportantthingtorememberaboutbikelanesistousethemwheneveryoucan.
•SECURITYHowdoyouprotectyourbike investment?Whetheryoupaid$25or$2500,
you want your bike to be there when you leave work or the grocery store.Keepingbikes secure is aprimaryconcernofmanycyclists.Youalsoneed toconsideryourpersonalsafetyaswell.
BikeLocks
Like everything else for cycling, there are multiple choices in the lockdepartment.Balanceyourlocalbiketheftrateagainstwhatyouarewillingtodoand spend to keep your investment safe. Some areas are notorious for bikethievery—arounduniversitiesforexample.Ifyouwillberegularlylockingyourbike in highbike theft areas, youhave a number of options in addition to thestandardlock.Remember that anything that is detachable from your bike is likely to be
taken. Some people just can’t resist removing detachable items, even thoughtheycan’tusethatcyclecomputerwithoutthehardware.So,beginbytakingallthoseitemswithyouwhenyouleaveyourbike.Ifyourbikehasaquickreleaseseatpost,considerreplacingthecamleverwitharegularbolt.Thesameistruefor quick release hubs.You can purchase skewer locks of all varieties so youdon’thavetoremoveyourfronttirewhenlockingupyourbike.The lock you choose should have the least amount of play or leewaywhen
you have secured your bike to a bike rack. The more leeway there is in thelockingmechanism, themoreopportunity there is for a thief to pryor cut thelock.ThebestchoiceisaU-stylelockforsecuringtheframetoarack,coupledwithacablelocktosecurethewheelssoyoudon’thavetoconstantlytakethefrontwheelonandoff.The easiest solution for some of usmay be to havemore than one bike.A
clunker with no quick-release parts is unlikely to be the target for aknowledgeable thief looking for somecash for spendybikeparts.Locking theclunkerwithaU-stylelockusuallyworks.Anuglypaintjobhelps,too.
Itprobablytookthisthiefonesecondtopopthequickreleaseanddisappearwithanalmostcompletebike.
Manypeoplewonderifitisreallynecessarytolockthewheelswhenrunningintothestoreforjustaminute.Theanswerisyes.
BikeLockers
In some bicycle-friendly cities you’ll find bike lockers for rent at train ortransitstations.Bikelockersaregreatbecausenoonecanseeifthereisabikeinsideornot.Veryfewthievesaregoingtoworktheirwaythrougharowofbikelockersinhopesthat theyfindabikebeforegettingcaught.Therearewaytoomanyeasytargetsoutthere.Someemployersallowbicyclestobebroughtonpremises.Thisisbyfarthe
safestoption,butprobablytheleastavailable.Themostcompactofthefoldingbikescaneasilyfitunderadeskinacubicle,completelyeliminatingworryaboutbiketheft.
PersonalSecurityUrban life has its down sides, and one is that your personal safetymay be
threatenedbyothersattimes.Justasyouaresavvywhenyoudriveorwalk,besavvywhenyoubike.Inthenighttime,biketrailscanbeahangoutforunsavorycharacterslooking
tomuganunsuspectingcyclist.The isolation thatmakesadedicatedbike trailgreatforaridealsomakesitripeforcriminalactivity.Fortunately,incidentsarefairlyrare—butyoucertainlydon’twanttobeavictim.Ifyouregularlyrideatrail, itpays to stay linked in to the localcyclingblogs to see if anyareasaregettingdicey.Choosingtoridestreetsratherthanatrailatnightmightbeabetteroption. Try to ride with others in small groups. Pepper spray is an effectivedeterrentifyouhaveitreadilyavailableandcandispenseitwithoutcrashing.
Somecitiesprovidebikelockersforrentneartransitstops.
ClothesandAccessories
Youdon’tneedanyspecialclothingtorideabike.Butyouwillfindthatthemoreyoudoride,themoreyoumaywishyouhadbikingspecificgear.Non-cyclistsoftenwonder about the tightblack shortsand the bright colored cycling jerseys bicyclists wear. Since theseoutfitslookabitoddforeverydaywear,novicecyclistswonderwhattheappealis,buttheseaccessoriesdoserveapurpose.Accessorizing, whetherwith clothing or equipment, is a fun and functional
way to expand your cycling experience. Some basic accessories areindispensable: these include bottle cages and water bottles. Others, such ashandlebar-mountedGPS are fun and appealing and,with little effort, you canprobablyconcoctascenariowheretheywouldbecriticallyuseful.
Awell-stockedbikeshophasafullcomplementofaccessoriesonhandandreadyforpurchase.
Performance,exercise,recreation...whateveryourcyclingobjective,choosingappropriateclothingwillenhanceyourexperience.
•CLOTHINGSpecialized shorts, shirts, tights, and outerwear are available for cycling.
Thesepiecesaremadeofadvanced,high-techfabricsthatwickawaysweatandrepelrain,supportmusclesandallowforrangeofmovement.Andmostofthemwillproudlyproclaimyoursupportforalocalbikeclub,brewery,charityride,orproteam.Plainerclothingisalsoavailable.
BikeShorts
Form-fittingbikeshortsprovidesupporttothemusclesoftheupperleg,andstayinplacewithoutbunchingorbindingduringpedaling.Cyclingshortshavepadding to ease the ride and prevent chafing. Seams are located away fromdelicate areas, and are flat-stitched to prevent irritation. Black is the mostpopular color because it doesn’t show grease—after re-seating a chain orchanging a flat, it is convenient to wipe greasy hands on one’s black shorts.These shorts aremade of Lycra or some similarmaterial, and the heavier theweightofthefabric,themorecompressiontheyapplyandthelongertheywear.Thestretchfabricallowsforfullrangeofmovementwhileonthebike.Ifyou
ridealot,orrideveryhard,youwillnoticethatyourupperlegsswellbytheendof your ride. Bike shorts will stretch to accommodate this. The shorts alsoremain stretchy whenwet with sweat, unlike other fabrics that will stick andbindwhenwet.Options for gaining the padding advantage without the revealing fit are
available.Compressionunderwearwithpaddingcanbewornunderanyshortsorpants. Two part shorts contain a padded, tight underlayer, and a baggier overlayer. Mountain biking shorts are usually two layers, with the outer layerprovidingabrasionresistance.If you ride formore than an hour or two at a time, youmay benefit from
investing incyclingshorts.Alsonote thatcyclingshortsaremeant tobewornwithoutunderwear.Wearingunderwearwithcyclingshortsnegatesthewickingcapabilitiesofthefabricandthespecificnon-chafingdesignoftheshorts.Cyclingshortsrangeinpricefrom$30to$200.Ifyoudon’tthrowtheminthe
dryer,theycanlastforyears.
Bikingshortsarecuttoeliminatebunchingwhileintheridingposition.MTBshortshaveanabrasionresistantouterlayeroverapaddedliner.
BikeTightsAnysortof athletic tight isnice towearonachilly ride.Cycling tightsare
mostoftenwornovercyclingshorts,butyoucanfindtights thathavepaddingandaremeanttobewornalone.Tightswithwindresistantmaterialonthefrontarenice.Legwarmers(notliketheonesinFlashDance!)arealsoanoption.Bikeleg
warmerscoverthelegfromtheanklestothebottomofthebikeshort.Theytakeuplessspaceinyourbagifyouaretravelinglight.
RidinginaSkirt
Yes, those ladies in the1800s rode involuminousskirts.Today’s skirtsdon’thaveasmuchyardage,whichmakesridingeasier.Ridinginalongerskirt like a dress skirt or peasant skirt requires that your bike have, atminimum,achainguard.Askirtguard,whichisaplasticshieldthatcoversthe wheel between the seat stays and chain stays, is also a good idea.Athleticskirtsandskortswon’tgetcaughtinthechain,butyoumightfindtheygetcaughtontheseat.
BikeJerseys
Brightcoloredcycling jerseysaremade to fit thecyclist riding in thedownposition.Thesleevesareset slightly forward,and thebackof the jersey iscutlonger to cover the lowback. Jerseys usually have pockets at the lower back,which is very convenient for carrying snacks or a wallet, since bike shortsusually don’t have pockets. Jerseys are made of wicking materials and rangefrom$20to$150.Retrojerseysmadeofwoolarealsoavailable.Woolwaslongthe standard for athleticwear becauseof itswickingproperties andbecause itkeepsthewearerwarmevenwhenwet.Newfabrictechnologyallowsforwooltobemachinewashed,soifyou’renotafanofpetroleum-derivedfibers,woolisanexcellentnaturaloption.A cycling jersey is not an absolute necessity. Many cyclists have ridden
thousands ofmileswithout ever donning a jersey.While shorts are crucial tocomfortandworth theexpense, jerseysarenice to lookatand thepocketsareconvenient,butanyshirtmadeofwickingmaterialissufficientformostcyclists.Regular cottonTshirts are okay, but they get heavy and stickywhen saturatedwithsweat.Itisalsomorelikelythatyouwillgetchilledwhenwearingcotton.
Cyclingjerseyshavezippersforventilationandpocketsforwallets,snacks,andmaps.Retrowooljerseysarenowavailableinmachinewashableblends.
RainandColdWeatherGear
Bikingintherainorcoldweathercanbemiserable.Wearingtherightgearforthe conditionsmakes the experiencemore tolerable. Finding the right level ofwaterproofingversusbreathabilityistricky.Someridersfindthatsweatingfromwearingwindproofandwaterproofraingearisjustasdrenchingastherainitself.Rain gear often has a variety of ventilation schemes such as pit-zips, zip offsleeves,anddoublezipperstocopewiththeissueofoverheating.Becauseyougenerateyourownwindchillwhenbiking,coldweatherriding
canbeaverychillyactivity.Ears,hands,and feet suffer themost, as theyareleastprotected.Earmuffs,balaclavas,neckgaiters,hats,neopreneorwindproofglovesandbootiesareallitemsavailabletocyclists.Whenchoosing cyclingouterwear, themoregarish the color thebetter.The
neonpinksandyellowsarevisibleatgreatdistanceandhelpsetyouapartfromthebackground.Reflectivepiping,tape,orlogosarealsohelpful.
Winterbikingisapursuitthathasitsowndistinctsetofrequirements,especiallywhenitcomestosportswear.However,interestincold-weathercyclingismakingmorewarmclothingoptionsavailableforrecreationalcyclistswhosimplyhavelittletoleranceforcold.
Rainjacketsforbikinghaveextralongtails.Manycomewithzipoffsleevesfortemperaturecontrol.
Gloves
Some cyclists always ride with gloves, and some cyclists never ride withgloves.Themainpurposeofcyclingglovesistoprovidepaddingtotheheelofthe hand, which is bearing the brunt of the upper body’s weight on thehandlebars. If you ride an upright bike, this may not be a problem for you.Glovesalsoprotectthepalmsofyourhandsifyoufall.Ifyouhaveeverhadtopick asphalt bits from the palms of your hands, you know that gloves are avaluableaccessory.Cold-orwet-weatherridingrequiresglovesofsomesort.Full-fingeredgloves
areavailablewithorwithoutinsulation.Lobsterclawmitts,whichgrouppinkieandringfingertogether,andindexandmiddlefingertogether,allowyoutogripbrakeleverssafely,butprovideextrawarmthbygroupingthefingers.
Regularcyclinggloves(bottomright)don’thavefingertipsbuttheydohavepaddingtoprotectthepalms.Coldweatherversions(topright)havepalmpadding,fullfingersandareinsulated.Lobsterclawmitts(left)makeiteasytobrakewhilekeepingfingersverytoasty.
Bikeglovesshouldprovideprotectionfortheheelandpalmofyourhandwithoutcontributingtooverheating.Mosthavenofingertipsandareventilated.
BikeShoes
Youcancycle in just about any typeof shoe,but somearedefinitelybetterthanothersforthejob.Ideally,yourbikingshoesshouldbesecuredtoyourfeet—clogsandflip-flopsarepoorcyclingchoices.Thelacesshouldbeasshortaspossible.Shoesthatarespeciallymadeforcyclingareveryrigid.Infact,racingshoeshavenoflexibilityatall.Ifyouhaveriddenalongwayinrunningshoeswithrattrappedals,youmayappreciatehowarigidshoemightbehelpful.Itisinefficienttouselegpowertopushdownonasquishyshoeoverandover,plussquishyshoesleadtosorefeet.Arigidshoetransfersmorepowertothepedal,whiledistributingthepedalpressureovermoreofyourfoot.Bike shoes for use with toe clips and straps are difficult to find, as fewer
peoplestillusethetoeclipoption.Shoesforcliplesspedalscomeinavarietyofoptionsrangingfromracingshoesathundredsofdollarsapair,tosportshoesforunderfiftydollars.Dedicatedracingshoesarenotsuitableforwalking.Youmayhaveseenbikerswearingtheseshoesawkwardlywalkingaroundthecoffeeshopbeforeoraftertheirteamride.Abetteroptionformostofusisshoesthatcanbeusedonandoffthebike.Theseshoesarerigidandhavethesamecliplesscleatsystems,buthavetreadandheelssoyoucanwalknormally.Youcanevengetsandalswithcliplesscleats.Youcanusecliplessshoeswithoutthecleats.Justbecarefulifyouareusingtoeclips.Makesureyourshoescaneasilyslideoutoffthepedalandoutofthestraps.Ifyouwanttofullyusethecliplesscleatsystem,youneedtopurchasethepedals,shoes,andshoecleats.Thepedalscanbefoundforaslowas$40or$50fromonlinevendors.Theshoecleatscostaround$20andtheshoesrangefrom$50to$300.Ifyouareinthemarketforsomededicatedbikeshoes,thereareanumberof
brandsofcliplesssystemsfromwhichyoucanchoose.FivemajorsystemsareSPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics), LOOK, Time, Crankbrothers, andSpeedplay. Shoes, pedals, and cleats are not interchangeable between thesesystems, and sometimes are not even interchangeable within the proprietarysystems. Always double-check shoes and pedals for compatibility beforepurchasing.Note thatyoucanonlyuse thesepedals ifyouhave theshoesandcleatstofitthem.Streetshoeswillnotworkwiththesepedals.ForcasualriderstheSPDsystemoffersthemostoptions.TheSPDsystemalsohasadouble-sidedpedalthatcanbeusedwithcleatsorwithstreetshoes.
BicyclingshoesareavailableInwalkablestyles(left)formulti-purposeuse,orinracingstyles(right)suitableonlyforon-bikeuse.
Ifyoudecidetoridewitheithertoeclipsoracliplesscleatsystem,makesureyou practice, practice, practice. To remove your foot from standard toe clips,simplypullyourfootstraightback.Tounclipfromcliplesspedals,turnyourheelsharplytotheoutside.Clippinginusuallyinvolvesslidingthetoeofthecleatinfirst,thenpushingdownontheheel.Allsystemsareslightlydifferent,however,so read the directions carefully. Always begin with the resistance set on theeasiest release setting. The inability to unclip quickly and automatically hascausedevenexperiencedcycliststotumbleover.Itisembarrassingandpainful.
Cliplesspedalscomeinavarietyofconfigurations.Cleatsdesignedtomatchthecliphardwarearescrewedontotheshoestocompletethesystem.Typesshownaboveinclude(left):Crankbrothers,(middle):LOOK,(right):Shimano.
Ifyoureplacethepedalsonyourbike,notethatthepedalmarkedLisfortheleftsideofthebike,andthepedalmarkedRisfortherightside.Theleftpedalislefthandthreaded,meaningittightenstotheleft,orcounterclockwise.Therightpedaltightenstotheright,asusual.
•ACCESSORIESLoadsofaccessoriesareavailable forbicycles.Youcan trickoutyouradult
bikewith all kindsof racks, bags, baskets, computers, andmirrors.The effectmay not be as memorable as a playing card clothespinned to a spoke, or asdazzlingashandlebarstreamers,butaccessorizingyourbike(andyourself)isapursuitmostcyclistsenjoy.
Someaccessories,suchasawaterbottlewithamountingcageonthebikeframe,arevirtuallymandatoryifyou’llbegoingontripsinexcessof20minuteslong.
BottleCagesandBottles
Water bottles are a necessity if you will be riding for more than twentyminutesata time.Mostbikescomewith theattachmentpoints (braze-ons) foroneortwobottlecages,thoughsomecomfortbikeshavenone.Cagesaremadeofaluminumorplastic,andarefairly inexpensive.Buyasmanycagesasyourbikehasattachmentpoints.Theyaretheleastexpensiveaccessory,butdefinitelyhighestinvalue.Waterbottlesaredesignedtofitinthebottlecages.Theyhaveaspoutsoyou
can squeezewater intoyourmouthwithout having to remove a cap.Look forbottlesthathavesoftrubberspouts(theyareeasiertopullopenwithyourteeth)and largescrewoffcapsforeasiercleaningand toallowforadding icecubes.Insulatedbottlesarealsoavailable.Backpack based hydration systems are widely available, and very popular.
Thesepacksholdanywherefrom40to100ouncesofwater.Atubewithabitevalveclipstothefrontofyourshirtsoyoucangetahands-freedrinkanytime.The packs also have pockets for carrying keys, phones, and treats. Their onlydrawbacksarethattheycanmakeyouhotterwhileyouareriding,andkeepingthe pouches clean requires meticulous attention due to their propensity tomildew.
Bottlecagesandbicyclingwaterbottlesmakeiteasiertokeephydrated.Abackpackhydrationsystemcancarrylargeamountsofwaterandthedrinkingtubeallowshands-freedrinking.
BikePumps
Aportablebikepumpisagoodidea ifyouareriding longerdistancesor inmoreremoteareas.Mostpumpshaveamethodforattachingtothebikeframe,thoughsomearecompactenoughtoeasilyfit inahandlebarbag.Don’t forgetyou’ll also need a spare tube or a patch kit! Virtually all pumps now haveadaptorstofiteitherPrestaorSchradervalves.Makesureyouhavesetthepumpuptofityourbiketiresbeforeyougoontheroad.
BicycleComputers
Cyclingcomputersusesensorstoreporthowfastthebikeisgoing,howfastyou are pedaling, and,with additional sensors, your heart rate.Other featuresinclude timers, altimeters, cumulative miles, and trip times. Of course, nowbracketsareavailabletoattachsmartphonesorGPSsystemstohandlebars.
Atirepumpofsomesortisanecessity.Mostcyclistshaveafloorpumpforhomeuseandaframeorbagpumptocarryonthebike.
ThePrestavalvehasbecomeverypopularforbicycleinnertubevalves.Apumpthat’sconfiguredfortheoldstylevalves(calledSchradervalves)willnotfitontoaPresta.MakesureyourtirepumphasaPrestaadapter,asyournextreplacementinnertubewilllikelyhavethistypeoffitting.
HandlebarBags
Ahandlebarbagisanexcellentfirstchoiceinbikebags.Ahandlebarbagcanholdyourroutemaps(somehaveclearmappouches),yourphone,somesnacks,and your tire patch kit. It’s all easily accessible right at your fingertips. Theycomeinsizessmall to large,so it’seasytoget thesizeandfeaturesyouneed.Bags come with a variety of attachment systems geared toward different barstyles,soit’sgoodtotakeyourbikewithyouwhenshoppingforhandlebarbags.
SeatBags
Seatbagsaresmallbagsthatstraptotheseatrailsandseatpost.Theyaretheperfectsizeforasparetire,tirelevers,patchkit,andfoldingcombotool.Theyareinexpensiveandeasytodetach,sotheyworkwellasabasicfirstbag.Racerslikethesebagsbecausetheydon’taddtotheaerodynamicdrag.
BikeRacks
Arear rack is veryuseful if youuseyourbike for commutingor shopping.Choicesincludeaseat-post-mountedrackorarackthatboltstothechainstaysand seat stays.Some racks comewith a spring-loaded clip for securing items.Some racks are designed to work together with certain bags or rack trunks.Racks are not typically designed to carry passengers or to have a child seatmounted to them, and theyhavea recommendedmaximumweight restriction.Theseat-post-mountedrackshavethelowestweightlimits.Theseracksaregreatforasmallracktrunkonamountainbike,especiallyonewithrearsuspension,but using panniers with this type of rack creates the possibility of spokeentanglementwhenpanniersmovearoundduetoroughroads.Thisisnotagoodsituation.
Ahandlebarbagisausefulfirstbag.Everythingiswithinreach,andmanyhaveaclearmapcasetokeepyourroutehandy.
Seatbagsprovidequick,accessiblestorageandarealsoinexpensive.
Rear rackswithweight ratings of 40 to 50 pounds are available to fitmostbikes.Itishelpfultobringyourbikealongwhenyoushopforarack,assomebikes are not as easy to fit as others. Rack styles are changing rapidly asmanufacturers have introduced new models for cruiser style bikes and otherhard-to-fitframes.Frontracksarealsoavailable.Lowridingfrontracksactuallyprovideforthe
bestloadbalance,butitisrarethatyouwillseeanyoneridingwiththeseracksunlesstheyareacycletourist.
Handle-mountedbasketsarehandybecausetheyalloweasyaccessduringshorttrips.Tokeepitemsfromflyingoutduringlongertrips,securethemwithacargonet.
BasketsAswithracks,you’llfindthat thebasketchoicesareincreasingall thetime.
How about a nice wicker basket for your handlebars? Or a basket with aninsulatedlinertokeepyouricecreamchillyontheridehome?Orgrocery-bag-sized baskets for a rear rack that fold upwhen not in use. These baskets andmoreareavailablefrommanysources.Basketsareveryconvenientforshort-triptransportingbecauseyoudon’thavetosecureyouritemstoarack:yousimplytossthemin.Anotherplusisthatbasketsareeitherboltedonsoyoudon’thaveto worry about them being stolen, or they are attached with quick releasefeaturessoyoucanpopthemoffandtakethemwithyou.If possible, bring your bikewith you to the bike shopwhenyou look for a
basket.Somebasketsmayfitgreatononebikebutveryawkwardlyonanother.If you buy online, take the time to read some reviews to see if others haveencounteredfitproblems.If you ride regularly and have bolt-on baskets, check the bolt tightness
periodically. Most bolts come with a little thread tightener applied, or withlockingnuts,butitpaystokeepaneyeontheseconnections.It is a good idea to secure items in a basket with an elasticized cargo net.
Hittingabigbumpcansendeverythingflyingoutofabasket.
Fenders
Whydon’tbikescomewithfenders?That’sagoodquestionandoftenaskedby cyclists over age 45 who remember all their childhood bikes having hadfenders.Theten-speedrevolutionofthe1970skilledthefenderintheU.S.Sincewe are not a nation of bicycle commuters, a la theNetherlands, our bikes getusedforoutingsonniceweekends,notdailyridestoworkthrougheverykindofweather. Manufacturers can save that little bit by not installing fenders, andaftermarketmanufacturerscanmakealittlebitbysellingussomefenders.If you commute regularly, and don’t live in the desert, get a set of fenders.
Evenifyoudon’tregularly leavethehousetoride toworkonrainydays,youwill get caught in the rain eventually, andwet pavement and puddles will bearoundforawhileafter it rains.Fendersalsocutdownon theamountofsandanddirtthatarethrownupontoyourlegsandchain.Ifyoudon’twantbolt-onfenders,quickreleaseversionsthatattachtotheseat
postorsnapontothedowntubeareavailable.Theystopsomeofthegritandsprayfromhittingyou.
Fendersarepopularaftermarketbikeaccessories.Theycomeinavarietyofstyles,materials,andattachmentmethods.Someareintendedtobeinstalledpermanently,others,liketheoneabove,canbesnappedoneasilyiftheweatheristhreatening.
Panniers
Panniersarebicyclebagsthatmountontoarearorfrontrack.Panniersrangein size from small to huge and most are designed for bicycle touring. Mostpanniershaveahookthatattachestothebottomoftherack,andtwohooksthatclipontothetopoftherack.Panniersaredifficultforeverydayusebecausetheyarenotgrocerybagsize,soyouhavetorepackyouritems,andtheyareusuallysomewhatoddlyshaped.Thelarger,moresquaredpanniersaregoodforcarryingachangeofclothesandlunchifyouareacommuter.Somepanniersarecreatedespeciallyforcommuters.Theylookalittlelikea
garment bag, and fold over the top of the rear rack like a saddlebag. Theadvantageisthatsuitsanddressesdonotgetaswrinkledwhentheyarecarefullypackedintothisstyleofpannier.Panniersdesignedforgroceryshoppingaresizedtoholdagrocerybagorare
designedwithhandlesandaquickreleasesystemsoyoucanpopthemoff,shop,loadthepanniers,andpopthembackon.
RackTrunks
Racktrunksarestoragebagsthatmountontherearrack.Someareinsulated,whichmakes themperfect for carryingpicnic supplies.Larger rack trunks aresuitableforcarryingworkclothes, ifyoudon’tmindfoldedclothes,buttakingthetrunkonandoffcanbeabitofahassleunlessyougettheintegratedrack-trunkquickreleasesystems.
Panniers,atleastastheyareknownIntheU.S.,areessentiallysaddlebagsthatstraddleyourreartire.
Panniersattachtothefrontorrearracksandareavailableinawiderangeofsizes.
BackpacksandBags
Ridingwithbackpacksisverycommon.Sincemostofusalreadyhaveanoldframelessbackpacklyingaroundsomewhere,itdoesn’trequireanyinvestment.Backpackshavetwomaindrawbacksforcyclists.Oneisthattheyincreaseyourheatfactor.Theotheristhattheyincreasetheamountofweightabovethebike’scenter of gravity. For inexperienced riders this can increase wobbliness.However,backpacksaresaferforridingthanmessengerbags.
TIP
Bells
Bells are good alert devices to let pedestrians or slower bikes knowyou’repassing.Tellingapedestrianthatyou’re“OnYourLeft”sometimesresults in them jumping to the left,directly intoyourpath.Abellusuallyresultsinalessviolentresponse.
Messengerbagsarecool,butperhapsnotthemostpractical.Ifyouridewithone,usetheauxiliarystraparoundyourwaist.Otherwisethebagcanmoveabittoofreelyandcauseadistraction.Unlessyouhaveaverylargebag,theydon’tholdmuch.Becarefulwithmessengerbags.Makesurethestrapisshortenoughthatthebagrideswellaboveyourwaist.Ifthebagridesbelowyourwaistitcangetcaughtundertheseatasyoumount.Thesuddenjerkystopasthebagcatchesundertheseatasyouareattemptingtomoveforwardisveryentertainingtothepeoplesittingoutsidethecoffeeshop,butnotverypleasantforthecyclist.
Mirrors
Some cyclists swear by mirrors, some say they are terribly distracting.Whateverstylemirroryouuse,therewillbealearningcurveinvolved—itisn’tasstraightforwardascarmirrorsforsomereason.Mirroroptionsincludesmall,dentalsizedmirrorsthatattachtoeyeglassesorhelmets,andlargermirrorsthatattach to handlebars. Handlebar attachments might be bolt-on or end-of-tubestyle.Mirrors are not a substitute for a good look over the shoulder, but they do
allowyoutobemoreawareofyoursurroundings.Mirrorsareespeciallyhelpfulforruralroadorbikepathriding.Onruralroads,mirrorsallowyoutoseelargevehiclesapproaching longbeforeyouhear them.Onbikepaths,mirrorsallowyou to see the silent cyclist who is approaching from behind at double yourspeed.
Rear-viewmirrorscanbemountedtoyourhandlebarsortoyourhelmet.
Astandard-issue,framelessbackpackhasmorecapacityandissaferforbeginningriderstousethanfancierbikepacks,suchasmessengerpacks.
•CARRACKSIfyouwanttodosomecyclingawayfromhome,andyoudon’thavealarge
vehicle,acarrackisamust.Fortunatelytheycomeinarangeofstyles,someofwhich are fairly inexpensive.Options for rackmounting points include trunk,hitch,sparetire,truckbed,androof.The trunk-mounted racks are typically the least expensive and are good for
trips longor short.Most trunk racks easily hold twobikes (theymay say thattheyholdthree,butthiscanbetrickytoaccomplish).Ifyouhaveabikewithastep-through frame, you need to buy an adapter that clamps to the handlebarsandseatpostthatmakesthebikesuitableforfittingtherack.Bikesmountedona trunk rack canobscure taillights or license plates. It canbe disconcerting towatch your bike bounce around on these types of racks, but if you regularlycheck for strap tightness (especially after rain) they are absolutely secure. Amajordisadvantageofthetrunkrackisthatyoudonothaveaccesstothetrunkcontentswhiletherackisonthecar.Thisishighlyirritatingifyouhaveaflattireoracoffeespillandneedafreshchangeofclothes.Manycyclistspreferroofracksbecausethebikeisverysecurelyattachedwith
mechanical locking fasteners and not fabric straps. Roof racks don’t interferewithtrunkaccess,andmanyofthemhavelockablecartopcarrierpodsavailableto increase storage space. If you participate in other outdoor sports likekayaking,canoeing,orskiing,roofracksareagreatoption.Roofrackstendtobemoreexpensive.Twomajordisadvantagesofroofracksarethatyouhavetobeabletoliftyourbikeonandofftheroof,andyouneedtorememberthatyourbike ismounted on your roof before you drive into your garage or a parkinggarage.Windnoiseandincreasedaerodynamicdragareotherdrawbacksoftheroofracks.IfyouhaveanSUV,thesparetiremountisnicebecauseyoucanoftenopen
thebackwithout removing therack.Theseracksareverysecurelymounted tothesparetiremounts(withthetireon).Hitchrackscanaccommodateuptofivebikes.Theyareagoodoptionifyou
alreadyhaveavehiclewithatrailerhitch.Theyworkbestonvehicleswithmoregroundclearance,astheyprojectbehindthevehiclesomewhatandcanscrapeondrivewaysandspeedbumps.Truckbedmountscaneitherbebarsthatmountacrossthesidepanels,orbolt
intothetruckbed.
Atrunkstylerackoftenworksonavan.
Ifyouareinterestedinmountainbiking,abikerackandautilityvehicleareyourtickettothemostremotetrails.
Roofracksmayhavestrutstoholdthebikeonwithbothwheelsinplace,orquickreleaseleverstoholdtheforkinplacewiththefrontwheelremoved.
BikeTrailers
Biketrailersarenot trailersforhaulingbikes,but trailerstopullwithabike.Biketrailersaregreatforhaulingkidsandlotsofstuff.Therearetwomajorvarieties—onewithseatsforkids(orpets),oroneforthings.
TheBicycle:AnOverview
Everyone knows what a bike looks like, right? Two wheels,pedals, chain, handlebars, and a seat, plus a frame to hold it alltogether.It’strue.Bicyclesarereallyrathersimple.Forthemostpart,thecasualriderdoesn’tneedtoknowtoomuchabouthowabicyclehas been designed and manufactured or how all the pieces worktogether.
Ontheotherhand,bicyclesaresimpleenoughthatmostofusbenefitfromabit of technical information. You can use the information in this section tofamiliarizeyourselfwiththetermsyouwillhearwhileshoppingforabike.Oryoucansimplyuseitasareferencesectionforwhenyoumighthavequestionsinthefuture.An interesting note about bicycles is that most bicycle manufacturers only
reallydesignandmaketheframe.Thecomponents—brakes,derailleurs,pedals,chains, sprockets,wheels—aremanufacturedbyasmallnumberofcomponentmakers.Regardlessofthebrandonthebikeframe,almosteverybikeyoulookatwill have components made by Shimano or SRAM or one or two othercompanies. Bicyclemanufacturers decide which level of component tomatchwitheachframedesigntocreateabiketargetedatacertainuserandpricepoint.Within the same price range, you will findmost bicycles will have the samecomponentgroup.The components are also very similar, even if manufactured by different
companies. A front derailleur looks like a front derailleur looks like a frontderailleur.Thisisaplusbecauseyouhavefewerdecisionstomake,andifyouchoosetodomaintenanceworkthereislittlevariationfrombiketobike.
•PARTSOFABIKEThe following information about the broad subject of bicycle parts covers
both the general and the more specific.When you shop for a bike, you mayencounterasalespersonwholikes to tossoff technicalbike terms. It isnice tohaveabasicunderstandingoftheterms;however,ifyouareacasualrideryouhonestlydon’tneedtoknowwhatanyofthetermsmean.
Frame
Theframeisthemetalstructurethatalltheotherpartsareattachedto.Framesare typically steel or aluminum, though theymay alsobemadeof titaniumorcarbonfiber.Eachmaterialhasadvantagesanddisadvantages.Aluminumisverylightweightandrigid,but thatcreatesasomewhatharshride.Steelandcarbonframeshaveabalanceofrigidityandflex,sotherideisnotsojolting.Carbonandtitaniumareverylightweight,butalsoveryexpensive.Onanuprightstylebicycle,eithermountainbikeorroadbike,theframehas
roughlyadiamondshape.Recumbentbikeframesareoftenasinglebar.Someframesmayhaveastraighttoptube(theoldboys’bike)orastepthroughframe(theoldgirls’bike).Somebikeshaveamixteframe,whichlookslikehalfwaybetweenthestraightandstepthroughframes.Manyframestodayarebasedonamountainbikestylewherethetoptubeslopesdownwardtowardtheseattube.
Themixteframeisstrongerthanthestandardstep-throughframe.
Back in the Old Days, when all bikes had the same frame geometry (thediamond), itwas easy to compare sizes because a 20″ frameononebikewasvirtuallythesamesizeasa20″frameonanotherbike.Themeasurementrefersto the length of the seat tube. With the many different frame configurationstoday,theseattubemeasurementislessrelevant.Aroadbikewitha20″framemayfityou,butamountainbikethatisthecorrectsizeforyoumayonlyhavea15″frame.Metal frames are made from metal tubing that has been cut and welded
together. A lugged frame means that special brackets have been made to fitaround the tube junctions.Thismakes foraverystrong joint.Butted tubing istubingthatisthickerattheendsandthinnerinthemiddle.Thismakesitstrongerwithlessweight.Braze-onsarethreadednubsthathavebeenbrazed(atypeofsoldering)onto the frame to serveas attachmentpoints forbrakes,derailleurs,cables,racks,fenders,pumps,andbottlecages.The frame parts are the seat tube,which the seat post slides into, the head
tube,whichthefrontforkslidesinto,andthetoptubewhichconnectsthesetwo.Thetubebetweentheheadtubeandthebaseoftheseattubeisthedowntube.Wheretheseattubeandthedowntubemeetisthebottombracketwhichholdsthespindleandbearingsforthecrankset.Holdingtherearwheelarethewheelstaysandseatstays.The standard frame is an immobile structure (although some frames have
suspensionelements,whichallowtherearwheel tomoveupanddown).Eachframeisintendedtoworkwithaspecificwheelsizeandwidth.Youhavesomeleewayintermsofwheelwidth,buttheframewillonlyfitonewheeldiameter.
FrontFork
Thefrontforkisnottechnicallyconsideredpartoftheframe,becauseitisnotpermanentlyattached.Theforkslidesintotheheadtubeandisattachedwithalockingmechanism.Twosetsofballbearingsallowthefork tomovefreely inthetube,whilebeingabletosupportagreatdealofweight.Thispairofbearingsiscalledtheheadset.Someforksarestraightandsomearecurved(raked).Therakeofthefrontforkisimportanttohandlingandcomfort.Forksmaybemadeofdifferentmaterialsthantheframe.Analuminumbike
mayhaveasteelforktosomewhatsoftentheride.Suspensionforksareincreasinglycommon,evenonnon-mountainbikes.The
suspension provides two benefits. One is that your hands don’t take such abeatingifyouarebouncingoverrocksandtreerootsonatrail,orpotholesonaroughroad.Theotheristhattheshockabsorptionkeepsthefronttireincontactwiththeground,whichincreaseshandling.
Asuspensionforkonamountainbikeabsorbsmuchoftheshocksoitdoesn’ttransmittotherider’shands.Suspensionforksalsocanbeinstalledonhybridbikestomakeroughcommutesmorecomfortable.
Atypicalfrontwheelhasspokeslacedtogetherandanchoredinthehubandtherim.
Wheel
Atthecenterofeachwheelisanaxlewithinahub.Twosetsofballbearingsallowthewheeltoturnsmoothlyandtwosetsoflockingboltsholdtheaxleandbearing assemblies within the hub. Quick release wheels have a hollow axlethroughwhicha longpinandcammechanismare threaded.Thequick releaseallowsyoutoremovethewheelwithoutanytools.Astandardaxle is threadedandisattachedtotheframeorforkwithnuts.
WheelSize
WheelscomeInmanysizes.ThediameteroftherimIsonedimension,and the width of the rim is the other. One rim width can usuallyaccommodate a range of tire widths. For example, a one-inch rim canaccommodatetiresfrom1to1-1/2″wide.Thetirediameter,however,mustmatchtherimdiameterexactly.
Thespokesarethreadedthroughholesinthehubandareheldinplacebyaflattenedend.Thespokesarethreadedattherimendandareheldinplacewithspecialnuts called spokenipples.Spokescome indifferent thicknesses (calledgauge), and wheels have different numbers of spokes. How the spokes arearranged is called the lacing pattern. The spokes are arranged, or laced, inspecificpatterns from thehub to the rim.Youwill see that somewheelshavevery few spokes that do not cross each other while other wheels have manyspokesthatcrosstwooreventhreetimes.Lacingpatterns,spokematerials,andspokegaugeaffecttheweightandstrengthofawheel.Allthespokesonawheelaretensionedpreciselytoholdtheriminperfectalignment.Thisiscalledtrue.Awobblywheel is out of true, and can be trued by a process of loosening andtighteningthespokenipples.Rims are typicallymadeof aluminum, thougholder or less expensivebikes
mayhavesteelrims.Rimscomeinmanywidths.Amountainbikerimorcruiserbikerimmaybean inchormorewide.Arimforaroad-racingbikemaybeascant3/4inch.Aroundtherimsontheinsideisapieceofplasticorrubbercalledrimtape.
Thispreventsthespokenipplesfrompuncturingtheinnertube.
Aquick-releaseleverletsyouremoveafrontorrearwheelwithoutusinganytools.Theintentistoallowyoutoquicklypopthewheelofftochangeatire.
Tires
Tiresaresizedtofitrimdiameteraswellaswidth.Dimensionsaregivenasdiameter×width.Soa27×1-1/4inchtirefitsa27-inchwheelandit is1-1/4inchwide.A700×23tirefitsa700cwheelandhasawidthof23mm.Tirescanhaveasmoothtread(slick)orverypronouncedtread(knobby)andeverythinginbetween.Slicktiresaregoodforridingonpavedsurfaces.Knobbytiresaregoodfor riding on loose dirt and gravel, where their additional texture grabs well.Ridingonpavementwithknobbytiresisloudandtakesmuchmoreenergythancruisingalongpavementonyourslicks.Tires must be used with inner tubes, which are sized to fit specific tire
diametersandarangeofwidths.The majority of bike tires are called clinchers. They have wire or Kevlar
beads,whichholdtheminplace,orclinchthem,ontotherims.TheadvantageofKevlaroverwirebeadsisthatthesetiresweighalittlebitless,butalsotheycanbe folded flat, which is an advantage for carrying a spare tire while touring.Bicycleracersrideontirescalledsew-upsortubulartires.Thesetiresaregluedtotherims,sotheyhavenobead.
InnerTubes
Inner tubes are typically made of rubber, though some puncture-proofvarieties are available that incorporate other compounds. Inner tubes come insizesmatchedtothediameterofthewheelandthewidthofthetire.Innertubesalsocomematchedtothevalveholethatisdrilledintherim.ValvesareeitherPrestaorSchrader.Prestavalvesarethinmetalthreadedvalveswithathreadedvalve stem. The valve head is unscrewed to open the valve for filling, andscreweddowntolock.TheSchradervalvelooksjustlikethevalveonacartire—arubbercoatedstemwiththreadsforacapandavalvelockthatisactivatedbyapointedmechanismwithinthepumphead.Asyoumayhaveguessed,thesepartsarenotinterchangeable,andyoumustuseaPrestaheadpumpwithaPrestavalveandaSchraderheadpumpwithaSchradervalve.Somepumpscomewithpartsthatcanbeflippedtoallowusewithbothvalves.
Bicycletiresareavailablefromfantasticallygnarlyknobbiestosuperskinnyslicks.
Twostylesofvalvesarefoundonbicycleinnertubes.TheSchradervalve(bottom)isrubbercoveredandisthesameasacartirevalve.theprestavalve(top)isthreadedmetalandhasalockingstem.Ifyou’veneverusedaprestavalve,askforademoatyourbikeshop.theyrequiresomeexplanation.
TheSeat
Seats, frequently called saddles, come in many shapes and sizes. Seats areleatherorvinylstretchedoverpaddingontopofahardplasticbase.Youcangetseatsorseatcoverswithgelinsertstopadyourride.Someseatshaveacut-outsectioninthemiddle,oragroovedownthemiddle.
This is toeasepressureon the tailboneandonnerves in thecrotcharea.Seatsareavailableinmen’sandwomen’smodels.Thisisbecausemen’sandwomen’ssitbonesarespaceddifferently.Theold-fashionedleathersaddleisstillavailable,andsomeridersswearthat
thisistheonlysaddletohave.Thesesaddlesareverythickleatherrivetedtoametalsuspension.Thistypeofsaddleneedstobebrokeninthroughanintensiveprocess of oiling and riding, and, some say, hammering with a ball-peenhammer.Overyearsofriding,thissaddlewillformtoyoursitbonesandtrulybecomeacustomseat.Theseatismountedontheseatpost.Seatpostscomeinavarietyoflengths,
andslideintotheseattube.Movingtheseatpostupordownintheseattubeishowyouchangetheheightofyourridingposition.Seatpostsaresecuredwithboltsorquickreleaselevers.
Giventhewideassortmentofsaddlesavailable,everyoneshouldfindwhatheorsheneeds,fromretrotoracingtoleisurelycruising.
Handlebars
Handlebarscomein threecommonconfigurations,althoughtherearealmostunlimited variations to be found.Mountain bike handlebars are usually a flat,straightbar.Barendsareofteninstalledontheseflathandlebarstocreatemorehand positions or allow formore upright riding.Cruisers usually have curvedbarswithabitofarisetothemwithasinglegriparea.Forarealuphighgrip,itis still possible to get the old style Sting Ray style handlebars, though theyusuallydon’tcomeasoriginalequipment.Road bikes have drop bars which curl down and provide numerous hand
positions.Youmayseepeoplezippingbywithaerobars.Theseclamp-onbarsjutoutfromthefrontofthehandlebarsandhaveelbowpads.Usingthesebarscreatesaverydown,veryaerodynamic ridingposition.Cowhornormustachebarslooklikecruiserhandlebarsthathavebeenturnedupsidedownandpointedforwardinsteadofback.Likedropbars, thesebarsprovidenumerouspotentialhandpositions.
Stem
Thestemconnects thehandlebars to the front fork.Stemscome indifferentsizes and configurations. The reach and angle measures how far forward andupwardthearmofthestemprotrudes.Stemsusedtobemadeatsharporrightanglesandinonepiece.Theywereclampedinsidetheforktubesoitcouldberaised or lowered by loosening the clamp bolt. Now, stems come in manyconfigurationsandthestemclampsontotheoutsideoftheforktube.Spacersontheforktubeadjustthestemheight,andtypicallytheforktubeiscuttofit.Somebikes come with adjustable stems to allow for quick adjustment with a hexwrench.Replacing a stemwith a shorter or longer reach or angle stem is onewaytocustomizethefitofabike.
Headset
Theheadsetisthebearingmechanismthatattachestheforktothebikeframeandallowstheforktomove.Twosetsofbearings,oneatthetopandoneatthebottom of the head tube, bear the weight of the cyclist while allowing forsteering.Olderandlessexpensivebicycleshavethreadedheadsets.Thatmeansthe fork has a threaded top that the headset screws on to.Most bicycles nowcomewiththreadlessheadsets.Theforkisnotthreaded,andtheheadsetisheldtogetherbyaclampingmechanismratherthanathreadednut.
AthreadedheadsetisheldInplacewithanut,andthestemiscalledaquillstemandisheldinplacewithaninteriorclamp.
Mostnewbikeshaveathreadlessheadset.Thestemclampsontotheoutsideofthesteerertube.
Shifters
Shiftersareadjustedtochangethebikegear.Twistshiftsaremountedaroundthehandlebars,andareusedbygrippingandtwisting.Thumbshiftersaresmallleverstobeoperatedbythethumb,orthumbandforefinger.Barendshiftersaresmall shift leversmounted in thebar endsofdrop stylehandlebars.These areoftenthechoicefortourists,sincetheyareoftenridinginthedownpositiontodecreasewind resistance.Brakeshiftersare integrated into thebrake leversondrophandlebars.Theshiftersareactivatedbypushingsidetoside,orpushingtoonesideandusingathumbtriggerfortheotherdirection.Shiftleversarefoundonolderbikesthatusedfrictionshifting.Thesemaybe
located at the top of the head tube ormounted on the down tube. The leversmovedinacontinuoussmoothmotion,andtheridershiftedbyfeelandpracticeintothedesiredgear.Allnewbikeshaveindexedshifting.Theshifterclicksintoaseriesofpositions thatcorrelatewithacertaingear.Somederailleursystemsstillusefrictionshiftingforthefrontderailleur.Thisisbeneficialwhenusingatriple crankset with a 9 or 10 sprocket cassette. Because of the wide gearingrange, friction shifting allows for precise adjustment to the front derailleur topreventthechainfromrubbing.
Thumbshiftersusuallyhavetwolevers,oneoperatedbythethumbandonebytheforefinger.
Twistshiftersareeasytouseandarealwaysinhand,whichisverysafe.
Barendshiftersarepopularwiththosewhoenjoytouring.Theshiftleversareconvenientlyclosesothatminimaleffortisneededforshifting.
Brakes
Themostcommonbrakesarecalledrimbrakesandhave levers installedonthe handlebars. The levers are connected to the brake mechanism with brakecables. Squeezing the levers shortens the cable, which then squeezes rubberbrakepadsagainstthewheelrims.Rim brakes all use a calipermechanism.The three styles are referred to as
caliper,cantilever,orlinearpull.Caliperbrakesarecurrentlyusedonroadbikesandcanbefoundonmostolderbikes.ThisbrakelookslikeaCcenteredoverthetireandrim.Thebrakeattachestotheframeatasinglepoint.Mostmodernversions are sidepull, dual pivot, but on older ten-speeds sidepull single pivotandcenterpullversionswereoftenused.Thedisadvantageofthecaliperbrakeisthattheyhavelittleclearanceforlargertiresordirtandmud.Cantilever and linear pull brakes are standard on almost all hybrid and
mountainbikes,andsomecomfortbikes.Thecantileverbrakehastwoarmsthatangle outwards, and the arms aremounted onto posts on the fork or the seatstays.Whenactivated,thecenterpullcablepullsupthearmswhichpushesthepads against the rims. These brakes were used on earlier versions of themountain bike. Linear pull brakes are almost always referred to as V-Brakes,which is the Shimano trademark. Linear pull brakes also have two arms thatattach to the forksand seat stays.Thebrakearmsare straighter, and thecablerunsthroughametalsleeve(noodle)andpullsfromtheside.Theadvantageofthe cantilever and linear pull brakes is that they allow forwider tires and canapplymorebrakingforce.Alsoavailablearediscbrakes.Insteadofgripperssqueezingthetiresidewall,
thediscbrakeoperatesexactlylikeacardiscbrake.Agrippingmechanismwithpadssqueezesadiscthatismountedaroundthehub.Theadvantageofthediscbrake is an exponential increase in stopping power, and a system that is notaffectedbywaterormud.Discbrakesmaybeeitherhydraulicorcableactivated.Asingle speedcruiseroftenhasa coasterbrake.Acoasterbrakeallows the
ridertocoast,withthepedalsnotrotating,orbrakebypushingbackwardonthepedals.Coasterbrakesfallintothecategoryofdrumbrakes,becausethebrakeiscontainedwithinthehub.Otherdrumbrakesareactivatedwithahandlever.Theadvantage of the drum brake is that it is protected from the elements, so notaffectedbywater.However,drumbrakesareveryheavy,soaremostlyusedforcasualorcargobikes.
Roadbikesusuallyhavedual-pivotcaliperbrakes.Thebrakeshavelowclearance,sotheyaren’tsuitableforfattiresormuddyconditions.
Thecantileverbrakehasclearanceforlargetiresandmud.
Linearpullbrakeshavegoodclearanceandexcellentstoppingpower.
Discbrakesareverypowerful,arenotasaffectedbymoistureasrimbrakes,anddonotrequiresturdywheelrimstooperate.
Coasterbrakesarenotaffectedbyweatherbecausetheyoperateinternally.
Mostroadbikesnowhaveshiftleversintegratedwithbrakelevers.
Crankset
The crankset is made up of the chainrings, crank arms, and pedals. Thecranksetmountsonto the spindlearmswhichproject from thebottombracket.Thecranksetisthemechanismthatconvertsyourmusclepowerintodrivepowerforyourbike.
Chainrings
Thechainringorringsarethefrontsprocketsthatholdthechain.Abikemayhaveone,two,orthreechainrings.Chainringsaresizedbynumberofteeth—53teeth is very large and 22 teeth is very small. The very small chainrings arereferredtoasgrannygears,eitherbecausetheyhavefewteethorbecauseonlygranny needs to have a chainring this small. Road bikes usually have twochainrings.Mountainbikes,hybrids,andtouringbikesareequippedwith threechainrings. More chainrings means more gearing options, and for off-roadriding,comfort,andlong-distancetouring,themoreoptions,thebetter.Thedifferencebetweenthenumberofteethonthetwoorthreechainringsis
limitedtotheabilityofthefrontderailleurtolift thechainuptothenextring.Thisisthemaximumcapacityofthederailleur.Forolderbikesthisnumberwas10,butnewderailleurscanhandlelargerrangeslike16.Olderroadbikesoftencamewith52/42tfrontchainrings.Currentroadbikescommonlyhavea52/39tora50/34tset.Amountainbikewithatriplechainringmightbe44/32/22t.It is possible to change out chainring sizes, or even to replace a double
crankset for a triple crankset. Changing ring sizes is not terribly difficult, butmovingfromtwo to threechainringsrequires replacing theentirecranksetandthefrontderailleur.
Acranksetconsistsoftwocrankarmsandtwoorthreechainrings.Mountainbikeorhybridcranksetsusuallyhavethreechainrings,androadbikesetshavetwo.
Theclassicbicyclepedalhasgrippyedgesandrotatesonitsownaxleafteritisscrewedtothecrankarm.
Toeclipskeepthefootfromslippingoffthepedal.Acageonly(left)allowsforquickexits.Acagewithstrapsecurelyattachesthefoottothepedal.
Pedals
Thepedals areplatforms that spin freelyon axles that are threaded into thecrankarms.Theleftpedalhasalefthandthread,meaningittightenstotheleft,orcounterclockwise.PedalsarestampedwithanLorRbythethreads.Pedalscome inahugevarietyofshapes, sizes,andstyles.Pedals forcasual
ridingmay bewide platformsmade ofmetal or plastic,with some amount ofgrippysurfacetopreventfeetfromslippingoff.Eithersideofthepedalcanbeusedforriding.Rattrappedalsaremetalwithpointstoprovidemoregrip.Aproblemwithpedalsisthattheharderorfasteryoupedal,themorelikelyit
is that your feetwill slip off the pedals.Anumber of options are available topreventslippingandtomaximizethetransferofcrankingpower.Toeclipsandstrapscreateacagearoundthefoottopreventforwardorside-to-sideslipping.Toeclipsandstrapscanbeusedwithanykindoffootwear,buttheyonlyattachtopedalsthathavestrapslotsandboltholesforclips.Cliplesspedalshaveanattachmentmechanismwhich interfaceswithacleat
attached to biking shoes. There aremanymanufacturers producing a range ofthesepedals,cleats,andshoes.Somesystemsaremeantforracing,withshoesthatarecompletelyrigidandonlysuitableforpedaling.Othersystemsaremeantfor general riding andhave shoeswith recessed cleats soyou canwalk in theshoes.Mostcliplesspedalsareuseableonlywiththecleatedshoes,thoughafewaredoublesidedwhichallowsforanyshoetobeused.(Seepage73forphotoofcliplesspedalsandcleats.)
Derailleurs
Derailleurs are the mechanical arms that lift and push the chain betweenchainringsonthefrontandsprocketsonthecassetteintheback.Derailleursareconnected to the shifters with wire cables. Derailleurs work specifically withcertainsizerangesofchainringsorcassettes.Front derailleurs all look fairly similar, a simple lever arm with sides that
guidethechainsidetosideandarollerbartoliftthechainup.Rearderailleurscages may be short or long. The cage is the part of the rear derailleur thatcontainsthetwopulleysthatthechainrunsover.Rearderailleursmovethechainbackandforthbetweensprockets,butalso takeup theslackchainwhenusingsmallerrings,sotherearderailleurisresponsibleformaintainingchaintensioninadditiontoshifting.
Thefrontderailleurpushesandliftsordropsthechainbetweenchainrings.
Mostroadbikeshaveashortcagederailleurbecausethedifferencebetweenthehighestandlowestgearsissmallsothereisnotasmuchchainslack.
Mountainbikesandmanyhybridandcomfortbikeshaveaverywiderangeofgears.Thecageonthederailleurislongertotakeuptheextrachainlength.
Cassette
Thecassetteisthesetoftoothedsprockets(alsocalledcogsorgears)attachedtotherearwheel.Cassettesaremadeupofgroupsofeighttoelevensprockets.Olderbikeshadfive,six,orseven.Thecassettesare labeledbythenumberofteethonthesmallestandlargestsprockets.Atypicalroadbikecassettehastenorelevensprocketsrangingfrom11to23or12to25.Mountainbikesusuallyhavealargerrange,like11to34.Formostcyclists,cassettesarenotcustomizable.Whichisfine;cassettesare
available in awide range of combinations set up for road riding ormountainbiking. The road cassettes have only a one tooth difference between eachsprocket,whilethemountainbike,orMTBcassettesmayhavealargerrangeintotal,oroneverylargesprocket.
Cassettesarethesetsofsprocketsmountedonthehuboftherearwheel.TheyareavailableInsizesandIntervalssuitableforroadracingormountainclimbing.
CassetteFreehuborFreewheel
Thecassetteisattachedtothecassettefreehub.Thefreehubisthemechanismthatallowsyoutocoastwithoutpedaling,thenengagewhenyoupedalforward.Bicyclesusedtohaveamechanismcalledafreewheel,whichwasaseparatepartthatthreadedontothehub,butnowalmostallbicyclescomewiththeintegratedfreehub.
InternalGearHub
Aninternalgearhubhasall thegearinghiddenwithinthehub.Internalgearhubs are availablewith three to fourteen gears. The advantage of the internalgearhubisthatitneedslittleornomaintenancebecausethehubissealedfrommoistureanddirt.Thedisadvantageisthehighinitialprice.Thenine-speedhubisnowusedonanumberofcommuterstylebicycles.
Theinnerworkingsofaninternalgearhubareverycomplex.Fortunatelytheyaresealedandrequirenomaintenance.
FixIt
Ingeneral,youcanchoosebetweenado-it-yourselforado-it-formeapproachtobikemaintenanceandrepair.Thereare,however,ahandfulofbasicskillsyoumustdevelop(unlessyouhappentohavea ride-along bike mechanic who tails you everywhere). First andforemost,youneedtoknowhowtopumpupyourbiketiresandlubethechain.Beyond that, ifyour ridesarenever longer thanamileortwofromhome,youmightneverneedtohandleyourownrepairs.Ifyourbikebreaksdown,walkithomeandhaulitintoyourlocalbikeshop.However,shouldyouregularlyventurefurtherafield,knowinghow to fix a flat tire is a very good skill. And bringing along theequipment to fix said flat is good, as well. Of course, with today’scommunications connectivity, it is unlikely that you would have towalktenmilesbackhomebecauseyouhavehadaflat.Thatis,unlessyourfriendswon’ttakeyourcall...
Knowinghowtomakebasicfitadjustmentsishelpful.Youreallydon’tneedtoruntothebikeshoptohavethemraiseorloweryourseat,thoughtheyshouldhandlefitforyouiftheysoldyouthebike.Somebicycleshavebeendevelopedtominimizetheamountofmaintenance
andrepairworknecessary.Sealed,internalgearhubsneverneedtobelubricatedand have a very long (years and miles) lifespan. Sealed bottom brackets andheadsetsarenearlyimpervioustonormalexposure.Yourbikeshouldneversqueak,clunk,squeal,orcreak.Theonlysoundshould
be the chain clicking softly over the gear teeth and the wheels rolling along.Keepthechainoiled.Ifpeoplecanhearyoucomingduetoyoursqueakychain,you are ruining your equipment and working too hard. Squealing brakes,clunkingbottombrackets,andcreakycrankarmsshouldbeinspectedandtendedtobyyourlocalbikemechanic.
•TOOLSANDSUPPLIESMostbicycleadjustmentscanbedonewithscrewdrivers,hexwrenches,and
box or adjustable wrenches (note that most bikes use metric sizing, so yourtrustyoldsetofSAEwrenchesmightnotworkreallywell).Specializedtoolsareavailable to fit pedals, bottom brackets, and bearing cone nuts; to removecassetteclusters;tocutcablehousingsandcutandpullcable;toassistinwheeltruing;andtoholdabikeinplacewhileitisbeingserviced.Unlessyoudecideto delve deeply into maintenance and repair (and that happens with somefrequency),youwon’tneedtopurchasemostoranyofthesetools.Therearesomebikespecifictoolsthatarenecessary(oratleastveryhelpful)
evenifyoudon’tplantodomorethanthemostbasicupkeeprepairs:
•Asetoftirelevers(plastictoolsforremovingtires)andapatchkit•Afloorpump(mostnowcomewithvalvesforeitherPrestaorSchrader)isvital
•Achaincleaningkit(plasticcontainerwithbrushesthatholdssolvent)•Askinnycassettebrush
Toolsforoverhaulingbicyclesarenotthatexpensiveorcomplicated.Aselectionofconewrenches(A),cablepuller(B),crankarmextractor(C),chainwhip(D),chainbreaker(E),spokewrench(F),cablecutter(G),andbottombrackettool(H),wouldgetyouthroughmostjobs.
•STORINGYOURBICYCLEHowabicycle is storedaffects its longevityandmaintenanceschedule.The
ideal place for bike storage is inside the house, not in the basement. Secondchoice is inside, in thebasement.Third choice is in a totally enclosedgarage.Fourth,inacarport.Bicyclesthatwillbestoredformorethanamonthshouldbehungby theframe,seatpost,orbothwheels topreventdamage to tires. (Tiresalwaysleakslowly,soeventuallythebikewillhavetwoflattiresandtheweightofthebikeonflattedtirescanruinthesidewalls.)Storing a bike so it is exposed directly to the elements is very hard on the
machine.TheseatwillfallapartquicklyfromexposuretomoistureandUVraysin sunlight, so make sure it is always protected. The chain will need to belubricatedaftereveryrain,and thebrakeandderailleurcablesshouldbe lubedweeklyonabikestoredoutdoors.Sunwillcausedryrotinthetires.High-heat,high-sun-intensitylocationsdegradetiresrapidly.Saltyair isalsoveryhardonbikes. If youmust store your bike outdoors, or you are touring and camping,coverthebikewithatarp.
BicycleStorage
Slat-wallstoragesystemsforgaragesandbasementsusuallyofferhardwaredesignedspecificallyforbicyclestorage.
•BASICBICYCLEMAINTENANCEANDREPAIR
The how-tos included here cover the most essential maintenance andadjustment fixes. If youwant to getmore involvedwith bicycle repair,manycontinuingeducationcentersandbikeassociationsoffer regularclasses.You’llalso find that most dedicated cyclists are more than willing to share someinformationandadvice.Thegreatpartaboutbicyclesisthatyoucancompletelyoverhaulmany bikeswith a dozen or so specialized bike tools.No computersnecessary!Repairandmaintenancebeginswithgettingyourbikeproperlyadjustedtofit
yourbodyandyourridinghabits.
SetSeatHeight
Theheightoftheseatisimportanttoridingcomfortandefficiency.Theseatshouldbehighenoughthatthekneeisalmostfullyextendedonthedownstroke.Therider’shipsshouldnotrockbackandforthwhileriding—thismeanstheseatistoohigh.
HowtoDetermineProperSeatHeightandPosition
1Thetoetest.Whentheseatisattherightheight,youshouldbeabletositontheseatandjusttouchthegroundwithyourtiptoes
2Thepedaltest.putyourfootflatonthepedal.Whenthepedalisatthelowestpointinitsrevolution,yourlegshouldbefullyextendedandyourfootshouldremainflatonthepedal.Haveahelpersteadythebikeforyou.
3Theplumbbobtest.Suspendaplumbbob(anysmall,heavyobjecttiedtostringwilldo)downwardwiththestringheldnexttoyourknee.Ideally,whenthepedalsareparalleltotheground(3o’clockand9o’clockposition)yourkneeandthepedalaxleshouldbeonthesameverticalline.haveahelpersteadythebikeforyou.
AdjustSeatHeight
Seatwithaquick-releaselever.Releasethecamlever.Pulluporpushdownontheseattoadjusttheheight.Donotpulltheseatpostoutbeyondthemaximummarkonthepost.Makesuretheseatisalignedwiththetoptubeandreclampthecamlever.
Seatwithabinderboltandclamp.Usetheappropriatetool(usuallyahexwrenchoranAllenwrench)toloosentheboltthatsecurestheseatpostclamp.pulluporpushdownontheseattoadjusttheheight.Donotpulltheseatpostoutbeyondthemaximummarkonthepost.Makesuretheseatisalignedwiththetoptubeandthentightenthebinderbolt.
TIP
The seat post has a minimum insertion mark beyond which the seatshouldnotbeextended.
Seatwithanold-stylebinderbolt.Loosentheboltheadwithabox(open-end)wrenchofthesamesize.Donotusepliersorclampingpliers.Youmayneedtosecurethenutontheotherendofthebolt.Aboxwrenchisbestforthistoo,butyoumayuseaclampingpliersaslongasyouarenotattemptingtospinwiththepliers(thiswillstripthenutorbolthead).pulluporpushdownontheseattoadjusttheheight.Donotpulltheseatpostoutbeyondthemaximummarkonthepost.Makesuretheseatisalignedwiththetoptubeandthentightenthebinderbolt.
HowtoAdjusttheSeatForward/BackandAdjustTilt
Tomovetheseatforwardorback,loosenthehexboltunderthesaddleslightly.(Donottakethisboltoutunlessyouarereplacingthesaddle.)Movetheseatforwardorbackwardasneeded.
Variation:Onolderbikes,theseatrailclampsaretightenedwithabinderbolt.Useaboxwrench(orapairofthemiftheboltissecuredwithanut)toloosenthebolt.
Whiletheseatboltisloose,youcanalsoadjustthesaddletilt.Thesaddleshouldbeexactlyparalleltotheground—checkwithabubblelevelifyouwanttotalaccuracy.
TIP
PreventSticking
Theseatpostoftensticksintheseattube.Topreventthis,greasethepostannuallywithlithiumgreaseoranti-seizecompound.
HowtoMakeOtherAdjustments
Howtoreplaceasaddle.Thesaddleattachestotheseatpostviarailsandaclamp.Toreplacethesaddle,removethehexboltunderthesaddle.Removetheclampandremovethesaddle.Placethenewsaddleintothegrooves,replacetheclampandthreadandtightenthehexbolt.Adjusttheseatforwardorback,andadjustthetiltasneeded.Onolderbikes,removethebinderboltwithaboxwrench.
Howtoadjustthehandlebarheightorreach.Forfullyadjustablehandlebars,loosenthehexboltsatbothadjustmentpointsandmovethestemtothedesiredlocation.Tightenthebolts.
Howtoloosenathreadedheadset.Oldermodelbikeswiththreadedheadsetandaquillstemhaveaboltatthetop.Loosen,withthreeorfourturns,(donotremove!)thehexboltatthecentertopofthestem.pullthehandlebarsbackandforthtoloosenthesteminthefork.
TIP
Ifthesteminsidetheforkisfrozenevenafteryouloosenthestembolt,rapitgentlywitharubbermalletorapieceofwood.thisshouldfreeitupsoyoucanmakeyourhandlebaradjustmentandthentightenthestemboltagain.Donotpullthestemoutbeyondthemaximummarkindicatedonthestem.
HowtoReplaceHandlebarTapeonDropStyleHandlebars
1Pullbacktherubberbrakehoodsandremovetheoldhandlebartapebyunwrappingit.Mostdrophandlebarshaveendcapsfillingtheopenendsofthesteeltube.Removethese(theremaybeasetscrewinthemiddleofthecap).placea3to4inchpieceofhandlebartapearoundthebrakeclamps.
2Removeasmallsectionofthepapercoveringtheadhesiveonthehandlebartape.Startingattheopenbarend,makethefirstwrapwithabout1/2inchhangingovertheendofthebar.Wrapthetapeclockwiseontherightsideofthebarandcounterclockwiseontheleftsideofthebar.Theadhesivestripshouldbecontactingthebar,notoverlappingonthetapebelowit.
3Continuewrappingthetapearoundthebarandaroundthebrakebody.Stopwhenyougettothelipinthehandlebar.Cutthetapeatanangletomatchthelip.Securetheendofthehandlebartapewiththreeorfourturnsofcoloredorblackelectricaltape.Flipthebrakeclampcoversbackintopositionandreattachtheendcaps.
ReplacingUprightHandlebarGrips
Uprighthandlebargripsgetstickyanddirtyafterafewyears.Theyarevery easy to replace. Cut the old grips off the handlebars with a utilityknife, or just pull them off if they slide easily. Buy the proper sizereplacementgrips.Sprayasquirtortwoofhairsprayintoagripandquicklyslide itonto thehandlebar.Make sureyou lineupanypatternasdesired;youhaveaboutaminutebeforethehairspraydries.
RemovingWheels
Becausethetireistypicallywiderthanthewheelrim,youneedtoreleasethebrakesbeforeyoucanremoveawheel.Ifyoudon’treleasethebrakes,thebrakepadswillprevent thewheelfrombeingremoved,as theyarespacedclosely totherims.
HowtoReleaseBrakes
Cantileverbrakes.Pinchtheleverarmstogetheratthetopandremovethestraddlewirecable.
Linearpullbrakes.Pinchtheleverarmstogetheratthetopandliftthemetaltube(noodle)outofthelinkagebracket.
Sidepullordualpivotcaliperbrakes:Rotatethebrakequickreleasearmupward.Somebrakesofthistypemayhaveabuttononthebrakelever.
Removing a Front Wheel (See Previous Page for RemovingBrakes)
Quick-releasehubs.Pullonthecamlevertorelease.Loosenthequick-releasenutuntilthewheelcanslipoutoftheforks.Pullthewheelout.Somebikeshaveaclipthatpreventsthewheelfromfallingoutifthequick-releasehasnotbeenengaged.prythisclipuptoremovethewheel.
Hubwithaxlenuts.Onanon-quick-releasewheel,loosentheaxlenutsonbothsides.Oneorbothsidesmayhaveawasherwithahookthatclipsintothefork.Loosenthenutsenoughtodisengagethehooks.Donotremovethenutsalltheway.
ReplacingaFrontWheel
Slidethewheelallthewayintotheforkdropouts.Makesurethewheelis pushed all theway into the fork dropouts and is centered.The quick-releasecamleverisonthenon-gearsideofthebike.
Quick-releasehubs.Withthecamleveropen,tightenthequick-releasenutuntilitmakeslightcontactwiththedropouts.pushthecamleverclosed.Itshouldrequireamoderateamountofefforttopushthecamleverallthewayclosed.Ifyoucan’tpushitallthewayclosed,releasethecamleverandloosenthequick-releasenutslightlyandtryagain.Reengagethebrakecalipers.Forboltedhubs:ifpresent,hookthewasherhooksintotheholesinthefork.tightenbothnutsequallytosecurethewheelbetweentheforkarms.re-engagethebrakecalipers.
RemovingaBackWheel
Bikewithacoasterbrake.Thecoasterbrakehasabrakearmortorquearm,whichisattachedtotheleftchainstaywithastrapandabolt.Removethebolttoreleasethetorquearm.Afterremovingthebrakearm,loosentheaxleboltsandpushtheaxleforwardoutofthedropouts.
Bikewiththree-speedinternalhubgear.Donotloosenthesmallwheelonthegearcable.Unscrewtheadjusterbarreluntilthecabledisconnects.Loosenthebolts.pushtheaxleforwardoutofthedropouts.
Bikewitharearderailleur.Shiftgearssothechainisonthesmallestcog.releasetherearbrake(seepage107).releasethequick-releasecamlever(oraxlenutsonanon-quickrelease).pushorpullthederailleurcageback.pushthewheelforwardsoitslidesoutofthedropouts.Itmaytakesomewigglingbackandforthtogetthewheeltodropoutofforks.
TIP
ProtectYourHands
Removing the backwheel is trickier than the front, as there is usuallygearingofsomesorttodealwith.Thiscanbeadirtyjob,sowearinglatexglovesisagoodprotectivemeasureifyoudon’twantgreasyhands.
HowtoRemoveanInnerTube
1Assembleyourequipmentandsupplies.Tofixaflatyouwillneedapump,tirelevers,andeitheranewtubeorapatchkit.
2Removethewheelfromthebike(seepages106to109).Ifthetubeisaprestatube,removethevalvenut.
3Startingoppositethevalve,pushthetiretowardthemiddleoftherim.Slipthesmoothendofatireleverunderthebeadofthetire.
4Pushdownonthelevertoprythetirebeadoverthewheelrim.Hooktheendofthetireleveraroundaspoke.
5Moveaboutfourorfiveinchesawayfromthefirstleverandinsertasecondlever.prythetirebeadovertherimandhookthelevertoaspoke.
6Repeatwithathirdlever.(Thesecondleverwilldropoutatthistime.)
7Thetireshouldnowbelooseenoughthatyoucanrunthetireleveraroundtheentiretireandliftitovertherim.
8Removetheinnertube.Itisnotnecessarytoremovethetireexcepttofullyinspecttheinnerliningofthetireandtoinspecttherimtape.
9Toremovethevalve,pushthetirebackovertherimsoyoucanpullthevalvestraightouttoremoveit.
HowtoPatchanInnerTube
1Findtheleak.Pumptheinnertubeuptoabouttwiceitsnormalsize.Typicallyyouwillhearthehissoftheleak;ifyouareluckyitwillbeeasilyvisible.Ifnot,you’llhavetosubmergethepartiallyinflatedtubeinwaterandfeeditthroughasyoulookforairbubbles.
2Onceyouhavelocatedtheleak,deflatethetubeandmarktheleakbyholdingyourthumbdirectlyovertheholeandthenloopingthetubeunderyourindexfingerandpinkie,andoveryourmiddletwofingers.Ifyouareathome,youcanuseamarkertomarkcrosshatches—buttheyneedtobeatleastaninchawayfromtheholesotheydonotinterferewiththepatchglue.
3Usingthesandpaperormetalscarifierincludedinthepatchkit,sandaroundthehole.Makesuretosandanareaslightlybiggerthanthepatch.Wipeoffthesandingresidue.
4Applythevulcanizingformulatotheareaandallowtodry.NOTE:Somepatchescomewithaself-adhesivebackinganddonotrequirevulcanizingorcement.
5Pullthetinfoilbackingoffthepatch.Placethepatchoverthevulcanizedhole.Usingthesmoothendofatirelever,pushfromthecenterofthepatchouttowardtheedgesalloverthepatch.Usethepatchkitboxasahardsurfacetopushagainst.Makesurealltheedgesadherefirmly.Theplasticpatchcoverwillcomeoffasyoudothis.Beforereinsertingthetube,everythingmustbedry,notsticky.
HowtoInstallanInnerTube
1Beforereinsertingthetube,verycarefullyrunyourfingersaroundtheinsideofthetiretofeelforanysharpobjectsthatmayhavecausedthepuncture.Takeyourtime,asyoudonotwanttorepeatthisprocessfivemilesdowntheroad.Also,visuallyinspecttherimtapetoseethatitisintactandnospokeendsarepokingthrough.
2Ifyouhaveremovedthetire,replaceoneside.Inflatethetubeveryslightly.Reinsertthevalveintotherimhole.tuckthetubebackintothetire,takingcarenottotwistthetubeandmakingsurethatitisevenlyarranged.
3Startingatthevalve,pushthetirebeadbackovertherim.Thisiseasyuntilyougettothelastfewinches.Usethethumbsofbothhandstopushitintoplace.Ifyouabsolutelycannotplaceitwithyourthumbs,useatirelevertopryitbackon.Makesureyouaren’tpinchingthetubewiththelever,oryouwillcauseanewhole.
4Makesurethevalveisperfectlyupright,andpumpupthetireslightly.Checkthatthevalveisstillupright.pinchthetireallaroundandlooktoseethatthetubeisnotvisible.Onaprestavalve,replacethevalvenut.Fullyinflatethetube(seenextpage).
InflatingaTire
Bicycle tires aremarked on the sidewallwith the proper inflation pressure.Useapumpwithanintegratedpressuregauge,oruseaspecialbiketirepressuregauge todeterminepressure.Proper inflation isvery important toprevent flatsandtogetthemostwearpossiblefromatire.Donotuseagasstationairhosetofillyourbiketires.Thevolumeofairtheyproduceissuitableforcartires,notbiketires.
Itisveryeasytodamageavalvestemwhenusingaframepumpbecauseyouarepushingagainstthepump,whichisdirectlyattachedtothevalvewithnohosetobuffermovement.Holdyourhandaroundtherimandbehindthepumpheadtominimizemovementandprotectthevalve.
HowtoInflateaTire
Prestavalve.Removetheplasticprotectivecap.Unscrewthenutonthevalvestalkandpushitintoreleasealittlepressure.pushthepumpheadontothevalvealltheway.Iftheheadhasafliplock,engageit.Beginpumping.Ifnoairseemstobeenteringthetire,pushthepumpheaddownmore.Oftenyouwillhearalittlepopwhenthevalvereleasesandaircanbeginenteringthetube.Inflatethetire.Unlockthelockandpullthepumpheadoffthevalve.Spintheknobbackdowntight.Replacethecap.
Schradervalve.removetheplasticprotectivecap.pushthepumpheadontothevalveandflipdownthelevertolock.pumpupthetire.Flipuptheleverandremovethepumphead.replacethecap.
AdjustYourBrakes
Ifyoucanpullthebrakeleversallthewaytothehandlebars,eitheryourbrakecablesneedtobetightenedoryourbrakepadsarecompletelywornaway.Ifyoucanstillpulltheleversallthewaytothehandlebars,itistimetotakethebiketothebikeshop.
Cantileveranddirectpullbrakes.Abarreladjustmentnutislocatedatthebrakelever.Turningthisnutcounterclockwisewilltightenthebrakecable.
TIP:Onsomenewer,highendMTBbrakesyoucanadjustthereachofthebrakeleversoitiscomfortableforyoutoridewithtwofingersalwaysonthelevers.Checkyourowner’smanual.theadjustmentscrewislocatedjustunderthebarrelnutofthecableadjuster.
Caliperbrakes.Thebarrelnutislocatedatthebrakeitself.Again,turncounterclockwisetotightenthecable.
TIP:rotatethebrakeandgearshifterstothemostcomfortablepositionforgoodridingposture.thehexnutclosesttothehandlebarsisusuallytheclampnut.Loosenslightlyandrotatetothedesiredposition.
CleanandLubetheChainWiping the chain down regularly is a good idea.Occasionally, cleaning the
chainwillremovethegritthatawipe-downdoesn’tget.Achain-scrubbingtoolmakesthisjobeasier.Ifyoudon’tuseachainscrubber,drapethebikeandthesurrounding area with plastic and use a toothbrush and solvent to scrub eachchain link. This is extremely messy and not terribly effective. Some cyclistsremovethechainandsoakitinsolvent.Repeatedremovalweakenschainsandistimeconsuming,andthisprocessdoesnotnecessarilyyieldacleanerchain.Thereareanumberofscrubberson themarket.Thesedirectionsare for the
ParkToolsCycloneChainScrubber(SeeResources,page125).
Toolsandsuppliesneededforchaincleaningareachainscrubber,gearbrush,degreaser,chainlube,andrags.
WARNING!
Do not use gasoline or kerosene to clean chains. They are excellentsolvents, but they are also explosively flammable and environmentallyunfriendly.
HowtoClean&LubeaChain
1Beforecleaningthechain,useagearcleaningbrushtocleanoutthegunkbetweenandonthesprockets.Usearagtowipealltheaccumulateddirtfromthesprocketteethandfromthechainringteeth.Alsocleantheaccumulateddirtfromthepulleywheelsoftherearderailleur.
2Pullaragbetweeneachlayerofsprocketstoremovedirtloosenedbybrush.
3Takethelidoffthechainscrubberandplaceitunderthechain,pushingthechaindownintotheroller.putonthelidandsnapupthemetalclips.
4Fillthescrubberwithsolventtothemarkedline(donotdilutethesolvent).Turnthepedalsslowlybackwards.Thechainwillbepulledthroughthescrubberbrushesandsolvent.placearagunderthescrubberopeningtocatchdrips.Makesuretodisposeofsolventproperly.
5Cleanthescrubberandfillitwithsoapywater.Runthechainthroughagain.Finally,rinsewithcleanwater.Wipethechaindrywitharag.Toensurethechainiscompletelydry,useahairdryer.
6Lubethechainbyplacingadropoflubeoneachrollerandeachrivet.
7Wipeoffthederailleursandlubricateatthespringsandpivotpointseachtimeyoucleanthechain.
AdjustingandMaintainingDerailleurs
If your chain is regularly being pushed off the front chainrings, the limitadjustmentonthederailleurneedstobetweaked.Iftheseadjustmentsdon’tfixtheproblem,itislikelythatthecableneedsadjustingorpossiblyreplacing.Rearderailleursaretrickiertoadjust.Shiftingproblemscanbeverycomplex,soitisusuallyeasiesttotakethebiketoabikeshopfordiagnosis.You’re cruising along, you shift gears and your chain drops off. Getting it
backonwilldirtyyourfingers,but there isa trick tominimizing thegrime. Ifthishappensmorethanonceinagreatwhile,thederailleurneedstobeadjusted.Ifthechainhascomeoffthefront,liftthechainupandplaceitontopofthe
smallestchainring,thenrotatethepedalsforward.Thepedalingactionwillseatthechainonthechainring.Ifthechainhascomeoffthebackandisjammedeitherbetweenthecogand
thespokesor thecogand theframe,probably thebestoption is toremove thebackwheel.
WorkingwithDerailleurs
Ifthechainisbeingpushedofftheoutsideofthelargechainring,tightenthehighlimit(H)screwonthefrontderailleur,onequarterturnatatime.Thisisusuallytheoutermostofthetwoadjustmentscrews.Thespacebetweentheinnersideoftheoutsideofthederailleurcageshouldbe1mmfromthechain.Ifthechainisbeingdroppedofftheinsideofthesmallchainring,adjustthelowlimit(L)screwonthefrontderailleur.Theinnersideoftheinsideofthederailleurcageshouldbe1mmfromthechain.
Ifthechainhascomeoffthefront,liftthechainupandplaceitontopofthesmallestchainring,thenrotatethepedalsforward.thepedalingactionwillseatthechainonthechainring.
•BICYCLEMAINTENANCESCHEDULE
How often tomaintain a bike is partially dependent upon the type of bike,typeofriding,andtheweatherconditions.Offroadbikesusedinmuddy,sandy,dusty,andsaltyconditionswillneedtobecleanedandlubedmuchmoreoftenthancomfortbikesriddenlowmilesinniceweather.Highperformancebicyclesneed to have drivetrain parts (chain, chainrings, and cassettes) changed fairlyoften.Utility bikeswith sturdy chains and internal gear hubswill rarely needdrivetrainreplacement.As with everything else, there are a thousand different opinions and
recommendations for when to replace parts and overhaul bearings. Whenlooking at recommendations, it is good to know the riding parameters. Ofcourse,racersofanysortwillbereplacingthedrivetrain(chainrings,cassette,and chain) every 2,000 to 3,000miles. Their race performance depends uponpeakoutput.Ontheotherhand,cycletouristsarenotlikelytostopandoverhaultheir bikes halfway through their cross-country tour. Many people are ridingbikesthathaven’tbeenmaintainedinyears.Thoughthesebikeswork,theyareprobablyinefficientandlikelypotentiallydangerous.Hereisaverybasicmaintenancescheduleapplicabletoaverageridersunder
averageconditions.
Checkthecrankarmsregularly.Thereshouldbenoplayorlooseness.Ifthereis,thebottombracketneedsadjustingorreplacement.
BeforeEveryRide
•Checktirepressure•Checkthatquickreleasesonwheelsandseataretightlyclosed•Pullbrakestight—leversshouldnotcontacthandlebars;tightencablesifnecessary
•Releasebrakes—padsshouldbeanequaldistancefromrims
AfterEveryRide
•Checktirecondition(lookforcutsintreadorbeadwall)•Washanddryifriddeninmudorrain
•Lubechainifriddeninrainorafterwashing
Every500MilesorAnnually
•Cleanandlubricatechain•Lubricatepivotpointsandbrakeandderailleurcables• Check that wheels are true (spin the wheels and look for wiggles orwobbles)
•Checkbottombrackettightness(pullandpushsidetosideoncrankarmstoseeifthereisloosenessinbottombracket)
• Check wheel hub tightness (pull wheel side to side to see if there isloosenessinthehubbearings)
•Checkallboltsfortightness(handlebar,stem,seatpost,chainring,bottlecage,rackmounts,derailleurmounts,cableanchors,andracks)
Ifwheelsareoutoftrueorbottombracketorhubsareloose,takethebikeintoberepairedassoonaspossible.
Every5000MilesorAnnuallyifRiddeninWetConditions
•Overhaulorreplacebearingsinbottombracket,headset,wheelhubs,andpedals
•Replacebrakeandderailleurcablesandhousings
Youcanlearnhowtoperformthesetasksatsomebikeshopsoratcommunityeducationprograms.
APPENDIX:CyclingFun&AdventureGuide
Itmaybe that the limitofyourcycling isshorthops to thegrocerystoreortransit station. The biking bugmay bite, however, and youmay discover thatcycling is absolutely the most fun ever and you want to do more of it.Fortunately,therereallyisnolimittotheamountofcyclingyoucando.Insteadofbikingtothetransitstop,youcanbikeyourwholecommute.Youcanpopthebikeonyourcarrackanddrivetoabeautifulrailtrailandgoforalong,peacefulride. In most areas there are bike clubs for riders of all sorts. If you arecompetitive,thereareracesforeverybikemadeandeveryimaginablerider,aswell.Youcouldevenmakeyournextvacationabike-centric trip.Theoptionsaretrulyamazing.
LONGDISTANCECOMMUTES
Thetwomileridetothebusstopdoesn’tseemlikearideatall.Howaboutriding theentirecommute?This,ofcourse, isdependentonmanyvariables. Ifyourcommuteisthirtymileseachdirection,thatwouldbealotofbiking.Someurbanareasjustdon’thavegoodroutesforbikingfromsuburbstocitycenterorfromsuburbtosuburb.Buttherearesomeoptions.Ifthecommutingdistanceistoolongtocomfortablycompletebeforework,or
to complete bothways, think about a one-way trip. Inmany areas buses havebikeracks(theyusuallyonlyholdtwobikes,unfortunately)andcommutertrainshavebikehooksorbikecars.Youcan takeyourbike toworkvia transit, thenbikehometheentireway.Thisalsosolvestheissueofarrivingatworkhotandsweaty.Bikinghomeisagreatwaytodecompressafterwork.Anotheroption is to look for transit stops thatareeasilyaccessiblebybike,
butarefartheraway.Maybethattwomileridecanbecomeafivemileride.Finally, youmay get to a levelwhere you can ride a twenty or thirtymile
commute. Many serious cyclists use their commute as a training ride. It’scertainlypossible,anddefinitelysomethingtoaspireto.
Manyareasnowhavebikeracksonbusesandhanginghooksintraincarstoallowformoretransportationoptions.
RACING
Amateur cycle racing is divided into age and skill categories, so you arecompetingagainstcyclistsofyourlevel.Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofbicycleracesformanytypesofbicycles.Atimetrialisaraceagainsttheclock.Cyclists enter the course at regular intervals, so they are riding alone, and theobjectistomakethebesttime.Criterium(crit)racesarerunaroundashortloop,usuallyonetotwomiles.Critracestesttherider’sabilitytoridefastinatightpack and corner well. In professional crit races, prizes are given at intervalsthroughout the race for the first rider topass the start/finish line.Theseprizesencourage much jockeying for position and sprinting. These races are verypopularbecauseitiseasytosetuptheshortloopwithoutclosingmanystreets,andthecyclingactionisveryspectatorfriendlybecauseofthesprintingandhowoften the cyclists pass by.A road race is a long distance race, usually out oncountryroads.Theridersallstartatthesametime,andthefirstrideracrossthelinewins.Roadracescanrangeupto100milesormore.Astageraceisaseriesofracesthattakesplaceoveranumberofdays.Stageracesusuallyincluderoadracesandtimetrials.Racingopportunitiesexistforalltypesofbikes.Roadbikeracesincludetime
trials,criteriums,androadraces.Mountainbikeracesincludedownhill,slalom,cross-country,andhillclimb.BMXracesareheldonshorttrackswithjumpsandmoguls.Cyclocrosseventsareusuallyheldinthewinterorrainyseason,andaremeant to test the riders’ ability toovercomeobstacles and slippery conditions.Dismountingandcarryingthebikeisapartofcyclocrossracing.Trackracingisdonewithaspecialtrackbikeatabankedbiketrackcalledavelodrome.Therearenumeroustypesoftrackraces.
Amateurbikeraces,likethisroadrace,happeneveryweekend.
Trackracingonavelodromedevelopsawholenewlevelofcyclingskillsandtacticaltechniques.
JOINACLUB
Thereare thousandsofbicyclingclubs throughout thecountry.Youcanfindclubsthatcatertoolderriders,slowerriders,racers,women,singles,recumbentcyclists, tourists, off road riders, tandem cyclists—you name it and you canprobably findacyclingclub. Internet searchesand inquiriesatyour localbikeshops will generate many leads. Almost every state has a cycling associationwhichsponsorsraces,orastatewideconsortiumofcyclinggroups.Most clubs have regular rides—usually weekly— and special weekend or
event rides.Clubridesaregreatways tomeetothercyclistsand improveyourcyclingskills.Oryourtirechangingskills.Itisinevitablethatyouwillgetaflatonyourfirstridewithaclub.Makesureyourtirerepairskillsareuptosnuffandyouhavetheequipmentyouneedtofixaflat.Beforeshowingupforaclubride,contacttheclubtofindouthowtheyhandlenewmembers.Manyracingclubshavespecialnoviceornewmemberridestodeterminewhereyoumightfit.Itisalwaysbettertounderestimateyourabilityinthesecases.Somegroupsareverywelcomingandtolerantofnovices,andsomearenot.
Joiningacyclingclubisagreatwaytosocializeandhavefunonyourbike.
BIKINGVACATIONS
Peoplehavetakencyclingvacationseverywhereintheworld(exceptperhapsAntarctica—though one south pole scientist does use his folding bike to ridebetween test sites).Youcandoa self-guided tourandcarryallyourowngearand camp overnight, or you can pay a bicycle touring company tomap yourrouteandarrangeluxuryaccommodationsateveryturn.Optionsexistforeverypoint in between these extremes. Many books have been published outliningdaytrips, and weeklong or longer tours. Many well-established bike-touringcompaniesoffertoursalmostanywhereyouwouldcaretorideabike.Youcanchoose a tour that focuses on history or wine tasting or natural scenery.Adventure Cycling has researched many cross country bike routes and sellsdetailedmapswithcycleappropriateroadsmarked,aswellasamenitiessuchascampgrounds,hotels,restaurants,grocerystores,andbikeshops.
Youcanseetheworldinaveryspecialwayonabicycle.
RIDEANEVENTTOUR
Oneveryweekendduringbicyclingweather(andnon-cyclingweather!)youcanfindacharitybiketoursomewhereintheU.S.Thetwo-day,150-milerideisverypopular,asare theone-daycentury(100mile) rides.Theseeventscanbehuge,with5,000ormoreparticipants.Usuallyanentryfeeisrequired,aswellasacollectionofasetdollaramountofdonations.Thegrouporganizespit stopswith food andwater, and sometimesmechanics and entertainment, as well asovernightaccommodationsandtransportationfromfinishtostart(ifnotalooproute).Asagwagonisavailableifyoucannotridethewholeroute.Some cities sponsor bicycle tour days when city streets are closed off to
traffic.For a fee you can ride around townwithout concern for cars or trucksrunningyoudown.Theseridesoftenfeatureentertainmenteveryfewmilesandlots of handouts from food and beverage vendors. These are great rides forfamiliestodotogether.Notalltoursarefundraisers,andsomeareweeklongevents.Themostfamous
of these isRAGBRAI (Register’sAnnualGreatBikeRideAcross Iowa). TenthousandridersrideacrossIowainaweeklongeventthathighlightsthebeautyandcharmofthisMidwesternstate.Manyotherstateshavenowfollowedsuit,andyoucanfindanumberofweeklongridesthatcrisscrossastate.Manyofthetourshavesmaller limitnumbers,as lowas40or50,so thecrowdsarenotasoverwhelming. Tours usually average 50 to 80miles per day depending uponterrain.
Almosteverystatehasnumerouscharitybikerides.Ridewithateamtoincreaseyourfun.
Bicycletouringisagreatwaytoslowdownandvisitdestinationsallovertheworld.
Glossary
bonk:depletionofglycogenstoresresultingininabilitytofunctionphysicallyormentallyboot:atemporarypatchplacedonapuncturedtiretoprotectthetubebrakehoods: the rubber covers over the brake lever mechanism on drop
handlebarsbraze-ons: thethreadedpegsonbikeframestoattachbottlecages,racks,or
otheraccessoriesbunnyhop:liftingbothwheelsoffthegroundtoclearanobstaclecadence:speedofpedalingcampy:nicknameforCampagnolo,thepremiercomponentmanufacturercentury:100miles;metriccentury,100kilometersor62milescleat: the fastening mechanism that attaches to the shoe in clipless pedal
systemsclincher:thestandardwireorKevlarbeadedtireclipless:apedalandcleatsystemthatlatchestheshoetothepedalwithoutuse
oftoeclipsorcagescriterium(crit):abikeracethatgoesaroundmanylapsonashortcoursedab:totouchthegroundwithyourfootdialedin:describesabikethatfitsperfectlyorrideorracethatwasperfectdish:theoffsettingoftherearrightsidespokestoallowroomforthecassettedraft:ridingintheslipstreamoftherideraheaddropouts:theslotsonframeandforkintowhichthewheelaxlesslidedrops:thelowerpartofdropstylehandlebarsendo:flyingoverthefronthandlebarswhilethebikegoesendoverend
faceplant:whentherider’sfacehitsthegroundafteranendofitkit:asetofmeasuringtoolsthatbikeshopsusetooptimizebikefitfixedgear(fixie):asinglegearbikewithnocoastermechanismgrannygear:verysmallchainringorverylowgeargruppo:acompletesetofcomponentsbythesamemanufacturerhammer(ormash):toridehardinahighgearhardtail:amountainbikewithnorearsuspensionknobby:tireswithlargeblockytreadLBS:localbikeshopmasterlink: a special chain link that is used to break the chain rather than
pushingoutarivetpeleton:themaingroupofcyclistsinaraceroadrash:thewoundresultingfromfleshdraggedacrossaroadsurfacesagwagon:avehiclethatfollowsagroupofriderstopickupthosewhoneed
assistancesingletrack:abiketrailwideenoughforasinglebikesnakebite:atireflatcausedwhenthetubeispinchedbytherim;itlookslike
twoholescausedbysnakefangsspin:tomaintainahighcadencesquirrel:ariderwhocannotmaintainastraightlineorisunpredictabletaco(pretzelorpotatochip):tobendawheeltechnical:atrailorroutethatrequiresahighlevelofskilltotraversetrackstand:balancingthebikewhilestillwithbothfeetonthepedalstravel:themaximumlengthofmovementonasuspensionsystemvelodrome:abicycleracingtrack,usuallywithsteeplybankedcurves
Resources
Thebicyclemanufacturersonthislistproduceallsortsofbicycles.Withtheexception of some custommanufacturers, all sell at least somebicycles under$1200.Therearedozensofbicycletouringandbicycleadvocacygroups.Onlyasmallsamplearelistedhere.
BicycleManufacturersBacchettaRecumbentBikes
bacchettabikes.comBianchi
bianchiusa.comBigCatHumanPoweredVehicles
catrike.comBikeFriday
bikefriday.comBromptonBicycle
brompton.co.ukCannondale
cannondale.comCivia
civiacycles.comCo-MotionCycles
co-motion.comDahon
dahon.comDiamondbackBicycles
diamondback.com
Electraelectrabike.comFuji
fujibikes.comGiant
giant-bicycles.comGTBicycles
gtbicycles.comIntense
intenseBMX.comJamisBicycles
jamisbikes.comKona
konaworld.comLarryvsHarry
larryvsharry.comLinusBikes
linusbike.comMarinBikes
marinbikes.comMasi
masibikes.comMelon
melonbicycles.comMongoose
mongoose.comMotobecane
motobecane.comPhatCycles
phatcycles.comPublic
publicbikes.comRaleigh
raleighusa.comRans
ransbikes.comRedline
redlinebicycles.comRivendellBicycleWorks
rivbike.comRohloff
rohloff.deSalsa
salsacycles.comSantaCruz
santacruzbicycles.comSantana
santanatandem.comSchwinn
schwinnbike.comScott
scott-sports.comSpecialized
specialized.comSun
sunbicycles.comSurly
surlybikes.comSwobo
swobo.comTerryPrecisionCycling
terrybicycles.comTorker
torkerusa.comTrek
trekbikes.com
Univegaunivega.comWaterfordPrecisionCycles
waterfordbikes.com
Clothing,Accessories,andToolsBikeNashbar
bikenashbar.comPerformanceBicycle
performancebike.comBikeBagShop.com
bikebagshop.comGearUp
sportssolutions.comPearlIzumi
shop.pearlizumi.comREI
rei.comRoadID
roadid.comParkTool
parktool.com
BicycleTouringAdventureCyclingAssociation
adventurecycling.orgWomanTours
womantours.comFreewheelingAdventures
freewheeling.caBackroads
backroads.com
BikeMSnationalmssociety.org
OthersitesofinterestLeagueofAmericanBicyclists
bikeleague.orgUtilityCycling
utilitycycling.orgPedestrianandBicyclingInformationCenter
bicyclinginfo.org
Credits
Shutterstock,pp.4,6topleft,9topandbottomright,10right,14,15left,24,29,33left,34,35left,39right,44,49left,52,54right,55,59,61,62 left,63toprightandbottommiddle,64both,68both,70left,71right,74left,75right,80all,86left,120both,121right,122bottom.
DennisHallinan/GettyImages,p.5.
iStockphoto,pp.6allexcepttopleft,10left,11bottom,15middleandright,33right,35right,36,38both,39 left, 40 right, 50,53 top, 54 left, 58, 63 allexcepttoprightandbottommiddle,77bottom,78,79both,86right,87,95left.
Photolibrary, (JoergReuther)p.11 top, (MarcosWelsh)p.40 left, (IngramPublishing)p.53bottom,(PeterBurian)p.121left,(LotharSchulz)p.122 top,(StellaStella)p.123right.
Contributors
CiviaCycles,Page21,lowerright,www.civiacycles.com,9522295040
GarminInternational,Page32,www.garmin.com,9133978200
GearUp,Inc.,Page101,left,www.mygearup.com,8003467332
MarinBikes,Page21,middleright,www.marinbikes.com,4153826000
PhatCycles/CycleSupportWest,Inc.,www.phatcycles.com,8778847428
ReneeRidenour,Page123,left,Photosbyrenee.smugmug.com,3028363861
SalsaCycles,SalsaChiliConCrosso,www.salsacycles.com,8776686223
SpecializedBicycles,Page20,left,www.specialized.com,4087796229
VSIProducts,Inc.,Page23,top,www.vsiproducts.com,5624072184
Index
A
Accessoriesbackpacksandbags,79baskets,77bells,79bottlecagesandbottles,74computers,75fenders,77handlebarbags,76helmets,28mirrors,79panniers,78pumps,75racks,76–77racktrunks,78seatbags,76trailers,81
Aches,41–43Animalhazards,54
B
Backpacksandbags,79Backpain,41Bags,76Barendshifters,91Baskets,77Beachbikes,21Bells,79Bicyclecomputers,75Bicycles
choices/types,8,20–23evaluationofcurrent,14fitof,17history,5–7ridingstyles,16transporting,80–81
Bicycles,buyingconsiderations,15–19online,13stores,13–14
Bikingtrails,9Bikingvacations,122BMX(bicyclemotocross),23Bonk,described,124Boot,described,124Bottlecagesandbottles,74Brakehoods,described,124Brakes
about,92–93adjusting,115
releasing,107Braking,27Braze-ons,described,124Bridges,ridingon,62Bucklingpavement,52Bunnyhop,described,124
C
Cadence,described,124Caliperbrakes
about,92adjusting,115releasing,109
Campy,described,124Cantileverbrakes
about,92,93adjusting,115releasing,107
Cargobikes,23Carracks,80–81Cassettefreehubs,97Cassettes,97Century,described,124Chainrings,94Chains
cleaningandlubing,116–117positionsandgears,30–31
Childrenpracticingwith,56sidewalks,ridingon,62
Cleat,described,124Clinchers,88,124Clipless,described,124Clothing
gloves,71rainandcoldweather,70reflective,53
safetyand,47shorts,tightsandjerseys,choosing,68–69skirts,ridingin,69
Clubs,122Coasterbrakes,92,93Coldweathergear,70Comfortbikes,21Commonnovicemistakes,32Commuterbikes,21Commutes,longdistance,120Costs,18Cracksinridingsurface,52Crankset,94–95Criterium(crit),described,124Cruisers,21,89Cyclocrossbikes,22
D
Dab,described,124Derailleurs,96,118Dialedin,described,124Directpullbrakes,adjusting,115Discbrakes,92,93Dish,described,124Draft,described,124Dropouts,described,124Drops,described,124
E
Endo,described,124Eventtours,riding,123
F
Faceplants,described,124Fenders,77Fixedgear(fixie)bikes,23,124Fixkits,described,124Foldingbikes,22Frames,84–85Freewheels,97Frontderailleurs,96Frontforks,86
G
Gearschainpositionsand,30–31numbers,30shifting,28–29
Gloves,71Grannygears,described,124Gravelonridingsurface,52Groupriding,58Gruppos,described,124
H
Hammer,described,124Handandwristpain,4Handlebarbags,76Handlebars
configurations,89heightorreachadjustments,105tape,replacing,106
Handsignals,51Hardtails,described,124Headsets,90,105Healthbenefits,10Helmets,28,48–49Hills/inclines
off-road,38on-road,35
Hybridbikes,21Hydration,40,74
I
Inclines.SeeHills/inclinesInnertubes
about,88–89installing,113patching,112removing,110–111
Internalgearhubs,97
K
Kneepain,43Knobby,described,124
L
LBS,described,124Linearpullbrakes
about,92,93releasing,107
Locksandlockers,64–65
M
Maintenancebrakes,adjusting,115chains,cleaningandlubing,116–117derailleurs,adjustingandmaintaining,118handlebars,adjusting,105,106innertubes,installing,113innertubes,patching,112innertubes,removing,110–111pre-ridechecks,46schedule,119seatheight,102–105toolsandsupplies,100wheels,107–109
Manufacturers,83Maps,61Mash,described,124Masterlink,described,124Mirrors,79Mountainbikes
about,20derailleurs,96handlebars,89
N
Neckpain,43Nightriding,53Nutrition,40–41
O
Off-roadriding,36–39
P
Pain,41–43Panniers,78Partsofbicycles
brakes,92–93cassettefreehubs,97cassettes,97crankset,94–95derailleurs,96frames,84–85freewheels,97frontforks,86handlebars,89headsets,90innertubes,88–89internalgearhubs,97manufacturersof,83seats,89shifters,91stems,90tires,88wheels,87
Pedalingbuildingpower,34pacing,34spinning,32–33
Pedalsabout,95replacing,73
Peleton,described,124
Pivotcaliperbrakes,107Posture
bicycletypeand,22painand,41proper,26
Potatochip,described,124Potholesinridingsurface,52Pre-ridechecks,46Prestavalves,75,88Pretzel,described,124Pumps,75
R
Racing,121Racks,76–77Racktrunks,78Railroadtracks,crossing,52Rainandcoldweathergear,70Rearderailleurs,96Recumbentbikes,22Repair,basic.SeeMaintenanceRidingskills
braking,27gears,shifting,28–29hills,35off-road,36–39posture,26spinning,32–33stops,startingfrom,28
Ridingstylesanduse,16Rimsofwheels,87Roadbikes
about,20brakes,92,93derailleurs,96handlebars,89
Roadhazards,51–52Roadrash,described,124Routes,safe,60–63,65Rumblestrips,52
S
Saddlereplacements,105Safety
animalhazards,54bridges,ridingon,62clothing,47groupriding,58helmets,28,48–49identificationand,58musicand,51nightriding,53physicallimits,knowing,59pre-ridebikechecks,46ridingintraffic,50,55–57roadhazards,51–52routes,choosing,60–63,65sidewalks,ridingon,62signaling,51skillspracticing,47underpasses,ridingin,62
Sagwagons,described,124Sandonridingsurface,52Schradervalves,88Seatadjustments
height,adjusting,103height,determiningproper,102position,adjustingforward,backandtilt,104saddles,replacing,105
Seatbags,76Seatpain,43
Seats,89,102–105Security,locksandlockers,64–65Shifters,91Shoes,72–73Sidewalks,ridingon,62Signalsforturns,51Singletracks,described,124Sizeofbicycle,17Skirts,ridingwearing,69Snakebite,described,124Spin,described,124Spinning,32–33Spokesofwheels,87Squirrels,described,124Stems,90Stops,startingfrom,28Storage,101Supplies(maintenance),100
T
Taco,described,124Tandembikes,23Technical,described,124Thumbshifters,91Tires
about,88bicyclestorageand,101inflating,114
Toeclips,95Tools,100Trackstand,described,124Traffic,ridingin,50,55–57Trailers,81Transportingbicycles,80–81Travel,described,124Turns,27,51Twistshifters,91
U
Underpasses,ridingin,62Usedbicycles,19
V
Vacations,122Valves,88Velodromes,described,124
W
Weightshiftsandoff-roadriding,37Wetpavement,27,52Wheels
about,87back,removing,109brakesandremoving,107front,removingandreplacing,108
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10987654321
Digitaledition:978-1-61060-188-7
Softcoveredition:978-1-58923-604-2
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Ruth,Karen.Bicycling,areintroduction:avisualguidetochoosing,
repairing,maintaining&operatingabicycle/byKarenRuth.
p.cm.Includesindex.ISBN-13:978-1-58923-604-2(softcover)ISBN-10:1-58923-604-1(softcover)
1.Cycling.2.Bicycles--Equipmentandsupplies.3.Bicycles--Maintenanceandrepair.I.Title.GV1041.R872011388.3′472--dc22
2011000818
President/CEO:KenFund
HomeImprovementGroup
Publisher:BryanTrandemManagingEditor:TracyStanleySeniorEditor:MarkJohansonCreativeDirector:MicheleLanci-AltomareArtDirection/Design:BradSpringer,KimWinscher,JamesKegleyLeadPhotographer:JoelSchnellSetBuilder:JamesParmeterProductionManagers:LauraHokkanen,LindaHalls
Author:KarenRuthPageLayoutArtist:KathleenLittfinTechEditor:ColePerryPhotoTech:KarenRuth
Thanks to all theTwinCities’ area localbike shopowners andmanagerswhoassistedinthecreationofthisbook.
Very special thanks to Bill Berger and Joan Kahle-Berger of Gateway Cycle(gatewaycycle.com) for loaning bikes and product, modeling for photos, andallowing us to use their retail space as a photo studio. Special thanks also toGeneOberprilleratOneonOneBicycleGallery(oneononebike.com)forlettingus monopolize their sales area while shooting photos. Thank you to Martin
EricksonatCountyCycles(countycycles.com)forloanofthebiketrailer.
Thanks also to Erik’s Bike Shop (eriksbikeshop.com) and Calhoun Cycle(calhouncycle.com)forallowingustophotographtheirretailspaces.ThankstoMarcy Levine at Freewheel Bike (freewheelbike.com) for her willingness toanswereverycyclingquestionIhaveeverhadforthepasttwentyyears.
Finally, thanks to PegBaier for teachingme to spin and draftwhile pedalingaroundFrance.