It is common to assume picking the right bike is an easy task. Many people think they simply find the bike that looks good and feels comfortable. This is wrong, the fact is there are more things to consider these days than there was a few years ago. With cycling becoming more popular in almost every area of life (transportation, lifestyle, sports, hobbies) there are more bicycles than ever to choose from. It is popular in modern times to use a bike as a serious mode of transport. Lots of families have taken up cycling as a family hobby. If you want to know those important things to look out for when selecting a bike, read the following.
The basic key to choosing a bicycle is to buy a bicycle that you can sit on and rest your feet flat on the floor so that you can stop yourself. There are certain professionals, though, who disagree with this concept. It is their belief, that your time on your bicycle will be much more comfortable, if you allow your feet to remain several inches off the ground. If your feet are on the ground and your knees are bent when you sit on the seat of the bike, it generally means that the seat is sitting too low for you and too close to the crossbar. If this is happening, when you start to pedal the bike then your browse around here knees are going to come up too high.
For a road bike you should take away 9" from the inseam measurement you took earlier. This is due to the type of tires you will be using for a road bike. Designed for cycling around the city road bike tires are thin. With a mountain bike you will need to take away around one foot from the inseam. This is because the tires of a mountain bike are different than those on a road bike. You will find them to be much bigger and designed to handle rocky terrain. It is possible to use mountain bikes for city cycling although this is not what they are best suited for.
Be certain to leave adequate room between yourself and your bikes crossbar. When browsing for a bike try some out, make sure the seat is a few inches above the crossbar. Sit on it and make sure you can rest your feet flat to the ground. You will want to leave different clearance lengths depending on the type of bicycle you are buying. A touring bike for example will require around 1", perhaps slightly more. With a mountain bike however you will need some more, 3 inches should suffice.
How well you fit physically with your bike is what is most important. If you intend to use your bike a lot, perhaps as your main method of transport, it is important you keep this in mind. You want to feel comfortable and safe as you travel from one point to another.