Experience the joys and benefits of City Cycling. We will explore this from the ground up; the style of cycling you wish to pursue, the equipment best suited for that style and how much you really need.

We can evaluate what you already own and whether or not any additional items are needed. We will break it down to budget levels to fit everyone’s lifestyle. I will show you where to get great deals on new bikes and sources for used bikes. Whether you want to ride with the family, explore the dedicated bike trails with your friends or jump into road biking with the local bike club rolling with the peliton at 26 MPH! I will share maintenance techniques that will keep you going while on the trail and keep your bike out of the shop. I will show you where to get the best deals on parts when your chewing gum just won’t do the job any longer. City Cycling will better your physical health, give you peace of mind, get you outdoors with the family and friends and introduce you to the greatest group of people no matter what level you ride. Beware however; you know what they say .. Once Bitten!

A great number of us own a bicycle and a few of us actually ride them; the remainder of us has them out in the back shed, hanging from the rafters or piled in the corner of the garage. The bike we have forgotten about may not be the bike we need to make our ride a pleasant one. Many people have great intentions of riding a bike for health and or pleasure so they run out to Wal-Mart or Target and pick the coolest looking bike they can find in $100 range, run home fully charged and excited, grab a bottle of their favorite water and hit the road. It usually doesn’t take them long to realize they’re not 12 anymore and it is not as much fun as they remember.

That "really cool bike" they bought turns out to be a mass produced boat anchor weighing 35 to 45 lbs. with all kinds of impressive looking shocks, springs and pivots that swing the rear section of this ultra cool modern machine. After bragging about how bicycles have really developed since 1960 and how we got a really great deal, we take that short ride developing knee, back and hip pain. What happened? The bike is too heavy, laden with equipment you won’t use (remember we are City Cycling), and geometry of the frame that is not designed ergonomically and most importantly not fitted to the rider. So, the next day rolls around and we wake up stiff (that is normal for those who haven’t rode for a while) and with joint pain that leads us to believe we are way too old to be ridding a bike and what were we thinking?

That is how the treasure we were so very proud of ended up forgotten and rejected, stowed away for passing off to the grandchildren. Riding, once we are reconditioned, should be free of joint pain and pleasurable. Acquiring the right bike, one fitted to our body geometry and riding style, makes all the difference in the world.

The first step to finding the right bike is to determine the appropriate riding style for what we want to accomplish. Remember that we can develop more than one style and thus having more than one bike. If your goal is to only ride around the block every other weekend with the grandkids, pull the forgotten bike out of the shed, hose it off and away you go. Most of those reading this have better intentions. So let’s assume we are going to be casual City Cycling riders. As a casual City Cycling rider we will assume we are going to ride in an upright position and on paved or hard packed unpaved surfaces. The ideal bike will be a hybrid with 700C wheels. Lean with tall narrow (35mm – 40mm) wheels, multiple gears using grip or trigger type shifters, shoe on rim type brakes and a comfortable foam/gel medium width saddle. These bikes are in the $200 to $350 range and if bought from a local bike shop should be professionally fitted by a qualified fitter (more on that later). Buying online will net a better price, but you will need to have the fitting performed afterwards.

OK, let’s talk about fitting. I have mentioned several times that a fitting is something that needs to be done. Having a properly sized bike is paramount and starts with correct frame geometry (frame size measured from the center of the pedal crank to the center of the top bar – either in cm. or in.) and needs to be addressed before purchased if buying on line. Most reputable e-commerce retailers will include a frame sizing chart to help you purchase the correct frame size. The remaining and very important part is actual measurements and adjustments made while the rider is seated on the bike. This includes seat height, seat forward and aft positioning, handlebar stem length and angle selection, all done while taking the proper measurements using standard linear devices and plumb-bob measurements from your knee to the ball of your foot while your knee is at 90 degrees.

An advantage to buying from the local bike shop is that the fitting should be included (make sure and don’t buy if it isn’t) and items like stem length and angle adjustments requiring a stem change be included as well (don’t let them try to sell you the proper stem – they should merely exchange it for you.) If buying online you can figure $35 to $50 at the local bike shop. Bottom line is don’t skip this step. $50 is cheaper than a trip to the doctor due to joint pain and a bad taste for City Cycling.

My next blog will talk about City Cycling for the commuter. With transportation costs continuing to rise and we baby boomers getting older, health is becoming more important, the City Cycling commuter is on the rise.