The choice to utilize a bicycle as your main mode of transportation, is beneficial for a number of reasons. There are a lot of reasons to ride a bicycle that have nothing to do with your preferred method of getting places. Some people have decided to take up cycling as a way to exercise. The thrill of competition draws other people to the sport of cycling. And there are others who decide to take up cycling as a hobby to share with their family or friends. Regardless of your reason for needing to find a bicycle, you need to take some things into consideration when the time comes to choose the perfect bicycle for you. Try these tips out to see if they can be of help.
The first thing you need to do is try the bicycle on for size, meaning sit on it and make sure that your feet are still flat on the floor so you will be able to stop yourself. There are some people that say this isn't the best way to choose, though. These people explain that the best way to pick a bike is to ensure there is a few inches between the ground and your feet, and you will be provided with a much more comfortable ride. 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. This is because when you are pedaling with this bike, your 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 because of the size of the tires on your road bike. These tires will be thinner and designed for efficiency on concrete roads or pavements. For a mountain bike take away 12 inches from your inseam. Again this is to account for the size of tires. You will find them to be much bigger and designed to handle rocky terrain. You can use mountain bikes for city cycling, but the opposite is not true and they are nowhere near as useful site good on city streets as road bikes.
You also want to make sure you leave some room between you and the crossbar of your bike. When you choose your bike, adjust the seat up a few inches from the crossbar and then sit on the bike. Make sure you can place both feet on the ground if need be. You will want to leave different clearance lengths depending on the type of bicycle you are buying. As an example, with a touring bike you will only require around 1". With a mountain bike a clearance of 3" will be necessary.
When you get a bike your main goal should be to find one that physically suits you. That is the primary goal of anyone who chooses cycling as their primary form of transportation. You want to feel comfortable and safe as you travel from one point to another.