Bicycling: A Reintroduction: A Visual Guide to Choosing, Repairing, Maintaining & Operating

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

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.

Unlessyou’rebuyingahighendcustombike,orarewillingtoshelloutquiteabitofextramoney,thebikeyoutestrideatthebikeshopneedstofitwithoutmodificationexceptforraisingtheseat.Don’tletasalespersontellyou,“You’llgetusedtoit.”Ifitdoesn’tfeelgoodonatestride,itwon’tfeelgoodonaten-mileride.Takethetimetotestrideasmanybikesasyouneedto.Takenotes—writedownthemodelnameandaoneortwoworddescription.Bringahelmetorborrowonefromtheshop,andtakeyourtimeridingaroundonthebike.

Arideronaproperlysizedbikewillbeabletoridewithbackstraightandelbowsslightlybent.Thesalesattendantataprobikeshopwillbehappytohelpyouevaluatethefit.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Accessoriesbackpacksandbags,79baskets,77bells,79bottlecagesandbottles,74computers,75fenders,77handlebarbags,76helmets,28mirrors,79panniers,78pumps,75racks,76–77racktrunks,78seatbags,76trailers,81

Aches,41–43Animalhazards,54

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

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

Dab,described,124Derailleurs,96,118Dialedin,described,124Directpullbrakes,adjusting,115Discbrakes,92,93Dish,described,124Draft,described,124Dropouts,described,124Drops,described,124

Endo,described,124Eventtours,riding,123

Faceplants,described,124Fenders,77Fixedgear(fixie)bikes,23,124Fixkits,described,124Foldingbikes,22Frames,84–85Freewheels,97Frontderailleurs,96Frontforks,86

Gearschainpositionsand,30–31numbers,30shifting,28–29

Gloves,71Grannygears,described,124Gravelonridingsurface,52Groupriding,58Gruppos,described,124

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

Inclines.SeeHills/inclinesInnertubes

about,88–89installing,113patching,112removing,110–111

Internalgearhubs,97

Kneepain,43Knobby,described,124

LBS,described,124Linearpullbrakes

about,92,93releasing,107

Locksandlockers,64–65

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

Neckpain,43Nightriding,53Nutrition,40–41

Off-roadriding,36–39

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

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

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

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

Underpasses,ridingin,62Usedbicycles,19

Vacations,122Valves,88Velodromes,described,124

Weightshiftsandoff-roadriding,37Wetpavement,27,52Wheels

about,87back,removing,109brakesandremoving,107front,removingandreplacing,108

PrintedinChina

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.

Bicycling: A Reintroduction: A Visual Guide to Choosing, Repairing, Maintaining & Operating

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