A Beginner’s Guide To Buying A Bike
Bike riding is one of the best modes of transportation for the digital ages. It’s environmentally friendly, there’s no need to buy gas for it, you don’t need a license, and almost anyone can do it. Not to mention that riding a bike is undoubtedly way more exercise for you than driving around everywhere. If you’ve recently moved into a large city, a college campus, or are just looking to be a little bit more on time to things without having to break your piggy bank, then here’s the guide for you to buying your very own bike.
What Sort of Bike Do You Want?
When you’re buying a bike, here are a lot of things to consider when you purchase something of this sort in general. For example, when purchasing a new phone, you wouldn’t just walk into the store and ask the store manager for whatever phone they got on hand, would you? No! When you buy an item, you know you’re going to be using on a day to day basis. You want to own something that you know you’re going to be happy with while still having all the features and design aspects that you’re looking for. Before you set your heart on anything, in particular, write out a list of things that you want from your bike. A few examples to taking into consideration are things like: will you be biking on the road, or off-road, or a bit of both most of the time? Is there anything special you want your bike to do? These things are one of the first to consider when considering buying a bike.
Budget and Quality
It sucks to acknowledge this, but the fact of the matter is that, while not the most expensive thing on the market, bikes can still fetch a pretty penny if you’re looking to buy new. Sure, buying a bike that’s been used can be great if you have a handy place to get one. But the fact of the matter is that more often than not you are going to buy a new bike. Once again, it’s a handy tool to do your research first before you walk into a bike shop. Having a good idea in mind of what you are looking for before you shop will be one of your most significant assets in this whole endeavor. Not only that, but another great tool to have in your toolbox will be to look at online reviews for the bike models you have in mind.
The Frame
If you have the opportunity to do so, try to measure yourself for the type of frame that would best suit yourself for your particular size and height. The most important measurement that you could know when buying your bike is your inseam. Men will probably already know your inseam measurements from the size of your pants. However, ladies here’s how to take your inseam measurement. Ask for a friend to take a tape measure and go from the inside of your thigh, around the groin area, down to the ground. Write that number down somewhere. From there, you can use that number to determine the size of the frame that your bike should be using an online calculator. Not only will this help give you a better idea of what you’re looking for, but hopefully, it would also give you an idea of a bike that will fit right just for you.
The Tires
The tires, while still necessary, aren’t a substantial contributing factor to buying a bike, but there is still a lot to take into account with them. Particularly how big you want the tires to be. The width and the size of the tires can tremendously affect the way that your bike rides through things, as well as the speed and overall durability. Thinner tires are more geared towards trailed paths, while wider wheels are more accustomed to off-roading or other trickier terrain. Be sure to talk to your local bike shop about your tire options when buying a bike. And as always, be sure to do your research online to figure out beforehand what it is you want.
Comparison Shop
Arguably one of the most time consuming, but essential parts of buying a bike. Comparison shopping can take quite a bit of time. My recommendation for when you get to this point of shopping is to set aside a weekend where you can go to a few trusted bike shops in your area and see which bike fits best for you. You could even make a bit of an outing for it with your friends and family. Once you find your bike, then you can all bring their bikes and go for a bit of a bike ride or a picnic through your local town or woods, depending on the type that’s suitable for the road for you.
Try It Before You Buy It
An important aspect of comparison shopping is to try it before you buy it. One of the best things you can do when shopping, in general, is to try out a product and see if you like it before you commit to buying it. Buying a bike is no different. If possible, ask the bike store owner if you could take it out for a test drive in their parking lot to see if you like how it drives. Take it for a few spins and figure eights around the parking lot. Test the brakes to make sure you’re comfortable with using them and can stop when you need them. Make sure the balance is right, the handlebars are where you want them to be and that overall everything is to your liking.
Accessories to Get
This might seem like an afterthought, but it truly is essential to take everything that you’ve done already into consideration, and add on top the sort of accessories that you’re going to want when buying a bike. Do you want a basket or something that would be able to carry a backpack or bookbag? Maybe some books? Do you want a bell? Where will you be storing your bike, and will you need a bike lock? Do you have a tire pump to make sure your new bike doesn’t go flat when sitting in the garage? All of these are critical things to take into consideration when buying a bicycle.
Are you looking for a bike and did this help you at all? Comment down below to tell us all about it!
