Col De Tourmalet Ascent in 5 Mins

What do you want to do, what do you want to see and where do you want to do it? Cycling is not simply pushing pedals round as fast or as slow as you want. Many different activities are covered in the topic of cycling and each one has a different equipment need and fitness requirements.

The basics of cycling are simple, get a bike. When you think of a bike it generally will be the two wheeled version. There are trikes that are three wheeled and quads with four that are much more strange contraptions. Bikes ususally have just one seat although there are tandems which are making a comeback for couples who never want to have to look at one another again.

What you want to achieve is of prime importance.In this introduction to the casual cyclist we will concentrate on the two wheeled versions.

If you are looking for a speedster for track cycling, which is becoming more popular again now as more velodromes are built, then there are certain manufacturers that give more confidence in their product. There is no point buying a specialized bike for the mountains and then trying to speed round the embankments of a track in a Madison event.

If you are searching for a road bike most buyers look for the weight as the determining factor as the lighter the bike the easier it is to get up the hills using the gear ratios allowed, the only thought is to actually lose some pounds quickly so as to make it even easier.

If you are looking for or want a mountain bike, then the rigid tubular structure, well sprung suspension and really thick tyres may help you avoid the nastiest falls and the inevitable broken collarbone (Yes I am bitter about it)

The occasional cyclist may well want a hybrid that allows you to cope with the hills and a bit of off road as well as getting up a head of steam on the flat roads on the way to your destination.

Whichever is the type of bike and the sort of cycling that you want to do you will find innumerable benefits for your general wellbeing and health. You should expect to lose weight, get a lower resting heart rate and feel fitter within yourself after the first couple of weeks of saddle soreness as your softer undercarriage gets used to the seat and the bumps. And all of the above types of cycling allow you to get into the open air and enjoy the scenery, just don’t take it too seriously to start because you will get passed at first by 60 year olds with beer bellies. They are total weirdos and you will never find a decent reason why they move much faster than you do.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 10:38 pm and is filed under Types of Bicycles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.