how to buy a bicycle for adults

how to buy a bicycle for adults? especially your first, is an exciting moment on the road toward getting fit. Soon you'll be saving on parking fees and savoring the world a bit more slowly on two wheels compared to four. A buying strategy helps you to end up with a well-fitted bicycle that meets your needs and that you look forward to riding.

Step 1
Narrow down the giant universe of possible choices by analyzing how you plan to use your bike. Go for a commuter model if you plan to ride smooth roads or boardwalks just a mile or two on the way to work or errands. Try a sleek road bike if you want to rack up fast-paced miles or climb hills on a bike with a light frame. Purchase a mountain bike to get off the road altogether and explore rougher terrain; it may also be suitable for extended touring or commuting on rough city streets. Or pick out a hybrid if you want a bicycle midway between a road bike and a mountain bike in terms of weight and function.

Step 2
Select an appropriate frame size: for mountain bikes, straddle the bike and look for 2 inches or more of clearance between the top tube and your crotch. For road bikes, hybrids and commuters, look for a narrower clearance of about 1 inch. Ask an assistant at the bike shop to provide you with the recommended frame sizes for your build, typically in inches for mountain and hybrid bikes and centimeters for road bikes.

Step 3
Look for a women-specific frame if you are female or a smaller male with a short torso. Even if the frame size as determined by the seat tube dimension is the same as other bikes, the geometry of the top tube changes to better fit the longer legs and shorter torsos of women.

Step 4
Test-ride bicycles that fit your narrowed-down frame choices, such as a 48 cm road bike, a 19-inch hybrid or a 17-inch women-specific mountain bike. Look for a comfortable seat and pedaling motion, such that you neither have to shift in the seat to press the pedals at a full downstroke nor find your knees flying high toward your chest.

Step 5
Ask your bike shop for changed options such as a new female-specific seat, an adjustment to perfect the height of the seat post and a different-size handlebar stem if you find a bike frame that fits you but still needs work to perfectly match your body.