For a sport to command attention in US, it seems that it takes either a celebrity doing it, or an American to win. When one talks about bicycling, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis (without the doping charges) comes to mind. Before taking up on this sport, hopefully not because of celebrities doing it, a few things should be known first.

Don't try to be like one of those guys right away, would be my first piece of advise. Most likely your physical condition is no better than that of uncle Red Green and your enthusiasm will be kicked to the curve very fast under the circumstances. Money could do that as well. Buying the hottest bicycle one can find, will set you back around $1000.00 plus tax. A safe environment to ride that bike is also important. Big city busy streets don't fit that descriptive category, so safety cannot be stressed enough.

So what kind of bicycle should a weekend rider have? Just about anything from the cheap brands sold at department stores to the more pricier ones from the speciality shops would be good. The cheap bikes will fit a small budget. They will only last what you paid for. For example most mechanisms and controls are made of plastic or cheap metal, which can easily break under duress. So if you can invest a bit more, I would recommend the name brands.

Bicycles are divided in two categories: racers, which are known as city bikes, cruisers, or comfort bikes, which are made for speed. The mountain bikes are the ones made for endurance. The racers are made with thin frames, wheels and tires. The reason for it is that those bikes ought to encounter the least resistance from the environment, thus ensuring speed. The mountain category is exactly the opposite. They have thick frames, wheels and tires for endurance, good traction and long life expectancy to the brutal off the pavement experience. Despite their names this type cannot climb mountains.

The frame designed and their subsequent names can be a bit confusing. The mountain is designed for harsh terrain and off the road high performance. The cross design is a hybrid in between the mountain and the racer. It's supposed to be versatile enough for both city streets and dirt roads. This type is made for casual rides and medium performance. The racer or cruisers bikes are made for paved roads.

The frames are made of steel, carbon-fiber and lately of aluminium. Avoid the carbon-fiber, which can incur hairline cracks that are hard to detect and can cause structural

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about How to get started with cycling?
We want to hear your view. Write now!