If You’re a Beginning Cyclist, Pay Attention to These Important Tips

We get it — you’d rather be out enjoying your new bike than reading a list of tips to stay safe and comfortable. Yet here’s the deal: Give yourself five minutes to read this article, and we promise you’ll not only stay safer, you’ll also enjoy your next ride a lot more.

Tips to Help New Cyclists Stay Safe and Comfortable

First, let’s review a few key tips for staying pain-free while cycling.

1. Make sure your seat is properly adjusted.

Beginning cyclists often don’t know that having the wrong seat height can not only lead to uncomfortable rides, it can also cause knee and back pain. To figure out the correct height. Bicycling.com says to do the following:

At the right seat height, your knee should be slightly bent at the bottom of your pedal stroke, without rocking your pelvis. Measure the distance between the bottom bracket and the top of the seat. This is your seat height. It should be very close to the product of your inseam (in centimeters) multiplied by 0.883.

If that doesn’t work, head down to your local shop and ask them to help.

2. Take care of your gear

By making an extra effort to maintain your bike and its components you will extend their useful lifespan and get a better ride out of it as well. Bicycle.com encourage you to do the following:

Routine maintenance—like lubing your chain—will not only save you a bundle at the bike shop, but it will also prolong the life of your bike and its components. Keeping the recommended amount of air in your tires (look over your tire to find the psi range) makes your rides a lot easier, too, and prolongs the life of your tires. Check out these other easy bike repairs and maintenance tasks your bike mechanic wishes you’d do.

3. Make sure your bike fits.

When people buy bikes, fit often goes overlooked — and that’s a shame because ignoring fit can lead to some very uncomfortable bike rides. Fortunately, determining fit is not difficult. According to Bicycling.com:

To get the right fit, two elements are key: seat height and reach. The seat height should be high enough to give you a very slight bend in your knee when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke, as mentioned above. Proper reach means your arms and torso make a 45-degree angle over the bike. Too long, and your back will be sore reaching for the handlebar; too short, and your knees will be too close to your arms.

Now, let’s review some basic safety tips.

1. Know the weather forecast
2. Be situationally aware
3. Carry a patch kit
4. Wear proper safety gear
5. Carry sunscreen and water for longer rides
6. Bring your ID and a camera
7. Ride with traffic not against it
8. Never pass on the right
9. Give yourself plenty of cushion
10. Exercise extra caution at intersections

Follow all of these steps, and you’ll progress from a beginner to a happy, secure and safe experienced rider in no time at all.

Finding the Right Bicycle Accident Attorney

Gary Brustin is a lifelong cyclist and a specialist in bicycle accident law. In fact, these are the only types of cases he accepts. If you’ve been injured in a collision, we urge you to contact Gary for a complimentary consultation.