For a teenager to be able to get the most out of riding a bike, you should pay attention to a number of important points.

Deciding on the type of bike

First of all it is necessary to decide where and how the teenager will ride. On this basis, and will have to choose the type of bike. At this age the choice will be between folding road bike and mountain bike.

For a folding bike is likely to be inclined by many parents because of its practicality and the low price. When folded, it does not take up much space and is easy to pack and store in the winter.

The second plus of this type of bike is a low price. It can be many times lower than the cost of mountain bikes, thanks to the simplicity of the device bike.

But these bikes have a number of disadvantages, which may already be significant for teenagers, especially those who like to ride off-road and fast.

Folding roadster is great for leisurely rides on smooth pavement, but it is very difficult to ride on it off-road. The usual folding road bikes do not have a suspension fork.

The next disadvantage is the lack of a high-speed transmission. Some models have a 5-7-speed cassette, but it’s still not enough for a fast ride, and many teenagers just love it at their age.

Another important part of a teenage bicycle is the appearance of the bike. Mountain bikes look much more aggressive and cooler than road bikes with a folding frame.

Given all of the above pros and cons of the two opposites, as well as taking into account the mandatory preferences of your child, parents can opt for road or mountain bike. But this is not the end of the choice of bike.

Height

Choosing the right girth bike – a guarantee of a comfortable ride. If the frame size is not appropriate, it will have a serious impact on control and even on the health of the teenager.

Constant cycling with a wrong and unnatural fit can cause pain in the back, neck, arms and legs.

If the choice of frame size folding bike almost no problem, but the selection of speed bicycle requires a more serious approach.

On a folding bike without an upper frame tube, you can get by with handlebar adjustment and saddle height adjustment, but on a speed bike that may not be enough.

So, when choosing a mountain bike, it is best to start by paying attention to the height and frame size correspondence tables for mountain bikes. You should pay attention to the fact that there are also women’s frames that have a slightly different height than men’s frames.

But every person is an individual, so you can not always rely on height charts. Moreover, we should not forget about the geometry of the bike. Different bikes can have different tube angles, which also greatly affects the fit.

A good way to determine the height of the bike is to get on the bike, stand with your feet on the ground and measure the distance from the top tube of the frame to your groin. Ideally it should be 10-12 cm.

It is worth to start with the size of the wheels. Teenagers, depending on growth and age, should choose bikes on wheels 20, 24, 26 inches. High may go even nainer – bikes with 29-inch wheels. Many teenagers between the ages of 14-16 years may suit and adult bikes.

Or maybe something special?

Do not drive a teenager into a framework for choosing a bike. Perhaps a teenager will want something unusual. For example, in recent years, teenage children are increasingly riding an extreme style of BMX. The choice of such a bike is specific.

It is impossible to pick any one formula, so the child will have to decide on a specific model on which it will be easy and comfortable to ride.

Perhaps the bike will be a fatbike. This type of bike has become increasingly popular in recent years. Unlike a regular bike, it has wide-profile wheels, which have a positive effect on cross-country mobility.

Almost everyone wants to stand out among their peers with something. So it is better that it is something good and useful. A teenager will look very cool on such unusual bikes.

What else should you pay attention to?

When choosing a bike for a teenager, you should definitely pay attention to the following:

• The frame material should be aluminum. The most budget bikes with a steel frame will be cheaper than aluminum models, but they are much heavier;
• Frame type should be a hardtail (without rear shock absorbers). On the budget models the rear shock absorbers are made more for looks than for comfort. From the usual steel springs will be more problems than good. In addition these two-pods will weigh 3-4 kg more than similar hardtails;
• Not all mountain bikes are equipped with fenders. It is therefore advisable to spend extra 400 rubles and buy a set of fenders.

As far as attachments are concerned, on teenage bikes their level does not play a big role. Unless, of course, the teenager is an athlete.

Cheap derailleurs will quickly fail and require repairs or systematic adjustments, while more expensive equipment needs proper care, which teenagers are unlikely to be able to provide.

Brand

It’s not worth getting attached to a particular brand when choosing a teenage bike, either. All bikes in the same price range will be about the same no matter whose logo is affixed to the frame.

The manufacturer only makes the frame. Attachments are installed by other brands, and it is mostly Shimano.

Some consultants may name the birthplace of the brand rather than where the frame is made. Almost all bicycles today are made in Taiwan or neighboring Asian countries, so the quality will always be about the same.

The post How to Choose a Bicycle for a Teenager appeared first on SantaMonicaBikeShare.

But what can be said about the practicality of this device? Why install horns on the handlebars of a bicycle?

For what type of bike will horns be suitable?

First of all, it is worth noting that the horns will not fit all models.

Because they allow you to change the position of your hands on the handlebars, they are appropriate for bikes with a riding position where the rider is leaning forward.

If you sit upright on your bike and have an older frame, this attachment will not work for you.

But for road and mountain bikes where the rider is inclined, horns are a great addition.

To determine whether you need to install horns on the handlebars of your bike or not, let’s look at the pros and cons of the device.

Advantages

The positives include:

• A change in hand position;
• Protection for the back of the hands;
• Protects the steering mechanism in case of a fall;
• Prevents hands from slipping;
• Ability to install additional devices.

The most important function of the horns is that they allow for a comfortable hand position. After a long ride on a bicycle with a standard handlebar grip, your hands begin to get stiff.

This is explained by the fact that due to the structure of the joints a person is more comfortable to hold a vertical grip, rather than horizontal.

In addition, during a long ride in one position, the back and shoulders are under serious strain.

The handlebar horns allow you to change position and relieve the strain on various parts of your body, as this way of steering engages other muscle groups.

They also protect your hands and bike parts.

If your bike falls, the horns will keep your grips, shift knobs, brake grips, and other handlebar-mounted equipment in place.

Plus, the horns make it easy to set your bike up with the wheels up for later diagnosis and repair.

If grips get wet or worn and your hands slip off the handlebars, horns provide safe handling. Because most models are mounted upwards, you won’t lose control even in heavy rain.

Another advantage of using bicycle horns is that when they are embraced, the rider’s body lies horizontally, which reduces air resistance.

This position improves aerodynamics, increases speed, and saves riding effort.

Other possible features include the installation of various devices on the horns. For example, a rear-view mirror, flashlight or bike computer.

Disadvantages

The device has its own disadvantages. These include:

• Increased weight and dimensions of the handlebar;
• Reduced space on the handlebars;
• Potential danger;
• Lack of brakes.

Depending on the type of bicycle horns, which are mounted either on the handlebars or on the handlebar ends, the first two disadvantages are interchangeable.

If the horns are mounted on the ends, the hand space is unchanged, but the handlebar size is increased.

Lack of a cyclist’s sense of dimensions can lead to injury. Either you will hit pedestrians with your “horns”, or you yourself will roll over by getting caught in a tree or fence.

If the horns are attached to the handlebars, it is necessary to shift the steering to the center.

And every experienced cyclist knows that the closer your hands are to the center of the handlebars, the harder it becomes to control the unit.

Another serious disadvantage of bicycle horns is that in an emergency situation, it will take longer to move your hand to the handlebars and press the brake.

In order not to create such situations, the horns should be held on a confident and high-speed road, where the risk of a dangerous situation is minimal.

Based on the advantages and disadvantages of horns we have discussed, everyone can decide – whether to buy this device or not.

If you do not spend several hours behind the wheel and prefer a calm driving style, you will need horns only for beauty.

And those cyclists who have finally decided that bike handlebar horns are a useful thing can familiarize themselves with the types of attachments.

Types of horns

According to the material of manufacture they come in:

• Metal;
• Carbon fiber reinforced plastic;
• Plastic.

Although plastic horns are lighter, their aluminum counterparts are more durable. Therefore, their use is more appropriate.

There are short and long bicycle horns by length. The longer the device, the more convenient it is. However, the size is directly proportional to the cost of the product.

By shape there are:

• Straight;
• Anatomic;
• Curved.

Straight bicycle horns are a smooth cylindrical shape.

If the product is made of metal, the cyclist’s hand may slip, although it will never come off completely because of the type of mounting.

Anatomical devices follow the shape of the hand’s grip and have special notches for comfortable hand placement.

Curved bicycle horns are more expensive. But their cost is recouped by the expanded grip options.

With them you can choose the most comfortable position of the hands and overcome long distances without tension and swelling.

You should set the horns at 45-60⁰ relative to the road for comfort.

Vertical positioning of the attachments may cause inconvenience when riding due to improper seating of the cyclist.

To summarize, it is safe to say that on long and high-speed rides bicycle horns are definitely useful. But whether they are worth buying for your personal bike is up to you to decide!

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Some seek to replace it immediately, but still experience discomfort, and even on soft seats. This is all easily explained. The fact is that the softness of the saddle does not determine the comfort of the ride.

To be more exact, it does not depend only on the softness of the saddle, but on its shape and position on the seatpost.

It turns out that if the seat of the bicycle rubs or presses somewhere, the reason may lie in its wrong position. It should be noted that the wrong position of the saddle is not the only reason.

For example, the wrong position of the handlebars or landing can cause more damage than the seat itself.

In addition, not only a hard seat, but also a seat that is too soft can be uncomfortable for the rider. This and how to choose a bike seat should be discussed in more detail.

The softer, the more comfortable or the secret is different?

First of all, we should find out what causes the discomfort and begins to hurt “fifth point”?

The thing is that during prolonged sitting there is a load on the sciatic bones. Soft muscles act as a soft layer between the seat and these sciatic bones. A padded seat helps to increase this space, but it doesn’t solve the problem.

Many cyclists are solving the wrong problems. You should strive to distribute your weight evenly while riding. You can achieve this only if you buy a bike seat that is shaped to fit the anatomy of the cyclist and set it at the correct angle.

It is necessary to try different angles of inclination.

The first thing to try is to “play around” with the saddle setting. It is necessary to choose such an angle of inclination, at which the ride will be the most comfortable.

And the role can play only a couple of millimeters. It is necessary to adjust not only the position of the saddle on the seatpost, but also the saddle height and the angle of inclination and the height of the handlebar. This adjustment may take quite some time, but the result will be worth it.

When the ideal angle has been found, you should mark it with a marker, electrical tape or a small scratch. This saddle position should not be changed in the future.

Choosing a saddle

If the adjustments did not help, you will need to buy another bike saddle. It should be noted that its purchase is a very serious problem for some cyclists.

The fact is that there is no universal saddle for everyone, so you will have to try on a separate one.

But there are a number of things to pay attention to before buying. First of all, you should take into account how much you will spend in the saddle and with what intensity you will ride or train.

For small and leisurely rides, it is best to buy a wide saddle. Most often such and equipped with additional springs, which will dampen vibrations when riding on uneven terrain.

The entire weight is distributed between the two sciatic bones. If you measure the distance between them, you can easily choose the right width seat. The product description is sure to indicate this information.

The next point to pay attention to is stiffness. If you do not delve into anatomy, we can say that a soft saddle is not really useful. The fact is that the aforementioned pelvic bones will fall into the soft material, and during a long ride will be leaking.

This is especially bad for men’s health. On the other hand, to sit on a wooden saddle is also not very comfortable. Therefore the best variant will be a rigid sports saddle.

The nose of the saddle, as well as the area for the sciatic bones themselves, should not be short. The fact is that while riding you will often have to stand up and generally move your heel a little. This is why the saddle must have a sufficient length reserve.

Material is a very important element

After choosing the shape and size of the saddle, it is time to pay attention to the material of which it is made.

The most common material is leatherette. Almost all mid-priced bicycles are equipped with this accessory.

This is a fairly cheap material that can last a relatively long time and meet the minimum requirements of the amateur.

Significant disadvantages of leatherette are poor ventilation. Such a saddle will practically not breathe and sweat away.

Leather is the most ideal option. This saddle will, of course, cost more, but will be much more comfortable than a saddle made of leatherette.

Natural leather breathes great, and therefore will wick away sweat. So before you choose a bike saddle you should always count on the fact that you will have to pay extra for a comfortable ride.

And finally, clothing

Add comfort when riding can special cycling clothing. Today the market offers a huge variety of cycling shorts in different price categories.

The main advantage of such clothing is not in the straps or tight material, but in the presence of pads in the area of direct contact with the saddle.

Cyclists call it a pampers. It’s not just softness and the drainage of sweat and air intake.

Therefore, it will be much needed especially for those who ride on leatherette seats.

To sum it up

On the subject of selecting a bicycle saddle can talk and write for a very long time, but it is possible to note a number of points, which should definitely be paid attention to when choosing a bicycle saddle.

First of all, it is its shape. It should fit the anatomical features of the cyclist.

Discomfort will be delivered as too wide, and narrow bicycle saddle.

The next point is stiffness. Too soft saddle will only contribute to the pressing of the buttocks, and thus contribute not only to discomfort, but also various diseases.

The ideal is a fairly rigid saddle and the presence of special cycling clothing.

The final is the choice of material. Leather, and only it will be able to provide excellent ventilation and perspiration.

The only downside will be its price. Synthetic bicycle saddles can be just as comfortable, but they do not “breathe” well.

The post Tips for Choosing a Bicycle Saddle appeared first on SantaMonicaBikeShare.