Many bicycle owners regretted not learning about this or that thing sooner. They assembled bicycles of strange construction, used outdated spare parts. There are a few tips that every owner of an iron horse should familiarize themselves with.
Mental recommendations
It is required to set goals for themselves. To do this, you should buy a bicycle computer to be able to track progress.
The great functionality of the accessory will allow you to note the result, such as the best time per lap, record speed or states. Some keep track of calories and track total mileage. Others like to race.
Using a bicycle computer will allow you to find out what place you would have in a given race. The earlier you set your goal, the faster you can achieve your results. Keeping records will make it easier to reach your goal.
You should try as many new things as possible. The daily monotonous route on a familiar, constantly used type of bike with old company slows down the overall development of a person as a cyclist. Variety will provide a broad outlook.
For example, ride a trail using a hardtail type of bike or a fatbike. Will be able to immediately feel the differences in the vehicles. It is necessary to choose different paths, to test themselves on all sorts of speed regimes.
An important point is a measure. Too frequent changes of paths, partners, bikes also contribute to slow progress. You should benefit even from spontaneous changes in your ride.
As you develop your abilities, you should set larger goals for yourself. It is recommended to try riding with a new handlebar or seat, buy another head protection, change clothes or backpack.
If financially possible, it is desirable to buy a second bike, very different in type from the first. For example, change a country bike to a two-paddle.
You can spend a long period of time trying to hone your skills in free riding. Get used to the contact pedals. It is recommended to take part in races where you can gain a lot of skills in a short period of time.
Many people talk about the benefits of speed riding, the behavior of the bike at this point. However, there is little information about the fact that low speed is also useful.
Time should be taken not only for the road, but also to admire nature and other scenery. It will also allow you to understand where the bike is going, its disposition on different road surfaces, the principle of the tires.
To find out how the bike behaves at high speed, you should first study how it rides at low speed.
Many people prefer to ride on rough roads, but for the sake of general development you should also devote time to riding on the pavement.
For this purpose, it is recommended to use the right kind of bike, namely a road bike. A trail bike can be several hours away; you just need to get out of the house to get out on the highway.
Accelerations and long climbs are ideal to practice on a road bike, this is the time to train your endurance.
It is also necessary to use protective creams, so as not to get burned. There are also special products that relieve soreness in the heel area after cycling. Using cosmetic products will keep you healthy.
In addition to cycling alone, there are other areas of life that should be practiced. There are many other sports activities available.
When there is no opportunity to ride a bike, you should pay attention to a variety of activities. For example, going to the mountains or just going out in nature, rafting is also a great alternative. In your spare time, you can do maintenance of the iron horse.
Even athletes need a break from cycling. It is not necessary to concentrate your life completely on mountain biking.
Cycling tips
After buying a bike and adjusting the iron horse in the shop, you should not perform a complete disassembly of the iron horse during the first 200 – 500 kilometers. The master initially adjusted and lubricated everything.
A complete disassembly of the bike will require many keys, which you need to know how to use. Brakes, derailleurs, saddle and handlebar placement are not among these adjustments.
With a total mileage of more than 1000 kilometers in one season, it is recommended to perform a complete maintenance or refer to specialized workshops for this purpose. It is required to clean, lubricate, adjust the position of most elements after such mileage.
It is recommended to give for repair in the autumn months. In the spring, the workshops have a lot of customers, respectively, the price of the services provided increases.
Some people mistakenly assume that it is necessary to use only the rear brake for braking. This assumption is explained by the fear of flying over the front wheel. This can only happen to inexperienced cyclists.
The rear brake does about 1/3 of the total braking, the rest is done by the front mechanism. By operating exclusively the rear element, the braking distance increases by a factor of 3. This is not acceptable in an extreme situation.
It is required to develop a habit of using both brakes, so that in case of emergency to do the same.
Particular attention should be paid to gear shifting. Experienced cycling enthusiasts do not need 18 or more.
But people have different physical abilities, muscle tissues are different in development, also the nature of riding a bike is different. A wide range of gears provides freedom of choice, where each owner of an iron horse will find the right speed.
Many people after buying a bike immediately use high-speed gears, which provokes increased fatigue, low speed increases the risk of knee joints.
There is a simple rule that every cyclist should keep in mind. The frequency of pedaling should be at least 30 times per 30 seconds. For professionals, this figure is equal to 140 revolutions.
People’s experiences are individual, it is recommended to try to follow the above recommendations at least for 30 days. This is enough to assess the practicality of these tips.