subject: Cycling 101 - choosing your Felt Bike [print this page] Cycling 101 - choosing your Felt Bike Cycling 101 - choosing your Felt Bike
There are several key considerations to look at when choosing your Felt Bike, but the basics are ensuring that your bike fits, that your equipment is appropriate and that you understand the Highway Code. If your bike fits well, and is designed to perform the way you want it to, you will find that you enjoy riding more and use your bike more, making its health and monetary benefits more pronounced.
Does your bike fit?
Understanding how to measure and fit a bike is one of the critical first choices you need to make - whether this is by getting yourself measured in a bike shop before choosing your bike on or offline, or if you measure yourself there are a couple of key points to understand. The bike frame will be one of a couple of fixed heights, and can be fine-tuned to your needs from there. Most people end up with a 17 or 18 inch bike, though if you're very small or taller than 5'8", you should change your frame size. Once you've got the basic frame, you can change the seat height to fine tune your bike. Felt Bikes are designed to do this with ease.
Appropriate equipment
There are several key pieces of equipment that you need - whether it's a simple set of basic safety gear or all of the equipment that you think you'll ever need for cycling you should always buy the best that you can afford at the time. At a minimum it is recommended that you purchase a helmet and high visibility jacket, though many cyclists swear by products such as base layers, and hats that help wick sweat away from their bodies, or other products that help them stay on the top of their game. One of the major issues with this of course is cost, but if you buy everything you need while they are on sale, you can mitigate this.
The Highway Code (or other applicable regulations)
Depending on where you are based, there may be local and national rules to observe about bikes - one of the major ones in the Highway code that relates specifically to push bikes is being able to put your feet on the floor. This rule was introduced because some cyclists weren't tall enough for their bikes and could get into accidents getting balanced on their bikes, or had problems with balance. So ensuring that everything, including your bike, fits well is critical. Without this, it's possible you'll be in an accident.
The Highway Code also contains information about how to handle yourself on the road, and how other drivers should treat you, so it's worth making sure you know what is expected of you and others so you don't fall afoul of the law at any point.
