Good on you! Do you have any sort of budget at all? Single speed bikes can be a bit cheaper than those with gears. By single speeds I don’t mean fixed gears, which I am even weary of riding even though I’ve been an avid cyclist for like 12 years. If you look on craigslist or Facebook marketplace (if you’re in the US) you can usually find bikes for decent prices that are used! If you go that route and find a single speed, make sure the brakes seem to work okay how I do this is ill stand by the bike, press both brake levers down, and try to push it forward. If it only moves a bit or not at all, it’s probably fine. I’d try both the front and back individually. If the levers press all the way down to the handlebars before they start to give any resistance, that means the brakes need to be replaced (cheap), but could mean they need to be adjusted. Not a bad thing necessarily as you can bring it to a shop, but just something to look out for as an extra immediate expense.
Depending on where you live, there may be shops that refurbish old bikes for discounts too so search around. There may also be bike rentals, too. Might be a good option so you can try a bike without committing to purchasing at first.
Getting on a bike can feel intimidating but you’ll get it. Practice riding in a straight line in a place where there is no car traffic. If you go too slow, you will probably fall because it takes a lot more balance to keep yourself up if you’re barely pedaling; that’s why “track stands” are so difficult. So try not to be afraid, you have your breaks and your feet so if you feel yourself tilting you can always put your foot down while gently pressing on the brakes to keep yourself from falling over. You could even just push yourself forward kinda hard with your foot without pedaling to get a feel for how the bike moves and you can stop yourself with brakes/feet. You wont fly over the handlebars when you’re learning. In my opinion the worst that might happen is that you fall on your side if you’re pedaling too slowly, or if you trip over yourself when biking. The worst thing to be hurt is your ego, though lol.Always a good idea to get a helmet too. I’d say it’s mandatory.
An important thing is to make sure that the bike is a good fit. This is a chart. You can ask the seller what the size is if they haven’t specified. Some people like the feel of a bike that’s a little smaller or bigger but youll want to generally follow the guide. You can adjust the saddle size to fit you as well. Ideal saddle height is when the saddle hits your hip bone. It might feel a lil scary/tall if you’re just starting to learn but that’s what it should be; your pedaling will be most effective and your knees will thank you. When you bring the bike home you can slam the saddle down lower so that you can learn to ride and get comfy on the bike but once you learn to do it raise the saddle back to your hip bone. Youll get used to it and you’ll probably be able to tell the difference.in comfort and that your pedal strokes will feel more “powerful”.
Let me know if you have any other questions and I’m happy to help!
Good on you! Do you have any sort of budget at all? Single speed bikes can be a bit cheaper than those with gears. By single speeds I don’t mean fixed gears, which I am even weary of riding even though I’ve been an avid cyclist for like 12 years. If you look on craigslist or Facebook marketplace (if you’re in the US) you can usually find bikes for decent prices that are used! If you go that route and find a single speed, make sure the brakes seem to work okay how I do this is ill stand by the bike, press both brake levers down, and try to push it forward. If it only moves a bit or not at all, it’s probably fine. I’d try both the front and back individually. If the levers press all the way down to the handlebars before they start to give any resistance, that means the brakes need to be replaced (cheap), but could mean they need to be adjusted. Not a bad thing necessarily as you can bring it to a shop, but just something to look out for as an extra immediate expense.
Depending on where you live, there may be shops that refurbish old bikes for discounts too so search around. There may also be bike rentals, too. Might be a good option so you can try a bike without committing to purchasing at first.
Getting on a bike can feel intimidating but you’ll get it. Practice riding in a straight line in a place where there is no car traffic. If you go too slow, you will probably fall because it takes a lot more balance to keep yourself up if you’re barely pedaling; that’s why “track stands” are so difficult. So try not to be afraid, you have your breaks and your feet so if you feel yourself tilting you can always put your foot down while gently pressing on the brakes to keep yourself from falling over. You could even just push yourself forward kinda hard with your foot without pedaling to get a feel for how the bike moves and you can stop yourself with brakes/feet. You wont fly over the handlebars when you’re learning. In my opinion the worst that might happen is that you fall on your side if you’re pedaling too slowly, or if you trip over yourself when biking. The worst thing to be hurt is your ego, though lol.Always a good idea to get a helmet too. I’d say it’s mandatory.
An important thing is to make sure that the bike is a good fit. This is a chart. You can ask the seller what the size is if they haven’t specified. Some people like the feel of a bike that’s a little smaller or bigger but youll want to generally follow the guide. You can adjust the saddle size to fit you as well. Ideal saddle height is when the saddle hits your hip bone. It might feel a lil scary/tall if you’re just starting to learn but that’s what it should be; your pedaling will be most effective and your knees will thank you. When you bring the bike home you can slam the saddle down lower so that you can learn to ride and get comfy on the bike but once you learn to do it raise the saddle back to your hip bone. Youll get used to it and you’ll probably be able to tell the difference.in comfort and that your pedal strokes will feel more “powerful”.
Let me know if you have any other questions and I’m happy to help!