Work Life Tips

Here’s one good maintenance habit that requires no advanced cycling knowledge – always store your bicycle indoors. It’s the easiest way to keep your bicycle working and looking like new.

Exposure to the elements is one of the worst thing you can do to a bike. So, if you can’t park it in a garage or shed and it doesn’t fir in any closet, try hanging it over a stairwell, or using a free-standing rack to set it to the side.

*If you really love your bicycle and appreciate its aesthetics, try purchasing some hooks and hanging it on a wall.

Skidding is bad – it takes longer to slow down, it’s harder to control and it wears out your tires. If you start to skid while stopping, ease up on the brake just a bit, and once the skid stops, try to maintain that level of pressure. Don’t ever clamp the brake levers as hard as you can. Instead add pressure progressively to stop as fast and safely as possible.

Steering a bicycle seems much easier than it is. This is because along with simply turning the handlebars, you also have to lean over into the turn, and the faster you’re going, the further over you have to lean. It seems scary at first, but experienced racers can lean their bikes over to almost 45-degrees with no trouble at all. As you ride more, leaning as you turn will feel more and more natural.

Most people ride in as high a gear as they can manage. This makes riding very hard and can damage leg joints. Instead, try to keep in a gear that lets you turn your legs about 80-100 times per minute. Anticipate shifting by keeping an eye on the road or trail ahead, and downshift (shift to a lower gear) before you need to. Don’t feel bad about shifting frequently, looking for the most comfortable gear – it won’t wear out the bike any faster and can make your ride much more safe and fun.

It’s important to know how to bike safely on the road. Always stay on the right but don’t hug the curb: glass and sharp debris collects at the very edge of the road and can cause you to get a flat. You have the same rights to the road as a car, so keep 2 to 3 feet from the curb, allowing enough room to your left for cars to pass. Always use hand signals before turning, and make sure your bike is equipped with reflectors and a light if you ride in low-light conditions.