Whether you cycle into town, pedal to the local shop, take the children to the park or travel long distances on a daytrip or touring holiday; if it isn't a comfortable experience the enthusiasm for cycling will quickly disappear.
Spending a little time and effort, employing five simple techniques, that are within the scope of almost every rider, will greatly improve your cycling pleasure and ensure that your bike will not spend its days languishing against the garage wall.
Set-Up
When carried out correctly, this is the single most important procedure. If a rider uses a machine with an incorrect frame size, comfort and overall performance will never improve. The cycle will be unwieldy, unbalanced and in some cases - downright dangerous because the cyclist's centre of gravity will be too high, so the frame size should ideally correspond with your height. Finding the correct size is a very straightforward procedure that is easy to accomplish.
Stand with your legs either side of the top tube, (crossbar), with both feet flat on the floor wearing the footwear that you normally use for cycling. The top tube should now be around half an inch below your crotch on racing-style and utility bikes, and with the mountain-style with a sloping top tube allow an extra couple of inches. For women add a couple of inches more for both styles. You now have the correct frame size!
Handlebars should ideally be the same width as your shoulders, and set so that they cause a slight bend in the back and arms without the rider having to reach too far forward. If reaching is a problem, raising the bars or moving the saddle forward slightly will usually cure the problem. The Saddle
This is the one area in where many manufacturers definitely do cut corners, providing the rider with something that is no better than a broom-head covered in a thin layer of foam and plastic.
However, if you have no choice but to use a budget-priced saddle, there are a couple of adjustments that can be made that will not cost you a penny and will improve your comfort. Set up the saddle as follows:
Sitting astride the bike with one leg extended downwards, make continual trial-and-error adjustments by raising and lowering the saddle post, until that leg has only a slight bend in it while the corresponding pedal is at its closest point to the ground. With mountain-style bikes a more pronounced bend in the leg is quite common.
Over time most riders find that further fine adjustments produce the perfect position.
While on the subject of saddle adjustment, it is worth noting that many cyclists often set their saddles in a flat, horizontal position. This is fine for some people, but for others it often results in the rider constantly slipping forward while at the same time constantly pushing back on the saddle to regain their original seating position. By tipping up the nose of the saddle as little as half an inch the problem is eradicated, giving the rider a much more comfortable and stable ride.
When setting the saddle height for children it is advisable to lower the saddle by an extra inch or two, so that they can quickly reach the floor if required. Pedaling
This is the one area where noticeable advances in comfort and performance can easily be achieved.
The biggest mistake the majority of us make, especially when as children we are learning to ride, is a habit that tends to continue through to our growing-up years - we pedal using the arches of our feet, when actually the balls of our feet should be used. Pedalling in this more efficient manner means many more miles can be obtained with less energy used that otherwise would have been expended. Add to this a pair of inexpensive toe-clips and the energy saving and pedalling power will be extended even further.
A comfortable cadence (or pedalling-rate), is a sure-fire technique that will reward the rider many times over in the area of energy-saving and pedal power.
Although it is not possible to find the perfect cadence for each individual straightaway, given time it is something that the body will adapt to over time.
To understand the meaning of the word cadence, think of it this way. It is the rate at which you pedal without too much exertion that makes you feel as though you could go on forever, whatever gear you happen to be in. Don't force it! Just stick to your own comfortable pedalling-rate, drop a gear if you feel you are putting too much pressure on the pedals and eventually your body will settle into your ideal cadence. Tire Pressure
Thisis a much-debated subject in cycling circles, but it really doesn't have to be as really there are only two basic options - hard tyres or slightly softer ones.
If speed on the road is the goal, then naturally it would more advantageous to have the tyres as hard as possible, thereby minimising friction between the tyre and the road. However, hard tyres do have two distinct disadvantages. One is the need for more experienced bike-handling skills due the fact that there is less rubber in contact with the road surface, the other being a greater risk of sustaining a puncture.
On the other hand if a more leisurely approach to cycling is more desirable, with greater adhesion to the road, then the slightly softer tyre with its cushioning effect and a lower puncture risk may be the preferred option. However, you do have to contend with increased road drag.
If you are unsure whether to use soft or hard tyres, simply check the information on the side wall of your bicycle tyres where the maximum pressure (psi) is given. Possibly start with the hardest pressure and work your way down to a softer one, or vice-versa. Basically it all boils down to personal choice. Always Carry Water
This is the fifth and easiest of all these basic cycling techniques to employ. It is surprising how quickly a body can start along the road to dehydration, even in the most temperate of climates. Without realising it, what started out as a trip of a few miles could easily turn into a long distance ride. Without access to water a rider could possibly encounter serious problems, depleting important energy levels. So, for the sake of a little more weight to carry, it might well be worth considering.
Cycling should always be a fun way of getting around, cheap-and-easy travel, something that almost everyone can have access to and enjoy. If we can increase this level of enjoyment, perhaps live a slightly healthier lifestyle and gradually attain a higher level of fitness, then so much the better. But, at the very least, cycling should always be a comfortable and rewarding experience.
