Rene
Hello, ive been wanting to start biking but not sure if i should.. I broke my leg and injured my knee 2 years ago and i have knee pain, can't realy run without pain, so ive been looking into biking, and was wondering if its recommended, and what kind of bike i should get or what kind of training>? Thankss
Answer
rene
I had a tib / fib and cracked my knee in 21 spots (a long story). I have always ridden a bike, and rode competitively in college. The bike is a natural for you, you can get the cardio in with very low impact. But you need to learn the proper techniques of spinning (pedal technique) and gear shifting.
While it is low impact, you can 'feel' the pain when going up hills (at least I do), but flat land you can go forever at a competitive speed. I would suggest that you look at a good quality Hybrid bike made by Trek, Specialized, Cannondale or Giant. You want a good pair of cycling shorts (either road or mtn bike) a jersey, and a helmet.
I suggest you ask around and find a bike group, club , or friends to start you off, Please also use this forum to ask any questions that you may have. In or area many churches have riding groups. ANd any local bike shop can give you details on local cycle clubs.
I might also suggest you learn about liquid advil to take the edge of the pre and post ride discomfort.... and a product called Salanpas pain patches. You can get them over the counter, dirt cheap, at your local pharmacy (better deal at costco). You gotta try them. The green box is great and has worked for me for twenty years. They just came out with 'Arthritus' and 'Pain" patches as well. Twice as strong, but twice the price. A great product!
Good luck!
Soccerref
rene
I had a tib / fib and cracked my knee in 21 spots (a long story). I have always ridden a bike, and rode competitively in college. The bike is a natural for you, you can get the cardio in with very low impact. But you need to learn the proper techniques of spinning (pedal technique) and gear shifting.
While it is low impact, you can 'feel' the pain when going up hills (at least I do), but flat land you can go forever at a competitive speed. I would suggest that you look at a good quality Hybrid bike made by Trek, Specialized, Cannondale or Giant. You want a good pair of cycling shorts (either road or mtn bike) a jersey, and a helmet.
I suggest you ask around and find a bike group, club , or friends to start you off, Please also use this forum to ask any questions that you may have. In or area many churches have riding groups. ANd any local bike shop can give you details on local cycle clubs.
I might also suggest you learn about liquid advil to take the edge of the pre and post ride discomfort.... and a product called Salanpas pain patches. You can get them over the counter, dirt cheap, at your local pharmacy (better deal at costco). You gotta try them. The green box is great and has worked for me for twenty years. They just came out with 'Arthritus' and 'Pain" patches as well. Twice as strong, but twice the price. A great product!
Good luck!
Soccerref
what is the best type of bike for neighborhood, sidewalk, city biking for adults?
thirtynoth
I want to buy a bike for me and 1 for my husband. Looking for comfort, espcially in the knees, back and neck. Mostly for rides approximately 2-5 miles over city terrain. I am hopeing to spend less than $500 a piece. Thanks
Answer
The general category of bike which would suit your described riding type best is called a "hybrid" bike.
A hybrid bike is a bike which blends some of the best functions of both "road bikes" (racing style) and "mountain bikes" (off road bikes)
The end result is a bike with an upright, comfortable seating position of a Mountain bike, and the wide range of gear ratios of the same, combined with the lighter rolling resistance of 700c diameter wheels, as opposed to smaller 26" wheels found on mountain bike.
Tires on hybrid bikes also strike a balance between the ultra skinny tires of road bikes, which are harsh, due to very high air pressure (over 100psi), and prone to flat, vs. big knobby tires of dedicated off road Mountain bikes, which are heavy and slow rolling on paved surfaces
In the category of Hybrid bikes, some have a front suspension, or shock absorber front fork, and possible even shock absorber seat post; meanwhile other bikes forgo this feature, and have standard fixed fork and seat post.
Unless you plan to take dirt trails, or ride on very rough pavement surfaces, I would forgo the "suspension" type components.
Seeing how people tend to neglect all thing mechanical, and noting they add weight, and often cost, for very little "on road" benefit, adds to my assertion to keep it simple.
if you lived in the very flat parts of the USA like the plains of illinois and indiana; and/or you have no intention of ever doing More than just the 2-5 miles of city riding, you could actually get by with a single speed bike or 3 speed bike, which are acceptable, but I am going to make the assumption that this might be something you fall in love with doing and a hybrid bike is something you could eventually "make a day of it" with, and really get out and see the world by bike eventually, even up to 30 miles in a single day!
You should not worry about "brand name" since at your price point, most frames are produced in Taiwan and repainted and labeled for different brands. Taiwan makes very excellent bike frames.
Components (brakes, wheels, etc) of the bike which will give you good service come from the brands Shimano and Cane Creek and even SRAM at this price point. However,be wary of anything coming from mainland China or Korea.
Your best and safest bet is to purchase the bike from a local bike store, instead of a department store such as target or Costco. You will pay a little more ($50-$75) for a bike from a local bike store,However the bike store has staff which will fit you to a bike, often provide between one year and up to life time "tune-ups" and really be there to help you along the way to developing an improving ability to bicycle.
One tune up at the bike store, if you purchase the bike elsewhere will cost you more than the $75 you saved at Costco, and you will have a product with service support like a new car with a warranty. This benefit will keep you riding instead of having a bike parked all the time because its is not functioning properly.
All new bikes require adjustments! cable stretch, and things get wonky until the cable get settled stretching, and the adjustments are tedious. This is the biggest reason people stop riding, that and something as simple as a flat tire, so buy a pump with the 2 bikes.
if you consistently ride even once per week, 2-5 miles you describe can become 10-15 in just one year! This is because it becomes very easy to achieve a 10-12 mile per hour fitness level, and that would mean 10 miles is one about an hour of exercise.
Take your time and progress slowly, comfort and enjoyment during the first months will fuel your enjoyment to progress over time.
The first accessories I recommend are a pair of Helmets, and NEVER ride without them. All helmets work, so $25 is enough to pay.
Get the local bike store to sell you a water bottle cage, and GIVE you a free water bottle with the purchase of the bikes.
Next get some bike gloves. these will reduce numbness as you ride and protect your hands if you ever have a little mishap. finally if you start to ride more than 5 miles, you'll want some bike shorts, even if you wear them under regular clothes, for comfort of the padding in the seat of the shorts, but those can wait until you have begun to enjoy the sport.
Good luck and feel free to ask more questions!
The general category of bike which would suit your described riding type best is called a "hybrid" bike.
A hybrid bike is a bike which blends some of the best functions of both "road bikes" (racing style) and "mountain bikes" (off road bikes)
The end result is a bike with an upright, comfortable seating position of a Mountain bike, and the wide range of gear ratios of the same, combined with the lighter rolling resistance of 700c diameter wheels, as opposed to smaller 26" wheels found on mountain bike.
Tires on hybrid bikes also strike a balance between the ultra skinny tires of road bikes, which are harsh, due to very high air pressure (over 100psi), and prone to flat, vs. big knobby tires of dedicated off road Mountain bikes, which are heavy and slow rolling on paved surfaces
In the category of Hybrid bikes, some have a front suspension, or shock absorber front fork, and possible even shock absorber seat post; meanwhile other bikes forgo this feature, and have standard fixed fork and seat post.
Unless you plan to take dirt trails, or ride on very rough pavement surfaces, I would forgo the "suspension" type components.
Seeing how people tend to neglect all thing mechanical, and noting they add weight, and often cost, for very little "on road" benefit, adds to my assertion to keep it simple.
if you lived in the very flat parts of the USA like the plains of illinois and indiana; and/or you have no intention of ever doing More than just the 2-5 miles of city riding, you could actually get by with a single speed bike or 3 speed bike, which are acceptable, but I am going to make the assumption that this might be something you fall in love with doing and a hybrid bike is something you could eventually "make a day of it" with, and really get out and see the world by bike eventually, even up to 30 miles in a single day!
You should not worry about "brand name" since at your price point, most frames are produced in Taiwan and repainted and labeled for different brands. Taiwan makes very excellent bike frames.
Components (brakes, wheels, etc) of the bike which will give you good service come from the brands Shimano and Cane Creek and even SRAM at this price point. However,be wary of anything coming from mainland China or Korea.
Your best and safest bet is to purchase the bike from a local bike store, instead of a department store such as target or Costco. You will pay a little more ($50-$75) for a bike from a local bike store,However the bike store has staff which will fit you to a bike, often provide between one year and up to life time "tune-ups" and really be there to help you along the way to developing an improving ability to bicycle.
One tune up at the bike store, if you purchase the bike elsewhere will cost you more than the $75 you saved at Costco, and you will have a product with service support like a new car with a warranty. This benefit will keep you riding instead of having a bike parked all the time because its is not functioning properly.
All new bikes require adjustments! cable stretch, and things get wonky until the cable get settled stretching, and the adjustments are tedious. This is the biggest reason people stop riding, that and something as simple as a flat tire, so buy a pump with the 2 bikes.
if you consistently ride even once per week, 2-5 miles you describe can become 10-15 in just one year! This is because it becomes very easy to achieve a 10-12 mile per hour fitness level, and that would mean 10 miles is one about an hour of exercise.
Take your time and progress slowly, comfort and enjoyment during the first months will fuel your enjoyment to progress over time.
The first accessories I recommend are a pair of Helmets, and NEVER ride without them. All helmets work, so $25 is enough to pay.
Get the local bike store to sell you a water bottle cage, and GIVE you a free water bottle with the purchase of the bikes.
Next get some bike gloves. these will reduce numbness as you ride and protect your hands if you ever have a little mishap. finally if you start to ride more than 5 miles, you'll want some bike shorts, even if you wear them under regular clothes, for comfort of the padding in the seat of the shorts, but those can wait until you have begun to enjoy the sport.
Good luck and feel free to ask more questions!
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