If you live in a small town, or in an area where bike shops are limited, you may find yourself resorting to online buying. This can be easy, get the bike to you quickly, and give you the option of getting the best price.
Even though there are several pros to doing this, there are also some cons. This means that you need to know a few things before you step into the online cycle ordering area. Here are a few tips that can help with your first order.
Sizing of the Bike
When you buy clothing online, you need to have your measurements for an accurate fit. The same is true for when you are buying a bike online. You need to have your measurements ready and they need to be accurate. Normally, the sizing of a bike would be done in person. This takes out a lot of guesswork from the equation.
If you are going this alone though, it can still be easy to figure out the right size of bike you need. First, stand with your legs apart and measure from the inside of your foot up to the pubic bone. Take that number, convert it to centimeters, and finally multiply that number by .67. This will give you the correct measurement for the bike.
Type of Bike
The next step is to decide what type of bike you want. You may be thinking that all bikes are the same. They simply are not. You need to decide if you want a bike for bike trails, for all terrain, for mountain biking, or for road biking. If you aren’t sure what type of terrain you will be on most of the time, then you could go with a hybrid model.
Once you decide that, you can then choose if you want the bike to be special in anyway. For example, you may want a folding or collapsible bike that is easier to store in small spaces.
Accessories
When you purchase your bike, the last thing you want is to get it and realize you are missing an accessory item that you need. For example, you may want to track your mileage and speed using an app. If that is in your plans, you will need to have a mount for your smartphone.
You may also want to have a place to store a water bottle or a small saddle bag. All of this needs to be considered before you hit the checkout button.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can get the best bike for your time. Though you are still taking a risk, you are lowering your chances of getting a bad bike.
