Cycling is the easiest form of conveyance and also one of the best ways to keep your body fit and lean. But most amateur cyclists face problems that make them give up their hobbies like climbing hills or racing on the wet roads in the rainy season or even riding with kids. Here is an article that sums up the best cycling tips that any amateur cyclist may need to know.
1. Watch The Corners:
Cornering at high speed and during the rainy season is definitely a tough job. Make sure that you lean your body more than the bike. That way you’ll be able to maintain balance even if your bike slips over oil patches or paint lines. You must shift as much of your weight to the outer pedal as possible.
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2. Wear Safety Helmets:
It is a must for professional cyclists to wear safety helmets. The recent death of Andrei Kivilev, the Kazakh rider in the Paris – Nice race, has brought this fact into the limelight and it is now a rule to wear safety helmets. The international cycling union has supported this resolution by extending compulsory helmet wearing to professional cyclists. This is the Safety cycling tips for beginners.
3. Adjust Your Seat According to Your Comfort:
Adjusting your seat is extremely important in avoiding saddle sores. A seat that is too low, doesn’t give you enough space to fold your legs properly thus applying too much pressure on your crotch. A seat that is too high makes it difficult for you to reach the pedals which causes excess pressure and leads to chafing. Also make sure that your seat isn’t too tilted. This causes you to continuously push back on your saddle giving rise to saddle sores.
4. Wear Padded Cycling Shorts:
Another way to avoid saddle sores or other genital problems is to wear padded cycling shorts without underwear. Cycling shorts reduce friction at the seams by design. The extra padding provides cushioning to the sensitive areas. However because of this reason cycling shorts get soiled fast. And maintaining good hygiene is very important for cyclists too! So don’t wear the shorts again before they’ve been thoroughly cleaned. This is the important cycling tips for beginners.
5. Equip Your Bike With Gears to Help in Climbing:
If you are used to cycling on a rocky hilly terrain then it’s a good idea to equip your bike with gears to help make your climbs easier. Large sprockets produce a small gear development and are much easier to spin. Gears help make your bike more suitable to climbing high hills.
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6. Repair Brake Pads:
Brake pads run well and fine during the dry season. But rain water and grit erode through the rubber brake pads during the wet training season. Most rims take a full rotation before the pads are able to stop them. So during the rainy season check your brake pads continuously and while riding keep them in mind and plan ahead and brake early. This is the best cycling tips for beginners.
7. Stay Seated While Climbing a Hill:
Standing helps put more pressure on your pedals and thus helps you work with more gears. But staying seated, while climbing a hill is a good practise because it keeps your heart beat low and thus, reduces stress on your cardiovascular system.
8. Use Chain Lube Regularly:
Keeping your chain well lubed ensures the smooth running of your bike. This is especially important during the rainy season. Go ahead and put as much thick lube as you can. It is definitely better to clean up all that lube then to have your chain rust and freeze in the rain. This is the useful cycling tips for beginners in rainy season.
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9. Light up Your Bike During The Rainy Season:
A good rechargeable LED light system attached to your seat and handle bars proves to be quite useful in the rainy season when the vision of most motorists is not quite up to the mark.
