Bicycling Today

 Created 4/20/2021

Here is a teir 1 Bicycle Site Worth Exploring

I've seen a lot of different bicycles on the road today, indeed there are quite a few different types, and the latest fad of course is electric bicycles, to wit I am not a fan of at all, and yes I'm kind of a bicycle snob when it comes to cycling, motored bicycles just aren't the same things as normal bicycles to me.  To me, it sort of defeats the purpose of bicycles, which have always been a cheap alternative form of local transportation, which did not require anything other than an able body and a few skills to ride, and electric bicycles sort of takes away the need for a healthy body, it introduces laziness to the world bicycles.

Bicycles, by and large, when ridden enough will make the rider fitter, slimmer, and increase their stamina X fold, but they can be painful if you aren't riding it correctly.  You can choose any course or style of bicycling that fits your taste, but ultimately, the end result is your skills will increase in the terrain you have chosen and the bike you have chosen, and electric bicycles are just another choice of bicycle, but they decrease the amount of fitness and stamina you will acquire while riding a real bicycle.

I'm not a gadget lover, I don't want a smart bike, and I believe the human brain is smarter than any computer by miles, provided it's packed with enough knowledge and understanding.  However, keeping abreast of the latest new bicycles may be entertaining, tempting, and fun to learn, but you shouldn't so much on tech as you should riding.

After all, it's actually riding the bicycle that teaches you more, not gadgets, gizmos, but you can also still learn a lot from reading, and that's precisely where this blog comes in, though there are countless blogs and web pages dedicated to bicycling.  This blog is dedicated to serious bicyclist who ride real bicycles every day, they aren't a fad rider, a firster (Gotta have all of the latest greatest stuff), a techy (Loves electronics), they are just bicyclist who enjoy riding, and have been doing so for some time, this is what separates the serious from the fad riders or beginners.

There are also other added benefits to cycling besides getting fit, indeed I saved a lot of money on car insurance by switching to a bicycle (A joke I tell quite often), seriously though, the cost of gas is going up, and I for one would rather rely on my feet than a gas pump to get around, at least I don't have to worry about vehicle maintenance (Expensive!).  Bicycles, traditional / non-electric, are cheap, it's what makes them such a good choice for transportation, besides getting fit as an added bonus, and though bicycles aren't a quality choice for every climate or terrain, I'd rather consider moving to another city than living without a bicycle!

Indeed, in today's era, with a smart phone in hand, you have access to a lot of things, but more importantly, you'll probably be on the go a lot, because you can't make money sitting at home unless you run a business from your home, and that's something beyond most people's means today, because it requires a lot of knowledge and understanding too.  Nevertheless, travelling light is important, heavy bicycles are the bane of bicycling, and that's why the lightest bicycles are so expensive, but you don't need a carbon bicycle (Unless you are a professional racer) to ride.

Indeed, I prefer older tech on my bicycles most of the time, like V-Brakes instead of disc brakes, though manual rear disc brakes are very nice for downhill, and may be necessary if you are a mountain biker, because mountain biking often uses brakes A LOT.  We've also seen a shift to V-Brakes in BMX bikes, thank you bicycle engineers for that one, and though I've ridden almost every bicycle on the market (Except eBikes), I too have developed my own taste for certain types of bikes.

Personally the easiest and best choice is dual sport or comfort bikes, because I only do light trail riding, and commute a lot, and learning to be comfortable is critical to commuting and long rides (10+ Miles One Way), so take the time to learn what style of bike best fits you.  I've seen a lot of kids who ride for fun, they choose basic bicycles, being poorer kids, but they still have a lot of fun even on fixies, beach cruisers, or BMX bikes, which tend to be cheaper, and they work well on flat roads, but are a pain in the neck on steep hill climbs (Forget it!).

The main thing to understand is aluminum bicycles are better all around than carbon fiber, due to price, because shaving off a few grams isn't necessary for most riders, and steel bicycles are just too darn heavy (Especially for women to carry or lift), so make sure you choose an aluminum framed bicycle.  Today however, bicycles have become a bit far too expensive, and by that I mean anything over $300 seems a bit too pricy for what bicycles offer, but if you want a good bicycle that's cheap then you can always shop used.

I have bought, fixed, and sold a lot of used bicycles on OfferUp and Craigslist, bicycles tend to last decades, especially if they are maintained by a mechanic, but bearings, gears, tires, brake pads, and chains do wear out, indeed even cables need to be replaced.  However, if you are planning on riding for a long time, then I'd highly recommend getting cheaper components, like cable housing and cables from a bike shop, also extra spokes for your bike as well, because it will save you a lot of money in the future, and prices just keep going up online too!

You should avoid the stupid that is currently found in the bicycle market, anything over $600 is just obscene, and most bicycles that you buy in retail won't even fetch 1/2 price in the used market, even though they are brand spanking new!  There are some notable exceptions mind you, but the online world also has other used markets for higher quality bicycles, but they are often trying to fetch 60-80% the original cost of retail, and that's often far too much too.

Obviously you aren't going to find a cheap dual suspension mountain bike or eBike almost anywhere, but are you truly a mountain biker?  I've seen hard tails that could handle a lot of off-road just fine, indeed hardtail bikes are better in a lot of ways, and remember it's the rider that makes the biggest difference on bicycles, because weight and skills matter A LOT!  Here is a perspective you should probably entertain if you are looking into mountain biking, I shared this with you because I've seen some very pro riders use hard tails to do some phenomenal stuff, including jumping, and riding down very dangerous mountains, so again it's your skills that matter a lot.

Obviously kids may seek to plead and beg their parents to drop a lot of money on a dual suspension MTB or eBike because they want to impress their friends, but it also sets them up to get robbed or even mugged, and thieves love those expensive bicycles & kids are a very easy target for them, so be warned!  Quality / more expensive bikes are for those who are serious enough about riding that they compete, they aren't for people who just like fooling around on bicycles, and though you may want to have a really expensive bike, please keep in mind that expensive bikes have expensive parts!

Why take a very basic machine and make it expensive?  Already some of the tires are getting close to the cost of real car tires, yes that's entirely absurd too, but you know there are a lot of clueless consumers out there willing to drop some very hard earned money on something as basic as rubber and steel, and that's why a lot of people go broke fast, they are bad with money.  Bicycles on the other hand are a means to save money for most serious commuters / bicyclist, they also are faster than walking, but they aren't for everyone, and I say this because if you are seriously overweight bicycles can be harmful or even deadly to you.

Anyone over 220 lbs runs the risk of damaging their bicycle unless it's built for their weight, they also run the risk of becoming very badly harmed if they fall of at higher speeds, and so again I say, bicycling is not for everyone.  You can however lose a lot of weight while riding, but dropping weight also includes not over eating, and watching your calorie intake on top of exercising too.

I lost 30 lbs last summer riding, unfortunately I gained it all right back in the winter because I started eating more, and it's going to be a pain taking it all off again, but this time I've got a better plan to keep it off, and that includes watching my food intake very closely.  You too can get very fit, especially if you are a person concerned with weight training and taking off fat, and bicycles work out not just the legs, but they also work out the shoulders and hips too.

Just make sure you stretch regularly, because bicycling tends to make your muscles rather hard and stiff, as you use them A LOT, this of course is just basic bicycle 411, and any experienced rider with common sense would understand why stretching matters very much (You don't want to pull muscles and tendons).  Indeed, bicycling today is more than just about fitness, adventure, thrill seeking, or looking cool to all of the local kids, it's about travel too, because where vehicles cannot go, many bicycles can, and they are great tools to go camping with too, because exploring is so much fun too!

Did I mention they can carry weight too while you are just pushing them to your campsite?  Yes, bicycles can even have carts attached to them, either for carrying kids or stuff, so don't overlook all of the cool accessories that bikes have these days, like the ability to charge your phone with a dynamo on your wheel.  I've seen a woman put two dynamos on her trike, she's not just a bicycle enthusiast, she's a hard core commuter who really loves to ride every day, and though that may be a bit too niche for some folks, a few of the bicycle gadgets are cool on any bicycle!

Just don't spend far more than it's worth, by that I mean learn to value $40 well because you can buy used bicycles for $40-$60, therefore anything that cost over $20 is tapping into the far too expensive market, and this is why many markets are flooded with stuff that never sells.  There is good and then there is just far too expensive, good + value is what bicycles are truly all about, when the value is gone, the bicycle or part / gadget is no longer considered good, and it becomes a rich person's toy thing, not selling much at all.  (Demand falls off a cliff)

Most bicyclist aren't rich people, they often are very poor or come from poor families, and so if you want to reach the broke masses, then you have got to make better stuff for cheap, I mean you can buy smart phones and laptops for $60 to $300.  I'm big on value, the reason why I wrote this particular blog post was a 2 part reason, to help other see why the bicycle market has gone the wrong way, and to help people find the better value, because expensive $2,000-$16,000 bicycles are completely asinine to most people.  (They become a rich kids toy when the price exceeds normalcy.)

One critical thing to keep in mind when looking at newer bicycles is, are they using old components like grip shifters?  Chances are the bicycle manufacturer is just trying to get rid of overstock of their older components, sadly these same corporations are charging far too much for their old tech on their overpriced bikes too, so watch out for old components, and there's no sense in not using press button / trigger shifters these days, as grip shifters are problematic while riding.  (In multiple ways)

I think I've covered most of the up to date situation in the bike market, though I'd be happy to entertain any comments other bicyclist would care to see posted, and so don't forget to comment and support the blog, thanks!

Thanks for reading, I hope this blog helps you see the truth, and please share a link with others, thanks!.

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