| The sport of bicycling has exploded in the last | | | | very rarely do they give you a byline and a brief bio |
| several decades. No longer are people content with | | | | so that you know their credentials. And when it |
| casual over-the-road cycling - not that that has lost | | | | comes to buying big ticket items - you should know |
| its allure, merely that it has competition now. The | | | | the credentials of the people advising you what to |
| sport has expanded to embrace adventure-loving | | | | buy. |
| individuals who like to head cross country on their | | | | How Much Do You Want To Spend |
| fat-tired bikes, or head down mountains at full-tilt, or | | | | Before going out and buying a brand new thousand |
| even go round and round in velodromes. | | | | dollar bike, and a couple of hundred dollars worth of |
| And with the expanding biking disciplines comes an | | | | bike gear - the shorts, the jerseys, and the cool |
| expanding array of bicycles - each one specially | | | | sunglasses - you have to ask yourself... is your |
| designed with certain needs in mind. | | | | enthusiasm going to be the same a year from now? |
| Now that there are so many models available, made | | | | Just as many people buy memberships to health |
| from so many different kinds of material, with all | | | | clubs and never go, so many people buy expensive |
| kinds of sophisticated gadgets on them, and with | | | | bikes, use them once, and then never use them |
| corresponding prices to match that sophisticatoin - it's | | | | again. You know who I'm talking about! For newbies |
| imperative that the buyer make an informed decision. | | | | to the biking scene, you still want to get a good bike |
| And how can buyers better inform themselves than | | | | - because riding an ill-fitting cheap bike that isn't |
| by reading reviews of the latest models that come | | | | comfortable and is a pain to pedal will turn you off |
| out each year? | | | | biking quicker than anything. So in a sense you're |
| Every bike magazine has a section that reviews the | | | | walking a tight rope. |
| latest technology - from the bicycles themselves to | | | | The solution is to try a few disciplines first, borrowing |
| the various pieces of gear and accessories that you | | | | bikes from friends who are "in" to it, checking it out |
| can add on to them. It only makes sense to do as | | | | over the course of a couple of weekends, and then |
| much research as possible before going out to a bike | | | | making your decision at that time if the sport of |
| shop to consult with the people there on what to | | | | biking is for you. |
| buy. | | | | Reading reviews is all very well and gives you |
| There are also a vast array of biking websites out | | | | invaluable information when you go out to acquire |
| there that also offer reviews of products. When | | | | the bike or the gear in question, but there's no |
| you're searching the web, however, be very careful | | | | substitute for actually getting on the bike and riding it |
| as to whose words you take as gospel. These days | | | | to see if the reviews are right! |
| anybody can set themselves up as an expert - but | | | | |