It's as easy as riding a bike. Pretty funny metaphor if you ask me. While the actual riding is simple once you get the hang of it, (until a ballsy squirrel ruins your day) the experience is ripe with possibilities of misstep. Here are a couple of quick tips that make you look like you actually might know what the hell you're doing.
Pump it up.
Squeeze tires from the side. You want it firm, but not rock hard. (Like my butt, if you need a reference point) Too hard invites the original asshat, the flat tire. There are 2 kinds of valves out there. Presta is the skinny valve with the pin and tiny nut. Schrader is the fatter one your remember from your childhood. To remember, use your alliteration. Presta is pointy. Schrader is stout. And most pumps these days handle both, so I will stop here.
Put a bucket on that melon.
The front of the helmet goes in the front. With straps pointing down, the higher rise goes in the front. The visor goes in the front. The adjuster wheel goes in the back. And it sits on top of your head. If you can see your forehead, you're asking to get your noggin knocked.
Love your granny.
Lower gears make pedaling easier. You should never be grunting to get your foot down- unless you're biking up the Walker hill – everyone grunts on that one. Shift gears as the terrain changes so that your cadence stays roughly the same. The lowest gear is your granny gear. And no matter what anyone says, we all use it.
Tuck your laces.
This may seem obvious, but if you think you were embarrassed when you walked down senior hall with toilet paper sticking out of your Zena jeans, wait til you go ass over teacups because your chain ate an errant shoelace.
Be predictable.
Save surprises for unfortunate parties and toddlers. Cars don't care. Cars will win every time. Assume you are invisible, not invincible.
Stick to it.
All helmets look cooler with stickers. And we can all benefit from a wee bit of coolness.
Oh, and don't wear tight jeans when you ride.
You're welcome.
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