What Do I Need?

How to Buy a bike

Buying a bike for the first time can be a daunting experience. There are many choices in all price ranges. If you are looking to purchase a bike for the first time for your child, it is recommended you not spend a lot of money. It is best to purchase a less expensive bike, in case they decide cycling is not for them. If they really like cycling, they will want to upgrade later and you can keep the starter bike for the next child in the family or sell it to another family looking to start their child in cycling.

There are a few different styles of bikes. The Care Exchange web site has a good comparison of these bikes. It is recommended to purchase a single speed for a child's first bike while they learn to ride. It is quite distracting to have to figure out how to shift while learning to ride. Once a child has mastered riding a bicycle, you can advance to a more advanced and complex bicycle.

There are many things to consider when buying a bike:

• Where will you ride it?
• How far do you want to ride?
• Do you want to commute to school?
• Will you want to compete in cycling races?

The best thing to do is go to your local bike shop and ask the professionals. The first thing they will ask are some of the questions above. They will also want to know how much you want to spend. Be honest with your answers, as that will help zero you into the right type of bike for how you intend to ride. No matter where you buy your bike, you should have the bike properly fitted. Most stored offer a free fitting when you buy the bike, but even if they don't it's worth the cost to have the bike fitted for you. Your comfort and enjoyment will increase when the bike has been custom fitted to you.