If you’ve been saving a good amount of money to buy a new bike, hold on before you learn about the seven big mistakes every new bike rider makes.
Getting acquainted with these mistakes should save you the post-purchase hassles, including a fortune that you may otherwise have to spend on repetitive repairs and servicing.
On the other hand, buying the wrong bike can take a toll on your physical function while making accidents more likely. And it’s absolutely not worth it.
But don’t be demotivated since we’re sharing with you those mistakes, so you can avoid them and purchase the best bike for your needs.
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Choosing the Wrong Bike Type
Thinking about buying a bike is exciting, but your thrill may quickly evaporate if you bring into your garage a bike that hardly meets your needs.
Choosing a bike type depends on the terrain you want to most frequently ride on. If you want to ride on off-road terrains, you shouldn’t buy a road bike as it won’t last long on harsh and bumpy terrains.
Modern bike manufacturers can cater to various riding needs as they offer hybrid, mountain, and road bikes, each of which embodies various features and facilities.
It’s true that cycling offers amazing health benefits, but the wrong bike type will only put you through more troubles, not to mention the unplanned expenses that follow.
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Purchasing a Bike of the Wrong Size
If you choose a bike that’s taller than your height or vice versa, things will most probably go wrong.
What matters the most during choosing the bike size is its frame. You can check the bike size chart. This chart will help you select the right size of bike frame based on your height and balance.
On the other hand, choosing the wrong bike size will make you end up with discomfort, frustration, and even accidents.
Even if you don’t meet with any serious accidents, an unsuitable bike size will put stress on your back, wrists, knees, and feet, leading to long-term ailments.
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Not Taking a Test Ride
A test ride isn’t something optional, it’s compulsory because you can’t tell without riding a bike yourself whether the handles, pedals, saddle, and brakes would work for you nicely or not.
Oftentimes, new riders buy bikes only to return them a couple of days later simply because they don’t fit properly or ergonomically.
So, look for local dealers and shops that offer test rides in their parks. Test ride the bikes you’re interested in and then choose wisely.
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Getting a Deal Instead of a Good Bike
What do we mean by that?
Admit that you sometimes buy things on a whim just to receive a fat discount or because the product looks fantastic. But you fall short of getting a suitable product that will be worth the money spent on it.
Many bike riders often purchase a bike that doesn’t fit their height or last longer than a month on rough terrains. Sometimes they buy the one with low-end brakes, derailleur, shifters, etc. at higher costs. You don’t do that.
Like we’ve mentioned above, go for the two-wheel that is of the right size, weight, and type according to your daily riding necessities.
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Buying a Bike Without Ample Research
Bike enthusiasts may fall victim to groupthink because of online and television advertisements. Manufacturers may display ads on media channels posing famous celebs riding their overrated bikes.
And what follows is thousands of youngsters swarm to those particular stores to buy the bikes featured in the ads.
In reality, those fancy bikes might look amazing, but their performances can often be below par, or at the very least, they can prove to be unsuitable for you in one way or another.
So, you have to put some real effort into not becoming prey to flashy advertisements and flimsy bikes. Do your research on various bike types to land the one that suits your riding necessities. Talk to experienced riders for insights. And also, talk to the owners of the bike stores for more product-related information.
When you’re satisfied with the required information upon researching, select your bike type, size, and brand, and then go for it.
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Buying a Bike Without a Goal
When you’re opting to buy a bike soon, you must have an aim associated with it.
Is your bike goal related to fitness? Is it for doing adventures on mountains and wild tracks? Is it simply for daily commuting?
Whatever the goal, fortunately, there are bikes nowadays to meet every kind of need. But you must be aware of your goals before selecting one.
If you get a race bike, you can’t expect it to serve you on roads packed with traffic and crowds. In this case, a hybrid bike could prove to be the perfect choice since it propels smoothly on each type of track; tarmac, mountains, bumps, dirt, and so on.
However, if you’re more of an environmentally-friendly person, you may buy an electric bike because the environmental benefits of e-bikes are numerous.
Whatever you go with, don’t get a bike because most people are buying it. You should set your own objectives that you want to achieve through bike riding.
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Not Giving Importance to Accessories
If you’re a new biker, you must keep in mind that a bike shouldn’t come alone when you’re buying it.
It’s true that a brand new bike mostly comes with the basic parts and accessories (brakes, pedals, tires, etc.). However, there are some goodies you should consider fetching from the store.
You must keep a space in your budget for a quality helmet, front & tail lights, a bottle cage, shorts with chamois padding, spare tubes, a pump, and so on.
Bike servicing shops may not be available all the time due to various uncertainties, so it’s good to keep your cycle equipped with the required parts and accessories.
Final Thoughts
You can expect to have a great ride with your newly purchased bike if you keep the above points in mind. Most riders are reluctant in making this little effort. But you shouldn’t be among them.
You can convince the sales persons of different bike stores to fill you in with appropriate information on various bikes, their features and functions, and more. It’s a good idea to learn from the ones who are more experienced in the matter.
If you’re short on budget, hold on. It’s better to wait and save some money than to buy an ill-suited, or worse, shoddy two-wheeler and suffer.
