Turning to exercise to lose weight often leads to cycling and this article is about how to choose the right road bicycle to lose weight bicycling.
The question asked recently was about choosing the right bike, a road bike in particular. This was on the heels of a conversation about the grueling Tour De France that takes place each July.
I imagine that the Tour does for bike sales in July what Easter does for bunnies in the spring and puppies at Christmastime. Anyway…my friend who asked is trying to get fit for running and he knows cycling is low impact and healthy so he wanted to add it to his program.
First of all, God Bless all the bike shops out there. I strongly encourage you to check out the shops in your area to find out which one gives you the best vibe and then frequent them! They are excellent at helping your choose the right bike.
That said, bikes are like cars in that you can save a bundle when you buy used. Spend some time at your favorite shop and ask them about choosing a good road bike. They’ll be able to explain the differences in the way different bikes are set up and they’ll help you figure out what size you need.
If you are going used, don’t feel guilty. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to support the shop with future accessory purchases.
If you have decided on a road bike to use for exercise to lose weight, then I’ll run through the key things you should look for and how to choose the right road bicycle. Don’t worry too much about frame materials or the brand of components because you’ll outgrow your first road bicycle anyway (or it will end up collecting dust in your garage).
First is “stand over”. Bike frames come in difference sizes. The top tube of the bike, the one that runs from the handlebars to the seat, is what concerns you for the stand over test. On some frames the top tube is parallel with the ground, or level. Straddle the top tube the bike, feet flat, and lift the bike straight up until the bar is touching your crotch. You should have at least 2″ of air between the tires and the ground and as much as three. If the top tube is sloping at an angle you’ll have more air between the tires and the ground. This is key because you can’t ‘adjust’ if the frame is too big. Make that your first priority over price, color or how much you like the seller.
With the right bicycle frame size you have to other major adjustments to make:
- Seat height/fore-aft
- Handlebar stem length
Proper Saddle Height will allow you to almost fully extend your leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Too high and you’ll rock when you pedal-leading to nasty chafing and sore hips. Too low and you put extra strain on your knees.
A second seat adjustment is fore-aft. Tie a weight to a string long enough to reach from your knee to your foot. With your foot properly on the pedal (the axle of the pedal should intersect the ball of your foot) and the pedal in the farthest forward position, dangle the string from the front of your knee to the top of your foot. Where the weight hangs should intersect the pedal axle. As you move the seat back, your leg will extend and visa-versa, which will affect seat height.
Play with both until you have the ideal adjustment. This is a simple adjustment made with a hex wrench. When finished, your saddle should be parallel to the ground. If the nose of the saddle points down it will cause you to lean on the handlebars and your hands will go numb. Tipped up will cause irritation.
Handle Bar Stem Length With your seat properly adjusted it’s time to confirm grab hold of the handlebars in the “hooks”, the lower part of the bar and focus on the top part of the bar. Where do you see the axle of the front wheel? If it’s in front of the handlebar your stem is too short. Behind the handlebar and your stem is too long.
The solution for this adjustment, if needed, is to replace the stem. It’s relatively simple on modern bicycles with the same hex wrench you used on your seat. A bit more of a hassle on older bikes.
Starting with the right frame size, saddle adjustment and stem length will put you in the ideal comfortable position to ride and exercise to lose weight. Start with short rides. It’s easy to go too far when you first start riding and if you ride until you tire, the trip home will be less than pleasant.
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