All About Cycling

Learning to ride a bike is one of the sweetest challenges you're entitled to as a kid. It's always a memorable and life-changing experience.

Cyclist Pro / Ultimate GPS+

Cycling is even more fun when you keep track of your progress. Try Cyclist Pro GPS+ or Cyclist Ultimate GPS+, 2 simplest and the most efficient tools for registering your achievements and setting new goals. Your iPhone / iPod have sensors which combined with the app will provide you with an on-board computer.

Use it to monitor your speed and location, cadence*** and inclination, heart rate**** and burnt calories. All in all there are over 50 parameters that might be important during the ride.

Here's an overview of the cool features that allow you to do:

Select Routes

Create predefined routes* & check your progress on the map where your route and path will be shown
Check the remaining distance and time for your route
Use special advanced markers* for distance, speed, pace, elevation and heart rate
Make notes for routes & trips, specifying the details that affect the speed or route selection

Manage Data

View results** on maps, graphs & a calendar
Get statistics of your rides by day, week, month, year or for the whole time of using the app
Instantly upload or email your routes and export* them as a pic, TCX, GPX or KML
Connect to RunKeeper, Dailymile, BeginnerTriathlete & upload your data – manually or automatically

Track Progress

Set goal* for distance, calories and active time & share achievements with your friends via Twitter, Facebook, Dailymile, email or SMS*****
View your progress on the special progress bar constantly displayed on the screen
Be warned for high or low cadence*** to avoid the dangerous situations

6 Ways Cycling Improves Your Life

Mobility

1. You don't need a driving licence, you don't need lots of money and you don't need to constantly invest into petrol.

Health

2. Cycling makes you healthier: it improves the way your heart, your brain, your muscles, your intestines function.

Happiness

3. Cycling makes you happy. From the moment you go for a first ride, you'll love this amazing feeling of freedom it gives.

Self-esteem

4. It reboots your self-esteem. They say, once you've learned to cycle, you can't lose this skill. Knowing that after abandoning your bike for 10 years you can just ride it, gives boosts your confidence.

Communication

5. It helps to meet the good people. Many cyclists met their partners and friends during one of their bike rides. They instantly knew that they have something in common.

Fitness

6. Cycling allows you to enjoy your meal and not just count calories. Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Obviously, by burning the calories while you're enjoying the ride.

Cycling Essentials

Helmet

Think helmets aren't cool? Ask those who owe their lives to their helmet. And they have more weighty facts to back up their opinion. Don't compromise on the quality and make sure you pick the right size. In some countries, like the U.S., helmets should meet certain safety standards and have stamps of approval, which you can look out for when buying one. Don't buy used helmets and always replace yours after the accidents even if you think that the impact wasn't too.

Lights

Of course, if you only cycle in the daylight and only in the countryside, you don't really need them. But if you use your bike to travel to work, which means riding in the dusk, lights are a must. They make you visible for the car drivers and they make you see where you are going. Don't disregard the rear light as it is vitally important in the dark, misty, foggy or even just less-good-than-you-think road conditions.

Reflectors

Those usually come with the bike, but adding a couple more doesn't hurt. Also, you may consider getting a special vest with reflectors attached to it. That's particularly important if you go for dark or camouflage colours when buying clothes.

First Aid Kit

That's also one of the things mostly needed for longer rides when you can potentially go far away from any civilisation. But even having a plaster, sterile bandage and some sort of disinfectant on short rides can prove to be very useful.

Tool Kit and a Pump

If you're a responsible cyclist, you check your bike before riding it (brakes, chain, wheels, etc.). But life is full of surprises, so it's better to get a couple of basic tools to fix minor troubles. The further you go, the more impressive the contents of the kit should be.

Cycling App

This is one of the latest trends that proved to be great in many ways. First of all, apps can be used for managing your routes. Believe it or not, many adventurous cyclists get lost and though going extra mile or two doesn't usually hurt, it's better to know where you are. Besides, apps are good for tracking your mileage, speed, heart rate and many other parameters that also make you more motivated.

Bike Lock

Although even bike locks don't guarantee that you'll find your bike in one piece, they are better than nothing. Thus, get one and use it when necessary. At the end of the day, a bike lock is cheaper than a new bike.

Like we said, it's a basic check that's recommended before every trip. The further you go, the more precautions you should take.

How To Perform A Basic Bike Check

Just like cars, bikes need to be regularly checked. This is important if you want your bike to last longer and/or have no particular inclination for fixing it halfway through your journey. But the main reason for performing a regular check is your own safety. And the further you go, the more thorough your check should be.

Start with the wheels. Press the tire with your thumb: if it gives in when you squeeze it, it could do with a bit of inflation. Then flick the wheel and see if it spins happily with a plink sound. If the sound is somewhat muffled and the spinning is slow, use the pump. Insufficient inflation makes your tires wear out much faster and more vulnerable to damages. Use the tire gauge to make sure you don't overinflate them though. Finally, bang the wheels to make sure they don't fall out of the forks or move from side to side freely.

Move on to the brakes. Apply them and see if they function properly. When checking the front brake, apply it and try to push the bike forward. When checking the back one – push the bike back. The wheel shouldn't spin. Also, you need to check if the brake pads are properly positioned (only rubbing the rims).

Checking the saddle and handle bars is also important. Besides, if you ride your bike regularly, it doesn't take long. Basically, you just need to make sure that the alignment is ok and that the above mentioned parts aren't loose. Additionally, it's good to ensure that the mark that shows the minimum level for insertion is not visible.

If you have the lights, turn them on and off to check if they are working. Your visibility on the road is paramount and you might need the front light yourself when it's dark. Also, wipe the reflectors if they are dusty or covered in mud.

And the last, but not least are chain and gears. While you're off the bike, check if the chain is not hanging loose. As you start pedalling, see if it's moving freely and doesn't touch the derailleurs. If you can't even remember when you used your bike last time, check it for rust and add some lube if necessary. As for the gears, you can quickly switch through them to make sure everything's working.

Like we said, it's a basic check that's recommended before every trip. The further you go, the more precautions you should take.