Bike Basics

I've enjoyed watching the highlights of the 2007 Tour de France. Most of us will never ride anywhere near the level of the athletes in the 2,000 mile Tour. But anyone who gets on a bike can learn at least a little bit from the pros. 

Fitting Room

First get a bike that fits.

The custom-fitted, cutting-edge, handcrafted cycles used in the tour cost $10,000 or more. Casual riders don't need to spend that much to get a bike that fits their needs -- and fits them.

Make sure that, at the very least, the seat is the right height for you. Your leg should be almost straight when the pedal is at the bottom of its orbit. Too often, I see people pedaling with bike seats set way too low. This is not only inefficient; it's uncomfortable.

If possible, try to pick a bike with the frame the right size for you. Too big or too small forces you into an uncomfortable and unsafe riding position.

If you've got a bike you like, take it to a good bike shop for a complete fitting. The improved ride will be worth it.

If you are in the market for a new bike, go to a bike specialty shop and get fitted before you even start looking at bikes. That way, you'll know what frame size you are looking for.

On the subject of new bikes, I'm a firm believer in riding the best bike you can afford to buy. A bike that's too heavy, too hard to pedal, steer and shift can turn anyone into a non-cyclist in a hurry.

If you can't afford the newest and best, good used bikes are available at very reasonable prices. I've bought my last three bikes used, and never regretted it. The last bike I purchased new is 20 years old and in need of replacement. Now that my kids are out of college, that may happen.

Tuning Up

Another lesson from the Tour: Maintain your bike.

While you're at the bike shop, pay for a tune-up and see if they'll let you watch. Or take a class in basic bike maintenance. Learning to clean, lube and make basic adjustments on your bike saves you money. And it makes riding more efficient and fun.

Safety First

Cyclists in the Tour make safety a priority. You should too.

These guys always wear helmets in case of a crash. They have to learn bike handling skills to negotiate the roads at high speeds in the crowded peloton.

You need to learn the same skills and take the same precautions to safely negotiate traffic on roads and bike trails, and the obstacles on mountain bike trails.

Petal Mettle; Shifty Shifting

If you get a chance, watch a road bike race on TV or better yet, in person at a local club event. The racers have to be efficient or they lose the race.

Every racer wears bike shoes with cleats that clip to their pedals. Why? Because it allows more efficient pedaling.

If you're biking any distance at all get pedals and shoes that lock together. Locking your foot to the pedal lets you establish a comfortable cadence. Instead of just pushing down on one side of the pedals, you push down with one foot and lift with the other. The pedal rotation is smoother and you can pedal faster, more comfortably.

Learning to maintain a comfortable cadence is one of the hallmarks of a good biker. And learning to shift properly so you can maintain that cadence is part of the process.

Watch a biker riding up a hill. If their pedaling slows down and they are pushing hard on the pedals, it's a sign that they haven't learned how to use their gears correctly. Most bikes these days have three chainrings in front and seven, eight or nine in the rear for a total of 21, 24, or 27 speeds. Those gears are there for a purpose and learning to use them means you can travel farther and have more fun, with less effort.

Your goal in shifting is to maintain the same pedaling cadence almost all the time. Start on a flat with your gears in the smallest ring in the front and the largest in the rear. Practice moving up and down through the gears at different speeds until shifting becomes second nature.

Then take to the hills and learn to anticipate changes so you shift up or down as necessary to comfortably maintain your pedaling cadence.

Too high a gear will force you to slow down, too low and you'll be chasing your pedals. Just right and you can pedal far and fast.

When you master being in the right gear for your speed and the slope, hills are still a challenge, but one you can often master.