Bike riding

TylerJ76

I'm always nervous as hell when I see bikers without helmets! Why risk it? All it takes is one person who's not paying attention for something horrible to happen.

honestly, I don't know if a small padded piece of plastic does much protecting

Google some images of helmets and how they protect people from a wreck. If it wasn't for the helmet, their brains would be all over the road....Just saying..

JennC831

My husband and I bought bikes a few weeks ago and although we're not riding them to work (more for exercise and pleasure) I would suggest buying a new seat for your bike.. We got a seat called Cloud 9 from Amazon.. LOVE it!!! It definitely is better than the seat that came with our bikes.. It was $25 and the best investment !!! Have fun!! Be safe!!!

AmberJslimsAWAY

I have a pretty nice seat, I bought it when I got the bike, it's one of those jelly ones, I'll look into the cloud nine.

Thanks everyone! This is all fantastic advice

lisapr123

Yes, use a helmet. My husband and I are both avid cyclists and in the last three years have had a total of three falls. Mark's first fall was going around a corner he's taken a hundred times. His ear got all messed up but his head was fine. His second fall was last summer on vacation. He was wearing a helmet, thank God. I was in front of him but literally heard his helmet bounce. He probably had a concussion. But he was alive and I'm not sure he would be if it weren't for that helmet. My fall was in an intersection. I just spaced out and forgot to put a foot on the ground. It happens...

My friend wasn't wearing one a few years ago when he got side swiped in Chicago. He spent 2 months in a coma and had to relearn everything from tying his shoes to his job as a network engineer. His life was turned upside down, because he thought he'd look like a dork if he wore a helmet.

You can get one for $15 at Target or WalMart. It could save your life. If you ever fall, get rid of that helmet and buy a new one. It's really that simple.

Other than the helmet rant (sorry, I'm a big advocate of safe cycling), you may consider switching out your tires for a hybrid style that isn't as nubby. It's a cheap and easier fix while you decide if you want to stick with the cycling and get a different bike.

Siannah

I wouldn't bother with a helmet myself,

Can I ask your reasoning on this?

I'm not advising against it, just I don't bother with it myself, that's all. (where I'm from no one wears helmets when cycling, it's not a common thing like in some other countries)

mousepaws22

Please wear a helmet, see this guy:
http://www.jamescracknell.com/blog/2011/07/20/a_video_appeal_from_james_use_your_head_use_your_helmet-220

wellbert

(saddle = seat)
Softer, gel-seats are actually worse for pain in the long run. Your body is designed to put weight in your sit bones. When you use a seat with excessive padding what it actually does is compresses the soft tissues and causes more pain.

OF course, the super soft ones are fine for super short rides. But take a look at any endurance rider. The seats look like a pencil with a flared end, and the only padding exists in strategically placed locations in lycra shorts.

Best thing I ever did with my kick-around bike was get rid of the big, heavy, sprung seat and put a narrower one with a little cushion. (You don't want a completely hard seat since you won't be using cycling clothing)

Ant_M76

I knew this would end up with another helmet debate :indifferent:

I wear one by the way but some of these responses are laughable. Do you really think a strip of lightweight polystyrene is going to save you if a truck runs into you? It isn't. What it will do is to help stop superficial injuries caused during low speed/impact accidents, eg. cyclist falls over trying to get on a bike and bumps their head on the ground. For this reason, I wear one but also understand the fact that statistically you are more likely to get hit by a car, if you wear one. This is because moron drivers are more complacent around cyclists who have helmets on and give them less space, than the ones without helmets who the drivers are 'wary' of... Just food for thought ;-)

Sweet_Potato

A 5 minute drive will only be a 15-20 minutes bike ride, it will seem hard at first but you will love it. I have a 30 minute drive to work (down the motorway) which started as a 2 hour bike ride cross county and is now 1.5 hour bike ride. I love it especially with the weather now improving. Wear a helmet more for your safety from the other road users (just in case). I started doing my bike ride on a mountain bike and there are all sorts on the road so you won't look silly.
Good Luck :drinker:

In my experience biking is slightly faster than driving. I'm a leisurely biker, and my 1.1 mile commute takes 7 minutes by bike and 10 by car. It probably depends on where you live though-- here in the city where there's a lot of traffic you can just dart past a line of cars on the bike.

Some tips: Wear a helmet. Follow all traffic rules (just as if you're driving a car) and bike on the correct side of the road. Investigate the ideal route before you head out for the first time. Choose streets that are wide, don't get a lot of traffic, have bike lanes, are well maintained, etc. In some places you can bike on the sidewalk (check the local laws) but I don't think it's polite when pedestrians are on it.

I think the hardest thing to get used to with a bike commute is not the physical exertion but the traffic and other potential hazards.

rprussell2004

I knew this would end up with another helmet debate :indifferent:

I wear one by the way but some of these responses are laughable. Do you really think a strip of lightweight polystyrene is going to save you if a truck runs into you? It isn't. What it will do is to help stop superficial injuries caused during low speed/impact accidents, eg. cyclist falls over trying to get on a bike and bumps their head on the ground. For this reason, I wear one but also understand the fact that statistically you are more likely to get hit by a car, if you wear one. This is because moron drivers are more complacent around cyclists who have helmets on and give them less space, than the ones without helmets who the drivers are 'wary' of... Just food for thought ;-)

I'm sorry - you're saying that not wearing a helmet makes people pay more attention to you? Does that go for not wearing reflective clothing, not having blinky lights on your bike, etc?

By this logic, the guys dressed in black in the middle of the night should be the safest of all!

All it takes is one moron who's not paying attention to ANYTHING to cause you to have a very, very, very bad day.

Try this: Put on a helmet and have your husband, friend, brother, significant other, etc... smack you in the head with a plank.

Now have them do it to you with no helmet on.

Then decide if you want to wear one while you're riding.

cyclerjenn

Please make sure to wear a helmet. I was hit by a car that did not bother to yeild to me when makeing a left turn. My helmet was cracked in three places, but my head was fine.

Just be prepared for anything. In this day and age with more drives reading their email and texting, you need to be prepared for anything that comes along.

Ant_M76

I'm sorry - you're saying that not wearing a helmet makes people pay more attention to you? Does that go for not wearing reflective clothing, not having blinky lights on your bike, etc?

By this logic, the guys dressed in black in the middle of the night should be the safest of all!

All it takes is one moron who's not paying attention to ANYTHING to cause you to have a very, very, very bad day.

Try this: Put on a helmet and have your husband, friend, brother, significant other, etc... smack you in the head with a plank.

Now have them do it to you with no helmet on.

Then decide if you want to wear one while you're riding.

You didn't read what I wrote, properly. I said I DO wear one but that drivers feel more secure driving closer to cyclists who they perceive to be more capable (because they are wearing helmets) and tend to get a little closer to them, than folks they perceive to be amateurs. I am not saying this is acceptable, it's just how the statistics pan out.

Also, coming off a bike or being hit by a 2 ton vehicle, made of steel is not the same as being hit with a plank of wood.