4ucycling

Experienced riders will likely have several, but for those just setting out on their cycling adventure – it pays to know what you’re looking for. Battling with the wrong bike for your needs isn’t just tiring, it’s a waste of hard-earned cash. Think about where you are planning to go with it the majority of the time and who with? Is it training, commuting, family fun, trail riding or are you even considering getting into racing? To help you figure all this out, we recommend visiting one of our stores to speak to an expert colleague and where you could start test-riding a few options. It may also be reassuring to know that every bike bought at Evans Cycles comes with our Right Bike Guarantee, a 30 day, no quibble exchange policy. To start narrowing it down a little, we’ve outlined 4 very common types of bikes and the functions that define each. Hopefully, you’ll identify yourself with one before further exploring our online treasure trove. You need a Road Bike if… …you’ll be riding...

What is bonking? So if bonking isn’t the fun we might initially imagine it could be, what is it? In simple terms, bonking is when your body feels as if it has completely run out of energy, bar the absolute minimum needed to turn the pedals at the slowest possible pace. In scientific terms, bonking comes about when your body’s easily converted glycogen energy stores are depleted and instead your body has to resort to solely burning fat for fuel. How do I avoid the bonk? Step 1 The most obvious way is to eat glycogen-promoting complex carbohydrates (such as rice and potatoes) in the time leading up to a ride. However, it’s actually a relatively fine balancing act. If you spend the days before a big ride gorging on pasta, you’ll almost certainly take on more carbs than you’ll burn on the ride itself and will therefore put on fat. So simply make sure you have a sensible amount of complex carbohydrate foods in meals during the two days before a big event. Step 2 Once you’ve start...

To keep your bike in tip-top condition, before every trip, you should - Check that your tyres are pumped up Check that your brakes, lights, handlebars and seat are in good order and tightly secured. On a monthly basis, you should: Clean and lubricate your chain and check your gears are running smoothly; Wipe the dirt from your wheels and check the tread on your tyres.  If possible, check your brake pads and your brake cables. On an annual basis, you should: Give your bike a thorough service. Reputable cycle shops will have a mechanic who can do this for you. More detailed bike maintenance information is included in Sustrans’ Get Cycling guide, which can be downloaded below.  

Don't skimp on the cost of buying locks - they're often the only thing stopping your valuable bike from being stolen! There are a wide range of locks available and, generally speaking, you should be looking to spend at least £20 on a lock. Ask your local cycle retailer about Silver or Gold standard locks. These offer the best protection. The police also recommend you use two different types of locks to secure your bike if possible, such as a cable lock and a D-lock, as thieves are rarely equipped to break into both. Security A good bike, if well maintained and well secured, will last for several years. Don't let yours get stolen! Local cycle shops can offer advice on how to protect your bike against theft, and recommend the right lock for your bike, but here are a few handy hints: Get your bike security marked if you can. See the Safer York Partnership website for more information on this. Invest in a good quality lock such as a D-Lock, extension cable or heavy ch...

This year, why not dust off your bike, get back on the saddle and fall in love with cycling all over again! Here are our top tips for getting back into cycling: Get your bike checked over – there are a number of great bike shops in York who'll be more than happy to get your bike in tip-top working order ready for hitting the road again. You can also see our handy bike maintenance tips. Need a new bike? Your local bike shop will be happy to advise on the right bike and accessories for you, or pick up a bargain reconditioned bike. Haven't cycled for a while? Take a leisure ride and explore York – we've several easy to ride, scenic leisure route maps to get you riding again – with café stops to top up energy levels and toilet facilities all marked en route! Feeling a bit rusty on two wheels? Build your confidence on the road and brush up on your cycle skills with our superb one-to-one, personalised urban cycle skills training sessions. We come to you at a time to suit. ...

Cycling offers many personal and practical benefits. It's good for your health You may be interested to know that: The National Forum For Coronary Heart Disease found that regular cyclists enjoy a level of fitness equal to that of someone ten years younger. According to a British Medical Association report, cycling will improve your fitness, help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your risk of a heart attack and help to reduce stress. A British Heart Foundation study concluded that cycling at least 20 miles per week reduced the risk of heart disease to less than half that for non-cyclists who take no other exercise. As well as improving your health and wellbeing, cycling can be lots of fun, not to mention a cheaper, quicker and less stressful way of getting from A to B. It's low on cost Bicycles require no Vehicle Excise Duty, no MOT, no compulsory insurance, no breakdown recovery services and, above all, no fuel! A good bicycle, if well maintained, will last for many year...

FOLLOW THE LAW Your safety and image of bicyclists depend on you. You have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. Obey traffic signals and stop signs. Ride with traffic; use the rightmost lane headed in the direction you are going. BE PREDICTABLE Make your intentions clear to everyone on the road. Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between parked cars. Signal turns, and check behind you well before turning or changing lanes. BE CONSPICUOUS Ride where people can see you and wear bright clothing. Use a front white light, red rear light and reflectors when visibility is poor. Make eye contact with others and don’t ride on sidewalks. THINK AHEAD Anticipate what drivers, pedestrians, and other people on bikes will do next. Watch for turning vehicles and ride outside the door zone of parked cars. Look out for debris, potholes, and other road hazards. Cross railroad tracks at right angles. RIDE READY Check that your tires are sufficiently inflated, brakes are work...

If you're pretty sure your bicycle fits properly, any hand discomfort you experience may be related to how you ride and your equipment. Remember the most important rule of hand comfort: change hand positions often. Even if your bike is equipped with flat bars it's possible to move your hands around to grip different parts of the bar. Also, consider adding bar ends to provide additional spots to hang on. Dropped Handlebars These are the bars found on many touring and all road-racing bicycles. As shown on the right, there are many places to rest your hands, which means you can change grips regularly to prevent any pain or numbness. Most riders use the positions they like best. For example, the top illustrations depict extreme  positions designed for fighting headwinds or racing because they place you in an aerodynamic and powerful "tuck." The middle illustrations show higher holds excellent for climbing when standing (fingers wrapped around the brake hoods) and when...

For Yourself, Consider A Bike With Flat Handlebars Whether you're using a childseat, a trailercycle or a trailer to take your kids along, you'll probably want to do so on a bicycle equipped with flat handlebars. These are higher and wider than dropped bars and provide more control against the destabilizing forces of the additional weight you're carrying. You feel this the most with a trailercycle. If Junior squirms around a lot, it can be quite difficult to steer a straight course. Set Some Rules If you're having trouble controlling the bike because of a rambunctious child in the seat behind you, consider setting some rules. Usually, if you tell him that he can't ride unless he rides safely, he'll get the point quickly and behave. Or try bribery: Promise a treat at ride's end if all safety rules are obeyed. Trailers are much more forgiving in such situations. Kids can even play a favorite card game or amuse themselves with other safe-to-travel-with playt...

Cycling Tips Equipment Know-How <<<(FAQ 6 of 12)>>> Back to Tip List Proper Shifting Helps Your Bike Last Longer, Work Better An important shifting rule is to reduce pressure on the pedals during shifts. Modern drivetrains will shift regardless of pedal pressure. But, if you can always ease up a bit, the shifts will be smoother and your chain, cogs and chainrings will last longer. Shift Before Hills The hardest place to ease pedaling, of course, is when you're struggling to get up a steep hill. The trick is to shift before the steep part of the hill so you can make the shift with little pressure on the pedals. Finesse Front Shifts Another thing to remember concerns shifting the front derailleur. You're shifting between chainrings that are significantly different in size. This means that the derailleur has to work hard to move the chain from one to the other. So, the light-pedal-pressure rule really applies here. If you can finesse this shift, yo...

How much tire pressure should you run? Start by trying the manufacturer's recommended pressure, which you'll find printed on the tire sidewall (it's often on a small label but it might be molded into the casing, too, so look closely). This suggested inflation range is a good starting point. If it's a wide range, for example 40 to 60 psi, experiment to find which pressure works and feels best. Pump Road Rubber More, Knobbies Less The most common mistakes are riding with too little pressure in road tires and too much pressure in off-road rubber. The former happens because road treads don't have a lot of air volume. Sure, road tires are pumped up to high pressures. But, because they're skinny tires, there's hardly any air inside. Consequently, even if only a little leaks out (most bicycle tubes are made of butyl rubber, which is porous and naturally seeps air), the pressure and volume are greatly reduced. To prevent this, check tire pressure on a road bike bef...

Get the right bike for you If you are new to cycling, you will probably want to start with a bike that is fairly stable and easy to ride. Mountain bikes are great for beginners because they have fairly wide wheels and a good range of gears. Racers or road bikes have much thinner wheels and are built for speed. You will need to keep a careful eye on the road or path ahead. Potholes or large cracks in the surface of the road are more likely to knock you off a racer bike than a sturdy mountain bike. Many people find hybrids or commuter bikes a good compromise between speed and stability. Frames come in many different sizes and you should try and get one appropriate for you. Your seat should be high enough so your legs can completely straighten. This helps with your pedalling efficiency. Make sure you can be seen Black is definitely not the best colour to wear when you are riding, as it makes you the same colour as the road. You are at increased risk of being hit by a car if the drive...

We are very open-minded about cycling innovations. But this time we want to deal with curious new developments that we think are aberrations in the bicycle revolution. An indication of how much is going on in the field of cycling and sustainable mobility in cities are the many innovative products that try to make bicycle mobility ever easier and more diverse. These include freak bikes and modding, where punk creativity meets the fun of having a good time, as well as real innovations with the potential to make cycling even more interesting. Some developers, however, apparently want to literally reinvent the wheel. A few of these curious products are presented here. If you aren’t put off by our criticisms and want to try any of them out, please send us a report of your experiences – after all, we could be wrong! Raht Racer – more car than bike The “raht racer” – despite the advertising campaign that aims to create a closeness to the bicycle – is an electric car with pedals. Thank...

Finding a bike to take on your daily commute is not that hard, if you keep in mind some basic things. Here you will find five tips that will help you choose your first commuter bike. So, if your last bike ride was twenty years ago and you're trying to figure out how to approach the unfamiliar world of using valuable commuting time to keep yourself in better shape, look no further. 1. Ride Length Matters Knowing the length of your commute could make all the difference in your wallet and your ride comfort. Every three miles or so, the general requirements and goal of your commute will change based on what the length of your ride does to your body and what your bike should be designed to handle. Be aware of cycling conditions in your city and try to accurately gauge how much you’ll be riding throughout the week. If you find yourself riding less than three miles per day, any bike will fit your needs. At six miles your ride comfort will decline without paying special attention to yo...

Different countries, different customs. This also rings true for the loads carries by bike and sometimes also for the number of people riding it. Many things are allowed, some things are forbidden and now and then some things that don’t quite fit, are made to fit. The cultural differences are surprising. One bike, several people To sit on the rear bike rack is not allowed in Germany and Austria (for anyone over the age of eight). Nevertheless, people love to hop on frequently, the same counts for sitting on the bicycle frame or handlebars. There are also rules for child seats. In Germany, child seats can be installed on the handlebar as well as at the rear of the bike, provided that the child seat has a foot rest. In Austria, children are only permitted to sit at the rear of the bike. For the bike-friendly Danes, two children under six years of age are permitted as passengers on one bike. In comparison to those regulation, the United Kingdom goes with a more flexible point of vi...