We have all been there in the beginning, made a silly mistake or did not do something really simple needed, ending up with the same result, an abandoned ride or, in the worst case, an injury. So let us take a look at the common mistakes that new cyclists need to look out for & try to avoid when starting out. Ride with Incorrect Saddle Height This is by far the most common beginner's mistake. Due to fear of falling, new cyclists generally set the saddle height too low to be able to put both feet flat on the ground. While this gives us a sense of security, it also puts extra strain on the knees which eventually results in painful knees. Continuing to ride like this will cause knee injury. Refer to our earlier post on Basic Bike Fitting to know how to properly set up your saddle. Pushing Hard Gears / Not Using Gears at all Bicycles today generally come with multiple gears to help the rider cope with elevation/terrain changes while maintaining comfortable pedaling pac
Basic Bicycle Maintenance is necessary to prolong the lifespan of your bicycle. With just a little bit of care, these simple machines will give you months and years of riding pleasure. We recommend that you carry out the following basic maintenance tasks regularly Clean your bicycle after every ride with a clean & dry rag. Microfiber cloth is the best for this purpose. However baby wipes are also a safe & inexpensive item to quickly clean your bicycle without giving it a full wash down. If not the whole bicycle, at least the chain must be wiped...specially if you use oil to lubricate it as it attracts gunk & sand during ride which gets stuck to the chain and causes a black, messy stain wherever it touches. Hold the chain using a rag and run the pedals in reverse to wipe the chain. Again, baby wipes can be used here for a deeper clean than just a dry rag. De-grease & lubricate the chain after every 300 km in wet riding conditions and 500 km in dry ri