7 Tips on How to Get into Cycling

Family On Bikes Cycling Outdoors - How To Get Into Cycling

Cycling is a fantastic hobby that can keep you fit, allow you to explore, and get you breathing the fresh air in the great outdoors. If you want to get into cycling but you don’t know where to start, then this is the guide for you.

Perhaps you have cycled in the past when you were younger and remember the epic adventures you used to have but haven’t sat on a bike for years.

If this is the case, then once you take that first ride you will start to feel that same sense of freedom you had when you were younger and unlock the freedom, fitness, and enjoyment that cycling can bring.

It is safe to say that once you saddle up seriously you will be hooked for life.

This article is designed to help you regain that freedom and start to adventure again in your adult life.

How Do I Get Started With Cycling?

First thing first, you need to get yourself the right bike.

Ask your self a few questions, do you want to cycle mile after mile on the road to improve your fitness? Pack up some camping essentials and head out touring and cycle packing? Or do you want to head out into nature and explore the wilderness on some challenging off-road trails?

Your answers to these questions will ultimately decide what type of bike you need (road bike, hybrid gravel bike, tourer, or mountain bike).

Once you have picked the perfect bike it is time to think about the other essential equipment you need to start your journey into the world of cycling.

You should think carefully about the distances you desire to cycle, whether you will be starting seriously or casually, whether you will be heading out on multi-day tours, or simply commuting.

Depending on what you will be doing on your bike you will need some clothes to suit.

Cycling Clothing Advice

Whether you plan on cycling day after day exploring on a tour or just heading out for some exercise, a good quality pair of cycling shorts or leggings will allow you to push further and enjoy your new hobby comfortably.

Couple a good pair of shorts with a high-quality breathable cycling top and you will have the perfect outfit for all of your cycling needs while being prepared for whatever the road or trails ahead throw at you.

As well as selecting the best bike and clothes to suit your needs, it is essential you consider your safety.

You will need a helmet that is both super protective and comfortable.

Finding a helmet with WaveCel technology will keep you cool, safe, and comfortable on even the longest of rides.

Bontrager Rally WaveCel Mountain Bike Helmet

Rally WaveCel is a high-style, high-value off-road helmet with trail-specific features and WaveCel, a leading technology in the protection against cycling-related head injuries. WaveCel is a collapsible cellular structure that lines the inside of the helmet. This Bontrager-exclusive technology disrupts the safety standards the industry has accepted for over 30 years.

Check the price

We can recommend the Bontrager Rally WaveCel Helmet for mountain bikers, tourers, and road cyclists alike. This helmet is lightweight, high-tech, and five times more effective than traditional foam helmets.

Coupling this helmet with the Bontrager Windshell Cycling Skull Cap is the perfect start to a super comfortable and super safe headwear combo.

Bontrager Windshell Cycling Skull Cap

Keeping your head and ears warm really is the best way to ensure comfort on gusty days. The Windshell Skull Cap is constructed of lightweight windproof thermal fabric that traps heat and wicks away chill-inducing moisture.

Check the price

This skull cap keeps your head and ears warm in the wind and cool in the heat. It provides you with outstanding wicking qualities that will keep sweat and rain out of your face and eyes.

Can You Get in Shape While Cycling?

Cycling is an excellent way to get in shape.

If you are wondering how to get into cycling for fitness or weight loss, then a great place to start is with a bike, of course.

Road cycling and touring are the perfect ways to get into shape. Cycling for endurance will not only help you shed the pounds, but it will also make you healthier and happier.

A durable hybrid gravel bike for road cycling and touring that is also rugged enough to take into the countryside off-road is a great place to start for the fitness motivated cyclist.

Needs improvement

Checkpoint SL 7 Road Bike

Checkpoint SL 7 Road Bike

Checkpoint SL 7 pairs our best carbon gravel frame with high-tech parts picked for performance and incredible ride quality on the toughest and roughest gravel adventures. A lightweight OCLV Carbon frame with gravel-smoothing IsoSpeed, a SRAM wireless electronic drivetrain, carbon wheels, and extra mounts for gear and accessories give you the comfort and capability you need to tackle your next all-road excursion.

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The Checkpoint SL by Trek is a carbon-framed gravel bike that is lightweight, durable, and exciting.

This bike will take you from A to B comfortably while putting a smile on your face, even if A is 500 miles away from B.

This is a great all-round road bike that is just as comfortable on backcountry trails as it is on the road. This bike’s durability makes it perfect for fitness cycling, touring, cycle-packing, and heading out into the wilderness.

Fitness benefits

If you are looking at getting into cycling to improve your fitness and get into shape, then starting with a daily routine of 30 minutes to an hour of cycling is perfect.

Once your fitness starts to improve you can begin to extend your time out on the bike and make things more challenging for yourself. You can try setting longer routes, beating your personal times, or challenging friends.

If you are interested in cycle-packing and touring this can be a great way to get into shape and breakthrough fitness barriers.

Once you start cycle touring you will find the first and second days are the hardest. Once you have been on the road for 3 or 4 days, you will notice your fitness drastically improving.

After day 2 you will have smashed through previous distance records and broken down barriers that before seemed impossible. In doing this, your strength and fitness will benefit massively.

You will notice that you are cycling harder, faster, and distances start seeming smaller. This is all because you broke through barriers and endured through the pain of the first couple of days.

Is Cycling an Expensive Hobby?

Cycling, like most hobbies, is only as expensive as you make it.

When you are starting out you don’t need to buy the best kit. Nevertheless, if you spend some money at the start it will save you money in the long run.

Cycling can be expensive at the start. However, once you have spent money on a bike, clothes, and accessories you will spend little money continuously.

Bicycles are relatively low maintenance, with your only consumable costs being for cleaning products, chain oil, innertubes, and tires.

Overall, cycling as a hobby is not that expensive month to month. However, you will likely spend a fair amount of money to get yourself set up with gear that will last long and serve you well through your cycling career.

The most expensive part of your set up is no doubt the bicycle. However, once you have acquired that, clothes and accessories are surprisingly cheap.

7 Tips on How to Get into Cycling

Select the perfect bike

Selecting the perfect bike when you first start out will give you the most enjoyment and reward. Selecting a good bike that suits your desired riding style will save you money in the long run. It will allow you to jump into the hobby with the right foot forward.

We recommend the Checkpoint SL 7 from Trek for the road cyclist that wants a great allrounder.

Checkpoint SL 7 Road Bike

Checkpoint SL 7 Road Bike

Checkpoint SL 7 pairs our best carbon gravel frame with high-tech parts picked for performance and incredible ride quality on the toughest and roughest gravel adventures. A lightweight OCLV Carbon frame with gravel-smoothing IsoSpeed, a SRAM wireless electronic drivetrain, carbon wheels, and extra mounts for gear and accessories give you the comfort and capability you need to tackle your next all-road excursion.

Check the price

Find the perfect outfit

Selecting a comfortable pair of cycling shorts and a breathable top will improve comfort as soon as you get on the saddle.

Preparing and buying a comfortable cycling outfit when you first start will allow you to push harder and get more enjoyment from your hobby. This will reduce the risk of giving up early on.

If you are serious about cycling for fitness, endurance, or adventure then a good-quality outfit is essential.

We recommend the cycle clothing from Terry as they provide cost-effective, long-lasting, comfortable clothing for all your cycling needs.

Get yourself some safety equipment

Getting yourself some safety equipment is essential to enjoying your hobby safely.

Now you don’t need to pad out with knee pads, shin pads, and elbow pads. However, getting yourself a protective helmet is just as important as your bike.

A helmet that uses WaveCel technology such as the Bontrager Rally will keep that valuable head of yours safe. You will get rid of uncomfortable feelings during your cycling sessions.

Bontrager Rally WaveCel Mountain Bike Helmet

Rally WaveCel is a high-style, high-value off-road helmet with trail-specific features and WaveCel, a leading technology in the protection against cycling-related head injuries. WaveCel is a collapsible cellular structure that lines the inside of the helmet. This Bontrager-exclusive technology disrupts the safety standards the industry has accepted for over 30 years.

Check the price

Make things as comfortable as possible for yourself

Making cycling as comfortable as possible will help you get more enjoyment. This will help you push harder and further on your bike.

There are a few things you can do to make your cycling more comfortable other than having a decent set of cycling shorts with sufficient padding.

An inexpensive start that will improve comfort greatly is a cycling cap.

Bontrager Windshell Cycling Skull Cap

Keeping your head and ears warm really is the best way to ensure comfort on gusty days. The Windshell Skull Cap is constructed of lightweight windproof thermal fabric that traps heat and wicks away chill-inducing moisture.

Check the price

The Bontrager Windshell is a great all-season skull cap. It will keep the sun off of your head and ears in the summer and the wind and cold off of them in the winter, as well as wicking moisture off your brow.

A good pair of cycling shoes such as the Giro Techne will keep your feet firmly on the pedals.

Get on your bike and start cycling!

Once you have acquired the perfect bike, cycling attire, and safety equipment the best thing to do is get on the saddle and start cycling.

Jumping straight in will help you get a passion for cycling and give you some inspiration to do more.

On your first couple of rides, don’t bother planning or structuring your ride, just head out and enjoy the ride.

This is guaranteed to give you a sense of adventure and a drive to do more! Once you have got the cycling “bug” and cycling keeps drawing you back you can start to plan things out more.

Create yourself a routine

Now it is recommended to structure a routine that is built around your work and lifestyle.

Building a routine that is realistic to your lifestyle will make it easier to stick to and overachieve.

Even if you set a goal to cycle for 30 minutes per day this will keep your body used to getting on the bike.

Sticking to your routine will make cycling longer-distances and planning cycle tours much easier. Your body will be accustomed to the bike.

Track your cycling and always strive to improve

Tracking your cycling with a free app such as Strava will help you monitor your cycle miles, fitness, and also plan your routes.

Tracking your performance with an app such as this allows you to alter your routine in a way that improves your fitness and performance on the bike.

Check your stats regularly and adjust your routine so your fitness steadily improves.

Always push yourself further and harder as you build your strength and skills on your bicycle.

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