How to Maintain Your Bike

Biking has become a lifestyle for many, cycling to and from to their destination without nearly half the stress cars endure daily. But that isn’t to say biking is without its troubles. Primarily, bikers endure the stress of maneuvering busy streets and intersections on their daily route, which is not always the most favorable experience for someone on a bike. In fact, many bikers are faced with a dangerous challenge of dashing through cars and motorcycles on the busy paved streets, to avoiding crashing into pedestrians who are even less inclined to make way for bikers than those on the road. Bikers truly have it the roughest on the roads, but they can overcome it by making sure their bikes are equipped for the toughest days.

Top 5 Reasons To Commute By Bike

1. Exercise: Studies have shown biking to work is extremely beneficial to your health, with the exact calories burned while riding averaging the same amount as consistent jogging but without significant impacts on your joints, like inflammation and other deteriorating muscle issues. Incorporating bike riding in your daily commute can improve the cardiovascular system and significantly lower blood pressure along with better coordination skills. According to a study conducted by Glenn Stewart at Brunel University, London taking up cycling as a mode of transportation helps lower premature mortality rates by 30% and the risk of developing cardiorespiratory diseases by nearly 40%. The fresh air truly gives bikers an upper hand at better conservation for the Earth, because the average cyclist releases on 0.7 grams of CO2 and saves an upward of 238 million bicycles in gas while an average vehicle releases near 1.2 pounds of CO2 per mile.

2. Cognitive function:The constant activeness biking requires can prevent cognitive decline and improve overall memory and learning functions, particularly the prefrontal cortex. Because of the different methods and routes used to maneuver through the bustling city streets, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on memory and problem-solving. Next time, while you are cycling on your way to work remember and run into traffic, you’ll be improving brain performance which could ultimately make you better at your job.

3. Saves money: Cycling is a better alternative to vehicles for many reasons, but cost-effectiveness is a major one. Even with bike repairs, a bike is far less costly than a car because various bicycle shops offer sales on bike parts that many car shops could never afford to. Affordability for biking parts, like bike stems, chainring bolts, brake levers, bike chains, and even bike frames places bikes at an advantage for the preferred option of transportation because bike shops provide a great deal for biking parts, especially chainring bolts. Ordering essential bike parts from online bicycle companies is another positive for bikers, some companies sell name brand equipment, such as a name brand bike stem (i.e., Thomson stem), chainring bolts and name brand bike levers for a significantly lower price than in-stores, which gives customers an advantage for quality parts.

4. Convenience: Traveling from point A to point B in the quickest time possible is most commuter’s dream. Biking ranks as the most favorable method of transportation, because of its sheer convenience due to the sleek, thin bike frame that allows riders to easily maneuver into typically tight spaces and take routes that are inaccessible to car riders. Bikes also make running errands simpler—there is a greater sense of security when parking.

5. Safety: There are considerably fewer safety hazards for bikers than those who drive motorized vehicles because bikes are not confined to roads. The method of transportation bikers have is multifaceted, because there are many possible routes to take and numerous options for parking spaces that leave them less susceptible to damage and theft than vehicles.

Where To Find The Best Bike Equipment For Your Buck

Bicycle shops are abundant in-person and online and offer run various sales for premium name brand bike parts that would typically be costly otherwise. The deals bike shops offer aimed to appeal to their diverse clientele, particularly on name brand biking equipment (I.e., name brand bike stem, brake levers, chainring bolts, and name brand front rack) that provides them quality parts without having to break the bank to repair their bike.