Beginner Cycling | Cycling For Beginners

Extreme Mountain Biking Video!

By admin, on December 20th, 2011

Recently came across this video of some extremely perilous mountain biking — hold on to your seat! So, would you like to ride a singletrack mountain biking path like that? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

SE Draft Lite Riding Review

By admin, on November 22nd, 2011

SE Draft Lite

It’s been a while now since I published my initial SE Draft Lite Review, in which I went over the components and other specifications of the SE Draft Lite fixed-gear/single-speed bike in detail. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to ride the Draft Lite many times and get to know how it performs, so I’ll now present my SE Draft Lite riding review.

As mentioned in our prior review, the Draft Lite’s frame and fork are made of high-tensile (Hi-Ten) steel, which can be a bit heavy — and at around 26 pounds the Draft Lite is certainly no air-weight carbon road bike. However, I believe that for most people the bike will not feel too heavy, especially for bikes in its price range (while MSRP is $389, you can often find the Draft Lite on sale for much less). The Draft Lite certainly weighs less than many of the single-speed or fixed-gear conversions you’ll find on Craigslist.

On the plus side the Draft Lite’s frame feels really sturdy, and when I was standing up to pedal up steep hills I felt more stable than I’ve felt on some lighter, more expensive bikes. In fact, I really enjoyed climbing hills on the Draft Lite. The “caged with clips” pedals also added to my confidence while climbing, without requiring special shoes to ride.

The sturdy frame and the hardy 700x28c tires also absorbed some of the sting from bumpy roads, and also felt stable on gravel paths. The bike also felt just right around turns, and the Draft Lite’s gearing was perfect for the somewhat hilly area where I ride. It’s also nice to have the flip-flop hub where you can switch from fixed-gear to freewheel by flipping the rear wheel.

I kept both brakes on the bike, as I like to ride freewheel (and even like having brakes when riding fixed), and the Draft Lite’s brakes consistently did a fine job. I found the bikes’ SE saddle to be decent, and I liked the feel of the SE grips. During my review period, the Draft Lite became my go-to bike for general riding, and I really came to enjoy the bike because the Draft Lite felt good and was a lot of fun to ride.

The Verdict
The SE Draft Lite is a simple, fun bike to ride and is a good value for the price. You can find more information about the SE Draft Lite on the SE Bikes web site.

Fuji Nevada 29er 1.0 Bike Riding Review

By admin, on November 11th, 2011

Fuji Nevada 29er 1.0

It has been a while now since we posted our preliminary Fuji Nevada 29er 1.0 review, and you can refer back to that post for details about the Nevada’s components. Since that time, we’ve been out on the Nevada 29er many times in a variety of trail conditions. So, what follows is my Fuji Nevada 29er 1.0 riding review.

The Nevada 29er’s aluminum frame gave the bike just the right amount of stiffness, while still being comfortable to ride and felt good climbing hills — especially when I locked the Nevada’s front suspension fork (locking the fork keeps it rigid, which helps while climbing hills). Unlocking the fork certainly helped smooth bumpy trails, including one I ride that is filled with big roots sticking up at various angles. Really, the combination of the 100mm (about 4 inches) of suspension and the big 29 inch tires make a world of difference versus how mountain bikes with the old 26 inch tires handle bumpy trails. And despite the large wheels, the Nevada 29er felt agile on curves and handled well overall.

The Nevada’s shifting was a non-issue, and that’s a good thing: the gears shifted quickly and smoothly where I wanted them to be, even after several runs through muddy terrain. Though I believe Fuji is upgrading the Nevada 29er’s brakes to hydraulic brakes for 2012 models, the mechanical disc brakes on my test bike also performed flawlessly, bringing me (a pretty big guy) to a stop quickly and consistently (again, even after getting the bike very muddy).

Saddle selection is a very personal choice, but I was comfortable on the Nevada 29er’s stock saddle. I also found the Nevada’s grips to be comfortable, and used them without riding gloves most of the time. So, with a good feel, good shifting, good handling, good brakes, and comfortable saddle and grips, the Nevada 29er was everything it should be and a lot of fun to ride.

The Verdict: The Fuji Nevada 29er 1.0 functions flawlessly and provides a much better ride over bumpy trails than most mountain bikes with 26 inch tires — and is a good value for the money for a 29er. To learn more about the Nevada 29er 1.0, please see the Fuji Bikes Website.

Other Posts of Interest:

Wabi Lightning Riding Review

By admin, on October 28th, 2011

Wabi Lightning Fixed Gear Bike

The Wabi Lightning is a fixed-gear/single-speed bicycle made by Wabi Cycles in Los Angeles. In our preliminary Wabi Lightning review, we detailed the Lightning’s frame and component specifications. I’ve had the opportunity to ride the Wabi Lightning a good bit in the past month or so, so now I’ll share my riding review of the Wabi Lightning.

The Wabi Lightning feels good on the road, with a ride that is quick and nimble. With its light scandium frame you do feel bumps in the road a bit more that you do with the plush ride of the steel frame on the Wabi Classic, but that is a trade off for the Lightning being 3 pounds lighter than the Classic. And you really feel the weight difference when climbing on the Lightning — there was a noticeable difference in the amount of hills where I could stay seated on the Lightning, where on those same hills I usually need to stand up to pedal on other single-speed bikes I’ve ridden. The Lightning loves to climb hills.

The Wabi Lightning felt very responsive in turns, and I quickly became very comfortable with the bike’s handling. The gearing was perfect for the hilly area in which I live, and when using the freewheel it was quick to engage. The Lightning’s brakes also worked flawlessly and consistently.

In fact, the only nit I can pick with the Lightning is that the “racing” saddle that is the default saddle is not super comfortable to me (even in padded cycling shorts). However, saddle preferences are a very individual choice, and Wabi also has other saddle options at no extra cost.

I used the Wabi Lightning for training rides in place of my geared road bike to get a great workout, and I also put a rack on it and used it around town for errands (and I rode it a lot just to ride). Whatever the purpose, the Wabi Lightning was always a lot of fun to ride.

The Verdict
The Wabi Lightning is a super light bike with nice components that handles great on the road and climbs hills like a champ. For more information about the Wabi Lightning, be sure to check out the Wabi Cycles website.

Planet Bike Blaze 1 Watt Headlight Review Update

By admin, on October 25th, 2011

It has been a while now since we posted our preliminary Planet Bike Blaze 1 Watt Headlight Review. Since that time, I’ve used the Blaze 1 Watt headlight a good bit — both during the day and at night. So, I’ll now provide an updated Planet Bike Blaze 1 Watt review.

Planet Bike Blaze 1 Watt - Click for More Reviews or To Buy

You can read about the technical details of the Blaze 1 Watt in our prior review. I wanted to update you on how the light has been performing on the road.

Let me start by saying that battery life has been excellent. While I haven’t specifically counted the hours of use, I have to believe that this light has well exceeded the the 7-20 hours (depending on light mode) of service that is estimated from the manufacturer. I do almost always use the light on strobe, so that certainly helps with battery life.

And speaking of strobe, this light really commands attention from drivers when used in strobe mode. During the day time, the Blaze has kept drivers from ignoring me on shady roads — and at least a couple of drivers have decided against turning into my path because of the Blaze. At night, I have noticed cars slow down even around a quarter of a mile away when they see the stobe.

While Planet Bike has come out with a more expensive 2 Watt Blaze headlight recently, I would imagine that 2 watts would be (1) possibly too powerful a strobe (we want drivers to notice us, not be blinded and run into us), and (2) still not bright enough as your sole light to see by at night. I regard the Blaze 1 Watt as an excellent “be seen” light for getting noticed by motorists, but as “see by” bicycle lighting it is really not bright enough for the dark streets I ride on. [To see my full night riding set-up, see Night Cycling for Beginners]

I really like the quick mounting cam on the Blaze 1 Watt, which makes it really easy to switch the light from one bike to another. In fact, there’s nothing that I don’t like about the Blaze 1 Watt headlight — it’s a really great light to help you be seen both during the day and at night. As mentioned in my first review, at a price less than $40, these bicycle headlights are definitely worth the price. Click Here for More Planet Bike Blaze 1 Watt reviews or To Buy.