In Spring 2017 I bought my first bike (liv flourish). Best buy ever – my granny-bike gave me the confidence and desire to start cycling. I cycled to work pretty much every other day – and loved it. My route was amazing, and for the first time exercise did not seem like a chore but was a fun activity before and after work.
You don’t need to go all out on your first bike (for your first rides even a Boris Bike is good enough to see if you even enjoy it), especially if you have not cycled a lot before or don’t feel comfortable on the road. It was very funny when Max and I went to various bike shops, looking for my first bike: there were some customers (who clearly had not done a lot of cycling) looking at 5K+ bikes! They actually think they will be so much faster if the bike is a few grams lighter – not even considering that losing a few pounds themselves would actually give them better results (even on a more basic bike).
With a more basic bike you don’t need any gear apart from a helmet and maybe lights, but often they are included with these kinds of models. Let’s be realistic – how often will you get into the cycling outfit, cycle super early to work to then still be able to shower and just go through all that hassle? With a more basic bike it’s just helmet – sneakers – go!
Make it easy for yourself in the beginning, choose a scenic route, and don’t make it too long. If you are enjoying it then you can start to do more and maybe eventually upgrade to a better bike, but take it easy in the beginning – I bet those guys we saw in the bike shops buying those ultra-expensive models gave up after a couple of weeks. Actually, that is a great opportunity for you at a later stage, because when you really are ready to upgrade, buying a second-hand bike like that is a great option!!! More on that in a later post 🙂
