Easy Ways to Embrace the Cycling Lifestyle
It’s always a good time to pick up cycling and get lost in the lifestyle. Here are five tips on how to embrace the cycling lifestyle, so you have more fun on your bike and are more motivated to stick with it.
1. Get in the Habit of Riding For Shorter Trips
Whether you’re a biking enthusiast or not, riding your bike more often offers lots of great benefits. Any length of ride will speed up your metabolism and burn calories. The more you ride your bike, the less likely you are to skip workouts that are solely for getting in shape.
Rather than riding your bike only for long rides on the weekend, aim to ride your bike for small errands and trips, such as commuting to work or going to the store. You’d be surprised at how fast all that distance adds up and how many benefits it offers; to you, your community, and the environment as a whole.
2. Get Someone Else Interested in Biking
Cycling is something that should be shared and enjoyed with others. Cycling is fun as it is, but getting someone else involved gives you a better perspective of cycling and is a great way to spend time with the other person.
Whether it be your friend, your spouse, or a relative, teach someone the value and benefits of cycling. Get them in the habit of riding with you once or twice a week. Focus on making the fun of the ride. Both of you will benefit from riding together, and everything is more fun with a friend.
3. Learn Basic Bike Maintenance
Being a cyclist comes with a great sense of independence. Every cyclist should understand essential roadside repairs like how to change a tire or fix a broken chain, but knowing other basic fixes gives you a better understanding of your bike and can save you money.
Rather than bringing your bike into the shop whenever you need to adjust or replace a broken part, learn how to do it at home by yourself. Buy a book or go through an online tutorial, or get lessons from someone else that knows how to do it. You’ll find that taking care of your bike is a rewarding thing to do.
4. Join a Race And Aim to Win
Cycling is about pushing yourself to new heights. You have to set goals and then push for them to see just what you can do.
Whether your goal is to complete a century, attempting an ultra race, or joining an organized ride, you should challenge yourself to do something you’ve not done before. Reaching your goal is just half of the battle, as you can benefit greatly just from pushing yourself to achieve it in the first place.
5. Try Something New
Riding the same routes is the quickest way to getting burned out with something. Keep things fresh by taking on a different cycling discipline. Give your muscles a shock and test your cardio by doing something different.
Track cycling, mountain biking, and cyclocross are just some of the disciplines you could tackle. The good news is that you can likely enter any of these disciplines with the gear you already have. Bike rentals can help cover the costs of new equipment if you are only trying something out. You can always invest in new equipment when you’re sure you enjoy the new discipline.
