Biking
Book - 2024
"Biking For Dummies will teach you the basics of riding your bike as a workout or as a mode of transportation. Great for people of all ages and fitness levels, this book shows you how to select the best bike for your needs, how to ride safely, and how to maintain your bicycle, so you can enjoy the many adventures that lie ahead. This entertaining Dummies guide answers all your questions about e-bikes, cycling etiquette, must-have gear and gadgets, and staying safe out there. Plus, you'll find bicycle maintenance advice and tips that will help you get faster and ride farther, even if you're starting from zero. Become a cyclist, the Dummies way"--
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Published
-
Hoboken, NJ :
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
[2024]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Item Description
- Includes index.
- Physical Description
- xii, 306 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- ISBN
- 9781394218714
- Introduction
- About This Book
- Foolish Assumptions
- Icons Used in This Book
- Beyond the Book
- Where to Go from Here
- Part 1. Starting Off on the Right Wheel
- Chapter 1. Almost Everything You Need to Know about Bicycles
- Recognizing Where Bicycles Come From
- Identifying the Parts of a Bicycle
- Producing a Bike for Every Rider
- Weighing the Benefits of Riding a Bike
- Chapter 2. Sizing Up the Right Bike and Fit
- Measuring Up to a Bicycle's Angles
- Special Considerations
- Choosing the Proper Bike Size
- Fitting Yourself to Your Bike
- Chapter 3. Cockpit, Part 1: Handlebars, Grips, and Headsets
- Handlebars
- Drop bars
- Flat bars and riser bars
- Bullhorns (and aero bars)
- Mustache handlebars
- Handlebar materials
- Grips and Handlebar Tape
- Grips
- Handlebar tape
- Headsets
- Threaded headsets
- Threadless headsets
- Stealth routing
- Chapter 4. Cockpit, Part 2: Stems, Seatposts, and Saddles
- Stems
- Stem angle
- Stem length
- Bar clamp diameters
- Quill stems
- Seatposts
- Dropper seatposts
- Suspension seatposts
- Seatpost diameter
- Alternative diameters
- Saddles
- Saddle width
- Saddle angle
- Chapter 5. Brakes, Wheels, and Tires
- Brakes: The Best Invention Ever
- Caliper
- Lever: Mechanical
- Lever: Hydraulic
- Alternative (old school) brakes
- Wheels
- Hubs
- Hub widths
- Spokes and nipples
- Bracing angle
- Rims
- Wheel sizes
- Tires (and Tubes)
- Valve types
- Materials and terminology
- Rubber
- Tread cap
- Casing
- Breaker
- Bead
- Apex
- Treads and siping
- Sizes and widths
- Typical tire widths by bike type
- Wider tires: The better choice
- Chapter 6. Drivetrains
- First Things First: Systems versus Components
- Crankset
- Crank arm material
- The spindle
- Crank arm length
- Bottom Bracket
- Chainring
- Narrow-wide chainrings
- Chain
- Cassette (or freewheel)
- Derailleur
- Shifter
- Bearings
- It turns out that sire does matter
- Pedals
- Installing pedals
- Differentiating types of pedals
- Part 2. Buying a New Bike and Other Gear You Need
- Chapter 7. Finding the Perfect Bike
- Road Bikes
- Racing
- All-Road / endurance
- Aero
- Climbing
- Crit
- Track
- Triathlon
- Gravel Bikes
- Basic gravel
- Racing gravel
- Adventure gravel
- Bikepacking / touring
- Cyclocross Bikes
- Mountain Bikes
- MTB wheels, suspension and geometry
- Cross country (XC)
- Downcountry / light trail
- Trail
- Enduro(EN)
- All mountain / freeride (AM/FR)
- Downhill (DH)
- Fat bikes
- Dirt jump / slopestyle
- Trials
- Commuter Bikes
- Fitness/Hybrid Bikes
- Cruiser Bikes
- Cargo Bikes
- Standard cargo
- Bakfiets cargo
- e-Bikes
- Recumbent Bikes
- Adaptive Bikes
- Kids' Bikes or Balance Bikes
- Bikes by Frame Material
- Steel
- Aluminum
- Titanium
- Carbon fiber
- Chapter 8. Purchasing Your New Set of (Two) Wheels
- Considering Your Favorite Type of Riding
- Finding Where to Buy a Bicycle
- The Local Bike Shop
- The big-box store
- The Downsides of Really Cheap Bikes
- An Online Store
- Direct-to-consumer brands
- Knowing What You Can Expect to Spend
- Breaking down cost
- The benefits of bike shops
- Taking a chance by buying online
- Buying a Used Bike
- Determining whether a used bike is right for you
- Knowing where to find a good used bike
- Chapter 9. Getting the Necessary Gear and Equipment
- Safety for Your Head: Helmets
- Helmet types
- Helmet features
- Helmet care
- Brain safety: A game of millimeters
- The vital five-star rating
- Safety for Your Eyeballs: Sunglasses and Eye Protection
- Safety Illumination: Lights and Reflectors
- Reflectors
- Headlights
- Taillights
- Lock It Up
- U-locks
- Chains
- Cables
- Folding locks
- Security ratings
- Bike lock strength
- How to lock up your bike
- Ah-Oogah! Horns and Bells
- Items Made for Comfort
- Water bottles
- Bottle cages
- Bike shorts
- Cycling gloves
- Maintenance Supplies
- Floor pump
- Basic repair kit
- Chain lube
- What's the best way to lube my chain?
- Cleaning kit
- Common Accessories
- Commuter gear
- Road cyclist gear
- Gravel cyclist gear
- Mountain bike gear
- Cargo bike gear
- Part 3. Using and Maintaining a Bicyclep181
- Chapter 10. Preparing for Your First Ride
- Before Your First Ride
- Knowing what to do if something isn't right
- Adjusting the saddle height
- Adjusting the handlebars
- Airing up the tires
- Before Your Next Ride
- Chapter 11. Riding a Bike 101
- The Basics of Riding a Bike
- Mounting your bike
- Getting in the saddle
- Balancing the bike
- Steering the right way
- Pointers on pedaling
- Braking like your life depends on it
- Shifting gears the right way
- Teaching a Kid How to Ride a Bike
- But they already have a bike with training wheels
- But kids grow so darn fast
- Be encouraging!
- Let them learn at their own pace
- But I want them to keep up with me!
- Chapter 12. Riding Safely: Following the Rules of the Road, Path, and Trail
- Keeping Safety in Mind
- Following the rules of the road (and bike path)
- Reflecting their headlights
- Wearing your helmet the right (or wrong) way
- Rules of the Road
- Ride with traffic
- Ride on the right
- Ride no more than two abreast
- Make passing easy
- Signal your turns
- Stay off busy urban roads
- Ride predictably
- Predict other's behaviors
- Take your lane
- Know your route
- Know your surroundings
- Resources for bicycle laws
- Follow Etiquette for Group Rides
- Hold your line
- Be consistent
- Avoid slamming on your brakes
- Signal turns, stops, and obstacles
- Avoid soft-pedaling
- Respect no-drop rides
- Rules of the Bike Path
- Prepare for Riding in Bad Weather
- Rules of the Trail
- Riders yield to pedestrians and horses
- Downhill riders yield to uphill riders
- No riding trails after it rains!
- Look before you leap
- Chapter 13. Fixing and Maintaining Your Bike
- Cleaning Your Bike
- Cleaning the Chain
- Good chain cleaning
- Better chain cleaning
- Best chain cleaning
- Post chain cleaning
- Lubing the chain
- Between chain cleanings
- Pumping Up the Tires and Checking for Wear
- Setting up tubeless tires
- Buying the proper tubes
- Maximum tire pressures
- Checking for tire wear
- Adjusting the Brakes
- Adjusting pad contact with cable length
- Wait - what is pad contact spacing?
- Adjusting the pad contact space
- Adjusting the pad contact spacing
- Adjusting rim brakes
- Centering road bike brakes
- Centering mountain bike and cyclocross brakes
- Adjusting the brake pad toe-in and rim contact point
- Adjusting disc brakes
- Every time I tighten the caliper, it moves!
- Knowing What to Do When a Ride Goes Wrong
- Fixing a flat
- Replacing an inner tube
- Plugging a tubeless tire
- Patching a tire
- Patching a tubeless tire
- Using a CO 2 cartridge or a pump
- Adjusting Gears and Shifting: Mechanical Derailleurs
- Front derailleurs
- Rear derailleurs
- Where shifting gets tricky
- The bike is shifting, but it's not happy about it
- Repairing and Replacing a Chain
- What to Do If You Wreck
- Minor tumbles
- Major tumbles
- If you hit someone
- If someone hits you
- Taking photos for documentation
- If you're too injured to take stock of the situation
- Help others, too
- Get back in the saddle
- Repairing, Replacing, and Retiring Old Bikes and Parts
- When to repair or replace a part
- When to replace your bike
- What to do with your old bike and parts
- Chapter 14. Finding Good Places to Ride
- There's an App for That
- Locating Local Hotspots
- Scouting out safe roads and routes
- Hitting the trails
- Riding with the Family
- Setting a compatible pace and distance
- Riding with kids on the bike
- Riding alongside your kids
- Joining a Cycling Club
- Taking a Biking-Focused Vacation
- Transporting Your Bike
- On the car
- On a plane
- Shipping it
- Part 4. The Part of Tens
- Chapter 15. Ten Training Tips
- On-the-Bike Workouts
- Base miles
- Off-the-Bike Workouts
- Deadlifts
- Single-leg step-ups
- Single-leg deadlifts
- Core
- Hip flexor exercises
- It's all about overload
- Don't forget to recover!
- Chapter 16. Ten Bucket List Events
- Ragbrai
- Five Boro Bike Tour
- Levi's GranFondo
- Multi-Day Bicycle Tours
- Belgian Waffle Ride
- Grinduro
- 24 Hours of Old Pueblo
- Sea Otter Classic
- Breck Epic
- Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
- But what about
- Index