The Right and Wrong Way to Cycle How to Ride a Bike Well: Bicycling is one of the many great

activities that can be added to your fitness regimen. It is fun and it can greatly increase your energy level. However !ust like in any s"ort or e#ercise there are right and wrong ways to do cycling. $f course you would want to do it the right way because im"ro"er cycling could lead to in!uries that would definitely hinder you from en!oying your ride or could im"air your health. %uckily e#"erts have studied the way "eo"le cycle and !ust kee"ing a few things in mind would hel" you make sure that you are riding your bike correctly. The Head Wrong Way: %ocking your head in one stiff "osition. &ee"ing your head stiff and locked in a certain "osition would not only make you look like a statue but could also strain your neck muscles. 'our facial muscles should also not be tensed and your !aws should not be clinched too tightly as that would make it hard for you to breath "ro"erly. Well it is not recommended for you to kee" on moving your head like banging it violently but you should not tense your head and face as you cycle. Right Way: &ee" your head rela#ed and in a neutral stance. (ot only will this be more comfortable it will also allow you to breath steadily and gain more control of your body. 'ou can wear sunglasses if the sun makes you s)uint e#cessively. The *rms and the Hands Wrong Way: +ri""ing tightly on the handlebars and kee"ing arms as stiff as a "ole. $f course you would not want to get off your bike and fly away but you should not gri" too tightly as this will cause your hands and arms to tense and strain which could make you lose control of your ride. ,tiffening your arms also makes it difficult for you to turn well es"ecially on times that you have to turn )uickly. Right Way: Rela# your hands and arms as you hold on the handles. If you find your self rather tensed you might ta" your fingers from time to time or shift the "osition of your thumbs. The -""er Body Wrong Way: .oving from side to side. ,ometimes when you get e#cited with your ride you tend to get giddy and kee" on moving from side to side. This unnecessary movement !ust wastes your energy and could destroy your balance. -nnecessary u""er body movement could also hinder you from

having a smooth cycle. 'ou might need to move side/to/side when you are climbing u"hill but for most rides in "lain roads you should be rela#ed and avoid "ointless gestures. Right Way: *s with most of your entire body your u""er body should be very rela#ed when you cycle. *s a "oint of reference try kee"ing a straight line as you ride. There should be no tension from your wait u". This will hel" you kee" focus and save energy allowing you to cycle more and en!oy more. 'ou could also try riding in the morning towards the west away from the sun so that you cast a shadow in front of you. Check your shadow if you do unneeded body movements and !ust correct yourself until you make it a habit to ride smoothly. The &nees Wrong Way: Cycling with knees wide o"en. (ot only is it awkward to cycle with your knees in a frog "osition it also creates wind resistance that could slow you down or even hurt you. *nother thing bad when your knees are "ositioned away from you body is it will make your "edaling less efficient. 'ou need to direct all your lower/body energy downward and having your legs s"read a"art would not allow you to do so. Right Way: 'ou should tuck your knees in when you cycle. This will eliminate wind resistance and would hel" you have a smoother ride. This also allows for greater "ower while "edaling. When you observe athletic cyclists you would usually see that they kee" their knees tucked. The 0edals Wrong Way: 0edaling in a circle. 0edaling is the single most im"ortant as"ect of cycling because you definitely cannot cycle without "edaling. However the common sense advice of "edaling in circle is not at all the best way to make your bike running. 1oing so is actually counter "roductive if not im"ractical. Right Way: The "edaling action is actual more downward and u"ward instead of circular. $n your down stroke you need to somewhat "ush down but of course following the contour of the a#le. -"wards you do it is if you are removing mud from your shoe. This "rovides you with smoother transition as you do your u" and down strokes. It is im"ortant for you to know the wrong and right ways of cycling. $therwise this en!oyable activity might "rove to be a hassle instead of a !oy. Try these ti"s for yourself and soon you would see that you are biking better and en!oying more at the same time.

2. What ,hould .y Bike ,eat Height Be3 / ,etting 0ro"er 0edaling Bike ,eat Height 4rom &evin Tisue ,etting "ro"er bike seat height for your si5e is an im"ortant "art of every bike setu". 0ro"er seat height ad!ustment hel"s ensure !oint health "edaling efficiency and comfort while riding your bike. It hel"s to know where your body likes to be while "edaling and to use this "osition when you "edal for any significant "eriod of time on any bike. *. To find the right seat height "osition you need to sit on your bike with your feet on the "edals. 0osition one "edal at the very bottom of it6s stroke. 'our seat height should be ad!usted so that in this "osition your knee is bent at around a 78 to 9: degree angle. It6s that sim"le. It is im"ortant to note that this a""lies to "edaling situations only. There are a lot of situations on a mountain bike that you should have a lower seat "osition for safety as well as im"roved agility. I always use a seat "ost )uick release so I can ad!ust my seat height according to the riding conditions. It is hel"ful to mark the seat "ost where it enters the frame at the "ositions you like to use for )uicker ad!ustment. Take a moment before each ride to think about the trail and where you might want to set your seat height and don6t be afraid to ad!ust it while you ride.