Resist temptation. Most of us are tempted to add too much air, thinking that the higher the pressure, the less rolling resistance. That’s true, but no riding surface is perfectly smooth. Your tires need to be able to conform to bumps and to absorb shocks. So don’t overinflate. Proper pressures as shown on the tire give us the best combination of efficiency in rolling and in resisting damage.
Monitor your tire pressure. This is probably the most important advice. The air that you have trapped inside your tube wants desperately to join its friends in the outside atmosphere. Some of today’s tubes allow air to escape right through the sides of the tube. Fluctuations in temperature can have a definite effect on tire pressure. It is important to get in the habit of checking your tire pressure before every ride. Having a good tire pump in your garage that includes a built-in gauge is something I strongly recommend. It makes it easy to get in the habit of checking tire pressure frequently.
Bike Seats
Bike seats are sometimes called saddles. By either name, it only takes one ride on the wrong seat to let you know that a good bicycle seat is necessary for regular riding. Even a short, smooth ride can be painful and joyless without a comfortable seat on your bike.
How do you tell a good seat from a bad seat? There are as many answers to that question as there are bicycle riders. It can be different for men, for women, and for kids. However, some seats are really better than others.
Some make the mistake of opting for a large cushioned seat. I always caution against this. Larger seats increase friction and contact. They actually broaden the area of discomfort rather than decrease it.
Cushioning leaves some leeway in your selection. “Gel” seats don’t do it. The gel always moves, and it seems to move right where you don’t need it. Some of the newer seats have a “Gel-Foam” that actually gives you some comfort and stays in place.
Most of the newer saddles have a groove down the center. Some go all the way through the seat and others combine an indentation and a groove through the seat. These types of designs are intended to all of the “pressure points”, or at least most of them. Some are specifically for men, and some for women. Some have been evaluated in medical journals and bicycle literature.
After using one of these recommended seats, you will realize that there is absolutely no good reason to have cushioning under your entire derriere. As you shop, you will notice that a woman’s saddle is shaped differently in the nose, and is slightly wider at the back.
When you make your choice, ask to try it out. If you shop at a good bike shop you can get some excellent guidance from the employees, and many will allow you to take the seat home and road test it, allowing a return if you are not satisfied.
I have ridden a lot, and have found that there really is no completely pain-free bicycle saddle. Comfort can be increased, but not to a “totally comfortable” stage.
That doesn’t keep me off my bike however. Riding a bike gives me so much joy in all other areas, that a slightly uncomfortable seat becomes forgettable.
