Bicycle insurer Protect your bubble provides 8 top tips before you head out on a bicycle

(PRWEB UK) 26 July 2012

It’s been a long time coming, but the sun is finally out, you’ve been watching the Tour de France and you’re pretty sure you could give Bradley Wiggins a run for his money. The Lycra shorts have been stretched over your ‘powerful’ legs and you are ready to hit the road.

But before you venture out, it is worth considering our top tips for a more enjoyable and safer bicycle ride.

Your ride

With the recent bad weather, your bicycle may have been in the shed for a while, so be sure to check the following things:

1)    Your tyres are inflated – The fact is, the nearer your tyres are to the maximum recommended pressure, the easier it is to peddle. Harder tyres equal less rolling resistance, so look at the side of the tyre, find out the recommended pressure, and pump it up to the highest value recommended.

2)    If it needs oil – If your bike squeaks it is inefficient and Bradley will easily beat you in a race. You need to oil the moving parts to make sure your bike works efficiently, doesn’t disintegrate mid-ride, and doesn’t draw too much attention to you in your fancy Lycra gear. Grease your chain, your rear gears and gear & brake cables; if these are ‘sticky’ it won’t be much fun, and could be lethal.

3)    If it fits properly – In a way this is no different to driving a car, if your saddle is too high or too low it will be uncomfortable and dangerous. You should be able to easily touch the floor in an emergency. Also make sure you can comfortably reach the handlebars and critically you should not have to stretch to use your brakes.

4)    If any bits are loose – The key components to check are the: wheels, handle bars, peddles/cranks and saddle. If something else comes loose it is not great, but if these come loose it could cause a serious injury. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right, so if you don’t know what to do to remedy the problem, take it to your local bike shop for a service.

You

You don’t need to be in tip top condition to ride a bicycle, but the following two areas are key if you want to make it out and back in one piece.

5)    Eat – If you don’t eat you will have no fuel, if you have no fuel you will go a very short distance very slowly. If that happens you will probably never ride again until the UK’s next tour success. Anything carbohydrate rich will give you energy and make your bike ride, and probably your meal time more enjoyable.

6)    Toughen up – Not been on a bicycle for a while? Well do a few shorter rides first. Your bottom will hurt no matter what shorts, or saddle you have. Like anything it is best to build up slowly.

Your gear

You and your bike are ready, but there are a final couple of things you should consider before you ride any more than about five miles:

7)    Clothing – If you wear an item that doesn’t bend easily, for example jeans, you will find it harder to ride. If an item of clothing has baggy legs they will end up covered in oil, or will get sucked into your chain. If it looks like it’s going to rain, any heavy, baggy clothes will soak up water like a sponge. Don’t try to look cool, it will backfire.

8)    Emergency equipment – Anything longer than a walk home and you will need: A pump, tyre levers, spare inner tubes or puncture kit, an emergency tool kit with Allen keys, and something to eat. Alternatively have a mobile phone to call your personal assistant, who can then pick you up and take you home.

On top of our top tips it is always worth considering additional safety equipment. A helmet could save your life, and high visibility clothing or lighting could help prevent you from needing the helmet in the first place. And if you have all that sorted, don’t forget to get your bicycle insured; more than 20,000 bikes per year are stolen in the Capital alone. Ride safe.

About Protect your bubble

Protect your bubble is an online insurer specialising in bicycle, car hire, gadget, travel and pet insurance. Bicycle insurance covers currently available are the Every Day Cover, which starts from just £1.99 per month and is designed for general daily commutes; and the Adventure Cover, our premium level cover with additional benefits tailored for the more serious cyclist.

Relevant Resources:

Find out about our insurance services: http://uk.protectyourbubble.com/

Get a bicycle insurance quote: http://uk.protectyourbubble.com/bicycle-insurance/

Every Day Cover verses Adventure Cover: http://uk.protectyourbubble.com/do-I-need-everyday-or-adventure-cover.html

Find Protect your bubble UK on:

Find Protect your bubble UK on the following social networks:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ProtectYourBubble

Twitter: http://twitter.com/protectyrbubble

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/protectyourbubble

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