Just like everything else, you need to find the bike that's for you. When choosing a bike, focus on the kind of biking you do the most, and then go from there. If you're going to be riding 30 miles a day, 210 miles a week, 365 days a year, you're probably looking for a higher end road bike. If you plan on tearing up the mountain seven days a week with intermittent Moab, Utah "Slickrock" and "Poison Spider" vacations you should be looking at high end mountain bikes with all sorts of suspension and fun gadgets. For the rest of us who just enjoy biking a few days a week we can look for a bike a little more casually without putting such a strain on the pocket book. Remember, biking is a sport of skill and strength, not a race to see who can spend the most amount of money. A lot of engineering goes into how a bike responds to its rider, handles bumps and turns, and everything in between. However, if the bike is too big or too small for you, it can create a dangerous situation. Fitting a bike is very tricky and is best done at your local bike shop. Or you can order a "fit kit" usually from catalogs that sell bikes. Main things to look for? The rider should be able to straddle the bike with feet flat on the ground. He or she should also have a slight bend at the knee when leg and pedal reach the bottom of the pedal stroke. Once you have a bike that works for you, it's maintenance and upkeep that will continue to help you ride safely. Mainly you need to keep your bike clean and watch for wear and tear on it's parts. As cables become worn, have them replaced. As tires lose their grip, get new ones. Common sense is the best tool when caring for your bike. Also having the bike professionally tuned will keep things in working order. And when you get it tuned, have them take apart and clean the gears, cogs, derailer, chain, etc. Most bike shops offer this as a service in addition to the tune-up.
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