Choosing a bike for fitness

Cycling is once again back in fashion with many people thinking of taking the plunge and purchasing a bike either for work or leisure. Some, however, recognising the cardio-vascular value of cycling are keen to take this a stage further and incorporate cycling into their regular fitness regime. For these fitness enthusiasts one of the quality road bikes we stock at Formby Cycles should be just the ticket.

Regular cycling is an excellent way of keeping fit. Cycling works the body's muscles and puts the heart and lungs through their paces. Yet, like swimming, it is a low impact sport, reducing the dangers of long term physical damage to the body sometimes associated with high impact sports such as jogging.

Road bikes are lightweight and designed to carry the rider quickly over man-made surfaces. Since the terrain they navigate is relatively smooth road bikes do not usually require the addition of suspension. This in turn means that road bikes are comparatively lighter when compared with some other bikes, such as mountain bikes, and this has the advantage of further increasing the speed at which road bikes can travel.

Some of the more expensive road bikes will incorporate a very light frame made from aluminium or, for added strength, from a special steel alloy called chromoly. The ultimate in lightweight construction for a road bike however is carbon fibre which can weigh up to three times lighter than other light weight materials.

For those wishing to challenge themselves further and venture off the beaten track a mountain bike might be more appropriate. Mountain bikes usually have added suspension at the front to help cushion the rider against the pits and bumps of untreated paths. Rear suspension is sometimes offered with mountain bikes but this will rarely be necessary unless rapid downhill descents are anticipated, and will in fact impede the rider.