Reddit reviews Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike
We found 10 Reddit comments about Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Workman Publishing
Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike [Paperback]
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Ride-Radically-Practical-Riding/dp/0761155589
Just Ride.
Lot's a great wisdom in here to keep riding fun. — https://www.amazon.ca/Just-Ride-Radically-Practical-Riding/dp/0761155589
Front shocks are a waste of money and needless weight for the kind of urban riding that I do.
As for true off-road mountain bicycling, Grant Petersen in his book "Just Ride" suggests that they are not necessary there, either, and I tend to agree. You are better off using skills to avoid bumps and obstacles. But I'm not a mountain bicyclist, so what do I know?
My favourite bike is still the fixed gear I got for £150 from eBay. And the most comfy trousers for cycling are hard-wearing slightly baggy walking trousers, IMHO.
I'm inclined to mock those weekend warriors in lycra on their £3000 carbon framed bikes that never get wet. They're called 'mamils' (middle aged men in lycra) in England. Seeing one up ahead on the road is like waving a starting flag; I have to catch and beat them.
Try reading Grant Peterson's book, if you haven't already.
Sounds like you're a relatively new rider, welcome to the wonderful world of cycling!
The first bit of advice I can give you is to just ride. Get some clips, ride a lot, ask a lot of questions, and have fun.
Upgrades:
There's probably more but that should do but also read this book by Grant Peterson, it's a real good perspective to help get over the hump that you need better and just enjoy yourself.
Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761155589/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7ADExbKENM577
> if you get a road bike, you will find it easier to transition to longer rides if you want to.
I see this advice here all the time, and I'm not sure I understand it. Yes, it's true that some people who get into cycling decide they want to do long rides. But I don't think everybody does, and it always seemed to me that buying the bike you need now, rather than buying a bike that's not optimal now but you might hypothetically need later (or not) is a poor way to go. I commute (about 30 miles a week or so) and ride my bike to do errands and get some exercise. I'm feeling good three months into a car-free lifestyle, and losing weight, but I have neither the endurance nor the interest to tackle really long rides. If that changes in the future, I can always buy a different (or second) bike.
OP, given your description of your riding goals, I'd be inclined to go with a hybrid bike. I have the women's Specialized Vita and it's perfect for the kind of commuting you're describing. Comfortable, not-too-aggressive riding posture, plenty of gears for hills and such, and putting a rack, panniers, fenders, etc. on it was no big deal. Plus, it wasn't that expensive, so I can save money for another bike if I decide I want one later. There's a men's version of this basic bike, but I forget what Specialized calls it.
I'd also highly recommend reading Just Ride, by Grant Peterson (who's apparently been in the bike business forever.) He argues that a lot of the biking technology, best practices, and conventional wisdom out there trickle down from the world of racing, and may not necessarily be good advice if your riding habits have a different goal than racing. I don't agree with everything he says (he's a bit down on cycling as exercise) but reading this book really helped me shift what I was focusing on in my gear choices and riding habits. I may not be fast, and I'm definitely not riding 100 miles in a weekend, but I'm enjoying my bike a lot more.
Let me give credit where credit is due then:
Grant Peterson's Book "Just Ride"
Just Ride by Grant Petersen. Not specifically about bike commuting, but a good read.
Roads Were Not Built For Cars by Carlton Reid. Talks about the history of bicycles and their impetus for developing national road systems.
Effective Cycling by John Forester. Considered controversial by some in the Cycling community. Right or wrong, I think anyone trying to study city cycling should be familiar with his work.
If it's the only thing you do -like a Strava-denizen- then yes:
http://semiprocycling.com/the-dangers-of-long-term-endurance-exercise
http://breakingmuscle.com/cycling/cycling-might-be-bad-for-bone-health
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Ride-Radically-Practical-Riding/dp/0761155589