Contact Points
Why Contact Points Are So Important When Riding A Bike
The quality of the bike rides that you have every day may actually be the result of what are called contact points. When you think of a bike, and all of its parts, there are certain reasons that it will either be very comfortable, or you may be experiencing one miserable ride after another. Points of contact on a bicycle refer to any part of the bike where there is contact between the rider and the ground. Let's take a look at the two most important points of contact that can make the difference between fantastic rides, or ones that will make you actually want to stop riding your bike, whether you do this off-road or simply ride down the street.
Quality Of Your Tires
The first and most important contact point that connects you with the ground are the wheels that you are riding on. If your tires are not properly inflated, or if you are using the wrong tires for the type of riding that you do, your ride can be exceptionally hard on your body. Of course there are aspects of each bike that provide some form of shock absorption, but your tires really make or break your experience. The better the quality of the tire, and if you are inflating them to the proper PSI, you can have a comfortable ride on the street or riding to the hills.
Contact Points And Your Seat
One other thing that people forget about is the seat that you are sitting on for hours as you ride your bike. Although it is arguable that the handlebars are also important, if you are not sitting on the proper type of seat, or if you are not wearing shorts with padding, especially with racing bikes, you can be absolutely miserable in less than an hour. Make sure that you are using the proper seat for your bike, that it is properly padded, and if you are going to be going 10 or 20 miles every day, padded shorts are absolutely recommended. This connection that you have between your bike and the road can be a good or bad experience depending upon how comfortable you are when you ride.
The quality of the bike rides that you have every day may actually be the result of what are called contact points. When you think of a bike, and all of its parts, there are certain reasons that it will either be very comfortable, or you may be experiencing one miserable ride after another. Points of contact on a bicycle refer to any part of the bike where there is contact between the rider and the ground. Let's take a look at the two most important points of contact that can make the difference between fantastic rides, or ones that will make you actually want to stop riding your bike, whether you do this off-road or simply ride down the street.
Quality Of Your Tires
The first and most important contact point that connects you with the ground are the wheels that you are riding on. If your tires are not properly inflated, or if you are using the wrong tires for the type of riding that you do, your ride can be exceptionally hard on your body. Of course there are aspects of each bike that provide some form of shock absorption, but your tires really make or break your experience. The better the quality of the tire, and if you are inflating them to the proper PSI, you can have a comfortable ride on the street or riding to the hills.
Contact Points And Your Seat
One other thing that people forget about is the seat that you are sitting on for hours as you ride your bike. Although it is arguable that the handlebars are also important, if you are not sitting on the proper type of seat, or if you are not wearing shorts with padding, especially with racing bikes, you can be absolutely miserable in less than an hour. Make sure that you are using the proper seat for your bike, that it is properly padded, and if you are going to be going 10 or 20 miles every day, padded shorts are absolutely recommended. This connection that you have between your bike and the road can be a good or bad experience depending upon how comfortable you are when you ride.