By now we all know the importance of exercise and fresh air, especially in the current global situation. While we recognise the need to stay safe, exercise has been proven to help strengthen our immune systems, and in the longer term can promote weight loss, increased fitness, and increased resilience to deadly diseases. All important in the current climate. Whether you’ve been cycling for years or just discovered your love for it, we’ve put together a few reasons to get yourself outside.
Bikes for all the family
With summer on its way, now is the perfect time to get the family out for a gentle bike ride. Whether your kids are old enough for their own bikes or still need to be towed around, there are options available for every age and ability. Child seats offer a great way for you to connect with your children before they’re big enough to ride their own bikes. Choosing between a front or rear seat, your kids will be safe and secure while still getting to enjoy the thrill of bike riding.
Balance bikes offer a great and cheap start to cycling for younger kids, boosting their confidence before committing to pedals. Have a look at the Specialized Hotwalk or the Trek Kickster. For those ready to tackle a bike with stabilisers, both Trek and Specialized offer amazing value-for-money bikes in a whole range of colours.
{:141515, 291054, 214072, 291906}
For older kids you can get bikes with or without suspension, depending on the type of riding they’ll be doing. Bridleway and forest track riding will suit suspension, but if you’re sticking to the lanes it may be overkill. Often built with tough aluminium frames, these bikes are built to withstand the knocks they’ll inevitably sustain as your kids become more confident and hopefully develop a lifelong obsession!
{:183942, 291914, 186544}
Adventure bikes
Although the trail centres may be closed, the bridleways aren't, meaning it's a great time to explore your local area with a rugged adventure bike. Staying off the roads means you won't have to grapple with traffic, you'll be improving your handling skills, and you'll get closer to nature as well. What's not to love? Most gravel/adventure bikes now come with disc brakes for fantastic stopping power, wider tyres than before meaning they truly can tackle almost any terrain and start at similar prices to road bikes. These are the most versatile types of bike you can buy, stick some slick tyres on and they make perfect commuter/winter bikes, or leave the chunky tyres on for some gravel adventures.
{:249913, 291060, 249880}
Bike about town
If you live in an urban area, now is the ideal time to get to know your city by bike. With a wide range of options on urban style bikes, you might find yourself replacing your car journeys to the shops with bike journeys as it’s often quicker and (obviously) more fun than driving. Urban bikes are optimised for pannier rack fittings and have a far more relaxed geometry meaning you don’t necessarily need specialised kit for your ride.
{:291829, 288376, 291828}
Road bikes
There’s nothing quite like a solo ride for helping to clear your head. With this in mind, a road bike would be the perfect companion to your solo rides, allowing for more miles in the saddle with not much more work compared to a hybrid or off-road specific bike. These bikes glide across the tarmac and can be far more affordable than people realise; with constant technology innovation, higher quality technology is trickling down to the more entry-level bikes, such as the Trek Domane, or Specialized Allez, available in both men's and women's frames.
{:252856, 258424}
It’s a difficult period for everyone at the moment, but whether it’s for a solitary pedal or a family affair, getting out into the fresh air is guaranteed to brighten anyone’s mood. Although we can’t go on epic trips or group rides right now, we can use this time to explore the local roads or get the family into the great outdoors and perhaps begin a hobby that will fill us with enjoyment.
