Do you own a bike?
As Great Britain’s Bradley Wiggins and Laura Trott pedalled their way to gold in the first week of London 2012, Victoria Pendleton retired with a silver and Sir Chris Hoy celebrated his sixth gold medal in the velodrome this week, thousands of people across the UK have taken to get their hands on their own set of two wheels.
Gumtree.com saw individual searches for Bikes for Sale peak at 30,887 on Tuesday, nearly a 34 per cent rise since the Opening Ceremony.
Bradley Wiggins was the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 99 years, only to snap up Team GB’s second gold medal at the London 2012 Games less than two weeks later. Sir Chris Hoy is Britain’s most successful Olympic cyclist – and the first British competitor to win three gold medals in a single Olympic games since 1908.
Hamish Stone from Gumtree.com said: “The UK has always had a love affair with the bicycle and pride for Great Britain’s new national cycling heroes such as Bradley Wiggins and Sir Chris Hoy is encouraging an increasing number of budding-British cyclists who don’t already own a bike, to get their hands on one.
“When buying a bike, we advise Gumtree.com users to put safety first and pick up a helmet and bike lock at the same time to make sure their cycling experience is a fun and safe one.”
Not only is cycling a fun, social activity it is also a great way to exercise.
Here we have a Guide to Cycling by Caz Nicklin, Cycling Columnist for The Sunday Times and founder of Cyclechic.co.uk, with the help of the Yakult Little Book of Fitness – which can be found at www.yakult.co.uk/fit
Most of us learn to ride a bike as a child but find our hectic schedules as adults prevent us from cycling regularly. So how can you start cycling and stay cycling as part of a healthier lifestyle?
Buying a bike The first step is to get yourself a bike that is comfortable and that you enjoy riding. It’s a great idea to test–ride a few different models rather than just going on the way they look; all good bike shops will accommodate this. Car boot sales or internet auction sites can be a good way to get a second hand bargain but make sure you do your research before you buy. Or alternatively, look into bike hire – this can be relatively inexpensive (from around £7 per day), and is a good alternative if you don’t have storage space for your own bike.
What else do I need? There’s no need to cover yourself head to toe with Lycra. You can cycle in everyday clothes as long as you have ease of movement.
Accessories you will need:
Lock
Helmet
Pump and puncture repair kit
Additional accessories that will be helpful:
Panniers/baskets
Waterproof/reflective wear
Tagged in Health Olympics Victoria Pendleton Lights Cycling fitness tips