Your cruiser bike is an ideal ride for city streets and rolling bike trails. Deciding whether or not to spring for a seven-speed over a single speed cruiser depends on where you plan to be riding.

Choosing wider tires and stronger wheels helps heavier cyclists have a safer, more comfortable and enjoyable ride. Most bikes, except for high-performance racing bikes designed for thin riders, safely support riders of at least 200 pounds, and many can support riders weighing 300 pounds or more.

Regular maintenance can help ensure that your bicycle has a long life. A properly functioning bicycle also keeps you safer. Pay attention to the small details, such as how you store the bike, to further prolong its mileage.

A hybrid is a specific class of bicycle that combines the features of a road bike and a mountain bike into a commuter-friendly ride suited for a little of both terrains. Hybrids, which can also be called "cross bikes" or "fitness bicycles,"

If you're like most athletes, pre-race anxiety is a fact of life. Despite feeling like you couldn't possibly eat anything, having a good meal before your bike race can mean the difference between riding the best race of your life or running out of steam halfway through.

The Schwinn Air Driver 700 4-in-1 bicycle pump uses an internal switch valve to automatically shift between needle-valve and bike-valve modes.

Move over, road bikes -- hybrid bikes are increasingly taking a starring role in big city commutes. Some key differences in the design and components of the hybrid bike make it more comfortable for casual riders.

Bicycling outdoors is an effective way to include aerobic workouts into your exercise plan and can help prevent the boredom that sometimes sidetracks weight loss efforts. With nearly 20,000 miles of open rail-trails across the United States, you'll find plenty of places to bike.

Essential equipment for a cyclist includes a floor pump in the garage and a road pump clipped to the bicycle frame or carried in a backpack. Bike shops inflate tires using an air compressor with a fitting and pressure gauge like the type found at service stations.

Until the early 1980s, nearly all bikes for adults had 72 spokes total -- 32 on the front wheel and 40 on the rear for English bikes, or 36 on each wheel for other countries. Only very expensive racing wheels used 32 spokes.

Common causes of squeaky bicycle breaks include brake pads that need cleaning, a dirty bike rim brake surface or brake pads that strike the rim evenly across the surface or with the rear part of the brake first. Brakes that are “toed in” are most effective.

In reference to bicycle frames, “alloy” means aluminum alloy, unless the description includes another type of material. Alloys are metals with other elements added to improve properties like strength or stiffness. Alloy frames are a relatively recent introduction to the world of bicycling.