When buying a bike for your child, it's important to know whether he'll feel comfortable when riding it. If a bike is too small, he'll feel cramped and perhaps even embarrassed when sitting on it. If it's too large, he might be afraid of losing control of the bike.

Whether installing new cables, taking care of a noisy chain or performing a full bike overhaul, you'll need some lube. Bike lubricants not only keep everything running smoothly, but also help repel the dirt and moisture that can wear out your components.

Schwinn bicycles have attempted to enter the mountain bike market since the late 1980s without much success. The company has gone through multiple ownerships and bankruptcy, and never really put out a solid line of mountain bikes.

While Cannondale has more of a Rolls-Royce reputation among certain cyclists, Trek has Tour de France bragging rights, with nine victories on its models. Lance Armstrong, for example, winner of a record seven consecutive Tours, rides a Trek.

Sizing Cannondales, a range of road bikes known for quality and innovative design, involves standard sizing techniques as well as Cannondale-specific adjustments.

Although they may seem a tad bit scary at first, clipless pedals allow you to ride more efficiently than platform pedals. With clipless pedals, a cleat on the bottom of your shoe attaches to the pedal.

The best bicycle for short ladies depends on desired style and intended purpose. Bicycle shops typically stock sizes small enough for most short people. Bicycle frame top tubes must remain low enough for the woman to stand over while the handlebars remain comfortably within reach.

Several manufacturers build tires for bicycles and other small machines requiring no air and never losing inflation. Air Free, a manufacturer of such tires, guarantees such tires never go flat -- a hollow guarantee as such tires require no air and cannot go flat.

In the United States, helmets designed specifically for bicycling differ from helmets made for skateboarding. Considerably fewer helmets are designed specifically for roller skating or in-line skating.

The recumbent stationary bike is the one that has a backrest with the pedals out in front. The main advantage of using a recumbent bike over the conventional upright model is it places less stress on your lower spine. Recumbent bikes also produce less strain on your arms, wrists and neck.

If you are trying to lose weight and you have a choice of using a treadmill or a stationary bike to exercise, select the treadmill, because you will burn more calories. Walking and running are weight-bearing exercises that engage more muscle mass than non-weight-bearing activities such as cycling.

Bicycles are measured according to their frame size. Bike frame size in turn is defined by the length of the seat tube--the vertical part of the frame that supports the seat and seat post assembly. Choosing a bicycle with the proper fit makes riding more comfortable and you have better control.