Cycling, like any athletic activity, requires a certain tolerance for discomfort. As the saying goes, "No pain, no gain!" But it's important to distinguish between the soreness that comes from normal or extreme exertion and the pain that signals injury.

The bike world is broken up into two basic categories when it comes to drivetrain: multi-gear and single speed bicycles. Single speed bicycles are attached to a freewheel, allowing coasting, or a fixed gear — no coasting — hub, and do not allow you to change gears.

Incorporating physical activity into your regimen significantly increases fat loss. Cardiovascular activities, like walking and riding a bike, are especially effective at burning a relatively large number of calories.

Proper positioning on a bicycle can eliminate almost all of the pain associated with riding. While longer rides will always take some toll on your muscles, riding a bike should not be a painful activity.

Not everybody learns to ride a bicycle on training wheels. And if you are someone who didn't, you might be overwhelmed when looking into making a new bike purchase. If you are a beginner adult looking to purchase a bicycle, you'll want to make sure you end up with the right size bike and a type that fits your needs.

A 2008 article published in the “Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America” journal, recommends weight management exercises, such as bike riding and physical therapy as the first line of treatment for hip osteoarthritis.

Replacing bike pedals is typically an easy task. However, a number of issues can cause one or both pedals to become stuck. If the bike is old, the pedals can become rusted, making them difficult to remove. In other cases the pedals have been put on too tightly.

Bicycles have two types of cranks, cotterless and cottered. Cottered cranks are often found on older bicycles, and you can identify these from the cotter bolts that thread through the top of the crank arm. A cotterless crank has a hex bolt in the center top of the crank arm.

Most stationary bikes have two-sided pedals: one side is a platform with an attached toe clip — or cage — and adjustable strap; the other side has a mechanism that fits a cycling shoe outfitted with an SPD clip.

While indoor training is less appealing than riding outside for most cyclists, it’s a necessity for serious riders who want to train uninterrupted by inclement or seasonal weather.

A 20-minute bike ride to work, as part of your daily exercise routine, gives your body a complete workout. As well as toning muscles in your legs, thighs and calves, you benefit from the cardiovascular activity and effectively burn calories.

A recumbent bike is a cardiovascular machine that gives you a similar workout to a regular exercise bike. The difference is with the way the bike is set up. On a recumbent bike, there is a bucket seat with a backrest. The pedals are out in front of you, so when you operate the machine, you are in a horizontal position.