The Beginner’s Guide to Buying and Owning a Bike

by John Wren
The Beginner's Guide to Buying and Owning a Bike

Bicycles are great for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, exercise more, or leisurely explore their city or outdoor trails. If you’re new to the cyclist community, explore our beginner’s guide to buying and owning a bike below!

What To Consider When Buying a Bike

Its Purpose

The first thing to consider when shopping for a new bike is how you’ll use it. Will this bike be your new way to commute to work, or will you use it primarily for leisurely weekend rides? Do you want a capable road bike, or do you need a mountain bike best suited for beginners? Once you decide the basic purpose of your future bike, you’ll narrow down your choices significantly.

Your Budget

Of course, whether you’re shopping for a bike, a car, or a house, you’ll want to plan a budget and stick to it as best you can. Knowing the bike’s functionality will also help you set a budget—if this is your primary transportation, you can invest in a more high-quality model than something you plan to ride just for fun. Also, consider the many essentials and ancillary gear cyclists need when setting the budget.

The Beginner’s Guide to Owning a Bike

Cycling Gear Essentials

Now that you own a bike, you’ll need the cyclist’s essentials. This equipment will keep your bicycle operating smoothly, securely, and comfortably. Some of the essentials every cyclist needs include:

  • Bike lock
  • Lights
  • Helmet
  • Spare tire tube
  • Tire levers
  • Multi-tool

Storage Considerations

Now that you’ve got a bike, you’ll have to figure out where to keep it! If you’ll have to store the bike for months in the winter, you’ll want a storage area or garage that’s spacious enough to keep your bike safe but well out of the way of other items, vehcles, or pathways. There are also plenty of vertical bike storage options, so consider whether bike storage hooks or racks will suit your needs. You just need to find the right fit for your bike and situation.

Bestseller No. 1
Ascher Ultra Bright USB Rechargeable Bike Light Set, Powerful Bicycle Front Headlight and Back Taillight, 4 Light Modes, Easy to Install for Men Women Kids Road Mountain Cycling Black
  • Rechargeable Bike lights: USB rechargeable front and back lights, built in 2000 mAh rechargeable lithium battery for headlight and built in 330 mAh rechargeable lithium battery for taillight
  • Four Light Mode Options: The headlight and taillight feature an one-touch switch with four different lighting modes depending on your preference. Include full brightness, half brightness, slow...
  • Advanced Design: With simple structure and lightweight, our bicycle lights are easy to carry. Rated IPX4 waterproof. The indicator of headlight turns red, when the battery power is too low
  • Easy Installation: The Headlight is equipped with a mounting bracket that can be easily fixed to the handlebar. The silicone mount strap for Headlight and Taillight are designed with four openings...
  • Multifunction: This bike light set is versatile enough for cycling, hiking, camping, or any outdoor activity and can be used as emergency flashlight. This is great for cycling at night or in places...
Bestseller No. 2
ROCKBROS Bike/Bicycle Phone Front Frame Bag, Waterproof, Tube Bag,Cycling Pouch, Bike Accessories for Men Compatible Phone Under 6.5”
  • LARGE SPACE: Bike bag has enough inside room for long rides, holds a lot of stuff like iphone X, battery, energy gel, small tire pump, repair kits, keys, wallet etc. Perfect compatible with cellphones...
  • HIGH SENSITIVE TOUCH SCREEN: The bike phone bag has a high sensitive TPU film window which can helps you use cellphone easily while riding, great way to see your activity while using maps on a ride....
  • HUMANIZATION DESIGN: The bike phone mount bag has many humanization designs. A, The hidden earphone hole allows you answer the phone or enjoy music freely while cycling. B, reflective tapes on both...
  • DURABLE & WATER RESISTANT: The bike top tube bag is made of ultralight and stylish carbon fiber material with sealed double zippers closure, which ensures the water doesn't flow into the bag.The sun...
  • EASY TO INSTALL & QUICK RELEASE: 3 straps are firm enough to hold up on the bike, 1 velcro commuter strap on the front + 1 longer commuter strap on the upper bottom( the long strap can fixed the bag...
Bestseller No. 3
Lamicall Bike Phone Holder, Motorcycle Phone Mount - Motorcycle Handlebar Cell Phone Clamp, Scooter Phone Clip for iPhone 15 Pro Max/Plus, 14 Pro Max, S9, S10 and More 4.7" to 6.8" Smartphones
  • Sturdy and Safe: A special shape of this motorcycle & bike phone holder grips each corner of your phone tightly. It ensures the safety of your cell phone attached to the bike handlebar even on a bumpy...
  • Shockproof Protection: This bicycle accessories - adjustable bike phone mount comes with silicone pads that keep your phone from scratches and vibration. The motorcycle phone mount holds your phone...
  • Wide Compatibility: This universal bike accessories cell phone holder suit for 4.7 to 6.8 inches with thickness up to 0.59“ (15mm, including phone case), like iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16...
  • Adjustable Features: This motorcycle accessories easy to adjust the cellphone to horizontal or vertical screen. It is convenient to answer the phone, play music, GPS positioning during the riding.
  • Easy Installation: One hand operation motorcycle phone mount is easy to install without tool. The extra 4 silicone pads make your phone fit better with handlebar, can add or remove the silicone pad...
Bestseller No. 4
Bike Wheel Lights (2 Pack) - Waterproof LED Bicycle Spoke Lights Safety Tire Lights - Great Gift for Kids Adults - 30 Different Patterns Change - Bike Accessories - Black
  • BRIGHT & SAFETY - Made of 14pcs colorful RGB LED lights. each led can flash 8 colors, Ultra Bright in the night. It can flash 30 different kinds of patterns, each pattern will be changed every 4...
  • INTERESTING PATTERN EFFECT SHOWN DESIGN - controlled by riding speed, as picture shows, the faster you ride, the more complete and beautiful the patterns are! When riding speed reaches 13 mile/h, the...
  • WATERPROOF AND EASY TO INSTALL - IP66 waterproof design. No longer worried about the bike wheel lights will be damaged when riding in rainy days, and it can be used in any weather conditions, but pls...
  • TWO OPERATION MODES (AUTOMATIC LIGHTING, WITH MANUAL SWITCH) - This bike spoke lights are controlled by motion sensor & manual, differs from other bike wheel lights. After the bike spoke lights are...
  • Buy confidently with our Money Back Guarantee - if for any reason you are not satisfied with our product, please contact us, we will provide you with satisfactory service. When the battery was placed...
Bestseller No. 5
LISEN Bike Phone Holder, [2024 Upgrade] Motorcycle Phone Mount, Bicycle Phone Holder, Handlebar Phone Mount, for iPhone Bike Mount, Bike Accessories, Bicycle Accessories for iPhone 4.7-7"Phone, Black
  • [Ultra-Secure] With our uniquely designed bike phone holder mount, whether navigating bumpy roads or high-speed roads, your phone remains securely fastened to the handlebar. Its all-round shape firmly...
  • [Simplest Installation] This bike phone holder handlebar is different from a normal one in the market, which requires multiple layers of silicone and other tools to help with installation. Those tiny...
  • [100% Silicone Protection-Shockproof] This phone holder motorcycle features four non-slip silicone cushions and silicone pad on back, which completely wrap your phone. Even used on motorcycle...
  • [Wide Compatibility for Phones] Universal phone holder for bike in the market is adjustable for 4.7-6.8", thickness up to 15mm (including phone case), but LISEN bike phone holder fits cell phones...
  • [Wide Compatibility for Bike/Motorcycle/Bicycle/Scooter] With good compatibility, this handlebar phone mount can be applied to round-shaped 0.6-1.57" handlebars, so it's not only an excellent bike...
Bestseller No. 6
Bicycle Repair Bag With Tire Pump, Portable Tool Kit for Camping Travel - Patches, Inflator, Maintenance Essentials All in One Safety Kit
  • Limited product inventory, bike tool kit, bike repair kit, bike kit, bike tire repair kit, bicycle tool kit, bicycle repair kit, bike tire patch kit, mountain bike tool kit, bike patch kit, bike tools...
  • Complete Basic Mountian Compact Professional Accessory, Trike Biking, Cycling Trek Road Survival Assembly Fix Multi-tool Mechanic Parches, Supports The Repair In A Harsh Environment And Immediately...
  • Bike Repair Kit With Pump And Bag, Bicycle Tube Repair Patch Tool Kit, All Accessory Better Than Other Similar Products—compared To The Repair Function Or The Quality Of Accessories.
  • You Can Use A Nylon Velcro To Cling Tightly To The Bicycle Stand And Ride With You Wherever You Want, Without Losing It. Increasing Your Safety Is Our Belief In Our Customers.
  • This Product Is Produced For Experience The Most Convenient Bicycle Indoor And Outdoor Tire Repair, Experience And Suggestions Or Problems, We Agree With All Your Views And Fulfill Commitments.
Bestseller No. 7
Schwinn Thrasher Bike Helmet for Adult Men Women Age 14+ with Suggested Fit 58-62cm, Lightweight with Adjustable Side and Chin Strap, No Light, Carbon
  • Lightweight adult bike helmet, ages 14 years and above, suggested head circumference ranging from 58-62cm
  • Full 360° Comfort featuring an adjustable dial fit knob and full-range padding for the perfect custom fit
  • Two microshell layers and full-coverage EPS foam construction provides lightweight durability
  • Easy-adjust dial system for a custom fit, adjustable side straps to fine-tune comfort, detachable visor to reduce glare
  • Complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets for Persons Age 5 and Older

We hope our guide on buying and owning a bike makes it easier for beginners to find their ideal bike and take care of it well. Luckily, there are tons of resources for cyclists, beginners, and veterans, from online forums to cyclist clubs, so if you still have questions, it won’t be hard to find answers!

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