There are lots of reasons to choose a bicycle as your primary means of transportation. Many of these reasons are not at all related with how you like to travel. Lots of people go cycling as a form of exercise. Some choose to cycle because they are in competitions with cycling. And some people decide that they want to take up cycling as a hobby with their family and friends. Regardless of why you are taking up cycling, you are going to have to consider a variety of things when choosing the bicycle that is a perfect fit for you. Here are some hints to help you make your choice.
The basic key to choosing a bicycle is to buy a bicycle that you can sit on and rest your feet flat on the floor so that you can stop yourself. There are certain professionals, though, who disagree with this concept. They say that it is better to give yourself a few inches between your feet and the ground to create a more comfortable cycling experience. You will likely find that the seat will rest too near the crossbar, if, when you sit on the seat, your knees are bent with your feet flat on the ground, which is an indication that the seat needs to be raised. If this is happening, when you start to pedal the bike then your knees are informative post going to come up too high.
For road bikes take away 9 inches from the total of your inseam. This is due to the type of tires you will be using for a road bike. Designed to work best on concrete pavements, road bikes are best suited to cycling around the city. With a mountain bike you will need to take away around one foot from the inseam. Again this is to account for the type of tires you will be using. They are thicker and meant for a rockier terrain. Mountain bikes can travel on city pavement but that is not what they are designed to do.
You also want to make sure you leave some room between you and the crossbar of your bike. When you choose your bike, adjust the seat up a few inches from the crossbar and then sit on the bike. Make sure you can place both feet on the ground if need be. Each type of bike will require differing clearance amounts. If you are buying a touring bike, for example, you only need an inch or so of clearance. For mountain bikes you will require somewhere around 3 inches.
How well you fit physically with your bike is what is most important. That is the primary goal of anyone who chooses cycling as their primary form of transportation. Comfort and safety are both very important.