Five tips to cycle more enjoyable!

Too cold, too wet, too far, too dangerous,..
There are many reasons to leave your bicycle at home.
With these tips you’ll cycle to work daily with a smile!

The beginning of a beautiful friendship.

In case you cycle to work daily, your bicycle has to be a loyal friend. If not, it’s time to let go and find you a new one. Make a list of requirements for your new bicycle. The questions below might help put you in the right direction.

– How far do you cycle?
– How often do you use your bicycle?
– Is the colour & style important to you?
– Do you need to install a bike seat? Which kind of bike seat would be best for your child?
– Where are you going to stall your bicycle?
– What’s your budget?

Before going to a bicycle shop, it might help to talk to your friends & family about your plans & wishes. They might have good recommendations. Pick a bicycle that looks good and makes you sit proudly. If that’s the case we are sure you are going to use it often!

Pump it up!

It might not have anything to do with cycling, but Danzel was right to sing “Don’t you know, Pump it up, You’ve got to Pump it up.” One of the biggest annoyances one can have when cycling is flat tyres. If you have to push really hard to move forward, it’s time to bring your bicycle pump out of the dust.

Tyre-pressure-talk might not be your cup of tea, however when your tyres are inflated correctly, you can easily go 5 km/h faster. – And honestly, we’ll do everything to arrive at work fast and not all sweaty. – Usually the manufacturer mentions the minimum and maximum pressure on the sidewall. Unless you cross many cobblestones or plan to cycle the Tour of Flanders on your way to work, you should pump your tyres up to the max recommended pressure.

In the basket!

After a long day of work, you will not like the extra weight of a backpack on your shoulders. Not to mention the sweaty back you’ll get when cycling. A waterproof, easily detachable bicycle bag can help you carry the extra weight. Like we said before, let your bicycle be like a good friend and carry the weight.

Come prepared!

Cycling is the most fun when you are prepared for all scenarios. One rainy hour can completely wreck your good mood for the rest of the day. At least when you don’t have a rainsuit. Testing our waterproof onesie we immediately noticed how empowering it is to embrace the rain and just keep on cycling. It even makes you grin from ear to ear when you notice it’s actually pretty nice to cycle in the rain when you don’t get wet or cold.

Prepare a small emergency kit that is always in your cycling bags. Here’s a little check list:

  • rainwear
  • bodyglower
  • lights (You can use the Block lights as keychain so you’ll never have to cycle in the dark.)
  • small toolbox to repair a flat tyre

Another good tip is to have gloves and an extra lock with keys in easy reach before stepping out the door.

 

come prepared

Take the long way home!

We often go for the shortest or fastest route. When you cross poorly maintained roads, dangerous junctions and crowded areas, you might enjoy taking the long way home. Maybe you’ll find a route with cool architectural buildings, a calm residential area, a park with chirping birds,.. Delving into your surroundings can help you unwind after a busy day.

Read more