Everyday cycling, sorted.
Short, specific guides — the gist up top, the depth if you want it. Search for what you need, or filter by the kind of help.
Start here Learning to ride as an adult Never learned as a kid? You can — and I hope it's far gentler than you're braced for. Read the guide → Start here Getting started, with confidence You don't need to be fit, fearless, or fast. Here's how to go from "I haven't ridden in years" to using a bike for real trips — calmly, at your own pace. Read the guide → Start here Your first 30 days back on a bike A gentle, no-pressure plan for turning "I should ride more" into a habit that sticks, one small trip at a time. Read the guide → Start here Is your bike the right size? A bike that fits is comfortable, safe, and easy to ride; one that doesn't will put you off riding. Here's how to check the fit basics yourself. Read the guide → Start here Adaptive cycling — a place to start Cycling is for far more bodies than the standard two-wheeler suggests. A first orientation to the kinds of bikes that open riding up — and how to find the right one. Read the guide → Choosing a bike City bike, hybrid, or e-bike — which one? The real differences between the everyday bike types, and how to pick by the trips you actually make. Read the guide → Choosing a bike How to choose an e-bike The biggest single decision in everyday cycling, and the one that turns hills, loads, and long days from reasons not to ride into non-issues. Here's how to buy one you'll actually keep riding. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Buying a used bike A lightly used quality bike is usually the best value in cycling, and buying one well is a matter of a few checks — the frame, the wear items, the size, and whether it's actually the seller's to sell. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Are folding bikes worth it? A folding bike trades a little weight and ride polish for the power to vanish into a cupboard, under a desk, or onto a rush-hour train. If your real problem is storage or mixing cycling with transit, a folder solves it like almost nothing else. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Dutch-style city bikes in the US The upright, fully fitted everyday bike — long the hardest kind to find in an American shop — is now easy to buy. What makes one, who sells them, and the trade-offs, plainly. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Buying a cargo bike The biggest, most life-changing bike purchase a family or car-light household can make. How to choose the style, and what to insist on before you spend. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Internal gear hub or derailleur? The two ways a bike changes gear, compared — what each is best at, what each asks of you, and which suits everyday, all-weather riding. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Belt drive or chain? The quiet, oil-free alternative to the bike chain, weighed for everyday riding — what a belt does better, what it asks of the frame, and why a well-kept chain is still the right answer for most people. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Single-speed or geared? The choice between one gear and many comes down to your terrain and how much simplicity you want. On the flat a single-speed is a low-fuss joy; add hills, loads, or distance and gears quickly earn their keep. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Disc or rim brakes? The two ways a bike stops, weighed side by side — how each handles wet weather, upkeep, and cost, and which is worth it for everyday riding. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes? Both are disc brakes clamping a rotor at the hub; the difference is whether a cable or a column of fluid carries your grip to the pads. This is how they compare on power, feel, and what they ask of you. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Quick-release or thru-axle? Both hold your wheel in the frame: one with a quick clamping skewer, one with a fat axle that threads right through. Here is how they differ, why disc brakes changed the answer, and how much say you actually get. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Drop bars or flat bars? The two ways to hold a bike, set side by side — hand positions and distance comfort against upright visibility and low-speed control, and which one actually suits an everyday rider. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Steel or aluminum frame? The two metals most everyday bikes are built from, compared — weight, ride feel, rust, dents, repairs — and why the frame material matters less than almost everything else on the bike. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Flat pedals or clipless? The pedal question road cyclists overthink, sorted for everyday riding — what clipping in actually does, why good flat pedals are a fine answer for most trips, and the walkable middle option that gets left out. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Tubes or tubeless tyres? Most bikes roll on an inner tube; more and more can go tubeless, sealing small punctures with liquid inside the tyre. Here is what tubeless really changes, what it asks of you, and whether it is worth the switch for everyday riding. Read the guide → Choosing a bike Suspension or a rigid bike? A front suspension fork soaks up bumps, but it adds weight, cost, and upkeep, and a cheap one can be worse than none. Here is what suspension actually does for everyday riding, and why many commuters are better off rigid with fatter tyres. Read the guide → Gear & kit How to choose a bike helmet A helmet is the cheapest important decision in cycling. Here's how to pick one that fits your head, meets a real standard, and is comfortable enough that it never stays home. Read the guide → Gear & kit How to choose a bike lock A lock is cheap insurance on an expensive bike. Here's how to buy one that actually holds — and how to use it so the bike is still there when you come back. Read the guide → Gear & kit Lights that get you seen The cheapest real safety upgrade you can make. Here's the difference between being seen and seeing, how bright you actually need, and how to never get caught dark. Read the guide → Gear & kit Carrying errands by bike Racks, baskets, bags, and the gear for hauling kids, cargo, and a dog — the difference between a bike that's a toy and one that replaces car trips. Read the guide → Gear & kit Panniers, baskets, and how to carry more Once the bike carries your things, you stop carrying them on your back — and start using the bike for real errands. Here's how to choose what carries what. Read the guide → Gear & kit Panniers or backpack? How you carry your things shapes every ride, whether the load rides on your back or on the bike. For anything heavier than a light day's kit, letting the bike carry it beats sweating under a backpack. Read the guide → Gear & kit Choosing tires (and avoiding flats) The cheapest upgrade to how a bike rides. How to pick tire width, tread, and puncture protection for everyday riding — and the small habits that prevent most flats. Read the guide → Gear & kit Choosing a comfortable saddle A sore seat is one of the fastest ways to talk yourself out of a bike you were starting to love. Here's why comfort comes from fit and support rather than padding, and how to land on a saddle you stop noticing. Read the guide → Gear & kit Rain gear that actually works Staying dry on a bike is less about one expensive jacket and more about the right few pieces. Here's what to buy, and the one trade-off worth understanding. Read the guide → Gear & kit Fitting mudguards Full-length mudguards are what let a commuter ride in ordinary clothes through the wet, and fitting them is a patient afternoon with a hex key. This covers choosing the right pair and setting them up so nothing rubs. Read the guide → Gear & kit Riding clothes that work at work You don't need cycling clothes to commute by bike — you need everyday clothes that move, dry fast, and shrug off drizzle, plus a plan for sweat. Read the guide → Gear & kit Bells, kickstands, and the finishing kit The small, cheap fittings (a bell, a stand that works, fenders, a chainguard) are what turn a bicycle into transport. Dutch bikes ship with all of them. Here's how to finish yours. Read the guide → Gear & kit A bike computer, or your phone on the bars? You can navigate and track rides with a dedicated bike computer or with the phone already in your pocket. Here is how the two compare, and how to mount either one so it stays put and stays glanceable. Read the guide → Gear & kit Choosing a pump The right pump turns a flat tyre into a two-minute job instead of a roadside ordeal. Most riders want two of them: a floor pump at home and a small one that lives on the bike. Here is how to pick both, starting with the valve on your wheel. Read the guide → Gear & kit Carrying bikes on a car When the ride starts somewhere you have to drive to, a rack does the carrying. There are three kinds, they suit different cars and bikes, and e-bikes change the sums. Here is how to choose one and use it safely. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Riding in traffic, calmly The worry that keeps the most people off a bike is cars. Here's how a calm, predictable rider on a sensible route gets treated as traffic, and the handful of habits that do the real work. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Riding in a group Riding with others, on a club run, with friends, or as a family, has its own small set of habits that keep it smooth and safe. Most of them come down to being predictable and sharing what you see, and they tend to come quickly with a little practice. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Taking your bike on the train or bus Pairing a bike with public transport stretches how far you can reasonably go: ride to the station, take the train or bus, ride again at the other end. The main catch is that the rules vary a great deal, so the one dependable step is to check your operator before you count on it. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Riding a loaded bike A bike carrying groceries, panniers, or a child steers, leans, and stops differently from an empty one. The handling is easy to learn, and most of it comes down to where the weight sits and giving yourself more room. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Using your gears well Most people never really learn to use their gears, and grind along in one that's too hard. The trick is small and quickly habit — keep your legs spinning lightly, and shift early rather than late. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Adjusting your gears When shifting turns hesitant, sloppy, or rattly, the cure is often one small barrel-adjuster tweak you can do in a minute without tools. Here is the safe home adjustment, which way to turn it, and where to stop and let a shop take over. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep The maintenance that actually matters You don't need to become a mechanic. A handful of small habits prevents most breakdowns and keeps an everyday bike running well for years. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Cleaning and lubing your chain The chain is the one part that always needs you, and caring for it is the cheapest way to make a bike shift well and last for years. Keep it clean, keep it lightly lubed, and wipe the excess off every time. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep The home bike toolkit You need far fewer tools than the wall of them in a shop suggests. A handful cover almost everything an everyday bike asks of you at home, and you can add the rest one job at a time, if ever. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Adjusting your own brakes Most brake complaints, from a lever that pulls too far to a pad that rubs or a bite gone soft, are quick cable-and-alignment fixes you can do with a hex key. Here is what's safe to adjust at home, and what belongs to a shop. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Washing your bike (without wrecking it) A clean bike lasts longer and rides sweeter, and it takes a bucket, a sponge, and ten minutes. The whole skill is a sensible order of work and two things you must keep away from — high-pressure water and the brakes. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep E-bike battery care and safety An e-bike battery is a big lithium-ion battery, and treated well it stays safe and lasts for years. The rare fires that make the news almost always trace to cheap, uncertified batteries and careless charging, both of which are easy to avoid. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Storing a bike at home A bike doesn't need a garage, just a spot off the floor. Even a small flat has room if you go vertical, and keeping the bike indoors, dry and out of sight, is the cheapest thing you can do to make it last and keep it yours. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep Fix a flat by the roadside A puncture is the one breakdown that strands people — and the one that's easy to fix yourself. Carry three things, learn the steps once, and you're never stuck. Read the guide → Skills & upkeep How to lock your bike (so it's still there) The best lock in the world fails if you use it wrong. This is the two-minute technique that keeps your bike where you left it — a companion to choosing the lock itself. Read the guide → Money What does the car actually cost you? A calculator that fills in none of the numbers for you — because the answer to "would riding be cheaper?" only works built out of your own figures, not somebody's national average. Read the guide → Family Buying a kids' bike The two things that matter most are the ones shops rarely lead with: does it fit the child in front of you today, and is it light enough for them to actually control? This is how you buy a bike a child can ride, stop, and love. Read the guide → Family Carrying kids by bike Front seat, rear seat, trailer, or cargo bike — how to choose the safe, workable way to bring a child along, matched to their age and your riding. Read the guide → Family The school run by bike Doing the school drop-off on two wheels is one of the most freeing switches a family can make. Here's how to set it up so it's calm, safe, and easier than driving. Read the guide → Family What's a bike bus (and how to start one)? A bike bus turns the school run into the best part of a kid's day — a moving group of children riding to school together on a set route. Here's how they work and how to begin. Read the guide → Family Riding with your dog A bike ride with your dog is one of the great shared joys, and there's a safe way to do it whether they ride along in a basket or run beside you. The rules that keep it happy: build it up slowly, never tie the lead to the bike, and always mind the heat. Read the guide → Weather Riding in rain and cold Bad weather stops far more rides than it should. A few cheap additions and small habits keep you riding comfortably through rain, wind, and cold — no special toughness required. Read the guide → Weather Riding through winter Winter ends more cycling habits than it should. With a few adjustments (traction, salt care, and light), the cold months stay perfectly rideable. Read the guide → Weather The all-weather commuter setup The handful of additions that turn a fair-weather bike into one you'll ride to work in any month, assembled from the guides you already have. Read the guide → The joy of riding Facing the things that stop you riding Rain, cold, hills, the dark, traffic, dogs — most of what keeps people off a bike is a fear that shrinks the moment you name it. Pick yours below for a reframe and one small first step. Read the guide → The joy of riding The five-mile vacation No plane, no weekend, not even an hour. A short ride taken for no reason can turn a whole day around. Read the guide → The joy of riding Make friends with the hill The hill you dread is mostly a story you tell yourself. Here's how to take it — in your own time, in the right gear, or with a quiet motor — until it stops being a reason not to go. Read the guide → The joy of riding The bike you have is the right bike You don't need a better bike to start riding more. The one already in your shed, tuned up and set right, is almost certainly enough — here's how to prove it to yourself. Read the guide → The joy of riding Riding when you don't feel like it Motivation is unreliable; habits and small tricks are not. Here's how to get out the door on the days the couch is winning — and why you'll almost always be glad you did. Read the guide → The joy of riding The long way home The fastest route is rarely the best one. In praise of choosing the pleasant way — and what you start to notice when you do. Read the guide → The joy of riding The commute you'd miss Commuting is the part of the day most people wish away. Ridden by bike, it has a quiet way of becoming something you would actually miss, a stretch of time that turns out to be yours. Read the guide → The joy of riding The errand that turned into a ride You went out to post one letter. Forty minutes later you came home the long way, past the river, faintly delighted with yourself. This is the quiet magic trick a bike does to your errands. Read the guide → The joy of riding Winter is not the enemy The cold season has a quiet magic on a bike, if you let it. A gentler case for riding through winter — the practical how-to lives next door. Read the guide → The joy of riding You don't have to be "a cyclist" Everyday riding isn't a sport with a dress code and a minimum speed. Permission to ride slow, in normal clothes, on your own terms — because that counts every bit as much. Read the guide → The joy of riding The quiet joy of arriving by bike The small, underrated pleasures of showing up on two wheels — and why the ordinary errand is secretly the best part of everyday cycling. Read the guide → The joy of riding The bike you keep at the station Rusty, cheap, faithful, and locked to the same rack every day — the station bike is one of the great quiet freedoms of a car-light life. Here's why the humblest bike you own might be the most useful. Read the guide → The joy of riding The bike bell as hello The friendliest instrument in traffic is the one whose whole job is to say "I'm here" instead of "get out of my way" — and it's the cheapest bit of civic warmth you can bolt to a bike. Read the guide → The joy of riding The first ride of spring The first warm ride after a long winter is one of the great small joys — and it is almost always a bit humbling. Soft tires, dry chain, missing legs. None of it matters. Read the guide → The joy of riding Riding at night, for the pleasure of it Everyone tells you night riding is something to endure — the dark commute home, the thing to get through. Turn it around and it becomes one of cycling's quiet joys: empty streets, cool air, and a town gone soft and glowing. Read the guide → The joy of riding Teaching someone to ride Teaching a person to ride a bike is one of the great small gifts, and there's a kinder, faster way to do it than running behind the saddle until you're gasping. The secret is balance first, and a great deal of patience. Read the guide → The joy of riding The bike as thinking space Some of your best thinking happens on a bike. The mix of gentle motion, moving air, and no screen to stare at is unusually good at loosening a stuck problem or a heavy mood — a quiet case for the ride as a place to think. Read the guide → The joy of riding Exploring a new city by bike A bike is the best way there is to learn a new place: fast enough to cover it, slow enough to see it, and free to stop anywhere. Drop the destination, follow your curiosity, and a city full of strangers becomes yours in a few afternoons. Read the guide → The joy of riding Riding with someone you love Riding together is its own small skill, and the thing that makes it lovely is mostly kindness about pace. A few gentle habits that turn a shared ride into the best part of somebody's week. Read the guide →
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The guides above are how you ride. These are how the street itself gets better — a thank-you note, two friendly minutes at a podium, a bike bus. For riders and future riders, never against anyone.
Advocacy How to read your city's bike plan Your city almost certainly has a bike plan — a public document, written with public money, promising better streets. Most residents never open it. Here's how to find yours, read it in one sitting, and understand what it's really saying. Read it → Advocacy The two-minute thank-you Every inbox at city hall is full of complaints. The rarest message in local government — and secretly one of the most powerful — is a resident saying "that thing you built? I love it." Here's the gentle art of the civic thank-you. Read it → Advocacy Two minutes at city hall Public comment is the most direct line a resident has to the people who decide what streets get built — and it takes two minutes, no expertise, and three sentences. Here's how it works, and a script skeleton for whoever you are. Read it →