Should You Invest in a New Bike Right Away?

Need a bike?

You’ve been biking for a few weeks, and even though you enjoy it on a regular basis already and are finding the exercise makes you feel really good, you’re not quite sure if it’s time to “become a cyclist” yet.

Remember: these days, a good bike will cost you anywhere from $300 to $600 – it’s certainly not a small investment unless you’ve got plenty of cash on hand. So when do you know it’s the right time to invest in a new bike for yourself? This article will address that question head-on and help you to understand exactly when to take the plunge.

First, you’ll have to ask yourself what your plans are. Have you been able to make a definite commitment yet? Even if you’ve been going out biking for several times in the past few weeks or so, this isn’t a guarantee that you’ll want to keep this habit up for the foreseeable future. So how do you know that you have the dedication to stay on track even when you don’t necessarily feel like going out for a bike ride?

One way to do this is to make sure that you have a written commitment to biking – for example, you might set a goal for yourself that you’d like to achieve. Writing something down is a great way to cement and solidify your goals, so make sure to take advantage of this if you want to keep a new habit you’ve started.

Another way to know whether you want to invest in a new bike is to ask yourself if you feel like investing in other products as well – pads, helmets, gloves – that go along with biking. These items are cheaper and don’t require the same commitment that a bike does. Try buying some of this “ancillary equipment” first and using the old bike you’ve been using already – you’ll have your answer soon.

What if you haven’t been able to use an old or worn down bike and feel like you just want to get started from scratch? You don’t want your bike to be used a few times, only to collect dust the rest of the time you own it.

If you want to know whether to invest in a bike, take a look at some of the old investments you’ve made – whether they be dumbbells or running shoes – and see how you’ve done with them. Have you been able to keep up old habits in the past? If not, and you want to change it, it might be a good idea to make the investment anyway. In fact, buying a new bike will help you feel that you’ve got to make some good use of it and spur you to greater action.

Photo Credits: onesevenone

Originally posted 2009-06-10 05:39:51.

This post involves: ... and focuses on: