Biking is a great summertime pleasure. Like all good things, however, doing it correctly requires a fair amount of prep work. Between determining a route, making sure that your bicycle and gear are all up to par and ready and finding the moment to actually get out on the road, it can seem like all your leisure time has been taken up. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Putting in the effort at the beginning of summer to ensure that you’ve got everything in order and ready to ride (pun intended) can leave you, well, ready to ride. Check out these tips from Flow Wall to be sure that you’re prepared for a great summer of cycling:

Have an inventory
At the beginning of the summer, go through your cycling gear and make a list of what you have, what you need and what you need more of. If you’re serious about getting out and doing a considerable amount of cycling this summer, you’ll want some extra tire tubes, patch repair kits, and the like. If, however, you just want to take a ride around a city you could consider Hilton Head bike rentals instead. Either way, you’ll also want to make sure that the gear you do have is still in good condition and safe to ride with. Check to see that your tires still hold the recommended PSI (this can be found in your bike’s user manual and often fluctuates depending on terrain), and that your brakes are functional. Once you’ve conducted an inventory of your cycling gear, repair kits and safety gear, you’re getting much closer to hitting the road.

If you are a beginner, you could perhaps start with an electric bike since riding a regular bike without pedal assist might tire you out much faster than with them. Some e-bikes even include a power switch that allows you to switch the assist from Eco to the turbo, allowing you to ride up a hill without exerting too much energy.

Plan ahead
There are distinct benefits to planning your cycling routes ahead of time. First and foremost, doing so allows you to make clear to your family where you’ll be riding. Beyond the benefit of inspiring them to potentially ride with you, being able to provide a premeditated route to those close to you can be a valuable safety precaution, particularly if you intend to ride somewhere remote. On a less serious note, planning your route ahead also gives you a strong understanding of exactly how much mileage you’re putting in on a given day. A lot of sites, such as MapMyRide, provide free services to do just that. You may be cycling in places with cars so it is important that you are aware of the rules of the road and are not putting yourself and others in danger, as a car vs a bike is not going to turn out okay. Those that have been in accidents with cars when they have been on their bike, may have extensive damage and have checked out the average payout for nerve damage, for example, if they are still feeling the effects. This shows how important it is to plan ahead on your routes.

Allocate Space
As we’ve mentioned before, cycling involves a lot of gear but doesn’t have to completely dominate your garage or storage space. At the beginning of the summer, do yourself a favor and take the time to dedicate some space to just your biking gear. With Flow Wall, you can keep your gear stored away neatly without sacrificing too much of your room. Try using our Vertical Bike Hook to keep your wheels off of the ground. Affix multiple hooks to any of our panel racks and create an impressive display of your family’s bicycles.