Little did I know that everybody had the same idea I had and that I wouldn’t find any bikes on my local bike shops. Luckily, I found somebody who was selling a bike on Kijiji that seemed affordable and nice.
It was a Norco FBR 2 from 2014 black and red, similar to a road bike but with a flat bar instead of the drops.
I fell in love with the bike very quickly! It was the lightest bike I ever owned and it almost like brand new! I started using it for commuting to work and to go places around town.
I was enjoying it so much that for the first time I had the feeling of going to different places, and to bike a little further than just to work.
Because I’ve been surrounded by people who cycle I knew that I had to learn some basic bike mechanic skills before I wanted to go further.
What cycling tools should I carry?
Being independent and self-sufficient was very important to me. So, I went to my local bike shop and asked them which tools would make my life easier if I wanted to learn bike mechanics. So I got the most important cycling tools:
- A set of Allen keys
- A pair of inner tubes that fit the size of my tires (you can find that info on your tires)
- A mini pump. The people at my local bike shop also recommended me to get some C02 cartridge and an adapter because sometimes inflating the tires with the mini pump can take a long time.
- A set of tire levers
If you are new to cycling I would recommend you get all these tools! Also, I would recommend you buy a saddle bag to carry them.
So after I bought all these stuff, I got home and I googled “how to change a flat tire” and the first video that came up was this video from the Global Cycling Network “How To Change A Bike Tyre”. It looked fairly easy, but the truth is that it requires some practice.
Feel comfortable on your bike and ride!
My biggest advice if you are starting to cycle is that you really get to know your bike before you go on the longer ride. Take the tires out, change the inner tubes, move things around. If you ever get a flat tire on the road, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Cycling can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, but you can start slowly learning a thing or two. You don’t need to be a pro, you don’t need to have the best bike, you don’t need to go fast and you don’t need to go far! But knowing some bike mechanics made me feel much more confident cycling.
It took me three years after buying my first bike to get more serious into cycling. So if you want to start and don’t know how, I can help you with that!
