I realised I have to teach this over 70% of my customers so, I might just put it here, there is only one way to start and stop “step-through” bicycle and it the one in the video! Majority f first time cyclist in Ireland will buy undersized bike, just because they don’t know how to correctly start and stop the bike.
The misconception here is that people think they should be able to sit on the saddle as they start the bike and balance themselves with on leg comfortably on the ground, for that the saddle has to be very low and you will most likely buy a bike with small frame just because of this, but anyone who cycles for longer period of time would tell you that riding with saddle that low is very uncomfortable, So you just wasted €500 because you bought a bike based on how does it feel when you sit on it, inside the bike shop. Bike will most likely have short frame so once you get it used to it and learn how to cycle it, you will have the seat post sticking out like a half foot or more(you can see many cyclist like this in Dublin and it looks ridiculous) but most importantly you bought yourself a bike with smaller wheels and that is where the fun stops, there is nothing worst than cycling bike with smaller wheel than you have to, ask anyone to compare mountain bike and racer wheels in the urban cycling, imagine our wheels are even bigger than the ones used on racers.
You have to understand that that starting and stopping of the bike accounts only for about 20% of the cycling time and riding itself is the rest thus it would be bad decision to sacrifice riding comfort because and I quote this notorious sentence “i don’t feel comfortable” and its one I get from every customer I put on the bike in the shop for the first time, again that comes from person that did not cycled the bike yet, he/she is just balancing the bike while sitting on the saddle with just their toes touching the ground on both sides.
My immediate response is “buy you have not cycled it yet!” I understand that it takes some amount of getting out of your comfort zone and it will most likely take a week for most of the people, to get used to all that new experience but as I say you have to make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change and it goes for cycling as well so if you are fed up with your current bike or just want to give cycling chance again, come to us but don’t expect it will be easy, I will get you to cycle the correct size of the bike and not let you give up, by any means necessary, because thats the only way you will have the “AngelCruiser cycling experience”.
It will take lot of patience some getting out you comfort zone and even bit of courage, but trust me, it is worth it and AngelCruiser will most likely be the last brand you ever buy. On the other hand this honest approach might not suit all of customers and I understand, but the ones that go along with it usually become customers for life.
Happy Cycling!
