I\’m glad I\’m not in the market for a bicycle. But are you looking to buy a bicycle; and don\’t know where to begin? So many choices are out there; and it\’s easy to become overwhelmed. Cycling books and web sites are chock-full of useful information, such as this.

Consider the amount and type of riding you plan to do: just commuting? Do you aim to do long rides on paved roads; or a lot of off-road riding? Is bicycle racing your ambition?

Incidentally, I wouldn\’t say that price is unimportant. It is important, unless you\’re among the lucky few for whom money is no object. But with that said, I say to buy the best bicycle that your budget can afford.

It\’s over five years since I bought my road bike. It now has more than 20,000 miles on it; and I suppose it\’s inevitable that it will wear out eventually — long may that evil day be delayed!

I trust that I\’ll have a better idea of what to look for when I\’m in the market for a new road bike. Not that I\’m unhappy with my Scott® — quite the contrary — but for a fact I was grabbing blind, as the saying goes. I\’d never ridden a road bike before and trying them out was scary!