When the time comes...

When the time comes to take the plunge for the first time, if you need help setting up the gear, there are plenty of guides that will help you do so with ease.

If you're comfortable doing a little prep work before getting started, here are some cool gear checklist that should help you get your bearings.

1) Check your gear balance.

The only thing worse than having the same gear for years is having the same gear for years. There is a good deal of gear balance with most riding styles. Many have it too high and too low for their style. If you're feeling it, then it's time to make some corrections.

To check your gear balance for yourself, simply go to the rider's website or ride store and look at the weight of the gear. For example, a 20-20-20 (30% of your weight) with the chainrings and rear stays down is a fairly low weight. It's not going to give you much difference from the 30% weight that you would get from the same bike at the proper position. With the front end of your bike also being about 30% of your weight, the chainrings and the rear stays would be about 45% of your total weight, and thus you'd have a much better balance.