Sit in Saddle and place the ball of your foot over the pedal and the pedals parallel to the ground. A plumb bob dropped from the middle of the knee should go over the center of the pedal. Move the seat forward or back to get the bob over the center of the pedal. If using cleats then move the cleat forward or backward on the shoe to get the bob over the ball of the foot.

Adjust saddle height so that you are able to pedal to the bottom of the stroke with a slight bend to the knee. Without a shoe on your foot, you should be able to straighten your leg to lower your heel and have the foot parallel to the floor. If the saddle is too high you loose efficiency and get a sore bottom. If it is too low you loose efficiency and get sore knees. Put your shoes back on and pedal a few strokes. If your hips rock, your seat is too high. Use a level to get the saddle horizontal, but many men prefer it tilted slightly up in the front while women may like it tilted slightly down in the front. If the nose is tilted down in the front too much you will experience neck and shoulder soreness from constantly pushing yourself back onto the saddle.

Top of stem should be no more than 4 to 6 cm below the highest point of the saddle. If your thighs contact your abdomen then your stem is too low. The more upright you are the less aerodynamic you will be and the slower you will go.

This determines the horizontal distance between the handlebars and the seat. Assume your normal riding position with your hands on the hoods. Drop a plumb from the tip of your nose while you are looking down at a 45-degree angle towards the road surface. The line should pass about 1 inch behind the handlebar.

If you do a long ride and you ache in the neck and shoulder area then your stem extension is too short.

The width of the bar should be equal to the distance between the forward rounded edges of the shoulder joints. Too narrow bars inhibit breathing. Too wide bars decrease aerodynamics. That being said, some riders like wider bars to gain greater leverage while out ot the saddle. Road style bars give the rider a variety of hand positions. Mountain style bars are less aerodynamic than road style bars, but are more practical for urban cycling because the rider sits more upright. On these bars, the distance should be shoulder joint distance on the point on the bar where your hands will be placed.

The angle should create a neutral position for the wrist. For road bars, grip in the drops and on the brake hoods. On straight bars, rest on the bar ends. Neither position should cause extreme bend of the wrist.

For road bikes, place the brake lever tips in line with the bottom of the handlebar drops. For straight bars place them so that you do not have to over rotate your wrists to use them and your hands are in a natural position.

The helmet is one place where you do not want to skimp. Never buy a helmet second hand because you do not know if it has been in a crash. If a helmet has been in a crash, it may not be effective even if you cannot see any damage. The helmet should be level on your head, not on the back like a hat. Adjust the straps so that the front and rear straps are snug and the buckle is comfortable under your chin. The plastic triangles that join the front and rear straps need to be just under your ears and hang down the same amount on both sides.

Tires: Inspect tire sidewalls for cuts. Make sure tire is seated evenly around the rim. Check the tread carefully for punctures. Flats can be prevented by removing thorns, glass, and gravel before each ride.

Inflate tires to recommended pressure (printed on the side of the tire) before each ride.

Wheels: Check the quick release lever by pulling lever to the open position, lever should require a light push to close. If too easy, tighten skewer nut on opposite side. If too difficult, loosen skewer nut. Check for side-play in hubs by grasping the wheel and moving side to side in the frame. A properly adjusted hub should have no side play when installed. Spin the wheels. Wheels should run straight and round and spin without resistance. If resistance, check for brake pad contact, or over tight hubs. If pedals turn when rear wheel is moving freewheel may need to be lubricated.

Brakes: Check pad placement on rims, pads should contact the rim only, not the tire. Inspect cables for fraying, paying special attention to the pinch bolts and barrel end inside brake levers. Brake levers should not contact handlebar when applied. Check the brake surface on the rims for grooves, cracks and dents. Clean with 3M type nylon pad or 600+ grit emery cloth. Lightly sanding the brake pad with 100/80 grit will take off the glaze and route out any embedded foreign material.

Shift through all the gears. If they don't shift smoothly, cable tension may need adjustment. If the chain comes off, deraileur limit screws need adjustment. If gears skip, check chain for stiff links. Check saddle and handlebar. Apply force from side to side and then push down on bar ends or drop bars and tighten if loose. To check steerer, grasp top tube and lift front wheel slightly. With the other hand, hit the top of the front tire with fist. If you notice vibration then headset needs adjustment. Headset should move freely without side play when adjusted properly.

Road vibration has a tendency to loosen bolts. Check all bolts for tightness.