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When selecting the right bike for you, you need to ask yourself a few important questions first. What do you plan on doing with your bike? Are you a day tripper seeking to travel long road distances, a casual rider wishing to ride for pleasure, or are you seeking adventure, ready to tackle any and all types of terrain?
To begin, the most important thing to remember when selecting a bike is to shop around at local bike stores, not toy stores. Bikes are not toys, and should not be treated as such. You need to be taught safety, gears, equipment, and you need to receive a quality product.
A clerk at a bike store can guide you through different styles of bikes and help suit one to meet your needs. A bike store will also proportionally fit the bike to you, which is vital to ensuring your safety, comfort and fun. Bike shops will also repair and tune your bike and will teach you how to correctly operate and adjust your bike. Perhaps most important is the fact that bikes bought at toy stores sell bikes that are quickly put together on an assembly line, resulting in a one size fits all type of character. At a bike store, you can ensure that the bike is built part by part to meet your specifications.
The following list of bicycles are arranged by how they are intended to be used and the average price range for each selection.
If you plan to ride in sand, dirt and rocks but not rugged trails, a trail bike may be right for you. This bike is also suitable for road riding and are not as expensive as mountain bikes.
They look like mountain bikes, but are less suited for rugged terrain. They are fine for trail riding but won't take the wear and tear a mountain bike can. They are ideal for college students, commuters, recreational, and family driving. Prices start around $200.
If you want enjoy the casual bike ride in comfort, then the obvious selection would be the comfort bike.
These bikes are similar to trail bikes, but have less of a distance between the seat and handlebars and a higher front end. These features allow for upright seating. The bikes also usually feature shock-absorbing seats for seat comfort, wider handlebar stems, softer saddles, and pedals.
These bikes are ideal for recreational, trail and commuter users. Prices start at $200.
If you are looking for adventure, look no further than the mountain bike.
These bikes are designed for rugged terrain, over rocks and logs, but can also be used on the road. Because of the abuse they take, these bikes are made with stronger frames and components, which ups the price. The distinctive feature of the bikes are their fat tires, with traction, to grip the trail. They have flat handlebars, which require leaning flat to ride. The gears are essential on these bikes, as the lower gears enable one to climb hills easier. Some mountain bikes even have shocks above the tires, to absorb rough impact. Prices usually start at $400 for mountain bikes, and can upwards into the thousands.
If you want to really go places on a bike, then consider the road bike. This is the bike you see during the Tour de France. They are built for pavement riding, and are aerodynamic, to enhance speed. These bikes have skinny little tires, which absorb little shock and turned down handlebars, and are usually very light. These bikes are perfect for those who like to go the distance, fast. Prices go upwards of $400.
If you want a little bit of everything, there is the cross bike. These bikes are good for those riders who like to ride more on pavement, but would like to have more control on the road. It is excellent for both dirt trails and the pavement, but is not great at either. The bike can feature either straight or bent handlebars, or upright seats. Prices for these bikes start at $200.
For the casual rider, there is the cruiser, ideal for road cruises or boardwalk riding. These bikes have flat tires and feature upright seats. Instead of gears there are foot pedals. These bikes are great for kids, and start at under $200.
No matter what bike you decide to purchase, it is important to buy a helmet and ride safely.
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