So, You Want to Buy A New Bicycle

People often ask me two questions about bicycles 1).  "Why on earth do you own six?" Often followed by 2) "I want to but a new bike; what kind should I get?"

The answer to the first question is easy- because we can.  We like being able to have a bicycle for every occasion, we have room for them, we can take care of them, and they don't cost us that much after the initial purchase.  If you know anyone else who really likes riding bicycles chances are that they own more than one as well.  Oh and just so you know, there are no plans to cap the fleet at six.

Anyway, when it comes to what type of bike you should buy that answer comes down to deciding where you plan on riding, how you plan on riding, and what budget you budget will allow.

Long gone are the days when you only had road and mountain bikes to choose from on the American market.  There are countless options out there and it can get a little overwhelming when you walk into your local shop.  So, it's best to have a clear understanding of what you want to do when you ride, what kinds of bikes meet those needs, and (obviously) how much you're willing to spend (or should spend) on said bicycle.

So, first decide what type of riding you want to do.  Do you want to ride casually on the weekends with the family to get ice cream or a sandwich?  Do you want to start commuting regularly by bike?  Do you want to start doing charity rides?  Do you want to start competing in the local crit series?  Do you want to branch out from running marathons to the (apparently) inevitable triathlons?  Do you want to start mountain biking regularly?  Maybe those crazy cyclocross competitions caught your eye.  Or, do you just want to get in shape using a bicycle?

Ok, now that you know what kind of riding you plan on doing, let's look at your options.  For the sake of ease (and since these brands are the most recognizable to Americans) I'll provide examples from Trek, Schwinn, and Giant.

Say you really just want to go for a ride with your kids to the ice cream stand or for an afternoon on the Towpath Trail.  You don't plan on sweating too much, riding in adverse conditions, or going very far.  You want to have fun and be comfortable.  What you want is a leisure bike.  They can be called a number of different things, but basically you're looking at what most people know as "cruisers."

They look like this:

Trek Hybrid

Giant Suede

Women's Schwinn S1

Typically this type of bicycle has a very upright riding postion and wider saddles.  Some are single speed.  Some have some suspension in the seat post or fork or both.  Some come with chain guards and fenders too.  This type of bicycle is good for casual, leisure riding over relatively flat terrain in short distances.

Say you want to carry stuff.  Similar in style to the traditional cruiser are what most people will call commuter, city, or townie bikes.  These have the same riding position, but a few more bells and whistles.  They're designed for those who want to commute in comfort.  They usually come with cargo racks, baskets, fenders, and chain guards.  Some even come with lighting and cupholders.  Others even can have electric hubs. Many are are multispeed.  If you want to haul some stuff  on the bike, you'll be looking at something along these lines:

Trek Allant

Giant Via

Schwinn Cream

Maybe you want something a little peppier.  You want more gear options, a lighter frame, and more sport handling.  You are looking to get in shape on a bike, but you don't want stick with one style of riding all the time.  You want some options and a bike that can do more than one thing.  What you want is what some people call a fitness bike, but is traditionally known as a hybrid.  This style is probably the most varied.  But, in essence they have road frames and straight bars.  Out of the box, most don't have all the added stuff that a city bike does.  But, they are usually outfitted to accept things like fenders, racks, etc.  They are also the most easily modified for things like long distance touring and for long distance commutes and rolling topography because of their lighter weight.  These types of bikes are the most versatile, and (in my opinion) one of the best options for folks who like to jump from the trail to the road, who want to bike commute a little and get in shape.  My Trek FX is this kind of bike, and is still my go to choice for a variety of occasions.  If you only had room for one bike, a hybrid is your best bet.  Here are some examples:

Aforementioned Trek FX, this is the 7.1 model

Giant Dash

Schwinn Sporterra

Up from the hybrids, we start getting into the sport bicycles.  What does that mean?  It means they are made to participate in sport cycling, not for leisure rides.  If leisure riding is what you want, stick with the above options.  If you want sport, the types below are what you are looking for.

The most well known style of sport bicycles are the road bikes.  They are designed for precision handling, speed, and efficiency.  Road bikes are the popular choice for the charity rides (but some hybrids work well too), endurance rides, and racing.  They are light, sleeker, faster, and handle much differently from other bicycles.  This type of bicycle intimidates a lot people with its drop bars and aggressive riding position.  In my opinion, this isn't a beginner's kind of bicycle.  This style of bike is probably the one with the most selection and can range in price from several hundred to several thousand.  Some examples are:

Competition grade: Trek Madone 7

For the weekend warrior types:  Giant Avail

Schwinn's take on the road bike: Fastback

The specialized sibling to the road bike is the Triathlon bike.  They are designed for one thing in mind, going fast.  Unless you are actually doing triathlons, this bike isn't for you.  They are way expensive and thus expensive to maintain.  Unless you are at the competition level, you do not need to buy one of these bikes.


Examples of a Tri Bike:

Trek Speed Concept 9

Giant Trinity

Schwinn doesn't make Tri Bikes ;-)

The other sibling to the road bike is the track bike.  They are designed for riding in a velodrome, that's it.  They don't have brakes and they are fixed gear.  It is the track bikes which spawned the hipster fixie.  Unless you ride in a velodrome, this type of bike is completely unnecessary.

Trek T1

Giant Omnium

Hipster fixie in all its hideous glory

If single track trails, dirt, and trees are more your thing then the mountain bike is what you want.  They have different gearing than a road bike, wider wheels for "knobbier" tires, more weight and a more upright position.   Many have disk brakes.  For some reason, a lot of people use mountain bikes on the road, which I will never understand.  They aren't designed for the pavement, so if you don't want a traditional road bike but you will ride on the road, for the love of Pete, get a hybrid.  You will thank me.  Mountain bikes have just as many subdivisions as road bikes, and they are based on the type of suspension.  Rigids don't have any suspension, hardtails only have suspension in the fork, soft tails only have it in the rear, and fulls, obviously, have it in the fork and rear.  There are many, many subdivisions besides that like downhill bikes, dirt course trick bikes, and fixed gear mountain bikes.  But, basically this is what they look like:

Trek Fuel EX (Full Suspension)

Giant XTC (Hardtail)

Schwinn Frontier (Rigid)

Another  sport bike is the hybrid between the road and mountain bike that is made for dirt riding, the Cross Bike.  They are a little strange because while they are basically a road bike, they are ridden off road (and usually in mud) in cyclocross races.  What is cyclocross?  This is cyclocross.




But, you don't have to race cyclocross to get one of these bikes.  They also make good trail bikes, and my husband uses his as a road bike and as a commuter because it performs a little quicker than a hybrid and can deal with rougher surfaces.  Basically, like a traditional hybrid, the cross bikes can be pretty versatile.  Some examples of a cross bike are:

Trek Cronus

Giant TCX

Whew!  That's generally it on the different kinds of bikes you can get.  Of course, that's not all of them.  There are BMX bikes, cargo bikes, heavy old Dutch bikes, folding bikes, trikes...  But, those are a little more fringe, and not something the average person will be looking to get.  Most shops only carry the kinds I listed.

Ok, now that you've decided on the type of cycling you want to do and the type of bike you need to do it, it's time to think about the budget.  Really think about that vision of yourself riding a bike.  Basically, how often will you be riding in your chosen style?  Are you actually going to start racing (or whatever you want to do) or does that image just look attractive?  Be honest with yourself.  Bicycles can quickly get expensive and it is easy to go for broke when the passion strikes.  But, come on.  Unless you actually do compete, that Madone 7 probably is a little more bike than you need.  Something on the lower end of the scale will do just fine for Pedal to the Point or whatever.  If you have trouble with this sort of decision, take along a clear thinking friend to reign you in at the LBS.  If you are still having trouble deciding, think about that old guy driving the BMW Z4 or the soccer mom with the Land Rover Defender.  Are those cars being used for what they are designed for or as a status symbol?  Don't be that cyclist.

Now that you know how you want to ride, what you want to ride, and how much you want to spend, it's time to go get the bike.  Where does one buy a bicycle?  I could not sleep at night if I said going to Walmart or Target is a good choice.  A lot of times the folks in the back who are putting together that Schwinn have no idea what they are doing.  Please, go to a bike shop, preferably a locally owned and run place where actual cyclists work and they stock the style bicycles you want.  If they don't have what you're looking for, don't let them talk you in to something else.  You want a bike that is not only well made, but assembled correctly.  The local bike shop can also give you pointers on cycling and how to perform basic maintenance on your bike.  The kid at Walmart more than likely still thinks there are only road bikes and mountain bikes out there.

In the end, choosing a bicycle is like choosing a pair of shoes.  Go with what is comfortable for you.  If you want to beat around in boots, awesome.  If tennis are more your thing, that's cool too.  If you want something stylish and practical, there are shoes for that.  If you can afford the Jimmy Choos, go for it.  Just make sure they get worn.  No one can tell you what shoes will work best for you.  Only you can decide.

Cycling is whatever you want it to be.  It doesn't have to be a statement, fast, "epic," expensive or dirty if you don't want it to be.   If you want just a basic bicycle to get you from point A to point B, that is perfectly acceptable and don't let anyone tell you different.  The great thing about bicycles is that there's one for everybody.  

Anyway, the point is the ride itself, not the bicycle.