Cycle Know-how \ Buy your perfect bike
Choose your ride Y With so many different types of bicycles out there, it can be slightly bewildering choosing the right bike for you. Let us guide you through the options…
our choice of bike will depend on your own tastes, and the kind of the distance and terrain you want to ride. So whether you’re an urban commuter, a lightning quick road racer, an off-road trail blaster, downhill nutter, fixed wheel fanatic, tow-path explorer, or regal roadster, whatever your style of riding, there’s plenty of bikes out there for you!
PHOTO: RUSSELL BURTON
BUDGET Specialized Allez 24 £589.99 SEN SIBLE Giant Defy 1 £999 LUXURY Stork Scenero £1,999.99
Road SPEEDY, LIGHT AND SERIOUSLY FUN, RACE BIKES ARE PERFECT FOR COVERING LONG DISTANCES QUICKLY Light, fast and fashionable, road racing bikes have become the street transport of choice for a generation of riders. A road bike will cover long distances at a cracking pace although the skinny tyres and light wheels that help make them fast can also make them vulnerable to damage from kerbs and potholes. Thieves love them too, so budget for a big chunky lock. For commuting, you’ll need a light, stable backpack as few road bikes have carrying capacity, and you’re probably going to get wet when it rains – Crud Products Roadracer (www.crudproducts.com) mudguards solve that problem for most road bikes. Pros Quick, efficient and fun Cons Can be fragile, light tyres puncture easily and the weather and thieves are against you
EXCELLENT MULTIFUNCTIONAL CHOICE THAT WILL WORK FOR COMMUTING AND LEISURE RIDING Possibly the most practical bike for simply getting from A to B, tourers come with mudguards, racks for panniers (allow for a good set – fully waterproof, roll-top designs are best – and you can easily carry a few days’ groceries) and tougher, fatter tyres than pure road bikes. The category covers a range of bikes including ‘fast road’ or audax bikes – essentially road bikes with room for fatter tyres and mudguards – and cyclo-cross bikes, which usually have mudguard eyes unless they’re high-end models. The riding position is usually less bum-up than on a road bike so vision is better, and tourers are great for weekends away or longer trips if you get a taste for adventure. Pros Tough, lots of load-carrying capacity, still fairly quick Cons Not quite race-bike quick
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PHOTO: ROBERT SMITH
Tourer
BUDGET Specialized Tricross £749.99 SEN SIBLE Dawes Galaxy £1,199.99 LUXURY Van Nicholas Amazon from £1,999.99
ON YOUR BIKE | ISSUE 02
www.onyourbike.org
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6/4/13 12:20 PM