BIKE CHOOSER

FIND YOUR IDEAL BIKE

There are so many kinds of bike, it can be hard to know which to buy. Let us guide you through all the options

CHOICE IS A good thing, but it can also be bewildering. Take the range of bikes available from your local bike shop. From mountain bikes to hybrids to BMX and a whole lot more besides. How do you choose which is right for you?

It really comes down to what you plan to use the bike for. A single-speed bike may look good outside a trendy café, but it won’t look so cool being pushed up a steep hill. And while a BMX will fit in at the local skate park it won’t be practical if your job is a several miles from home.

Over the next few pages we’ll talk you through the many different styles of bike to find the one that suits you best.

WHY A ROAD BIKE?

“I just tried a road bike for the first time. It takes a bit of getting used to at first but now I love it! The bike feels light and fast on the road and the disc brakes are brilliant. Cycling on a road bike is a great way to keep fit.” Hannah Thomson Age: 20 Press office placement student

ROAD BIKE

What is it?

A road bike or racing bike comes with drop handlebars and skinny wheels and tyres. It’s built for speed on tarmac rather than dealing with rough surfaces.

These days road bikes come in a variety of flavours. Some are made to offer comfort as well as speed with more upright riding positions, while some have mounting points for mudguards and racks to carry bags. Others are designed for racing and competitive riding, with fewer concessions to practicality.

Most affordable road bikes are made from aluminium, with carbon fibre largely taking over on bikes costing £1500 or more. Steel bikes may not be cutting edge but score points for their retro style, while super-durable titanium frames are a viable alternative to carbon fibre if you’ve got deep pockets.

Why ride one?

Speed is the obvious advantage of choosing a road bike. Their light weight makes them easier to get up to speed or ride uphill than most other kinds of bicycle. Even if you’re not in a hurry, a road bike will help you cover the same journey in the same time for less effort.

Why ride something else?

Because you want to be able to ride on tracks as well as on the road, or would prefer a more upright riding position.

Road bikes are the speedy option

WHY

AN MTB?

“Hitting the trails on my MTB is great. Try it and you’ll be hooked! I’ve got a hardtail which is fun off road but still feels lively on tarmac. I use it for getting from A-to-B as well as messing around in the woods.” Amal Martucci Age: 20 Placement student

MOUNTAIN BIKE

Mountain bikes can tackle any surface

What is it?

Despite the name, a mountain bike isn’t just for riding on mountains. It’s for all kinds of off-road riding.

The choice of mountain bikes (also known as MTBs) can be even more confusing than the variety of road bikes. A few mountain bikes have no suspension, others have front suspension, many have suspension front and rear. Then there’s the amount of suspension travel to consider, and whether to go for 26-inch, 650B or 29-inch wheel sizes.

More extreme riding benefits from having suspension at both ends of the bicycle to take the sting out of rocky tracks, but if you want a bike that’s tough enough to hit the trails but still rides well on the street then a ‘hardtail’ (a bike with front suspension only) is probably a better bet. All three wheel sizes have their supporters, but 650B is rapidly growing in popularity.

Why ride one?

A mountain bike can tackle any terrain. You can muck about on the trails at the weekend then use the same bike to get to work on Monday.

Why ride something else?

If most of your journeys are on tarmac or smooth trails, then riding a mountain bike is a bit like wearing walking boots to go to the corner shop. Other choices will be lighter, and will go faster for the same effort.

FOLDER

A good choice for commuting

What is it?

A bike which folds up for ease of storage or carrying on other forms of transport. No space for a full-sized bike in the flat? A folder will fit in a cupboard or under the stairs. Or maybe you want to save time at either end of a train journey? A folder is ideal for multi-mode commuting.

Folders usually have much smaller wheels than regular bikes, with 16 and 20-inches being the most common sizes. As a rule, the smaller the wheel, the smaller the fold.

You might think that being hinged in the middle would make a folder feel odd or awkward to ride, but with a few exceptions most folders feel surprisingly normal. Folding bike enthusiasts have ridden around the world on their bikes, so there’s little a good folder can’t do.

Why ride one?

Because you want to commute a long distance, sandwiching a journey on public transport with a bike ride at either end. Used this way a folder opens up new possibilities. Journeys which are awkward and inconvenient using public transport alone become quick, easy and healthy with a folder. Or perhaps you are short of storage space. A folder can be stored under the stairs or in the corner of a utility room.

Why ride something else?

If you never intend to take your bike on public transport and you have a shed or garage to store it in then you don’t need a bike which folds away when it’s not being ridden.

TOURER

What is it?

A touring bike is designed for cycling long distances, often with luggage. But that’s not to say that a tourer only makes sense if you are planning to ride from Lands End to John O’Groats.

A tourer will do just about anything a road bike will do, only a bit slower. Designed for durability, stability and comfort rather than speed, a touring bike is just as capable of handling the daily commute as a week-long camping holiday.

Tourers tend to use tried and tested technology, and are often built around steel frames. Mudguards and racks are often included in the price of a new tourer, or at the very least you can expect fittings for both. Most bikes of this kind have drop bars, giving a variety of riding positions for all-day comfort, but some tourers use MTB-style flat handlebars.

Wheels tend to be heavier but more sturdy than those fitted to racing bikes, with tyres designed for puncture resistance and reasonable grip on tarmac as well as bridleways and towpaths.

Why ride one?

Because practicality, durability, comfort and versatility are more important to you than going quickly.

Head off on an adventure you won’t forget

Why ride something else?

You want to ride fast, on or off-road, or are put off by the slightly beardy image.

HYBRID

Hybrids have a comfortable, upright riding position

What is it?

As the name implies, a hybrid is a halfway house between a road bike and a mountain bike.

Like an MTB, hybrids will usually have flat handlebars, giving a more upright position than a road bike and keeping the brake levers in easy reach at all times. Expect larger tyres than you would find on a road bike to better soak up bumps, probably with some tread to make them suited to canal towpaths as well as roads. (Look out for roadsters, too, which are the traditionallooking counterpart to the modern hybrid.)

Hybrids are usually designed with practicality in mind, so mounts for mudguards to offer some protection from wet weather are common. Many will also have mounting points for luggage racks.

Disc brakes sometimes feature on hybrids. These offer strong, consistent braking, and are less affected by rain than rim brakes.

Another technology some hybrids borrow from mountain bikes is suspension. This makes for a more comfortable ride but adds weight and cost.

Why ride one?

You want one bike which can do just about everything reasonably well.

Why ride something else?

Any hybrid is a compromise. Road bikes are better if speed is your thing, while mountain bikes are much tougher if you like to get off the beaten track.

BMX

What is it?

BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross. These are small, super-tough bikes designed for short, sharp races on specially designed tracks, or for tricks and stunts at the skate park.

A BMX is built to withstand jumps, drops and even the odd crash, so whatever punishment you dish out expect the bike to keep coming back for more.

This kind of bike has just one gear, chosen for punchy acceleration from low speeds. Some riders add foot pegs by the wheels to make a greater range of tricks possible.

Why ride one?

Because you’re into BMX, or you’re into the image of BMX. You can have great fun riding at a skate park or a purpose-built BMX track. But make no mistake, these are single-minded machines, at their best when used for their intended purpose.

Why ride something else?

Any number of other kinds of bike are better suited to commuting, riding for fitness or offroading. Having one low gear means your legs will be spinning like crazy to get up to speed on the road, and the low saddle height means a BMX won’t be comfortable for more than a few minutes at a time. Short commutes by BMX are okay, but for longer journeys of more than a mile or two this type of bike really isn’t suitable at all.

Riding a BMX well takes a lot of skill and balance

CYCLOCROSS/ ADVENTURE ROAD

Stay on the road or hit the trail: cyclocross bikes can do both

What is it?

Cyclocross bikes have drop handlebars and are designed for racing off-road. They were around long before the first mountain bike got its tyres dirty.

Many riders adapt cyclocross bikes for everyday use because they’re versatile and can handle mud as well as tarmac. Adventure road bikes are purpose-built for mixed-surface riding.

From a distance a cyclocross bike looks like a racer. Get closer and you notice it has knobbly tyres like a mountain bike. Cyclocross bikes also have different kinds of brakes to road bikes which aren’t clogged with mud so easily. Disc brakes are increasingly popular, offering power and control.

Disc brakes are the norm on ‘adventure road’ or ‘gravel’ bikes. Expect fatter tyres than you’d find on a racing bike, with a tread pattern designed to work on tarmac or off it. They’ll handle rough roads better than a regular road bike.

Why ride one?

Because you want a bike which can be ridden on and off-road without feeling sluggish.

Why ride something else?

Both cyclocross machines and the new breed of adventure road bikes are not as quick on smooth surfaces as a racing bike and not as capable off-road as a mountain bike.

EBIKE

What is it?

An ebike is a bicycle with an electric motor. You get most of the benefits of riding a bike but with less huffing and puffing on the hills.

Legally an ebike is limited to 250 watts of assistance, but believe us, that’s plenty. Steep climbs are easy on an ebike.

Lots of ebikes look like hybrids, but there are also mountain bikes and road machines with the benefit of battery power.

Why ride one?

You want to ride to work or college without breaking a sweat.

Why ride something else?

Because ebikes are quite expensive. Mail order machines cost around £600 or more. Expect to pay £1000-£3000 for an ebike from brands such as BH Emotion, Raleigh, and Wisper.

Ebikes make cycling easier, wherever you choose to ride