Building Mountain Bike Features
How to Choose the Right Bike for You
Picking the right bike involves taking a lot of different factors into consideration if you want to be happy with your purchase. There is nothing worse than clunking down some hard earned coin, only to find you can’t stand the bike you bought. If you buy a bike that isn’t right for you, it’s going to discourage you from riding it and sour you on the sport in general.
The last thing you want is a bike gathering dust in your garage or parting with it for a fraction of what you spent just to be done with it. That is why you need to map out your needs carefully before you rush off to the bike shop. Without fully knowing yourself, your riding needs and your preferences, you could buy something that seems like a great deal or looks cool but in the end wasn’t the right bike for you.
Here are the factors you must consider when picking out a bike:
Bike’s Main Function: The most important thing you need to know is what you’re going to be using your bike for. There are different categories of bikes that are built specifically for certain activities. Here are the main ones and some of their uses:
Road Bikes: These are most commonly used by professional and amateur racers, people riding long distances or those looking to stay in shape by riding.
Mountain Bikes: Made for a variety of off road purposes, these bikes are more durable and can withstand the uneven ground and everything nature is going to throw your way.
Hybrid Bikes: A mix of the above two, hybrid bikes are generally more comfortable to ride than road bikes and have the tyre size and strength to put in some work off road too. These are perfect for the city, riding path or the well-worn trail.
Cruisers: These bikes are all about comfort and as long as you’re in no rush to get where you’re going, these are perfect.
BMX Bikes: These bikes are meant for the adrenaline fueled racer, vert ramp rider and bmx park trick junkie.
Specialty Bikes: For those who want to break from the mainstream, there is a wide variety of bikes out there in unique set ups. These include but are not limited to hand driven bikes, recumbents, tandems and (even through they don’t technically count as bicycles) trikes and unicycles.
Terrain: Where you are going to be riding your bike has a large effect on your choice. Combined with the main use of your bike, this will be a big deciding factor in the type of bike you get.
Experience Level: A person hoping on their first road bike doesn’t need the same kind of bike that Lance Armstrong needs, no matter what the bike companies want you to think. Study up on your bike category, talk to other bike owners, check out bike forums and see what is needed for a beginner and what is just being added on for flash, marketing or profit margins.
Age: The right bike for you will depend a lot on your age. Kids obviously need smaller bikes that are more focused on safety and stability than a teenager. Likewise, as you get older you may find that bikes with more comfortable riding positions, better suspensions and more options fit your lifestyle a lot better.
Size: A bike should fit your body and frame as well as it can. Some of the best bikes in the world are custom made depending on your dimensions, like a finely tailored suit. Many companies make multiple sizes of their bikes or in different frame geometries to accommodate various riders.
Sex: Many companies make different models for men and women because our bodies are different, which effects the biomechanics of how we ride. The more finely tuned a bike is for your body the more comfortable you will be and the more you will enjoy riding it.
Style: Bicycling is a very diverse sport and there are countless categories of bikes and riding styles. If you’re planning on doing a very particular kind of riding then you’re going to need a bike built specifically for that discipline. Take mountain bikes for example; that category includes bikes for styles like down hill racing, free riding, all mountain, street/park, dirt jumping, trail riding and trials. While many bikes can be used for several categories, if you’re into a certain style, you’re going to want a bike that addresses the needs of that particular discipline.
Personal Preferences: It’s not scientific, but you’re going to want a bike that looks good, you’re proud to own and so on. You might also want to add specific features and accessories.
Brand: A brand name isn’t everything; there has been bad bikes build by the biggest names in the biking industry. However, before you invest in a bike, you’re going to want to look into the company behind it. Do some research and find out (from someone other than the salesman) the company’s reputation for quality, their warranty policies, the availability of tech support and so on. You also want to find out about the technology and materials the company uses to produce your bike. If you’re after a lightweight carbon fiber road race bike, you may want to pass on an old school Italian bike company that believes steel is the best. Also look into how long the company has been making bikes in your chosen style of riding. Were they one of the first companies out there making bikes for down hill racing or have they been a BMX company for twenty years and are just now trying their hand at a new market?
Budget: Bikes can range from affordable and functional to super expensive and custom made. No matter your budget there is a bike out there for you, just look around and balance your biking wish list versus your bank account’s realities.
As you can see, bikes come in as many variations as colors in the Home Depot paint department. Picking the right one for you is not an easy decision, but if you are honest with yourself about what it is you’re after, what you’re going to be doing with the bike and what you really need then you will be a lot closer to finding that perfect ride.
About the Author
Starting the process of building a mountain bike from Frame up.
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