BICYCLE TYPES: HOW TO PICK THE BEST BIKE FOR YOU

When trying to decide on the best type of bike, think about these questions:

1. Who do you ride with? 
2. What do they ride? 
3. What have you had in the past that you liked? 
4. What have you had in the past that you disliked? 
5. What would you like to do with your new bike? 

If you are buying a bike to ride with a group of friends, buy something similar to what they ride. You will not be able to keep up with road bikes if you are on a mountain bike or cruiser. And a road bike cannot go on the dirt or the sand.

If you enjoyed a three speed as a child, you may find this a fun bike again. If you disliked the road bike you bought a few years ago, perhaps a mountain bike would be better.

Road bicycles are designed to be ridden fast on smooth pavement. They have smooth, skinny tires and "drop" handlebars, and can be used for on-road racing. They are usually lighter than other types of bicycles. They can be ridden on paved trails, but most people find them uncomfortable and unstable on unpaved trails. Most road bikes are not capable of carrying heavy loads.





Mountain Bicycles are design for riding rough off-road trails. They have flat or upright handlebars, and a very low gear range for pedaling up steep trails. Most mountain bikes have some type of shock absorbers or suspension. Mountain bikes with front suspension only are called hardtails; mountain bikes with both front and rear suspension are called full-suspension bikes or duallies. Mountain bikes with no suspension are called rigid. Mountain bikes can be outfitted for use as touring or commuting bikes, although they would not be as light or efficient as traditional touring or commuting bikes.





The term "city bike" doesn't really refer to a specific category of bikes; it's more of a general descriptive term. They might also be called "commuter" or "urban" bikes, although any of the bikes listed on this page can be used quite well for riding and commuting in a city. However, there is a certain type of bike that most people have in mind when they use the term "city bike." This bike has characteristics of both a hybrid bike and a cruiser bike--usually the upright riding position of a cruiser, but the wheel size of a hybrid bike.

A city bike might also have some or all of these features that make it more amenable to riding in regular clothes, as opposed to cycling-specific clothing:

• Fenders 
• Chain guard 
• Skirt guard on rear wheel 

A city bike might also have an internally-geared rear hub for ease of use and maintenance, and a built-in generator and lights for safety when riding after dark.

These bikes are also sometimes called "Dutch bikes," because of their resemblance to the everyday bikes used in Amsterdam and other bike-friendly European cities.



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