Bicycles are a popular mode of transportation worldwide. They are used by everybody, from students who want to save money on their daily vehicle to adults who’d prefer getting a little exercise on the way to work. Sometimes, riding a bike is almost like meditation, allowing you to forget your troubles for a little while and focusing only on the bike’s feel. If you’re on the verge of buying your very first bicycle, however, you should listen to the various Tips to Choose The Right Bike For You.
● Choose the Right Type Based on Your Needs
Regardless of what store you go to, the first decision you’ll have to make is what kind of bike you want. What type of bike you buy makes all the difference: if you’re up in the mountains or on hilly terrain, you’ll want a mountain bike. On the other hand, people using a bike to get around on the city’s streets will wish for a road bike, a bicycle optimized to use flat surfaces like pavement for maximum speed. Whether in an urban city or up in the hill, some of the common types you’ll see are:
1. Mountain bikes: These are the most rugged bikes and are the definitive off-road ones. They often feature special tires grooved to help them find better traction on uneven ground. In most cases, mountain bikes will come at a significantly higher cost than road bikes or cruiser bikes, which are your usual types of leader cycle seen in cities.
2. Road bikes: Road bikes are the preferred choice of bicycle couriers, restaurant delivery men, and other people who need the maximum speed possible while still retaining a sense of safety. Their tires are meant to be ridden on pavement and thus fare very poorly on rugged and uneven terrain.
3. Hybrid bikes: These are a popular cross between mountain bikes and road bikes and combine the latter’s optimization for speed with the former’s ability to handle uneven terrain to a level. Usually a cost-efficient option, hybrid bikes are a good choice for people who plan to use their bike to get around a lot—the preferred choice for commuters who want to get at least a semi-decent model for their price.
4. Cruisers: The least expensive bikes have no speciality and are often just plain kids cycle options. However, their inexpensiveness and reliable performance make them a good choice for first-time bike buyers who aren’t planning to take their bikes up hills.
● Plan Out the Parts You Want
Understanding the anatomy of bicycles isn’t all that difficult. Unless the model is a fancy bicycle coming with custom, pre-built specifications, most bicycles come with a roundup of five central parts. The bike price depends heavily on how good each of these components is. You can also change out any of these when you want to, allowing you complete customizability as an additional benefit. Here are the five main components of a bike:
1. Frame: The frame of the bike is an essential component. The metal chassis that the rest of the parts are mounted on are mostly steel and carbon fibre inexpensive models.
2. Suspension: The bike’s suspension is responsible for making your ride smooth and shock-free. Most commonly defined as hydraulic shocks found in the front and back, more expensive leader cycle models have lighter and more adjustable suspensions.
3. Drivetrain: A drivetrain comes with one to thirty gears, allowing up to 12 in the back and 3 in the front.
4. Brakes: Another vital component of the bike is having perfectly working brakes on your vehicle. Most brakes come in three forms: Coaster hub brakes for lower-end bikes, Rim brakes for the standard, medium-price bike, and lastly, disc brakes for rugged terrain brakes that are heavier but have the best stopping power.
5. Contact points: Contact points include the seat, handlebar, stem, and pedals and are the most easily interchangeable part of the bicycle. On the other hand, it’s usually a good idea to pick a bike with contact points you already like to avoid additional costs.
● Ensure That You Take the Bike For a Test Ride
When visiting the bike store, you might see a bike and feel like it’s the one for you. After talking with the manager, you might find it has the best specs for you too, perfect for whatever type of transportation you’re going to use it for. However, even if everything sounds good on paper, it’s always a good idea to take the bike out for a test run before making the purchase. Not only does this help you detect any flaws in the cycle, but it also helps you get a clear idea of what you want and how certain combinations of suspensions, drivetrains, brakes, and contact points feel.
It’s not always possible to pay the heavy price tag on the bike you want in one go. The pandemic has dramatically increased the prices for these efficient modes of transportation, and several mountain bikes and road bikes were already pretty pricey, to begin with. If you can’t pay the lump sum in one go, you can always take out a Bajaj Finserv EMI Network Card, allowing you to buy a bike worth up to 400,000 INR without any down payment instantly. Additionally, you can take up to 24 months to pay off the EMI Loan!
