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Some of my friends have asked for my opinion on what to look for when purchasing a bike. I’ll start off by saying that I’m by no means an expert in this field. I only got into a few years ago from my friend Wilmot, and he’s taught me plenty of things about bike maintenance along the way. Plus, searching on Google for “how to buy a bike” yields plenty of decent articles, so, if you’re serious about purchasing a bike, it’s good to get a second opinion, cross-reference, and do all the things you would do as a smart, informed consumer. So, let’s make you an informed consumer, shall we?

Step 1: Why do you want to purchase a bike?

This is probably the most important question you have to ask yourself when beginning research on buying a bike. Do you want to buy a bike for fun? Do you see it as a form of exercise? A way to commute? Do you want to ride casually or seriously? Where do you plan to ride – mountains, roads, both? Bikes fit roughly into three categories:

• Road – think of Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France. These are bikes built to fly on pavement, with narrow tires, light frames, and drop bars to provide the rider with better aerodynamics. Road bikes are great if you’re into long distance rides, commuting, and are a more experienced rider.



• Mountain – if road bikes are Ferrari’s, mountain bikes are the off-road SUVs. These are bikes built to withstand bumps and rocks, with fat tires, heavier, beefier frames, usually with front and rear suspension to cushion off-road biking. Since mountain biking requires more control as you navigate rocky terrain, you’re positioned more upright as you ride. Mountain bikes are excellent if you’re primarily interested in going off-road to cycle; the advantage here is that a mountain bike can push through almost anything, but if you’re on a road, you’ll quickly find yourself going much slower than your road-bike counterparts.



• Hybrid – hybrids are sort of a combination of a road and mountain bike, featuring upright handle-bars, sometimes front shocks (like a mountain bike) and thinner tires (like a road bike). I’m personally not a fan of hybrid bicycles, since I think you can accomplish everything you want to with a road bike (since they’re faster and take less energy to ride) and I personally wouldn’t trust a hybrid bike on an intense mountain bike trail. With that said, they’re always affordable and are a compromise between road/mountain that appeals to many.

Step 2: How much are you willing to pay? Consider these factors…

Once you’ve decided what type of bike you’re interested in purchasing, consider price. In my experience, bikes run anywhere from $100 to $7500, and it’s dependent on what features you’d like and how much of an investment you’re willing to make. Here are some considerations to think about:

• New or used? Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The obvious factor here is price – a used bike, no matter how little it’s been ridden, fetches a cheaper used price than it’s brand new counterpart. Sites like Craigslist and eBay both offer an impressive resale of used bicycles, many in very good condition. I purchased my mountain bike from eBay and have been very pleased with it (including the price) and I have a friend who purchased a bike from Craigslist with no complaints. At the same time, buying online prevents you from having the opportunity to test out the bike yourself, which is very important, since comfort and feel is very important when you buy a bike. If you’re looking to casually cycle or interested in bike maintenance, then purchasing a used bike might be best for you. But, if you’re looking for a long term investment, purchasing a new bike might be your best option. Additionally, many stores will include multi-year maintenance packages, which is great for keeping your bike in good condition.
• Accessories add up quickly – purchasing a bicycle is only the beginning of costs. If you’re serious about mountain or road biking, or even needing to commute on your bike, you’ll find yourself paying for things like a helmet, shoes, athletic clothes, water bottles, bike lights, racks, etc.
• Are you looking for entry level or high-end? - If you’re looking to purchase your first bike, I don’t recommend dumping all your money on a high-end bike. For all you know, you may not like it, you could crash it from inexperience, or find yourself throwing it in your garage to collect dust.

Step 3: Learn some basic features

• Steel vs. Carbon frames – this is most important when buying a road bike. Steel frames are cheaper, but heavier. Carbon frames are lighter and not surprisingly, more expensive. A lighter frame is something you may not think about much when initially doing your research, but you’ll be thankful when you’re dead tired when climbing a hill.
• Suspension – most applicable for mountain bikes, you’ll, at the very least, want front suspension to absorb rocks and bumps as you fly across a trail. Rear suspension adds additional cost, but added comfort which your butt and arms will thank you for. Rear suspension, however, can make it more difficult to climb hills compared to a hard tail (front shock only) bike.
• Clip-in pedals – clipping into pedals can be daunting, but offer several advantages – you have more control (you won’t fall off as easy when you hit a bump because your feet slid off the pedals) and your power is more efficient since you’re applying more power during the full course of a pedal stroke, instead of pumping. Most road and mountain bikes come with this feature. Hybrid bikes usually assume you’ll ride with sneakers.
• Shifting – bicycles can offer anywhere from 1 to 27 gears. Gears are especially important when you climb hills or travel down slopes, allowing you to maximize each pedal stroke. Single track backs are definitely popular in cities like San Francisco and New York, while road and mountain cyclists prefer multi-geared bikes as they confront hills and flat terrain. Hybrid bicycles usually offer 24-27 gears, which is fine for that use.

Step 4: Go for a Test Ride

Unless your buy a bike online, I highly recommend test riding a cycle before you buy one. This is especially important for finding your optimal fit and ride. The size of your bike is very important, so take a look at a size chart like this, found on BikeCyclingReviews.com for assistance on what frame you should be looking for:

When going for a test ride, look for comfort with pedaling, shifting, and turning. If something doesn’t feel right, you might need to get a minor adjustment to the seat height or handlebars to make everything fit correctly. This is especially important for road bikes, as long-rides on the saddle can be quickly fatiguing if proper adjustments are not made. In any event, if you have any questions about the bike or how it functions, a sales associate should be more than willing to help you out. Many bike retailers love cycling and are more than willing to assist you with finding the right bike to fit your needs.

Step 5: Two special tips

These two tips are for readers of my blog who inspired me to write this post.

• Triathlon bikes – triathlon bikes occupy a special niche of the road bike market. Since the bike segment of a triathlon is like a time trial (no group riding), triathlon bikes are optimized for aerodynamic riding. The frame has a high stem to place the rider in an aerodynamic position and the frame is stiffer than a normal road bike. And these bikes are expensive! Like, this one. I’m sure entering the world of triathlons might be best served with a normal road bike, but I could be mistaken.
• Bike racks – so there are two types, roof racks (on top of your car) and trunk racks (on the back of your car). Roof racks are the most expensive but offer you ease of leaving the rack on as long as you want without getting in the way of your trunk, and versatility to store canoes, snowboards, skis, etc on the top of your car. Trunk racks are cheaper and you can take them off your car. I originally told Wysz that Walmart racks might be too crappy, but looking at their selection, I guess it would be okay to get one like this and use it to transport your bike around, occasionally. For more extensive use, I recommend a rack like this from REI.

Well, I hope that was helpful for some of you out there looking for a bike! I’m much more of a fan or road and mountain bikes. I’d much rather pay $1000 for a nice road bike compared to $500 for a hybrid. But that’s just me. If you’re on the fence about anything, just try either and see what you like. If you have any clarifications or questions, feel free to let me know by leaving a comment. It’s always great to get more people into biking :)