Choosing the Right Bike

If you have made up your mind that it is time to get yourself a new bike, there are a number of considerations you'll want to take into account before making any final buying decisions. The most fundamental and most important question to consider is what kind of bike rides to you plan to take the most? Do you plan to do nothing but off-road mountain biking, or do you plan to stick to longer distance road rides? Perhaps you don't plan to be exclusive and would like to do a little of both kinds of riding? You should also think about how long your typical rides might be. Do you plan on long excursions or just a quick ride around the neighborhood? Regardless of how you answered those questions, rest assured there is a bike out there that is perfectly suited for what you have in mind. If you answered "yes" to all the questions above... you'll either need to make some compromises or take into consideration buying more than just one bicycle.

The first type of bike class we'll look at is mountain bikes. While suspension systems on mountain bikes used to be limited to only the very high end, front suspension at least is now pretty much standard fare on all mountain bikes. The main benefit of having front suspension is that a lot of the vibration that would otherwise come up through the front wheel, forks and handle bars into your arms is now absorbed. For people who plan to get a bit more serious and hit some very rough terrain, a full suspension mountain bicycle might be what they need. But don't immediately go after a full suspension set up because, just like everything in life, what has some good points to it must also have some drawbacks and this is no different. Having full suspension will require more maintenance on your part and it will also add to the overall weight of your bicycle. This is because you don't lose any energy in the bouncing of the rear wheel. As you can see, just like most things, there are some good things and some bad things, and you simply need to decide what is most important to you and where you are willing to give a little.

Next we'll take a look at bikes made specifically for road riding. If you plan to travel long distances on pavement, a road bike is what you want. The more gears you have, the easier it is to attack various inclines on your ride. Because the components don't need to take as much abuse as those on a mountain bike, they are lighter weight and smaller, contributing to the overall weight reduction and efficiency in riding distances and longer durations.

Regardless of what your style of bicycle riding is, something you should think about when making your purchase is getting some kind of bike rack at the same time. Today's bike racks are remarkably versatile, well made and affordable and can fit just about any vehicle you might drive, whether it be a car, truck or SUV. bike racks allow you to greatly widen your cycling world by making it easy and safe for you to transport your bike to new riding destinations. When you find the right vendor for your final bike purchase, ask them about the various bicycle racks they offer and what might work well for your car, truck or minivan.

See also:
Pickup Truck Bike Racks
Pickup Truck Bike Racks