Getting a new or new-to-you bike is exciting. I still drool over bikes, new and used, online even though my actual purchases are rare (my wife may beg to differ on that point). However, you can end up spending way too much money on a bike that doesn’t really do what you need to to…worse, you may end up with a bike that could injure you due to bad fit. This post is to help you find a bike that 1) fits you, 2) doesn’t break the bank, and 3) makes sense for the type of riding you’ll be doing, which will make your rides a lot more enjoyable.
I’ll start in reverse order on the above list. Before you start doing a bunch of searches on bikes (and definitely before setting foot in any store), you should have at least an idea of what kind of riding you’ll be doing this first season. The first thing is to identify where you will be riding primarily. Choose the one or two letters that most accurately describe where you will ride (or want to ride):
A. Singletrack or other natural trails (or no trail). The more rocks, logs, drops, hills, dirt, mud, etc., the better.
B. Maybe some of the stuff above, but mostly gravel or rough paved roads, with probably some smooth pavement mixed in. Hill climbing will happen, whether I like it or not.
C. Mostly in town, and my town has lots of hills and rough road.
D. Mostly in town, for short (under 20 mile) trips, without too many hills or much rough road.
E. Pavement, whether in town or out in the country, and I’ll be doing long rides that will likely involve hill climbing.
If you answered A or A-B, you probably want a mountain bike. You probably knew this already, and don’t need much of my help, so I’m going to skip this one for now.
If you answered B or B-C, you may be in the market for a gravel bike. A gravel bike is basically a road bike that is beefed up to handle the sub-optimal roads and conditions that are pretty common in the Pacific NW. A lot of folks use gravel bikes for year-round commuting in all kinds of weather.
If you answered C or C-D, you might consider a hybrid bike instead of a gravel bike. A hybrid bike is kind of in between a mountain bike and a cruiser, with sort of big tires, a strong but fairly light frame, and flat handlebars. Hybrid bikes are great for all around riding, and are pretty comfortable, so if you’re not sure what kind of riding you’ll be doing, I’d call a hybrid bike a safe choice.
If you answered a solid D, you probably want a cruiser or “town bike”, at least to start with. They tend to be on the heavy side (so not great for hills unless you have awesomely strong legs), but are strong and comfortable. And the good news is they’re typically cheaper than other kinds of bikes.
If you answered E or some combination of C-D-E, you may want a road bike. Road bikes are the general type you see in the Tour De France (except most people can’t afford those exact bikes), with light frames and wheels, drop handlebars, and small tires. Built more for speed and climbing than comfort, you should only consider this type of bike if you’re fairly sure you will be getting into riding. Road bikes can be super spendy, but they don’t have to be expensive to be decent.
There are many other types of bikes out there, but they tend to have very specific purposes, and I’m writing this for folks who are pretty much getting started, so I’ll stick with the basics here.
If you want a good bike but don’t want to drop loads of cash, I will have some tips for you on my next post. Some basics for now: Mountain bikes (good ones) command big bucks, so don’t get one unless you know you’ll be mountain riding. A good gravel bike can be found used for $500-1000. Cruisers can often be bought used (or even new) under $500 for a good one. Hybrid bikes are about like gravel bikes (there truthfully isn’t any difference other than the handlebars and tires which are easily changed out). For used road bikes the cutoff is right around $1000-1200 in the Pacific NW. If you pay less, you might still be getting a good bike but more likely there is a reason the seller is taking less for that bike.
Finally, the most important part: what size frame to buy. Road and gravel bike frames (and some hybrids) are sized in cm. Your optimal size will depend on your height and your inseam, and there are plenty of good websites out there to help you measure yourself and determine your size. I’m 5’7″ with a 30-inch inseam, and optimally I ride a 53 cm frame. But a 52 cm frame or 54 cm frame can be perfect for me, depending on the brand…bikes are like clothes in that each maker tends to build a little big or a little small. This usually isn’t worth stressing about though, because most people can go 1 cm either way from their optimum size without trouble.
Mountain bikes, and increasingly other types of bikes, are going to a S, M, L, XL sizing system. No worries…bike makers are good about posting online the exact measurements of their sizes for each model online, so you can find the size that best fits you if you know your size in cm.
BEFORE you answer that Craigslist ad or walk into that store, at bare minimum you should know the type of bike you want, your frame size, and the maximum amount of money you’re willing to spend on this bike. Once you know these things, happy shopping, and I’ll put some of my hard-learned lessons on the next post.
Bike Newbie 