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Choosing the Right Bike for the 'Burbs
Author: Cycling Deal Date Posted:15 July 2016
Choosing the right bike for the suburbs will help you to get the most out of your cycling experience, whether it’s for pleasure or transport or both. In the end, the type of riding you do and the features of the area where you live will dictate which type of bike is best for you. So why are you riding, and where?
Recreational and Leisure Riding
Leisure riding refers to the occasional jaunt for fitness when you head out to enjoy a park, the seaside, or a new town. For example, it could be a Sunday afternoon ride with the kids, grandkids or friends in the city, park or bike track. These rides are usually short, infrequent, on flat or easy terrain and speed is not a factor. Because of the minimum requirement for such rides, any type of bike could work, even older ‘fixie’ bikes with no gears.
Road Riding
This cycling is usually done on superior surfaces such as pavement or bitumen. It may include commuting to work, getting to and from the shops, taking the kids to school, or getting regular exercise. Or you may even want to step it up a notch and enter a triathlon, join a charity ride, or a bike club. The best options here are a road bike or a hybrid. Good gears are essential for longer rides with hills, but you’ll only need five to eight gears around your suburb or in the city.
Riding for Adventure
Depending on the suburb you live in, you may well be close to forest, rugged parkland, or specially made bike trails. For milder terrains, a hybrid will do the job, but if you want to get really adventurous only a mountain bike will do. You may need to do off road riding to get to work, the shop or the local school depending on where you live or what route you plan to take. However, most off-road cyclists are usually out there to enjoy the wild and backwoods areas and the cycling challenges it offers.
Usually, a specific off-roader, a mountain bike or hybrid bicycle needs to be used on these surfaces. Alternatively, maybe you want to fly over jumps and do tricks with your bike – in that case, you’ll need a good BMX and some serious safety gear!
Long Commutes and Racing
If you have a very long daily commute, like to take lengthy rides for fun or exercise, or are considering entering races or charity rides you need a different kind of bicycle that’s built for speed and performance. Road bikes give you the aerodynamics and efficient speed you need to keep going over long distances or outstrip your competitors. If you’re commuting a long distance where traffic will be an issue, consider a flat bar road bike. This will give you all the advantages of a road bike in terms of speed and easy pedalling, but with an upright sitting position to better keep an eye on surrounding cars.
If you need help finding the right bike for you, contact us or come and visit our store. When you’re ready to buy, Cycling Deal offers great prices online and will deliver to your door around Australia.
