How to choose a bike - expert opinion

Currently, the popularity of bikes is experiencing another, unprecedented, rise. Both in the cities and in the villages this type of transport becomes the main one; with its help it is often faster to get to the place of study or work than by car. This is especially true of large cities with their numerous traffic jams and a large number of cars during rush hour, as well as rugged countryside, the quality of roads in which leaves much to be desired. In addition, a great advantage of the bike is its beneficial effect on the body - everyday cycling has a positive effect on the respiratory and circulatory system of the body, helps to strengthen the muscular corset and promote weight loss. These, as well as many other reasons, make you think about buying a compact bike, even those people who cannot imagine their own existence without a car and are skeptical about two-wheeled transport. And all that is required of the future rider is to determine the specific features of the bike, as well as to choose the most suitable model, based on its own budget and operating conditions.

content

1. Top manufacturers
2. Types of bicycles. What designs are popular in the market?
3. The main criteria for choosing a bike
4. Choosing a bike for specific tasks
5. Bike selection video

Top manufacturers

Buying a quality bicycle is a very responsible business, requiring a certain level of knowledge and experience. However, the first thing you should pay attention to is the manufacturer of your future bike. The quality of its assembly as a whole and the elements used in particular depends on whose hands the creation is a bicycle, and also how much trouble-free operation will be afterwards. Experienced professionals working in this field for a long time, in one voice advise to give preference to products of the following brands:

1. Gt bicycles

2. Merida

3. Shimano

4. Forward

5. Author

Each of the above-mentioned brands has in its catalogs a great variety of models designed for specific operating conditions, regardless of whether the rider is a teenager, an adult man, or a frail young lady. However, one should not be limited to one catalog information only - there are a great many customer reviews on the Internet who had time to roll in one or another bike and definitely have something to say. Such reviews are both positive and negative, and also indicate the shortcomings of a particular model. Such information is definitely not found in the official booklets of the manufacturer, but very often it is she who carries the maximum benefit for the end customer.

Types of bicycles. What designs are popular in the market?

More recently, the range of bicycles that can be found on the market has been limited to the frame “Stork”, its “ladies'” counterpart, devoid of the upper crossbar, as well as a folding bike with funny little wheels.Since then, nearly three decades have passed, and the number of bicycles on sale has increased tenfold, which played a cruel joke with the buyer, making the choice of a particular model many times more complicated. However, do not despair! Before you give your hard-earned money, you should answer one simple question - “why am I buying a bicycle? In what conditions will I exploit it? ”And as a kind of answer to it, the most common classes can be made, which in one way or another 99% of bicycles are for sale.

Universal bikes (All-round MTB)

This class of bicycles accounts for the largest number of sales. It is not surprising - universal bikes carry their name for a reason. Being a kind of simplified version of the “mountain”, these bikes are equally well suited for operation and in off-road modes, and when pokatushki on a flat asphalt-concrete road. Developed road-shaped protector, wheels with a diameter of 23-25 ​​inches and above, a sensitive and effective braking system, as well as a well-thought-out algorithm for changing gear ratios, including both short-stroke and “long” gears designed for fast driving on the highway - these are the main characteristics of universal models of bikes.

Virtues

• High quality workmanship;

• The large stroke system of shock absorbers and forks in particular - 90-110 millimeters;

• Wide and powerful wheels, equipped with a tenacious tread, having a diameter of 23-25 ​​inches or more;

• Reliable and functional mechanisms that allow you to adjust the speed of movement, point out the braking effort and provide maximum maneuverability in any mode of operation;

• The universal characteristics allowing operation and on moderate impassability, and on a good asphalt covering;

disadvantages

• Hardly "survive" extreme off-road operation;

• The most advanced road models;

City bikes

Compact devices, the frame of which resembles a good old folding bike in a slightly modified form. The main mode of their operation is measured skating in the urban cycle. Landing on such bicycles is almost vertical, the most convenient for a measured and unhurried ride through the streets of the city. The speed controller has similar characteristics - you should not expect a large number of gears, their maximum number does not exceed 6-8. In addition, the distinctive features of urban bikes are mud flaps installed on both wheels, as well as the trunk.

Virtues

• Compact design;

• The presence of the trunk;

• Comfortable fit;

• Simplicity and simplicity in maintenance and care;

• Small own dimensions;

disadvantages

• Not fast;

• Virtually all devices of this class are free from shock absorbers;

• Mediocre brake system;

Mountain bikes

They are denoted by MTB (Mountain Bike) and are positioned as an ideal option for the bike trial and all kinds of off-road driving. Their key features are powerful tread wheels with a diameter of at least 25-27 inches, a shortened frame with pronounced stiffening ribs, and a carriage located relatively high relative to the surface of the earth. Not without a powerful and reliable system of changing gear ratios, as well as an advanced brake system that allows you to stop the bike almost instantly.

Virtues

• High permeability;

• Maximum ustrochivost regardless of the mode of operation and the nature of the route;

• Excellent cushioning qualities due to suspension, equipped with a central fork with a long stroke;

• A large number of algorithms for switching gear ratios (usually 20-22 or more);

• Unpretentious and powerful design;

disadvantages

• High price;

• Active riding involves a special fit, which is not comfortable and ergonomic;

Road or track bikes

Sport in its pure form. Road bikes can be distinguished with the naked eye - their main difference is a thin lightweight frame and a steering wheel bent down. The wheels stand out - less than 29-30 inches in diameter for such bicycles are not installed in principle, and their tread has a minimum thickness and contributes to the development of maximum speed. It is also necessary to have an advanced gear shifting system (up to 30-35 speeds), as well as a powerful braking system that will allow the bike to stop even at high speed.

Virtues

• Minimum weight;

• Functional gearshift system;

• High-quality brake system;

• Big wheels with a low profile of a protector;

• Durable and compact frame;

disadvantages

• Not suitable for use on bad roads and off-road;

• Inconvenient fit;

• High price;

Children's bicycles

Children's bike can also be distinguished with the naked eye. By their appearance, such bikes resemble urban or universal bikes, but their size is 1.5-2 times smaller than usual. Designed such bikes for the smallest riders and are great in order to learn how to ride. Compact wheels are installed on such bicycles, the diameter of which almost never exceeds 15-17 inches, and small extra wheels are included in the delivery package; they are fixed in the rear part of the bicycle and give it additional stability.

Virtues

• A great option for beginner bikers;

• Low price;

• You can customize a baby of any height;

• Simple and robust design, not afraid of careless handling;

disadvantages

• Shaky frame;

• It is impossible to buy "for growth" - after the baby grows up, the bike will remain unclaimed;

The main criteria for choosing a bike

Having decided on a particular bike class, the functional features of which fit your operating conditions in the most optimal way, it's time to consider the key technical characteristics that need to be given the closest attention. As well as the car, the bike also consists of a large number of different elements, each of which directly affects the functional characteristics and the ability to operate the bike in certain conditions.

The frame design and the material from which it is made

1. Frames made of steel are mounted on budget models of bicycles. Their advantages are the minimum price and high strength, and the disadvantages include a lot of weight and a tendency to corrosion;

2. Aluminum is a much lighter and more convenient material to use. The disadvantages of aluminum frames are oxidation, as well as relatively low mechanical strength;

3. Chrome-molybdenum. Frames made of an alloy of chromium and molybdenum. Used in low-cost bicycles and represent a kind of middle ground between steel and aluminum - they are not subject to corrosion and oxidation, and also perfectly withstand the load and have high strength;

4. Lightweight frames - titanium, magnesium, carbon fiber - are a lot of professional models of the higher price range. These frames are extremely durable, tough and durable and at the same time almost weightless. The disadvantage of such frames is one: an extremely high price.

Choose a bike for height and weight

Considering the frame, it is impossible not to mention such an important parameter as its height. The proportions here are quite simple: the higher the rider's height, the greater the height of the bicycle frame. It is measured in a straight line from the carriage of the pedal assembly to the place where the saddle is mounted. There are special formulas for recalculating the height of a person to the length of the frame, but the summary tables have long been compiled and it is easy to find them on the Internet.

Pay attention to the weight of the bike frame. The good old formula - “the harder, the stronger” is practically not used at present: a great variety of bicycles can be found on sale, the frame of which, with its own minimum weight, easily handles dynamic weights up to 180-200 kg in equivalent. It is for this reason that the following figures are a certain reasonable minimum to which you can be guided:

1. Classic city bikes and universal bikes should not weigh more than 15-17 kilograms;

2. Road and track models, whose main task - the development of maximum speed - require a minimum dead weight of the structure. 10-12 kilograms for these bikes - the optimal value;

3. Mountain biking, experiencing serious physical exertion during operation, requires a slightly larger dead weight. The best models are those weighing 14-16 kilograms;

Shock absorber system

The comfort and sensations of the rider depend on the riding process depending on how the depreciation system corresponds to the operating conditions. The main purpose of the shock absorbers, as well as in the car, hiding road irregularities, which have to face during pokatushek. The focus here should be on shock absorbers installed in the front fork of the bike.

1. The most budget are considered classic spring shock absorbers. For driving in the urban cycle there are more than enough of them, and given the low cost of the springs, the vast majority of urban and universal bicycles are equipped with this type of shock absorbers. The disadvantage of this system is identical to automotive springs - over time, the metal gets tired and the springs cease to function;

2. Oil dampers on the basis of their own work are similar to those in cars. The glass of such a shock absorber is filled with special oil, with which the device is operated. More advanced counterparts are gas-oil shock absorbers, which allow adjusting the rigidity of the mechanism's operation and withstanding the weight of the rider up to 100-120 kilograms;

3. Air dampers are considered the softest and most comfortable, however, they are recommended to be used exclusively on smooth roads. Pokatushki on the road can disable them quickly enough. Such shock absorbers are equipped with the most expensive road and track bikes.

Brake system

Any experienced rider will surely say that it's not enough to accelerate quickly, you also need to be able to stop your bike in time. And in this regard, the quality of the brake system plays a crucial role.

1. Pedal brakes are well known to all of us. They activate braking when the rider presses the pedals in the opposite direction, and the stronger the force of pressing - the higher the braking force. Most budget models are equipped with this particular brake system. It is impossible to call it optimal - in some cases such a system is capable of lagging and even slipping;

2. V-shaped brakes. They are a special metal v-shaped caliper clamping the wheel rim with compact pads. They fulfill the tasks assigned to him only in the case when the rim is dry and clean, otherwise the braking efficiency drops dramatically;

3. Disc brakes - unlike v-shaped ones, inhibit the wheel hub itself, which has a positive effect on braking performance and eliminates dependence on external factors;

Transmission system design

Choosing a bike, each of us will certainly prefer the model, which will be equipped with a multi-stage transmission system. With it, you can switch gears and change the force that must be applied to move at a given speed. When choosing a transmission, attention should be paid to the following factors:

Number of gears. If we are talking about urban bikes, gear for which is not a priority, it is quite enough 5-7 speed transmission. And on the contrary, for track and mountain bikes you need a powerful and reliable “box”, carrying in itself 25-30 speeds;

Manufacturer of brake mechanisms and accessories. You should not save money here - preference should be given to Shimano or SRAM quality products. Shimano Deore and Alivio, SRAM X3 and X5 - these are the names of the mechanisms, considered among the riders among the best;

Convenience and ergonomic nuances of the shift knob. The handles of the two main structures, the slip shift (pivot handle) and the lever design, are the most popular. Which of these models to choose - depends only on the preferences of the rider.

Choosing a bike for specific tasks

In order to choose a bike that will become a faithful assistant both in urban and off-road conditions, the characteristics described above will be more than enough. And as a kind of collective image, we can cite several examples that are optimal for specific situations.

Choosing a bike for a teenager

Teenage bikes are a cross between child models and full-fledged bikes for adults. Preference should be given to models on an aluminum or chrome-nickel frame, equipped with wheels with a diameter of 20-24 inches, a V-shaped brake system and a transmission manufactured by Shimano.

Choosing a bike for a man

Bicycles for adult men are best chosen with an eye to the operating conditions, as well as the budget available to the buyer. As the best option for buying, the so-called All-round MTB will surely become, the carrying element of which will be a lightweight aluminum or chrome-nickel frame. The brake system should prefer disc type, the transmission should be of appropriate quality - the Shimano Deore and Alivio models, the SRAM X3 and X5 are among the best.

Choosing a bike for a woman

Currently, the appearance of the so-called "ladies' bicycles is quite different from all other bikes. First of all, the upper crossbar of the frame in such models is either absent or shifted as much as possible downwards. Secondly, bicycles for women have a much lower weight, which directly affects the ease of use. Only relatively high requirements for the type of brake system and transmission remain unchanged - those bicycles that are equipped with exceptionally high-quality mechanisms from well-known manufacturers should be chosen.

And finally, it is necessary to remind once again that the above requirements are universal and suitable for choosing bicycles of any design and type. The latter is chosen solely from the operating conditions and needs of a particular buyer: there is no point in buying a mountain bike for urban use, and the classic road model will be useless on off-road and rough terrain.

In the following articles, our experts tell how to choose a bike for the citysecrets choosing a bike for triathlon and features choice of bike for growth.

Bike selection video

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.