How To Choose Bike
- the skill of bicycle selecting
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Bike users should consider cycling frequency, usage, size, frame, brake and material when choose a bike. Bike Traders should do a bike market research and communicate customer with manufactures.
Brief Introduction
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Are you planning to buy a bike ? This is the right page to find the best solution of selecting a right bicycle.
Being a kind of light, convenient, fast and green transportation, bike is popular in daily life, working and racing.
There are various kind of bike based on different usage, type, material and price. It is hard to find the best bike when you facing so many bicycles.
The page list the factors need to be considered when choose a bicycle. There is solution for both bike traders and bike users.
Photo
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The photo of 'how to choose bike' covers images of several kinds of bikes.
Profile
- Section : Tips
- Key Word : how to choose bike, how to choose a bicycle
- Author : Jasper
- Industry : Bike
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How Bike Traders Choose Bike ?
Different with direct bike user, traders should buy bikes based on the request of most customers. And then communicate the request of customers with manufactures.
Bike Market Research
If you are planning to enter the bike related business, it is necessary to make a bicycle market research. You need to know which kind of bike is needed in your market. The research data should basically covers:
- bike type : city bike, mountain bike, hybrid bikes, etc.
- bike budget : low range, mid range or high end.
- bike user : male, female, adult, kids, student.
- bike size : from 12, 16, 20 to big bike sized at 29.
You can decide your main bike products after receiving above data. This the step before buying bikes from manufactures.
Make Clear Who Is The Main Customer
After making your way in bike business, you should know the main customers you are facing. It is the time to suggest or prepare appropriate bikes for them.
For example, if your bike store is located near a university, then you should prepare mountain bikes, cruise bikes and fixed gear bikes. If your bike store are closed to a big company or factory, you can prepare road or hybrid bikes.
Buy Bike From Manufacture
Being a bike traders, you need to buy large quantity of bikes each year. Buying bikes directly from manufacturers may save you cost.
You are suggested to list several suppliers covering both local and global ones.
The next step is comparing the price and quality of each factory.
The quality of a bike mainly covers frame designing, material of frame, paddle, wheel, brake as well as the handle-bar.
As for price, you cannot believe it, the price of many global bike manufactures offers a better price than local suppliers, even include the international transportation cost.
Communicate with Manufacture Before Next Buying
You can get some feedback after selling bikes to customers. The feedback should be forward to manufactures before next buying.
After the adjustment from manufactures based on your feedback, you can inform the improvement of product to direct users.
How Direct Users Choose Bike ?
More and more people are choosing bike for a more healthy and happier life. Everybody should own a bike for exercising, touring or just cycling for daily commuting.
Some research should be make before buying a bike, because there are so many types of bike in the market.
Main factors are listed as below to help you to buy the best bicycle based on your request.
Cycling Frequency
You should make clear how to use your bike before buying a bike, which affect your choosing of bikes.
If you buy a bike just for a light using, such as take a leisure cycling during weekend, then a entry level or cheap bike is enough.
Most people buy bike for daily commuting between home and office. You are suggested to buy a good quality road bike or hybrid bike.
A high end professional mountain bike or racing bike should be considered if you are buying a bike for competition.
Where To Use The Bike ?
The terrain and place of cycling affect your bike choosing.
A mountain bike with gears and shifters should be choose if you often ride your bikes in mountain areas or on unpaved roads. Mountain bike also good for urban riding, due to stability and for going over curbs. The wide tires and strong frame make your mountain-biking easy and worry-free.
Beginners may find mountain bike handlebars and controls is easy to be used.
If you use you bike on paved roads in good condition, then you should have a road or racing bike, which offers narrow tire to make you move very fast. Features aerodynamic position and hight speed, road and racing bike is not very comfortable to be used for commuting because of smaller, light parts built for speed.
Fixed gear bikes(FGB, Fixie) or city bike is a good choice when you use it in campus or on flat streets of city. FGB is light, simple and less-expensive.
The rear cog is connected directly to the rear wheel, which allow no possibility of coasting. You have to keep peddling while the Fixie moving. It needs some time to get used to it. So most people choosed city bike instead of FGB.
Foldable bicycle is the best choice if you often put it in trunk for a camping, or your room is small. I am sure it is the only bike can be pushed into the trunk of a car, oh except kids bike.
With limited gearing and smaller wheels, folding bikes are used for short trips on paved roads.
Touring bike is suggested if you ride your bike for long distance trip or carry luggage on the frame. This kind of bike can be used in most type of roads and it is reliable and easy to be used.
If your house is not far from seaside or sightseeing attractions, you are suggested to have a cruising bike. This is the best option when you cycling along beach and sit upright to enjoy the sightseeing. With large seats and high handlebar, Cruising bike is designed for comfortable riding. So many people in city also love this kind of leisure bike.
Traditional Bike or low range bike is good choice if you just want to have a biking experience.
With classy styling, simple structure and lower price, traditional bike offers comfortable riding. Many people choose traditional bikes for city or suburb cycling, or even a long distance trip.
Hybrid bike is suggested if you use bike for commuting more than 10 km or there is steep slop. Equipped with caliper hand brakes, most hybrid bikes have thicker wheels and wider seat. It combines elements of both road bike and mountain bike. Part of hybrid bikes covers suspension to offer a more comfortable riding.
Traditional bikes with single speed and coaster brakes (pedal backward to brake) are also available for this usage.
More and more people are using Electric bike for commuting, because this kind of bikes offers pedaling assistance to make the riding more easy and efficiency. Most Electric bikes are used on paved roads.
Who Use The Bike ?
The bikes listed above are mainly designed for adult. Some of them are designed in different shape or color based on gender. Male users prefer to use a bigger sized bike in cool color. Female users are suggested to use a smaller size bike in warm color.
If you are buying bike for child, kids bike should be considered first. The small wheel and short frame are friendly to child.
BMX bikes is favored by some kids of more than 10 years old. They can play some tricks with this kind of BMX bikes. Equipped with one gear and a rear brake, BMX bikes are created to be extremely stiff and lightweight.
Recumbent bikes are designed for elders. It offers the most relaxed position while cycling.
If you are a owner of small vendor. I am sure you need to transfer some goods with your bike. Cargo bikes with basket and platform are designed for you. Actually this kind of cargo bike are used by many people because of its practicality.
Racing bike, Time Trial bikes or Competition bike should be bought if you are cycling racer. The harder gears, stiffer frames and low wind resistance help you to get a better ranking.
Choose Bike Size
Bike size covers both frame size and wheel size.
Choosing the right size is one of the most important steps.
There are several standards when you try a bike:
- You hands can comfortably reach the handlebar;
- There is no pressure or stretch on your neck and back when you try a short riding;
- The saddle is not too high or too low for stand-over;
The frame size is decided by three elements: your height, leg length, and arm length.
Popular size of bike covers S, M, L, XL and XXL.
Most manufacture provides bike size calculator, size charts or specific data to list frame size based on height, which help you to decide the right bike size.
You are suggested to choose the bike based on your arm length if your are between two size, because the saddle of bike is adjustable.
Wheel size can be choose as you wish, unless you are very tall or short. You are suggested to choose wheel size based on a short cycling.
The keyword of choosing bike size is 'FIT'. You can have the best riding experience after choosing a right size for yourself. The critical standard of size choosing is comfort.
Material of Bike Frame
This is another important factor to be considered when you choose a bike.
Being the soul of a bike, frame is important when we choose a bike.
Everybody need light, strong and rigid frame. Lightweight is helpful to ride fast; strong frame won't break or bend; rigid offers better riding feeling.
Aluminum alloy, carbon fiber, titanium alloy and alloy steel are good material for the frame of a bike.
Steel: Steel is the main material of traditional bike frame. Modern alloy steels performs well in rigidity, elasticity, transmission and stability.
Being relatively cheap, bike of steel frames is heavy.
Aluminum alloy: Being the first choice of normal city bikes in the present market, bike based on aluminum alloy frame features light weight, low deform possibility and preservative ability. Performing well in rigid, this kind of frame offers sensitive riding, transmit all vibrations of the road to rider, which reduced the comfort in riding.
Carbon fiber: Carbon fiber frame offers good elasticity, stability and comfort in long distance riding. The price of this kind bike is very high, while the average life is short. It is not a good idea to choose carbon fiber for ordinary rider, unless you have enough budget.
Titanium alloy: Combines the characters of both aluminum alloy and carbon fiber, frame made in titanium alloy works very well in rigidity and lightness. It is almost impossible to paint the frame made in Titanium alloy because of the jumping coefficient of expansion. Fortunately, titanium alloy is not easy to corroded or oxidized. But this kind of frame is not suggested for beginners, because of the high price as well as the special request in repairing and maintenance.
Choose Bike By Gearing
Bike with gears and shifters make it easy to cycling on steep slope or help you to keep a high speed while you do not need to paddle so fast.
You are suggested to buy a bike with gears, unless you only use this bike within short distance in downtown and the road is flat.
Gears makes the bike more expensive, but it worth the money.
Choose Bike According to Brake Type
Rim brake and Disc brake are both available in the market.
Being the traditional brake type, rim brakes stop the bike by squeezing the brake pads against the sides of the wheel rims. This kind of brake was popular because of lower price and easy maintenance.
Disc brake is welcomed because of its excellent braking efficiency, although it leads to a higher price. You are suggested to choose a bike with disc brake.
Select a Bike According to Price
You have to consider the budget when buy a bike.
The low range bike cost 50USD to 299USD. With metal frame, it is not good for intense riding, but still can be used for commuting, moving you between home and office.
The mid-range bike is usually composed of Aluminum alloy frame with better quality wheel, chains and pedals. With a price ranges from 300USD to 999USD, mid-range bike is more reliable for daily use or even a long distance ridding.
Cost $1000 to $3000, the deluxe bike is made of lightest metals, such as carbon and titanium. It can be used in competition, sure, you can use it for a cool commuting.
A good bike is expensive; but not all bikes with high price are good bikes.
The performance is mainly affected by material, designing and brake. Disc brake is the first choice, it can stop the bike within the shortest distance, which save you from danger or injury.
As for material and design, you should take a overall view at this, instead of just buy an expensive one. Most Carbon bikes are very expensive, but some well-designed steel bike performs better than a poor designed carbon bikes.
You should set a budget in your mind and then look for a bike with the best performance, oh sure, within your budget.
Tips
Mountain bikes and city bikes are often bought for use as general-purpose bikes because they are comfortable and easy to ride.
Mudguards is useful when you have to ride on wet roads.
You are suggested to buy a assembled bike, unless you are good at assembling by yourself.
It is not a bad idea to visit a local bike shop, talk with an experienced bike seller and try some bikes suggested to you.