What Kind of Bike is Best for Your Lifestyle?

If you’re new to the world of cycling, you might be unaware of the sheer amount of bike varieties there are. Bikes can have vastly different purposes, feels, comforts, speeds, and even levels of difficulty to ride.

Depending on what you want to use your bike for, you need to make sure you choose the right type of bike. You can get easily bogged down by the complex bike enthusiast terminology on major biking sites, so we’ve made a much simpler and easier-to-understand guide here. Pick your purpose and learn about the best bike options for your goals!

I Want to Commute by Bike

If you want to use your bike for commuting, you should have a bike that’s ultra comfortable and good for city streets. For the sake of personal fitness and adjusting to your skill level, we’re going to split this up into two different categories.

I want to commute by bike, but I’m not very fast and/or coordinated.

If you want to be as comfortable as possible while riding a bike and you’re not in the best of shape, the easiest bike to ride is a cruiser, also known as a commuter or city bike. This bike is the easiest to balance on and still gets you from place to place with ease. 

This type of bike is distinguished by their:

• High handlebars
• Dip in the middle between the handlebars and the seat
• Wide tires
• Ample space for baskets and storage

The dip in the middle of the frame allows you to get on and off quickly and comfortably. When you’re stopping at an intersection and you want to get off, you just slide forward. 

What you gain in comfort with a cruiser, you sacrifice in speed. A cruiser will never be as fast as a road bike or a mountain bike, no matter how high-end it is. You’ll still have a relatively decent pace, but if speed is important to you, this isn’t the best option.

I want to commute by bike, and I want to go as fast as possible.

If you want to zip around quickly on standard city streets, you’ll need a road bike. What distinguishes road bikes from other bikes is their:

• Lightweight frame
• Thin tires
• Low handlebar

Unlike a cruiser/city bike, this frame has a high horizontal pole between your legs which means you can’t stand between the seat and the handlebars. To stop at a light, you’ll need to balance on something, lean to one side and put your feet down, or swing your legs off entirely. For some people who aren’t confident with their balance or don’t find this comfortable, you might want to opt for a cruiser. For most people, this is not a problem at all.

Also, be aware that road bikes are not good on dirt or gravel paths. They will not be efficient, comfortable, or easy to balance. “Road” is in the name for a reason.

Road bikes, however, are not usually equipped to carry items like your shopping. If you want to carry items on the back of your bike, you’ll need a slightly different type of bike that’s built to support a rack or basket. These bikes are called gravel bikes. A good gravel bike will still be fast (although not as optimal as a road bike) but it’ll be able to act more like a pack mule.

What about E-Bikes?

Of course, E-Bikes are an entirely different ball game. Any bike with a built-in motor is going to be much faster and much easier, obviously. Good E-Bikes are virtually effortless to ride! If you have a big budget and you don’t want your commute to work to feel like the Tour de France, you should seriously consider an electric bike. You can get as much exercise as you want, but you can power up hills and zip along streets with little to no effort if you want as well. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint and drive less, an E-Bike is wonderful.

I Want to Bike for Leisure

If you want to bike around occasionally just for fun, then the type of bike comes down to what you find comfortable and fun rather than what’s utilitarian. This could be any mid-range bike. You could go for an easy cruiser, as we mentioned above.

But if you want to bike for a fun experience that could last several hours, you should pick a type of bike that’s best for remaining comfortable over long distances. For fun outdoor adventures and a great all-rounder, multipurpose bike, consider a touring bike. Touring bikes are distinguished by their:

• Sturdy frame
• Ability to carry extra weight via pannier racks
• Ability to ride long distances while staying comfortable
• Good mudguards and lighting

If you want to go on a multi-day bike trip, a touring bike is your best bet. This can also double as a bike for occasional commuting because of its toughness and versatile capabilities. 

I Want to Bike Off-Road

Do you want to bike outdoors over rocks, trees, and dirt? Then a standard road bike will not cut it. You need a mountain bike!

Mountain bikes are distinguished by their:

• Wide tires (for better stability and grip)
• Higher handlebars than road bikes 
• Suspension for rough surfaces (usually — not all mountain bikes have suspension)
• Sturdy, durable frame
• Powerful brakes

It’s essential that your mountain bike fits you properly, so take that into account when buying. In general, no matter what type of bike you choose, you should always make sure your bike fits you! You could have a top-tier, expensive bike, but it will perform badly and work poorly for your body if it’s the wrong size. Proper bike sizing makes a huge difference in your comfort level and a bad bike size can even hurt you, so always take sizing into account.

Test Bikes Out!

It’s important to read as much as you can, but rather than buying blindly online, you should also go into a shop and test different types of bikes out for yourself. This is the best way to make sure you have the type of bike that’s most comfortable for you and a size that fits you properly. It also helps you distinguish between the types of bikes much better. Any bike shop owner will be happy to help you out. 

With this knowledge in tow, get out there and join the wonderful world of cycling! 

Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/SBKJ47obEHY