Selecting A Mountain Or Road Bike?
Games Guy | July 4, 2010
It can be difficult when trying to choose a bike is suitable for your needs. This can be especially true if you have never really considered the different types of bikes you can get. You will find mountain bikes to have better suspension and are therefore more comfortable but they are also heavier and not as fast as road bikes. What should you consider when choosing your bike?
First of all you have to decide what the purpose of the bike is. The are a few things you will want to consider one of which is where you will be riding your bike. This not only includes the terrain you will encounter on your journey but how long you expect to spend on each journey. The reason this is important is that you can choose a bike that can handle the terrain but is also comfortable to ride. Of course if you need speed and you will be on the road then racing bikes are probably most suitable for you. But if you need to cycle in difficult conditions then a mountain bike may be more your thing.
This brings us nicely to next consideration which is how much you value comfort and speed. Faster bikes are light because they use lighter materials and don’t have any extra features. Not only this but you’ll find that each type of bike requires a different riding posture. In the case of road bikes for the ultimate goal is to be as fast as possible and this means adopting an aerodynamic posture, which can in some cases be uncomfortable for people who’ve never ridden this type of bike before.
Now that you know the style of bike you want you need to look at the particular model you want. The reason this is important is because each bike in a range can be made from different materials, which will ultimately impact the quality of the bike. For example carbon fibre whilst expensive is extremely light and so is a great material forroad bicycles. When it comes to mountain bikes extra features to consider are the wheel size, suspension and braking system.
Naturally budget will always play its part. You don’t have to break the bank anymore to get a high quality bike.