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How to Pick A New Bicycle

Buying a new bicycle can be a tedious task. Buying a new bike is like purchasing a vehicle, the more effort you put into the purchase, the more satisfaction that you'll have in the long run. There are three main factors when purchasing a new bike; weight, cost, and durability.

First, determine the purpose of buying a bike. Do you want to use the bike for commuting? How about mountain bike riding? Do you want to perform tricks on a bike? Determining which type of a rider you are is the first step in purchasing a bike.

The lighter the bike is, the more expensive it becomes. If you want a lighter bike, be prepared to pay more, lighter bikes are comprised of more expensive alloys that you can not find in cheaper bikes. If you are a beginner, you do not need to spend a fortune on a light weight super bike.

Cheaper is not always better. Buying from a discount store can be cheaper, however, if you are not good at assembling bikes, then purchasing from a discount store is not the way to go. Also as most discount store mechanics are not professionals, your bike might need to be taken into a specialty bike store to get “tweaked” and into real riding condition.

Choosing quality over price is an important factor in our price sensitive society. However choosing the cheaper bike is not always the best option as costly repairs can add up. If you purchase a more expensive bike from a licensed bike store, minor repairs are usually free and most times bikes purchased from a real bike shop do not break as often.

Ride the bike and make sure everything works. Check the brakes by spinning the tires and lightly squeezing the brakes.

The brakes should not squeal or rub against the tire. Also, check the gear shifters by spinning the pedals and shifting through all the gears. The gears should shift immediately and there shouldn’t be any lag through each shift.

This article went over some key factors when choosing a bike. Make sure to check the purpose of the bike, weight, durability and cost. Remember that cost is important, but it shouldn't be the main factor when purchasing your new bicycle.

References:

1. ^ The 10 Best Entry Level Road Bikes. 16 March 2021. published on Bicave.com

2. ^ How to choose the right Mountain Bike for You. Published Nov 1,2019. Author: John Woodhouse

3. ^ Bicycle: How to Choose. Published on REI.com


 
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