Posts Tagged ‘Mountain bicycle’

Which Type of Bicycle is Best for You?

Monday, July 6th, 2009

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Years ago you had very few choices in what type of bicycle you would ride.  Most bikes were simple single speed bikes with coaster brakes.  Your top speed or hill climbing ability was dependent upon your leg power and nothing more.  In my teen years, I got my first 3-speed Schwinn bicycle and the world of cycling would never be the same for me.  The shifting of gears made bicycling a lot easier and longer trips seemed to be much faster.

I remember when the first mountain bicycles making their way to the market with a softer seat and a straight handlebar which provided a more upright riding position.  The only negative I saw was the hard ride provided by standard mountain bike tires.

About twenty years ago, some of the big name bicycle manufacturers started with basic versions of what we now call hybrid bicycles.  In the beginning they simply took a popular road bike and exchanged the handle bars for straight bars.  Most went with a tire the same size or just a bit larger then their road bikes, only with a bit of more aggressive tread.  In most cases the early hybrids were a bit more comfortable then the standard road touring bike but their tires were not  really for streets and only good for gravel or dirt paths off road.

Today, it is easy to be confused between terms like mountain bikes, comfort or cruiser bicycles and hybrid bicycles.  Comfort bikes for the most part are well sprung and soft seated versions of what we’d refer to as standard cruiser style bikes.  These are well suited for easy riding along asphalt roads, dirt paths and beach areas.  You’ll probably tire of this bike quickly if you want to do any distance riding or use your bike for commuting to work or school.  But they are great for short trips.

The typical mountain bikes today provide a good upright sitting position with adjustable seat height and handle bars.  They might provide from 18 to 24 speeds via handle bar twist grip shifters.  Most mountain bikes will have front fork suspension and many will also have rear wheel suspension.  There are various schools of thought on the value of this type of bike suspension.  Some riders feel it provides too soft a ride for serious hill climbing while others appreciate the smoother ride.  The simple truth is that most who ride mountain bikes never venture into rough terrain but buy this style bicycle due to the appearance or upright riding position.

Hybrid bicycles are somewhat of a multi-purpose bike that brings together features of mountain bikes as well as road bikes. Unfortunately, the price is usually more expensive then mountain bikes.

Instead of spending money on a hybrid, you might make certain adjustments to your own bike.  Most all bike owners will save their bicycles for years.  The first thing to consider is where you can find a good variety of bicycle parts for sale.  I suggest reading the entire article to help you decide if a Mountain Bike or Hybrid Which is Best for you.

So You Want to Buy A Bike

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

 

While buying a bike is not on the same level of commitment as, say, getting married, it is still a decision that warrants some thinking. especially if you are considering buying a bike for the first time, it can seem as if your options are virtually endless.

Your first decision comes in determining what kind of bike you are after. Are you going around town, or are you trail riding? Do you want to ride fast, or do you want smoothness and comfort? There are ultimately four main styles of bikes to choose from, and your selection should really depend on what you expect your main type of riding to be.

What kind of riding will you be doing, ask yourself this question? There are different types of bicycles that are intended for the kinds of riding people do.Road or tour bicycles are built for comfort on long-distance rides.  Racing bicycles are lightweight and entendedfor speed more than comfort. Trail or mountain bikes have sturdy frames and wide tires for all-terrain biking. In addition there are intermediate designs, such as hybrid bicycles thatunite features of road and mountain bicycles. Which one you choose depends on your individual interests.

Generally bicycle riding is either road biking or mountain biking, with mountain biking being the most challenging. Mountain biking is done on terrain and mountain trails where there are no trails. For general fitness purposes I ride only on roads and smooth, maintained trails. The fact is, to benefit from biking, you do not need mountains, you can do it anywhere. Even if you live in the flatlands and travel long distances to ski country you can stay in top ski condition by adding road biking to your exercise routine.

There is virtually no limit to how much money you can spend on a new bike. To keep your spending under control, figure out what price range you are willing to pay for your new bike and try to merely look at bikes within that price range. A recommendation when purchasing a bicycle is not to buy it from Wal-Mart or Costco, mass-merchant stores. Consumers have a tendency to get disappointed. Support your local bike shop and get a better product and much better service. Searching on-line, could be another choose. Schwinn bicycles have been around for a lot of years and are a well-known, reputable company. A Schwinn Cruiser bicycles for instance, in my opinion, are still one of the more comfortable bikes to cruise around on, especially the beach. Try sitting on a Schwinn Sierra bike, it is one of the most comfortable bicycles I have experienced. But,  in the end, the choose is yours. You decide what is best for you 

Bicycles have been a popular means of recreation and transportation for over a century. Today, with gasoline price increases and mounting concern about the environmental impact if burning fossil fuels, more and more people are turning to bicycles as an substitute to driving. If you’ve decided to join the ranks of those who are pedaling their way to physical fitness, it helps to know how to buy the correct bicycle for you.

Like numerous adults in America, you probably learned how to ride a bike as a child. In the majority of suburban neighborhoods, it is a common childhood activity. Even today, kids still get together and ride around on their bicycles. Today kids still bicycle to school, to their local store, to the park and to their friend’s houses. When the bicycle is your only way to get somewhere, you tend to ride it a lot.