Racers will want the stiffest bike available to get the highest speeds, whereas those touring will be looking for comfort and durability. Whilst all these materials can deliver partly on these fronts, some have the edge over others.
Steel is a traditional material that has been used for building bikes for many years. Steel frames are renowned for their comfort, strength and durability. Steel can also be easy to repair as dents or bends can be hammered out. It is a very affordable frame material to use especially in comparison to carbon fibre and titanium frames.
It is a reliable material choice, though the extra stiffness in the frames compared to steel means they can be less comfortable. They often have wider tubes than steel frames as the material is generally weaker. This is a very lightweight and stiff material. As a non-metal there are huge design advantages when using carbon fibre to build bikes. The material can be manipulated into aerodynamic shapes and fine tuned for increased stiffness and strength in specific areas on the frame.
Carbon fibre bikes are also now becoming more affordable especially at entry level. The key pieces of information you are going to need are your height and inside leg measurement. These will help you to determine the bike that is right for you.
For a simple way to get your inside leg measurement have a quick read through our article. Note these two bits of information down for future reference. We have put together a simple table which you can refer to but use it in the knowledge that it is only a guide. Different manufacturers specify their bikes in different ways.
As an example, I am 6 feet tall — if I were to buy a Cannondale road bike I would need a 56cm frame, however purchasing one by Specialized would see me needing a 58cm frame. Most manufacturers have guides on their websites and online shops tend to display size guides beside the bike you are looking at.
If you find yourself right on the limit between two frame sizes go for the smaller one. It is easy enough to put the saddle up and extend the stem if needed, however when you reach the lower limit on a larger bike you have nowhere else to go.
Having the saddle higher makes it easier for things such as clipping your bike into a workstand and the slightly lower frame weight can only be an advantage. The components and specifications are the last big things to consider when purchasing a bike. When you build a bike from the frame up these are the additional parts that need adding in order to make the bike usable. These will include everything from the seat post to the handlebars, the chain type to the saddle.
To keep this section as simple as possible we are going to focus on 3 things; gears, brakes and wheels. These are the elements you are likely to get a choice over when buying a bicycle. See the photo to get an idea of the parts included. After the frame, components are the biggest part of your purchase. Opting for better quality components can add hundreds of pounds to the bike.
Take the mid range Shimano options. Manufacturers will sometimes mix elements of different groupsets to keep costs down. It is no different to buying a car. You can buy two cars with exactly the same chassis and engine but pay more. More toys and better components.
Groupsets work the same way. You pay more for a better riding experience; lighter weights, smoother shifting, less cables and even electronics. But better does not mean the same for everyone. Higher quality also means more cost, expensive replacement parts and fiddly elements such as batteries than need recharging.
There are diminishing returns as you hit the higher end outlaying massive additional costs for a few grams of weight saving. This might be exactly what you are looking for if you are a professional racer with a team of mechanics around you to look after every single part. But if you are an amateur weekend rider I suspect you will be looking for something a bit different.
What matters is having the right gears, which generally includes a low enough bottom gear to get you up the hills and a high enough top gear to allow you to reach the speeds you desire without your legs having to spin too fast. Fixed gear and single speed bikes run on one cog meaning the only way to generate additional power is to pedal harder. Most of you will be looking at geared bikes, so how do you decide between gears when buying a bicycle?
Most bikes will have a front chainring and back cassette. The front chainring ranges from a single gear up to three known as a triple. The rear cassette tends to either be 10 or 11 speed, though many different variations are possible. The crucial element of gears is not the number but the ratio.
This is the difference between your largest ring on the front and the smallest cog at the back and vice versa. This can get very complicated very quickly so I am not going to attempt to try and explain it all here. The decision you will be making on most bikes will be fairly limited.
If you have already decided on a model you will be very restricted by what the manufacturer offers. You can always retrofit a different set of gears but this can be complicated and expensive. Planning to travel long distances and want an easy ride up the hills?
You may be looking for a compact chainset with a 36 tooth cassette at the back to give you a bit of extra range in the low end.
Planning to go short distance racing? You may opt for a single chainring at the front and a very narrow range of cogs on the cassette at the rear to give you very small jumps between gears to help maintain your power.
The options are almost endless but worth spending some time thinking about. Rim brakes are the traditional kind that you see mounted above the wheel. There are two types: calliper, which is one mechanism attached by a single bolt, and cantilever brakes, which have two arms mounted on each side of the fork.
They have long been found on mountain bikes and more recently introduced to road bikes. Whilst an important part of the bike, it is rarely a choice you get to make for individual models. Bikes are designed for either rim or disc brakes thus needing different attachments, fork clearances and wheels.
The model you choose with either have rim or disc brakes, it is not something you can choose. For some road bikes disc brakes are now an option as you move up the range, but this will involve an added cost rather than a simple swap over. Having said all of this, disc brakes have still not been approved by the UCI for racing as the sharp edges are seen as dangerous in a crash.
Many riders still prefer rim brakes as they are lighter and more bikes still have them on, meaning a replacement is easier to find in an emergency. As with brakes your choice of wheels is more likely to influence the model you choose rather than the other way round. Endurance bikes can come in many forms but typically feature slightly more upright riding positions, easier gearing and a smoother ride. They're best picked for more social and fitness-based road cycling.
Most brands will sell more endurance road bikes than competition models. To learn more about these fast bikes, head on over to the blog to see our comprehensive guide to buying a road bike.
They are focused on aerodynamics which makes them the fastest road bike in a straight line and against the clock. Such speed comes at the expense of handling and long-distance comfort. Many who own this type of bike will also own a road bike for training and social purposes.
To learn more about these wind-cheating bikes, check out our comprehensive guide to buying a triathlon bike for more information. Flat Bar Road bikes combine the flat handlebar position of a mountain bike with the speed of a road bike. Due to the more upright riding position, flat bar road bikes are not as fast as traditional road bikes but offer a more upright riding position and greater visibility in traffic.
This type of bike is a popular choice for commuting to work and general fitness cycling. They're best kept to sealed roads, although some flat bar road bikes offer wider tyres that can handle light gravel use too. To read more, check out our guide comparing flat bar road, urban and hybrid bikes to learn more. Arguably no category of bicycle offers you more choice than mountain biking. While choice is a good thing, it can also be overwhelming.
If you're set on wanting to ride off-road, then read our complete guide to mountain bikes. Choosing a mountain bike will come down to the type of terrain you want to ride, whether you're looking to compete and your current ability. Suspension is a common theme on mountain bikes, with more suspension provided as the terrain becomes more difficult. The suspension commonly dictates the name of the mountain bike too. Mountain bikes with no suspension are referred to as 'rigid'.
Mountain bikes with front suspension are called 'hardtails' as the rear is rigid. And bikes with suspension at both the front and rear wheels are called either full suspension or dual suspension bikes. Cyclocross bikes are built for the sport of cyclocross. This sport originated in Europe as a way for road cycling racers to stay fit in the winter, however, has since grown globally to be a loved form of bicycle racing.
Cyclocross bikes look much like road bikes but instead feature wider treaded tyres and lower gearing. Both the frame and brakes are designed to allow room for deep mud. Given their designated usage, cyclocross bikes sit in the middle between a road bike and mountain bike. This makes them an excellent choice for not just cyclocross racing, but also for gravel riding, adventure cycling, and commuting. If you're wanting to try out this new cycling discipline, then read our complete guide to cyclocross bikes.
Gravel bikes, sometimes also referred to as adventure bikes, are essentially road bikes designed to tackle a variety of surfaces, sometimes carrying additional gear and are suitable for all-day riding on roads less travelled. The versatility of gravel bikes makes them a great option for multiple cycling pursuits. They are suitable for all but the fastest of road riding, while the wider tyres and wider-range gearing make off-road trails, gravel and fire roads manageable.
They are robust, comfortable and often can carry luggage making them ideal for light touring adventures or for those longer and faster commutes. To learn more about these capable bikes, check out our brief guide to gravel bikes.
The urban category is a tough one to describe and covers all types of bikes designed around transport in an urban environment. These bikes are typically designed for efficient transport over short to medium length distances.
Many urban bikes offer greater strength compared to lighter flat bar road bikes in order to handle the rigours of jumping off curbs and riding poor surfaces. Some urban bikes are designed with security in mind, offering theft-proof wheels, easy lock carrying and stealthy paintwork. Others go in an opposite direction, grabbing influence from Dutch bicycles with classic styling and timeless colours.
These are also known as 'Classic' or 'Vintage' bikes, read more on these below. Hybrids originally got their name for being somewhere between a road and mountain bike, but modern-day hybrids are perhaps best classified as recreational fitness bikes. If you want to leisurely and comfortably ride on sealed or well-kept gravel surfaces without any speed or performance pursuits, then a hybrid may be right for you.
While many hybrids don't offer suspension, some will offer suspension at both the front wheel and below the saddle. These types of bikes are perfect for those looking to take up cycling who suffer from chronic neck or back pain. Perfect for those limited on storage space or wanting to use a bike in addition to bus and train travel. They shrug off potholed streets, while an upright riding position gives you a commanding view of traffic.
Pros: Great looks, relaxed riding position, practical, ideal for wearing normal clothes, normally very durable. Laws vary from country to country and, in the US, can vary from state to state. However, in the UK apart from Northern Ireland electric bikes limited to More powerful ebikes some with motorcycle-style throttles are also available, but in some countries, including the UK, these are classed as mopeds or motorbikes and therefore need to conform to the same rules insurance, helmets and so forth.
Most ebikes are designed to be comfortable and easy to live with thanks to flat bars, mudguards and luggage capacity. However, as the technology develops, both prices and weights are coming down — some models even look remarkably like unassisted bikes. The world of electric mountain bikes — also known as eMTBs — is also a rapidly expanding one, allowing riders who might have needed to swear off their dirt riding activities to keep enjoying the countryside for longer than they might have imagined.
Drop handlebar electric road bikes are increasing in popularity too, but are still currently something of a niche. Our comprehensive list of the best electric bikes will guide you to the right electric bike for you. Cons: Regular recharging, heavier and significantly more expensive than an equivalent standard bike. That means that folding bikes are phenomenally popular among big-city commuters. Our list of the best folding bikes will quickly steer you to the folding bikes worth buying.
Pros: Massively convenient to store, can be taken onto public transport, small wheels are quick to accelerate. Cons: Heavier and slower than a big-wheeled bike and not as stable or pothole-proof.
Now officially part of the furniture, Oli enjoys bicycles of all sorts and has a keen eye for technical detail. An unhealthy interest in older motor vehicles keeps him poor but happy. Road bikes are best for riding on smooth, asphalted roads. Robert Smith.
Mountain bikes are best for riding off road. Phil Hall.
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