With the huge choice in bikes and endless selection of roads and trails, it can be hard to nail down just what type of bike is right for you. That’s one reason many committed cyclists joke that the right number of bikes to own is n + 1 where n equals the number of bikes you already own.
That is to say, there is always at least one more perfect bike waiting for you to help you discover new places to ride or tackle known challenges. But if you are just starting out in the sport, how do you know which bike is right for you?
Just beginning in cycling
If you are just beginning your journey as a cyclist, buying your first bike can be daunting, and it will be important to ask as many questions from friends and experts as possible. What types of bikes are best for which road conditions? How should you decide on what size of bike to ride? What will be your cycling goal in the near to medium term?
Some of these questions only you can answer for yourself, and indeed the answers may change as time goes on. And with all the choice of materials and brands, you may find it useful to test ride as many bikes on the roads you will typically be facing before making a final decision about what bike you want to invest in.
But we actually envy you and your situation since you will have the fun of discovering what you enjoy, learning more about yourself, your body, and your surroundings. It will be a journey of discovery that will bring you great joy – especially if you have an awesome bike to ride at the end of the process.
The first thing you will want to decide on is what type of riding you intend to do. Will you be training for road racing? Gravel exploring? Mountain biking on local trails? Commuting to work so you can finally give up having a car? If you want to do a little of all this, there will be some overlap between bikes.
For instance, you could potentially buy a road racing bike that you could commute on. Or you could buy a gravel bike that can handle easier mountain trail riding. But to get the most out of an individual style of riding – mountain biking for instance – you will likely want to focus on getting the right mountain bike for the situation.
Horses for courses
When choosing the right bike for you, decide what type of roads or trails you will be riding mostly. Will you be taking well paved roads and searching out quiet climbs for your road training? Are you riding in the windy flatlands or do you have climbs that can take 30 to 45 minutes to get up? These are the types of issues that will help you decide whether you want to go for the most lightweight climbing bike from brands like Pinarello and Colnago, or you are interested in cutting through the wind effectively on an aero offering from LOOK or Chapter 2.
Are you more interested in finding new paths and staying away from road traffic? Maybe you are keen to start developing your bikepacking skills and taking multi-day treks away from the package holiday crowd. Then you will want to investigate bikes that slip neatly into the all-road and gravel categories. Brands like Moots, Colnago, TIME and Wilier have some great offerings that can straddle these various demands that you may have for an all-road and light gravel dropbar bike.
Then again, if you are looking to get deep into gravel and are more interested in the off-road performance than the dual need for paved and unpaved performance, then there are gravel bikes that take more inspiration from mountain biking in terms of geometry and desired types of rougher trails they are able to ride. Brands like Ibis, Knolly, Moots and Mosaic will be brands to consider for this type of application.
Then there are those of you who may live near mountain trails and want to have the model of mountain bike that can cope. But even in the mountain bike category there are different types of bikes that will help you conquer the routes you will be facing. For anyone who will be focusing on fireroads and XC-courses that will involve a good deal of climbing, you will want to look into lighter hardtail and short travel full suspension mountain bikes. Brands like Moots, Intense, and Niner will have a good selection of these types of snappy mountain bikes that have a level of capability to get you through aggressive XC-racing as well as some bikepark play time.
Once you start wanting to go deeper into the trail system and tackle more challenging routes that will require both skill and bigger suspension, that’s when the true trail, enduro and downhill mountain bikes will become important to you. You can check out our blog on the best mountain bikes for 2023 to get a good idea of the different bikes available for each type of off-road riding style.
Buying on a budget
If you are looking to buy your first bike, finding what you want at the right price can be the hardest part when buying a bike. Unfortunately, prices keep going up especially for top quality elite brands. But most manufacturers understand that not everyone wants to spend more for their bike than they do their cars. There is a helpful amount of technology that trickles-down from the top of the line models to less expensive but no less enjoyable models in a brand’s line-up.
There are ways to get great quality on a budget. For road bikes, brands like Bianchi and Pinarello make both super bikes that will cost north of $10,000 as well as less expensive models that will cost a fraction of that while still offering a lot of the same tech features that will make the bikes a joy to ride and race. For Bianchi, the Oltre family model offers a wide price point range that can accommodate more modest budgets, just like the Pinarello F and X series of road bikes offer many of the same advanced technology and handling features as the Dogma F and Dogma X, but in a price range that is much more accessible for the hobby cyclist.
Similarly, in the mountain bike sector, there are brands like Ibis and Niner who offer exceptionally advanced mountain bikes at prices that will not scare away the beginner or someone who doesn’t have a huge amount of cash to throw around.
How to choose a bike for riding style - Conclusion
Choosing the right bike for your riding style comes down to understanding what type of cycling you will aim to do and what sort of roads and terrain you will be most often facing. If you really catch the cycling bug, then you will inevitably refine your needs and perhaps decide you’ll require more than one bike to meet them. Welcome to the club! In any case, our experts at Wrench Science are here to help answer any questions you may have about brands and model styles. Happy riding!
