How to choose a bicycle?
A bicycle is an ecological two-wheeled non-motorized vehicle. Popular in many countries, it is rapidly gaining popularity in Lithuania due to its practicality, suitability for crowded city streets, and government promotion. A bicycle enables you to exercise, travel across desired distances, have fun, enjoy the scenery, etc. at the same time. Do you dream of cycling in your free time in beautiful places and surroundings, are you a hiking enthusiast or have you decided to take up cycling or are you simply planning to ride it to work and thus save fuel costs or even time while using an ecological vehicle? Then it’s a good idea to consider buying a new bicycle. A bicycle is an environmentally friendly vehicle that, if chosen correctly, will save you a lot of money on maintenance and repairs.
Very often, customers face a challenge – how to choose the right bicycle?
To help you, we will provide the basic guidelines that you should follow when choosing a bicycle:
First, consider for what purpose, where or on what roads you plan to ride a bicycle:
- for sports;
- for riding in the city, for transportation;
- for riding on forest, gravel, sand;
- for tourist trips;
- for leisure.
After considering everything carefully and selecting your purpose and the type of roads you will ride, you can choose from the following main types of bicycles:
Sports bicycles (triathlon, track, road, etc.). These bicycles are designed for athletes, often professionals. They require constant maintenance. The designs of these bicycles are adapted to specific sports and must meet strict technical requirements. However, this bicycle is not suitable for daily use or tourism, as they are characterized by a sitting position not adapted for daily riding and narrow tires.
City bicycles (classic or folding, usually with one, three or seven gears). Classic frame, usually 28” wheels, panels, trunk, closed chain guard, most models have lighting equipment. City bicycles are very comfortable to ride and, in addition, their operation is basically simple. Models with low frame construction are popular among women. This type of bicycle is suitable for riding in the city, in the park and relatively short distances. They are heavier than other types of bicycles due to the corresponding urban equipment.
Hybrid bicycles. These are universal bicycles, which are among the most popular in Lithuania. They can be driven on roads of various surfaces, interlaced forest roads, gravel or asphalt. However, they are not suitable for particularly difficult off-road. The bicycle would be suitable for people who want to spend their free time cycling, for some light exercise or as a means of transportation. These bicycles have a universal frame geometry and are comfortable for longer distances.
Mountain bicycles (also known as MTB). They are suitable for driving on rough roads, forest tracks or where there are no roads. Such bicycles usually have a classic sports geometry frame, a narrow seat, a straighter steering wheel, and are equipped with wide tires with a rough tread. Almost all mountain bicycles are equipped with a front shock absorber, some also have a rear shock absorber. The wheels of this type of bicycle come in 26”, 27.5” and 29” sizes. Higher-level MTB bicycles are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes.
Touring bicycles. They are designed for both daily and longer trips. The package includes one or two trunks, mudguards and lighting. The steering wheel is classic, curved, and sometimes multifunctional. This allows you to ride in a straighter sitting position, which is especially important on long trips. The geometry of the bicycle also provides a more comfortable sitting position, and often comes with a shock-absorbing front fork and less stress on the arms when riding on rough roads. Tourist models are best suited for roads with a solid surface and bumpy paths, but they do not cause any problems when driving in parks or forest paths.
Second, think about how often you will have to drive it. Consider how intensively the bicycle will be used, and what distances will be covered. This will depend on what level of bicycle you would need in order to fully utilize its technical characteristics, or so that they do not limit your capabilities.
Third, buy a bicycle from reliable sources and sellers who specialize in bicycle sales, know about them, and who can provide competent advice and help you make the right choice. In this way, you will be sure that you are buying from those who know about bicycles, their prevailing fashions and innovations, and will also offer you a quality product that meets your needs. Avoid buying bicycles in markets and shopping centers, where bicycles are often designed according to the specifics of that trade channel and with appropriate technical solutions, where only the price is relevant.
Fourth, the country of manufacture or origin of a bicycle means almost nothing these days, so instead of focusing on the country of origin of the bicycle (although most of the time it’s just the name of the bicycle), it’s better to spend time getting to know the components and systems of the bicycle. If it was still possible to find out that the bicycle frame was not made by the cheapest manufacturer, but was correctly designed and manufactured in a well-known factory, this would already be an indicator that it is not just a mass-produced product, but a high-level product with an appropriate approach to its development and creation. It can be mentioned that the most famous and popular bicycle manufacturers in the world are located in Taiwan, while in Germany bicycles are actually rarely produced.
Contact BIKKO.lt consultants if you require any further information and they will help you choose the right bicycle.
Our consultants provide professional advice from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. by phone:
+370 684 18384
via e-mail:
[email protected]
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BIKKO.lt