Choosing The Right Bicycle / Bike

To decide what type of bicycle is suitable for you, your first consideration is to know where you'll be riding: on pavement, dirt trails or both. Some bicycles are made specifically for a particular kind of riding surface, while others are versatile enough that perhaps with a quick tire change, they can be ridden in more than one category.

Bicycles are divided into a seemingly endless number of categories and sub-categories. The following list will help you understand all the different types of bicycles and their features:

Road Bicycles

Road bicycles are designed to be ridden fast on smooth pavement. They have smooth, skinny tires and "drop" handlebars, and can be used for on-road racing. They are usually lighter than other types of bicycles. They can be ridden on paved trails, but most people find them uncomfortable and unstable on unpaved trails. Most road bikes are not capable of carrying heavy loads, so are not very suitable for commuting or touring.

Urban Bicycles

Urban bikes are designed specifically for inner-city riding, perfect for shorter-distance commuting and often featuring racks to carry luggage and wet-weather fenders to cope with all weather conditions. Like flat bar road bikes, they too will typically have flat style handlebars but an even more upright riding position and a smaller gear range, in some cases only a single gear. The best urban bikes are built strong to handle the rigors of the urban environment and are not as concerned with weight. A city bike with basket will be perfect for those who often have things to carry with them.

Model name: EVRYjourney Urban bike

Mountain Bicycles

Designed with shock-absorbing features and better braking systems, mountain bikes can handle dirt trails and the rocks, roots, bumps and ruts that come with them. They usually feature lower gears than most road bikes to better handle steeper terrain.

Hybrid/Comfort Bicyles

Hybrids and Sport Comfort Bikes share the same comfort features but are distinguished by wheel size. Traditionally, hybrids have a larger road bike sized wheel with a slightly thinner compared to the comfort bikes which yield smaller, mountain style wheels.  Both bikes are loaded with comfort features and will work equally well on smooth dirt, paved trails, and family cycling trips. Top rated comfort bikes have a very upright position meant for comfort.

Model name: BodyEase

Triathlon/Time Trial Bike

Bicycles built specifically for triathlon or time trial events are basically specialized road bikes. These machines have forward bull-horn shaped handlebars and aero bars. Aero bars allow the rider to lean forward in an aerodynamic position. The shifters on these bikes are located at the end of the aero bars. The geometry of the bicycle frame is designed to suit triathlon or time trial racing, both heavily focused on aerodynamics.

Women's Bikes

These bikes, which can be road, mountain, or hybrid bikes—feature frame geometries, handlebars and saddles that are tailored to better fit the typical female body proportion. For instance, the top tube frame lengths on women's bikes are generally about 1 to 3 centimeters shorter than men's bikes, so the reach (saddle to handlebar) is shorter and fits most women better. These bikes also feature shorter-reach shifters that better fit women's hands.

Women City bike
Model name: Paven'Trail

Kids Bikes

From bikes with training wheels to teen-sized versions of adult bikes, there are many options available for kids. The most important consideration when buying your child a bike is size. When shopping, keep in mind that children's bikes are measured by their wheel size, not frame size. The most common wheel sizes are 16 in., 20 in. and 24 in. The right size is one where the child can comfortably get on the bike and stand with his or her feet on the ground.