How to choose a bike so you don't regret buying

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Popular wisdom says: prepare the sled in the summer, and the cart in the winter. Winter is still far away, and, whatever one may say, we still hope to catch the warm, fine days of the rapidly passing summer, in order to properly celebrate everything that has not yet had time. If you are a lover of outdoor activities, then it's time to turn your gaze towards sports stores, where the hot season of seasonal discounts has begun. For bicycles, for example.

I go out alone on the road

I go out alone on the road;

Through the fog, a siliceous path glitters …

M. Yu. Lermontov

Everything is cyclical in the world: exchange rates, ebb and flow, fashion trends. Phenomena and things, replacing each other in an endless cycle, leave, only to return one day. The fashion for vehicles is no exception. Nowadays, the bicycle is gaining wild popularity again.

When I was eight or ten years old, everyone around (as it seemed to me) pedaled. The guys in the yard, the participants of the Tour de France, who appeared in the news programs on TV “Rubin”, the lean pensioners on “” - in a word, everyone who, as they say, was not lazy drove on two wheels.

Ask, probably, anyone in their thirties or in their early thirties what bicycles were in our childhood, and I'm pretty sure the answer won't be long in coming. I think you will hear painfully familiar names: "", "", "", "", "Vela", "", "Ural" and, in fact, "" - the legendary road bike of that era. Tell me, have I missed anything?

As you can see, the problem of choice was not particularly acute: what was on the windows of city shops was bought. The trouble has always been with the presence.

What is it today? Without hesitation, you can visit the mall closest to you, from the door of which you will ride on horseback. I hasten to warn my readers before trouble happens: this is the cheapest way that migrant workers resort to in order to save the same.

Personally, I have witnessed at least two cases when the "Auchan bike" literally fell apart in half under its careless owner, unable to withstand the simplest trip over rough terrain.

So, if you don't want to fall prey to your own miserly indiscretion, head to a specialized sports store. We know for a fact that popular outdoor reseller chains are present in most major cities in Russia, so don't hesitate for a second and go straight there.

Our great poet-compatriot seemed to have a presentiment of the problem that one may face today when buying a "steel horse". Despite the wide assortment of models and types of this vehicle, presented in the networks of sports stores, the problem of choice still occupies the top line of the hit parade: it is not easy to find “freedom and peace” in all this variety.

If everything is more or less clear with dealers, then with the modifications and degrees of complexity of the two-wheeled vehicles offered at retail, the situation is worse: the choice is huge, from which to push off when making a decision is not clear. When I, having decided to buy myself a bike instead of a car, a year ago I found myself among the rows of bikes smelling of machine oil, I was confused and, as a result, left empty-handed.

At that time, the problem was solved somehow by itself: the next day, when I went to visit one of my friends, I saw a shining country man, whom I fell in love with at first sight. And I ordered myself exactly the same one on the same day (as it turned out, I still miscalculated, and you will soon find out why).

Miserly pays twice, dumb pays three times

If your plans include more than sighing over the coveted technology in a showroom, then let's find out about the main points that you have to consider in order not to make annoying mistakes, albeit at a relatively bargain price.

1. Decide on the objectives of the purchase … In order not to fall asleep already at this stage, start with yourself, or rather, with your character, in order to understand what kind of rider you are. Think about where and how you will ride, because sharing your thoughts with a store consultant is much easier than killing a few hours studying the functionality of a particular type of bike.

Speaking of types. Bicycles are conventionally divided into four categories:

• Mountain. The two main varieties of this group are bicycles with one (hardtail) and two (two-suspension) shock absorbers, which allows the rider to move off-road with relative comfort.
• Road. This is a bike for a relaxed city ride. Suitable, for example, to drive to your favorite bakery for croissants or show off on the waterfront on a sunny summer day. For bragging, by the way, the best purchase option would be a cruiser (aka a chopper), which got its name from its external resemblance to a biker motorcycle.
• Road (in principle, this also includes track bicycles designed for riding on special tracks - cycle tracks). These bicycles do not have shock absorbers, which allows the rider's arm muscles to be relieved and gains a sufficiently high speed on a flat road. Perhaps this is one of the best options for moving in a big city, where traffic takes place on asphalt.
• Hybrid. They are also called touring bikes. The design of such a bike is a cross between mountain and road options. As a rule, a hybrid has a considerable number of speeds, combining the ability to roll along tolerably in a straight line and the ability to move comfortably over rough terrain.

2. Estimate the budget you are counting on … It is important to understand that a bike in the entry price category can bring the owner no less joy than a device comparable in cost to a motorcycle.

If your goal is to unwind after a busy day of work, rather than conquer jumps on a forest track, then a discipline bike is most likely for you. People call it "hardtail" (from the English hard - "hard" and tail - "back", literally - "tail"), or "country".

3. Select a store … This is important as some specialize in a particular type of bike, offering their customers additional services such as repairs, knot tweaking, and so on.

4. Decide on the number of speeds … As a rule, 20-27 speeds will be more than enough for you to perkily roll downhill or uphill in urban conditions - just as much is available on an average hardtail. By the way, due to the possibility of fixing the front shock absorber fork, this type of bike is perfect for city dwellers: it will be equally fun to drive both in the city and outside it.

5. Select the size of the frame … Any specialty store will help you with this, but just in case, I inform you: if your height is less than 180 cm - your size is M. If about 180 cm, then L (my height is 179 cm, frame L). And if 190 cm and above, then XL, respectively.

6. Look for Test Drive Opportunities … In general, this is essential. You can shovel a whole mountain of any special literature and not crawl out of Internet communities and forums dedicated to a particular cycling discipline. But the best option, albeit somewhat overhead, would be to ride each bike to understand how you feel about the ride. The owner of one particular type will almost certainly incline you towards his own preference, which is unacceptable in our situation.

I will give a personal example, which I briefly talked about at the beginning of the article. Let me remind you: a year ago, I was fascinated by the sight of a country man, noticed by one of my comrades. The bike turned out to be really good, with powerful hydraulic brakes, average "premium" components and a nice color.

After skating on it for almost three months and having gained courage and some skill, I began to actively jump from curbs and call in small springboards that come across in the city in my way. Gradually, my bike began to break down, which led to repeated minor repairs, as well as the replacement of several components that had fallen into disrepair. Having shared my sadness with the employee of the bicycle workshop, I realized that a year ago I made the wrong choice.

Considering the above, I urge our readers to learn from the mistakes of others and start from the end: do not be too lazy to walk to the bike store and talk to sales assistants. Most likely, you will not be denied a test ride: these days, this is absolutely normal practice.

Go in for sports, pedal and remember: safety comes first!