Many people are choosing to buy bikes online and for a variety of reasons. It could be that you have seen a great deal or you can’t find the bike in the size you want in a local shop. However, a bike is often a big investment so you want to make sure you get it right. SID composites are a great way to go when purchasing online and they want to give you tips on how to find your perfect bike.
There are many reasons to purchase your bike online, including greater numbers of styles and sizes to choose from, as well as colours and different prices.
Mountain bike tyres.
What type of bike will you buy?
Mountain bikes
Mountain bikes are best used off-road and on trails. They can be fitted with slick tyres for road use but most people will buy a mountain bike for the trails. Mountain bikes have grippier tyres and gears to cope with the ups and downs of the trails. Look for disc brakes and shock absorbers, too. If you plan to get into gnarlier trails, you’ll want suspension back and front, while for cross country trails shock absorbers on the front forks will suffice. If you can afford it, a dropper seat post is a great luxury.
Disc brakes are more popular and are fitted to both mountain bikes and road bikes.
Road bikes
Road bikes have narrower and smoother tyres that offer greater speed on tarmac. Traditionally a road bike will have drop handle bars (think Tour de France cycling) and a wide spread of gears for pedalling hard on the flats and easier on the hills.
Look for gender specific geometry. Men and women are different shapes and lengths on average so a bike geometry that is designed to fit men and women is a bonus for comfort. Bike seats is another consideration and they offer different areas of comfort for men and women.
Many road bikes now come with disc brakes, rather than the traditional caliper style, and are said to offer more effective stopping power.
If you are new to road cycling a safer bet is a sportive-style bike that will give you a more comfortable fit, rather than the more aggressive geometry of, say, a time trial bike. Sportive bikes allow you to sit in a more upright position, although still with an option to be more aero dynamic when you choose by dropping down on the handle bars.
As a general rule, you’ll pay more for lighter bikes. So a bike that is made of lightweight carbon will be more than one made of aluminium, for example. The same is true of components such as gears and the chainset. You will pay more for lighter and slicker components.
These days you can even choose an electric gearing system, but that will add a lot of money to the price tag.
Hybrid bikes
These are a combination of a mountain and road bike. The tyres will be suitable for roads and some trails. Gearing and brakes will be created to suit a range of terrains.
The chances are you won’t go as fast as a road bike or be as comfortable as you might be on a mountain bike but if you are looking for a good compromise a hybrid bike is the way to go.
Cruiser bikes
These are for a more casual ride through town. These can be one-speed or multi-speed depending on exactly what you are looking for.
E-bikes
Bikes with some kind of battery power are increasingly popular. They allow you to go further in less time. An e-bike is a good choice for evening out fitness differences between couples and friends, too. You can buy road and mountain e-bikes.
Juvenile bikes
These can be a variety of different bikes. From BMX to road bikes. The choice is almost as varied as for adult bikes these days.
Tandem bikes
These allow more than one person to ride. Although the front person does the steering, the back person does just as much pedalling.
What about the cost of a new bike?
It’s important to think about how often you will use the bike. If it’s for regular use than you should justify spending more on a bike. If you are using the bike for short journeys only, then you might not need ot spend a lot on a lightweight and fancier bike.
On average, the more you spend the lighter and more sophisticated the bike will be, although it’s worth bearing in mind that some brands can charge more because they have become more popular.
How to buy a bike on-line
Look up reviews of certain bikes that you are interested in to see what other people have stated as the fors and againsts.
You can’t try a bike for size so it’s important to use a sizing guide offered by cycle sale websites. Take all your measurements carefully and look for a bike with the right geometry.
Set an upper price limit and try to stick to it, rather than getting carried away and blowing your budget.
Check out finance deals in case there is one that will suit your budget better.
Look at the returns policy so that you know what you will be charge (if anything) to send the bike back if it is not suitable.
Chat to the online bike store. Many stores recognise that customers will want to discuss their potential buys so that have a chat feature that is easy to use. Don’t be afraid to sound silly or feel like you are asking too many questions. If you went into a store you would expect someone to help you, right? Think of online shopping as the same thing. Use those customer service employees to educate you and help you find the exact bike for you. If there is no online chat, you can always call them or send them a social media message.
When you are online shopping, the bike does not come in the mail completely set up as a bike. It typically needs to be assembled. In some cases, you simply need to adjust the handlebars and bike seat height but in other cases it could require a more detailed assembly. If you do not know how to assemble a bike it might be worth asking a local bike mechanic to do it for you.
A bike is a great purchase and a good way to stay fit and healthy. Once you have ordered your bike online you can look forward to the excitement of it arriving – and then enjoying the ride.
