Whatever the , you’ve chosen, you should know and consider its technical characteristics. The right choice will guarantee not only the comfort ride, but also the durability of its details.
Bike frame
The frame size should correspond to your height, so that the height of the frame should be 10cm lower then your waist. You should be able to reach the handle bar even with half-bent hands, so that they won’t get tired during the ride.
Frame can be made of the cheapest material – steel, or of the most expensive – titanium or carbon. They all differ not only by the price, but also by their weight.
Steel frames (Hi-Ten) are used in the cheapest models. They are quite durable and can be used for everyday ride, but they are quite heavy – up to 16kg.
The next are frames of chrome- molybdenic steel (Cro-mol). This alloy is also not very expensive. But these frames weigh less then steel ones. Frames completely made of chrome- molybdenic steel are not produced. Usually there are few pipes made of this alloy, and the rest are made of steel.
Aluminum (Alu) frames are the most wide spread because of the better combination of durability and weight. This light material allows to make pipes with big diameter and thick sides. But the cost of the material restricts the usage of such frames to the high class. Aluminum is, of course, used in the alloy with other metals. The frame with a mark 7005 is the most popular, but the smaller is this number, the better. If you are a professional, you should choose a bike with the frame number 6061.
There are not many bikes with titanium (Ti) frames. They are durable, but their cost is not always just. Titanium frames are heavy, so you should think it over before buying a bike with such frame.
Magnum (Mg) – another metal for the bike frames. It is light, durable, but quite expensive. It is recommended to buy a bike with magnum frame only if you are a professional.
Composite materials (carbon, cevlar) are also used in bike production. Bikes with the composite frame are very light but can be easily damaged.
The frame quality can be also affected by the production technologies. For example, batting – the process of making pipes with different side thickness. It allows to use the materials rationally, making some sides thinner. It also reduces the weight of the frame.
Bike saddle
It is very important to choose a bike with comfortable saddle, but a standard bundling doesn’t always allow it. Cheap models don’t usually have comfortable saddles, but you can change the saddle to more appropriate. In a good shop you can do it at once, for an additional sum of money.
Narrow hard saddles are used for races; long and wide are more appropriate for pleasure cycling. Women should choose a bike with a saddle that is wider in the back part.
Cheap saddles are made of foamed polymer, covered with leather-cloth. More expensive bike models have springs under the saddle, and the saddle itself has gel insets for maximum cycling comfort.
Any saddle can be adjusted by height, incline, and some can even be moved forward or backward. It is necessary for choosing a comfortable position on the bike. It is recommended to choose such position, so that you should reach the pedal in its lowest position with a stretched leg, i.e. you should stand on the pedal with full feet, and not to reach it with a toe. Everything else depends on your own preferences.
Bike wheels
Wheels are also very important. So before choosing a bike, you should know all about them: their size, tires, rims and even the number of spokes.
Wheels of larger diameter allow to overcome the distance with less effort. Sport bikes and roadsters have 28 inches wheels, mountain bikes have 26 inches.
It is better to choose a bike with aluminum rim – it is lighter and more durable then the steel rim, and is more corrosion resistant. Spokes are also made of aluminum alloys and usually there are 32. They make a wheel more durable and elastic. It is better to choose a rim with 36 spokes for mountain bikes. They are more durable. It is also a good variant for heavy people. Sponge interlacing is also important. The more interlacing - the more durable is the wheel. Some sport bikes have carbon rims and spokes. In this case the spokes are made in the form of Y-network.
Cycling on different roads will depend on the tire width and tread pattern. Mountain bike, which is used for cycling in cross-country, should have wide wheels with wheeling lugs. So even the cycling on sand, mud and wet grass won’t be a problem for you. But on the road such bikes are noisy and speed up not very fast.
For good roads and cycling on high speed it is better to choose a bike with smooth narrow tires (slick).
There is also a compromise variant – halfslicks. They are smooth in the middle part and have wheel lugs on the sides. Such tires will be the best variant for the most armature cyclists. They allow to feel comfortable as on the road and in the cross-country. The only detail in using halfslicks is found on quick turns. When the bike bends, the main part of the wheel that contacts with the road is wheel lugs. It leads to the friction coefficient decrease – it is a risk of falling down.
The work of the front and back wheel differs, so sometimes it is better to choose a combination of different tires.
Shock-absorbers
Roadsters (city bikes) don’t have shock-absorbers. Shock-absorbers are used for vibration decreasing, that’s why they are used only on mountain bikes.
Among the variety of bike models it is better to choose a bike with shock-absorbing fork. Such bike type is called “hard tail”. A fork usually represents a construction of wide pipes (“trousers”), where the shock-absorber is, and narrower pipes (“legs”). Handle bar and legs are connected with fork crown. Trousers are connected with additional element to make them more durable. Bikes, in which shock-absorbers are often in use, have a fork with two crowns. Breaks are usually fastened on the fork trousers.
You can choose a bike with front and back shock-absorber. They are called “two brackets”. In the back shock-absorber bracket the same mechanisms, as in the shock-absorbing fork are used. But such variant is necessary only for extreme cycling. In other cases, back shock-absorber will only impede. And you’ll pay an additional sum of money for it. During the acceleration, part of your efforts will be transferred to the back shock-absorber, it won’t allow you to accelerate fast. Usually good saddle springs are enough for vibration decreasing.
Types of the shock-absorbers strongly differ by their technical characteristics. Spring shock-absorbers are the cheapest and the simplest. But they are not durable, because the springs loose their shock-absorbing facilities. For the softer work spring shock-absorbers may have air-cushions made of polymer materials. But such construction is not ideal, because polymers loose their facilities in low temperatures.
Air can also be used as a shock-absorber. It is pumped in the fork. Such construction is the lightest, but the air can leak. Oil shock absorbers are considered to be the best ones. Absorber is made of cartridges filled with oil, and shock absorbers can be air or spring. Oil shock absorbers are the most durable, they are temperature resistant. They are quite expensive, but if you can afford them, you should buy only such bike.
Good shock absorbers have the switches of stiffness, softness of compression/return of absorbing, stroke length or complete block.
Speed selectors
Speed selectors are usually on the handle bar. You can choose the principle of speed selector handles work, knowing their structure and differences.
First system is a turning ring, which resembles a motorcycle speed handle. If you turn it forward, it will switch to the higher gear, backwards – lower gear. This type of handles is produced by SRAM company and is called Grip Shift.
Another type - Rapid Fire – is producer by Shimano. Gears are switched with a help of two levers.
Both switches are convenient and have visual speed indicators. The choice of speed selector depends on your comfort. That’s why, if the shop has such possibility, you should try bicycles with different speed selectors.
Bike breaks
Roadsters usually have foot breaks. They are quite convenient for usual cycling. The only case, when these breaks are not very comfortable is when the pedals are in the inconvenient position. That’s why sometimes it is better to choose a bike with hand breaks.
Hand breaks can be used in any moment, and their effectiveness depends on their type and the weather conditions. Effort is transferred on the shoes with a help of ropes or hydraulics. The advantage of hydraulic breaks is in bigger sensitivity and in the transferred effort. Ropes are worn out with frequent use. As for the rest, the principle of work is the same.
The choice of bike breaks also means the choice of the way of effort transfer – with a help of central or straight traction (V-brake). The main advantage of straight traction is the direct effort transfer, which makes the system more effective. In central breaking system part of the effort is lost because of the additional levers. Anyway, while breaking the shoes are pressed to the rim. But such system has its disadvantages: in the rain the shoes and the rim get wet, and the breaking effectiveness decreases because of the slippage. And if the mud get under the shoes, the cycling will become more difficult.
So the only way out is to choose a bike with disk breaks. They are more expensive, but their effectiveness doesn’t depend on the weather. The main difference of such breaks is that the shoes press not the rim, but the disk on the axle.
So I would recommend you to choose a bike with disk hydraulic breaks for frequent cycling. Of course if you can afford it, because they are not cheap.
The choice of the bike, of course, depends on the trade mark. The price of the bike will differ according to the trade mark. The brand name should be indicated on all the junctions. The most famous producers in this sphere are - «Shimano» and «SRAM». Don’t try to buy the cheapest bike. It is better to choose a qualitative model. That’s why it is recommended either to save money for a good bike or to buy a simpler model, but it will be durable.
It is important to understand, what do you want from your bike, and you’ll have no problems with the choice!