What’s Your Bike Style?

By: DECLAN EGGERT

At first, I had no idea what kind of bike fit my style, until I did some research. I learned that there are three main types of bikes, a road bike, a mountain bike, and a crossover (hybrid). I chose to go with the crossover, but we’ll get into that later.

So, let’s talk about the road bike. What exactly is a road bike? Just as it sounds, the bike is made for riding on surfaced roads, typically as fast as possible https://www.completetri.com. They have skinny tires and pretty light weight frames made to allow the biker a fast and comfortable ride. They usually have lowered handlebars to get the rider into a more aerodynamic position. As well as, gearing made to achieve maximum speed. However, since the handle bars are situated in a downward position, the rider may be put in an uncomfortable position themselves; which would be a downfault for more casual riders. This is why I didn’t go with the road bike myself. 

Now let’s talk about the mountain bike. This kind of bike is made to ride over the harshest terrains with ease https://www.rei.com. Mountain bikes are similar to jeeps in the way that you can do almost anything to them and still be fine, as well as, you can swap parts and change parts out fairly easily and the bike will run exactly as expected. This is part of the reason why I almost chose the mountain bike. Since this bike is made for traversing over tough terrains, it uses motorcycle-style brake discs. Plus, most mountain bikes have shocks (suspension) in the front and back of the bike to allow for an easier and more comfortable ride. On top of that, they have special gear systems making uphill and downhill traversing much easier. On the down side however, mountain bikes can cost much more than other bikes because of the extremities such as shocks, lighter bike frame, and special gear systems. Not only this, but the majority of mountain bikes don’t ride well on normal streets and pavement, so just like the road bike, it may not be as enjoyable for casual riders.

Finally, let’s get into my favorite bike, the crossover (hybrid) https://www.canyon.com. This bike in my opinion is the best of both worlds. They’re very lightweight and aerodynamic, just like the road bike, and are comfortable and tough just like the mountain bike. These types of bikes are moderate at traveling over mountainous environments, because they don’t usually have great treads on their tires like mountain bikes do; but have great braking power since they use very similar braking mechanisms to mountain bikes. Sadly, not everything is perfect. The crossover bike does have the slight problem of not being as fast and lightweight as the road bikes. However, I still went with the crossover bike because it seemed to fit both of my needs of wanting to ride casually, as well as, wanting to go trail riding from time to time; but everyone’s needs and preferences vary. 

Now that you have done your research yourself, I hope you can make an educated decision about what type of bike style fits you the best. Buying a bike can be a big investment, these machines can last a lifetime if taken care of properly. Don’t choose a bike that doesn’t fit all of your needs.