You may have noticed a new bike lane along your daily commute. Or perhaps the new bike racks outside your favorite part of town. With many communities around the Susquehanna Valley taking steps to become more bike-friendly, you’re bound to want a new bike sooner or later. But now you have a burning question: what kind?
You talk to your buddies and check out their bikes. You look online, and watch videos of epic stunt fails. The problem is, you still have no idea which bike to buy. The solution? Head to your local bike shop.
It’s helpful to have a guide as you enter the complex world of biking, since the industry is exploding. Besides the main categories (see Bike Classifications on Page 45), there are recumbents, cyclocross, tandems, and BMX/dirt-jumpers. One fun trend, says Ed Brandt of Adventure Cycling & Fitness in York (www.adventure-cycling.com), is the pedal trailer, also called a trail-a-bike. He explains, “These allow a child to join you on longer rides, but they only have to pedal when they feel like it.” One employee’s granddaughter likes this add-on, saying: “Come on, Grandpa, let’s go one-wheeling.”
Major trends, according to Lee Gonder, owner of Camp Hill’s World Cup Ski & Cycle (www.worldcupskiandcycle.com), include electric bikes (popular for commuting); larger mountain bike wheels, with lower tire pressure for comfort and handling and fewer flats; and something called “gravel grinder” bikes.
“Think of a road bike with a more comfortable geometry, allowing you to sit a little more upright, with a frame design that absorbs more vibrations from the road, gravel or Pennsylvania’s tar and chip roads. Add the ability to put on a bigger tire and now you have a bike for a local road ride, but you still have the ability to adventure onto a gravel road or trail. This is a nice option for the person who also wants a ‘faster’ bike for the rail trail.” A good example of this type of bike is the GT Grade Carbon Ultegra with hydraulic disc brakes ($3,580).
So Many Bikes, So Little Time
When it comes to choosing a bike, two questions pop up: What are you using it for, and where are you going?
“For commuting, a lot of people are going with a fitness or hybrid,” Brandt observes. “It depends on how far they’re riding, how they feel about comfort over speed (or vice versa), and how much gear they’re going to carry. Quite a few people choose a dual-sport bike, which is where the fitness bikes fall: between the hybrid and a road bike, only a little more like a road bike.”
Others go for cruisers and comfort bikes, with their more laid-back seat position. Brandt says, “This gets them the leg extension they need, but they can stop and put their feet on the ground while they’re sitting on the seat. These could be beach bikes, but now they’re lighter, with more gears.” He recommends Trek’s Verve hybrids, FX fitness bikes, and DS Dual-Sport bikes as general-purpose bikes. Prices start under $400, but a good Trek road bike starts around $1,000 and can “cost as much as a car.”
New choices pop up every year. Gonder explains, “Twenty years ago there was only one particular type of bike, where today there are a lot of niches, some more road-oriented or fitness-oriented.” He likes the Cannondale Quick, a hybrid. “It’s our best-selling model. This is for the guy who’s going to the gym and working out, but rather than doing treadmill time, he wants to go outside and do something. At the same time, he doesn’t want to dress out like a Euro-pro; he’s more of a t-shirt-and-gym-clothes kind of guy. He wants something he could ride if his buddies do a twenty-mile charity ride or on the rail trail with his kids.”
Gonder describes some new hybrids as “oriented toward comfort, with big suspension forks, gel saddles and upright handlebars,” but says he doesn't ride one because they’re “Grandpa bikes.” At forty-seven, he observes, “People my age don’t consider themselves old. They want to be on something cool.”
He says the Quick offers some “comfort and a more upright position, but puts the saddle and handlebar on an even plane. You’re bent over a little more, but it’s not a terribly aggressive position.” This series runs anywhere from $479 up to $1,500 (aluminum) or $2,000 (carbon fiber).
Tech Developments
Carbon fiber, according to Gonder, is the biggest change in the past decade. “Its light weight, durability and relative affordability have made it an ideal material.” Aluminum has morphed as well, with new processes shaping it in new ways, for a better ride.
Another factor in choosing a model is bike fit, a science in and of itself. At Adventure Cycling, they’ve performed thousands of fits over the years, and they still do it the hands-on way. At World Cup, they use a computerized process, which creates 3D images of the rider and recommends good fits from a vast database. Either way you do it, get fitted for a bike. Otherwise, says Brandt, “It’s like buying a pair of shoes that are a size too big or too small. They’ll never feel comfortable.”
Once you’ve found your ideal bike and been fitted properly, consider accessories (see Biking Safety Tips Page 46), like a helmet, a good lock, and a bike rack. Once you’re equipped, there’s only one thing left to do, and that’s ride.
Brandt looks at riding as “a fun afternoon”; he finds it relaxing and “a great stress reliever, and you accidentally get some exercise.” For Gonder, “Every ride is different and can involve fun, fear, joy, and pain. But it’s the most fantastic, epic adventure you can have.”
Bike Classifications
Road Bikes: Destined for pavement. You might want these because they’re light and fast. These thin-tired bikes shine at racing and long distance. Handlebars can be flat or drop.
Touring Model: A sub-category road bike ideal for long-distance riding. They offer lots of cargo options, are a little more upright for comfort, and have low gears for steep hills.
Mountain Bikes: Made for off-roading.
Hybrid or Fitness Bikes: Flat-bar road bikes for out and about town; a good commuting bike. Borrowing features from road and mountain bikes, these lightweight models offer comfortable seats, upright handlebars, adjustable parts, and efficient pedaling.
Cruiser/Comfort/Coaster Bikes: Great for the beach and tooling around the neighborhood. They have wide tires, padded seats, and upright position. They’re good on flat roads and easy on the back. Gears are optional.
City Bikes: Not an actual model but more of a genre. They’re the best of road, hybrid, and mountain combined, but pretty much a hybrid. They’re nimble in traffic, but also able to navigate gravel and hop curbs.
Biking Safety Tips
1. Wear a helmet. Over 90 percent of bicyclists killed in a recent year weren't wearing helmets. Wear gloves, too; your hand is the first thing you put out when you fall.
2. When riding at night, be bright; use reflectors and lights.
3. Be aware of what’s around you (avoid using headphones).
4. Bring water to stay hydrated.
5. Carry a repair kit: spare tube, tire levers, patch kit, and CO2 kit or hand pump.
6. Get your bike serviced once a year (some sellers offer the first tune-up free).
Street: If you’re riding on the road, follow the rules of the road (stop at stoplights and stop signs, etc.). Use the bike lane if there is one. Learn and use hand signals. Make eye contact with drivers so they see you and recognize you as a vehicle. Thread both a U-lock and a city chain through both tires.
Rail Trail: Horses have the first right of way, then pedestrians, then bicycles. Let people know you’re approaching them from behind, verbally or with a bell, especially if there is a horse involved. Pass on the left, and say, “On your left” well before you do.
