A
Bike Defines an Owner
Guidelines for Purchasing Bicycle
Bicycles (also called as cycles or bikes) are being
a part of human-civilization, since decades, instead it would be more than a
century now, and this machine, having passed the ‘Test of Time’, has
proved itself to be useful in numerous circumstances, situations, ways and
manners. Since you (the ‘Reader’) have searched for and/or are prepared to know
about the subject-matter herein (i.e. ‘Guidelines for purchasing bicycles’),
I would instantly, without any prologue hereto get to the fundamentals, while assuming
that you are well-acquainted with the advantages of the bicycles, and
consequently, inclined to purchase the same, but having confronted with the
gigantic varieties of cycles (causing even an highly intellectual mind to be
bewildered, especially those, who are going to purchase their first one, or who
belong to an era of 1970’s or 1980’s, whereby one had to choose only out of the
four/five models of cycles, available in a nearby retail shop), you, skeptically,
have either to leave the proceeds of your purchase thereof, or have constrain
yourself to leave freshly gained passion towards cycling, or have refrain
yourself till you gained ample knowledge thereto for arriving at a final
conclusion. If in case, you would have any such scenario or any other likewise
one, then I, via this article, would certainly be helpful to you to retrieve
yourself from the aforesaid perplexity/ies.
In our voyage to find out which machine would be
perfect for us, the first & foremost way-point is to churn & gain an
answer from within ourselves qua the purpose for which cycle is going to be
used, since this would, by itself, refine our search to a pointed level. In
other words, in this modern techno era, where everyone possesses devices/machines
providing technology & information for fulfillment of their goals/purposes,
similarly, for bicycles also, we have to know our expectations, before even
stepping into any shop or initializing to even browse into an online
application-cum-shop. For regular consumers, the cycles in this era, are,
basically & succinctly, of six different types (enumerated hereinbelow)
manufactured & sold for distinct and particular purposes, and as envisaged
hereinabove, we have to opt a specie/s from the following ones, in consonance
with purposes for which bicycle is going to be used:
Types of Bikes: -
11. Road Bikes: - These are look-alike of ‘professional-sports-bikes’
which run fast and could easily be pushed to long distances. They usually
possess drop top-tubes; sleek & less resistant tyres; super light frames
and drop handle-bars;
2. Mountain Bikes: As depicted from the name
itself, these are meant to move through mud, woods, heavy off-roading, have to
manage steeps and need to run over the hills easily, and consequently, they
have express resistant-tyres; suspension on front and rear wheels; disc brakes
for thorough control, and flat handle-bars;
3. Hybrid Bikes: These bikes are manufactured to
couple-up features of the aforesaid two breeds of bikes, to fulfill the demands
of other people in the world, likewise the ones who need to use bike of light
trailing (off-roading) and regular use on roads/pavements. This type could be
further sub-divided into three varieties:
A) Fitness Hybrid: These are somewhat identical to
‘road-bikes’, but these would have flat or a little reclining top-tubes; flat
handle-bars; light frames and sleek tyres. This type could go around 20-30
miles on flat road without any discomfort;
B) Dual Sport Hybrid: As the name suggests, these
bikes depict an impression as that of a ‘mountain-bikes’, and possess
suspension on the front wheels (frequently at rear wheels also); disc brakes,
and thicker tyres. These have caliber to bare light-trailing and easily move over
pavements, but it would be less speedy than road/fitness bikes, and have to be
pushed harder than those;
C) Comfort Hybrid: These look distinct from any other
bike-type (enumerated hereinabove), and could be easily separated from all of
them, and are meant for adding excessive comforts to biking. These would possess
big saddle; very upright riding position with help of high handle-bars; suspension
on the front wheels and the most prominent difference, which outrightly make
these distinct from other bikes, is no ‘Top-tube’.
COST – only a Factor, not the Sole Reason:
Having opted from the types, enumerated hereinabove,
now the next junction of our voyage is ‘Cost’ of the bike. This should
be one of the major factors to opt from the aforesaid types of bikes, but not
at all the sole factor to book a purchase, since even if one gets an expensive
bike, but in case, the same is not upto the expectations, then it’s nothing
more than a scrap, however, in case, one considers the ‘cost’ as a factor only,
while purchasing a bike, then one would certainly get a bike which would be in
consonance to the expectations, even if it’s cheap one, particularly, when every
bike is upgradable, except the frame & fork, for the changed demands by
changing tyres, saddle, brakes and/or pedals etc.
For information only:
In India, good bikes, without pre-installed
gears, would be available at around 8-10 thousand Rupees and with pre-installed
gears, the costs would be around 13-20 thousand Rupees. I hereby would not
point-out which is/are the best bike/s currently available in the Indian-markets,
rather, I, having furnished you with the requisite intel thereto, leave it up
to you to decide the best/suitable for yourself.
Components: -
While proceeding with our voyage, now let’s know
about the components of the bikes, deserving the necessary consideration
thereto:
A) Gear: This component is the most
important one in a cycle, since any trouble with this, has to be repaired by
the professionals, otherwise, a cycle would always have an uncertain &
troublesome ride. So, before purchasing a bike, consider major brands (viz. ‘Shimano’,
Compagnolo, SRAM, Microship, etc.), and more expensive, this component would be
lighter, featureful, and smoother-gearshifts a cycle would gain.
A good
cycle should have a ‘11/32’ gear-ratio (meaning thereby that lowest gear would
have eleven tooth and the largest one would have thirty-two tooth) to ride
on hills, otherwise, it would be harder to push, even if ratio is slightly
different, likewise in case of ’11/28’ ratio. To ride hills enjoyable and not
forceful, one should have extra tooth on the gears.
B) Rear Derailleur: This component is the most
necessary for gear system, since it is only this, which shifts chain from one
gear to another. So, it must be of good quality for smooth gear-shifting,
otherwise, the chances of gear-stuck would increase to an alarming level.
Appositely,
it would be necessary to add herein that albeit, the wired derailleurs are
issueless, but in some markets wireless rear-derailleur are also available,
however, the same have exorbitant price-tags, so it depends upon your finances
to opt it.
C) Chain-ring: There are numerous types of
chain-rings in the market, but mainly those of only three kinds (i.e. firstly,
the sole chain-ring, secondly, the two chain-rings in one component, one would
be small and other ring would be larger (as depicted by the figure hereinbelow)
and third, would have three chain rings, however, all would have different
tooth ratios viz 50:34 (one of the best ratios); 48:32 or 46:30. The
purpose of this is to have better acceleration, while converting every magnitude
of force from body to cycle-acceleration.
The better the ratio, the better the acceleration and it would further help you
to push your bike over the hills/mountains.
Doubled Chain-ring
Doubled Chain-ring
D) Brakes: The next component requires
your consideration is Brakes, these are available in two types: 1) Rim Brakes
& 2) Disc Brakes. The disc brakes, although expensive than rim brakes but
have much advantages over the rim brakes viz. good for inclination in hill/mountains,
more robust; better control in rain, however, if you would ride only in dry and
flat surfaces then rim brake are adequate, lighter and inexpensive than discs.
Rim
Brakes Disc Brakes
E) Frames: The frame is the chassis of the
cycle, and the lighter & stronger the frame the better & prominent
effect would be upon the ride. The frame should be of such a quality which
could easily bear the regular wear & tear and while bearing those, it
should absorb the road bumps etc., without any hitch. The cycles now-a-days are
manufactured from steel, (usually used for budget bike), aluminum or aluminum
alloys (used for good bike but not for high-end and/or for exorbitant price
tags) and carbon fiber (used for professional bike, with exorbitant prices tags).
The steel would be the least to absorb those road bumps being the heaviest and
the carbon-fiber is the most strongest of them, and could bear anything,
however, in case, one can’t bear the exorbitant price tags of carbon-fiber
bikes, then most appropriate option would be to buy aluminum frame with
carbon-fiber fork, since that would certainly nails every sound/noise, while riding the bike.
Cycle Frame
Besides,
the frame should be designed in such a way that it provides ample wheel
clearance, so that in case of change of tyres/wheels, the frame should be able
to adapt with it.
F) Rims: Bicycle rims basically comes in
only one type for regular user, i.e. spokes rims. And what we have to consider
is higher the number of spokes in the rim, better the strength it would have,
and second to consider, diameter of the rim, usually it is 26, 27 or 28, but 26
inch would be better would, since there is abundance of such rims size in the
market, at least in India.
G) Wheels: Basic bike purchased would come
with basic wheels, however, these could be upgraded without any issue, as one
gets serious towards pursuing the passion of biking. For info, wider tyres are
better, since these provide more grip, and low rolling-resistance.
H) Other Relevant Considerations: firstly, ‘saddle’ – the downy
the better, and secondly, pedals, these should be clipless, if travelling for
long distances.
Now, our voyage has come to an end, and I hope
this article would have cleared all the clouds around your view, by elevating
your knowledge, and also hope that you would get to your cycle and pursue your
passions of biking/cycling.
Pertinently, I would suggest you to prefer and
look for brands with better guarantee/s options, if you are opting for the
cycles costing above Rs.13-15k in India.
However, in case of any doubt, you could contact
me, and I would try to resolve the issue, you might be confronting.
