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Considerations When Purchasing a New Bike

Entry level bikes are less expensive and usually designed to be more comfortable for casual or recreational riding. Of course, with a lower buy-in price, they often compromise on quality in areas that won't usually matter to a casual cyclist, but can make a difference to someone with more experience or someone tackling more rigorous rides and terrain. High performance bikes are designed for people who want a higher quality product that might weigh less, have more expensive parts and materials, and last longer in some cases. Be careful though, that higher performance may not be for the entry level or casual rider as far as comfort or riding position, as some higher performance bikes compromise on comfort to add quality, expecting a rider to be equipped with padded shorts and other independent comfort options to make up for the difference.

Pavement bikes (Road bikes, hybrids, urban bikes...) work better on pavement, but don’t do well off-road. The tires are generally more narrow and have less aggressive tread, made to ride faster and smoother on pavement. Pavement bikes should stay on the pavement.

Off-road bikes (think mountain or fat tire bikes) perform best when they are ridden in the element they were designed around, off the beaten path. Mountain bikes have wider knobby tires to better grip surfaces like loose dirt and gravel, even firm sand. They excel at riding gravel roads and driveways, single track through the woods, and even some double track (think old fire roads). They work pretty well on pavement too, but expect a slightly slower and a less smooth ride. That being said they do work on all terrain.

A road bike is designed for racing and long distance riding... think 100 miles! Of course, you can tool around town on a road bike, but that’s not what it is designed for.

A hybrid bike was originally a mix of a mountain bike and a road bike... narrower, smoother, higher-pressure tires on a more upright frame, with gears and brakes more like a mountain bike. Now there are dozens of hybrids that range from recreational and comfortable to more serious and light for longer distance riding. A hybrid is a very good all-around pavement bike... but it is not an off-road bike. (Myth: A hybrid bike can be used as either a road bike or a mountain bike... nope.)

Cruisers, beach bikes, and other comfort style bikes... These usually have a very upright riding position which is adds comfort and is great for a leisurely ride. Being upright is not the best position, however, to get power from your body down to the ground, so you give up some efficiency for comfort. Fun and leisurely...

Pedal assist E-Bikes have been around for 20 years but have more recently evolved into a much more desirable bike. Gone are the clunky bikes with a motor and a battery haphazardly added on. Newer, nicer e-bikes have lighter frames, larger capacity batteries (that can go longer distances per charge), and often times have both the battery and motor hidden, or integrated into the frame, so they look sleek and stylish.

Now most riders can get a full day's ride off a single battery charge. The rider can choose from several levels of assist. There are also plenty of gears if the rider uses little or no assist. These bikes are not only for people who need a little extra help to keep up or ride up challenging hills, they are just plain fun. E-bikes are for everybody! (Beware of E-Bikes sold online that look too good/cheap to be true. The battery is the most expensive part of an e-bike. Lower quality batteries will not have good power and range). Visit Ptown Bikes and go for a free demo ride.

What can I say? Sometimes people buy a bike for the color, or because it just looks cool! Just keep in mind all the above tips. You may have to sacrifice comfort or performance for style, so take some time to analyze your choices. Electra Bikes specialize in style but are still good quality bikes. Electra is owned by Trek Bicycles so you can count on them for quality.