Choosing the Right Bike

If the last bicycle you bought was that 10-speed gathering rust, dust, and cobwebs in your garage, you might feel a little lost the next time you head into a bike shop.

Never mind the titanium mountain bikes hanging from the walls. Even if you just want two wheels to cruise the neighborhood, today’s bikes resemble yesterday’s 10-speeds about as much as those big-wheeled velocipedes from generations past. The array of choices can be staggering, but modern bikes offer comfort and options their predecessors couldn’t match.

“Bike lines today offer such expanded bikes for every given situation,” says Craig Petersen, owner of Ajax Bike & Sports stores in Carbondale, Basalt, and Aspen, Colo.

Bike shops offer more, too, so tell your shop what you need, Petersen says. How old are you? Do you have back problems? How do you want to use your bike? Your store can not only help pick the right style, but it can change your seat, handlebars, and more, to fit your body and your needs, Petersen says.

Ten gears used to be a lot for a bike. These days even most around-town cruisers have 24 or 30 speeds, Petersen says. Many basic bikes also are equipped with fancy lightweight frames and road-cushioning shock absorbers—items once reserved for high-end models.

For a good all-around bike, Petersen recommends a “cross bike”—one that rides like a road bike but handles bumps like a mountain bike. “It’s kind of the best of all worlds for people 40 to 60 years old, sometimes even younger,” he says. They also can be some of the most reasonably priced bikes on the road.

Want to tear it up on some rocky trails? You can spend from a few hundred to several thousand dollars and come away with a mountain bike loaded with lots of gears, lightweight frames, and heavy-duty shocks to smooth out the ride.

Whether you want a bike to bring home the groceries or to bring home a trophy, Petersen has one piece of advice he says everyone should follow. “Always wear a helmet,” he says. No matter what type of bike you buy, the ground feels the same when you land.

David M. Frey is a freelance writer in Carbondale, Colo.

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