Bike Buying Guide

Mountain Bikes

Hardtails are rigid framed mountain bikes with front suspension forks. The hardtail is a great way to access mountain biking as the frames are relatively inexpensive compared to full suspension bikes - therefore at a comparable price point you get much better components than the equivalent Full Susser.

Hardtails are great bikes to start with as the frame can be unforgiving and requires the rider to really learn their craft when it comes to trail riding.

Full Sussers really allow the rider to attack any terrain. The amount of travel available on the rear of the bike ranges from 3” to 10”.

Great Full Sussers start at about £1200 - at this price they are reasonably light, have decent forks (often Air forks with Lockout) and Hydraulic discs brakes. Sometimes you forgo the hydraulics and air forks for a great frame and rear shock.

The 3” travel bike is ideal for hard core racers usually focussed on the shorter events – under 3 hours. The other big buyers of 3” bikes are the riders who just want a little more compliance (keeping the back wheel on the trail) than you get with a hardtail. Riders who like to ride hard fast trails. 4” & 5” travel bikes are those most commonly produced and bought covering a wide range of purposes. From weekend warriors travelling the country looking for great trails to local riders hitting local tracks and the real top end bikes produced for Enduro riders (long distance mountain bike races of 6  to 24 hours) 6” bikes are often known as All Mountain, they are designed to be capable of being ridden as cross country bikes that can handle down hill courses. I.e. ride to the mountain, ride up the mountain. Hammer down the mountain. Often the buyers of these machines like to have the option to go for a serious jump or descent when they get the chance. Often riders have come from 4” & 5” travel bikes and have found their limitations. 7” to 10” bikes are reserved for real adrenaline junkies Not great for riding to or riding up the mountain but if you have a ski lift handy then these machines are built for going top to bottom as quickly as possible. 

Women’s Specific Design Bikes- WSD

WSD bikes are available for all styles of bikes. Fundamentally they are the same build level as the men's bikes but are different in a few specific areas. They generally have shorter top tubes (shortening the difference between the saddle and the handlebars) the handlebars will be narrower, with shorter reach brake levers, a saddle suited specifically for a women’s shape and in some cases grips or tape that is thinner than that of the men’s range.

Road Or Racing Bikes

The road bike is a jack of all trades.  It will have a range of gears good for anything from 40mph sprints to 10mph climbs.  Road bikes today universally use dual-control levers, which operate both brakes and gears from the same handholds. Dropped handlebars give a range of handholds and positions, including the aerodynamic crouch adopted while sprinting or riding at speed on the flat.  The brake hoods provide a secure grip and plenty of leverage when riding out of the saddle up a steep climb. Frame geometry is set up to combine responsive steering - vital when riding in close proximity to others in a racing bunch. The main features associated with race bikes are that they are very light, very stiff and responsive.

Cyclo-Cross Bikes

Participation in this winter-based discipline requires a very specialised machine.  As its name implies, the sport takes place off road, and conditions may vary from thick mud to wet grass and even snow and ice.  Organisers usually include sections that cannot easily be ridden, obliging competitors to dismount and carry their machine.  Since the going is slower than on tarmac, a 48t or smaller outer chainring is generally preferred.  A longer wheelbase and short reach to handlebars, set slightly higher than on the road, help stable handling while the saddle may be a little lower for the same reason. Fat, knobbly tyres with a suitable tread increase grip and reduce the impact of rough ground.  The frame and forks are designed to provide plenty of room for fat tyres.  Mini V or Cantilever brakes greatly increase clearance, reducing the chance of mud of leaves clogging up the frame and jamming the wheels.  The gear and rear brake control cables run along the top of the top tube, leaving its underside clutter free when shouldering the bike over obstacles.  Cyclo-cross bikes are also great for training and touring.

Hybrid Bikes

Hybrids are designed with mixed riding in mind, suitable for urban and leisure cycling. They cover a wide range of styles – from road bike-style frames with gearing and braking systems of mountain bikes to urban mountain bike styles with thinner tyres. Hybrids will usually have flat handlebars and no suspension. Prices usually range from about £200 to £1000. They can be very handy for commuting as the flat bars allow easy access to the brakes, the upright position is good for visibility in traffic, the smoother tyres allow for more speed on the road than a mountain bike, and the wheels are usually stronger than a road bike’s. They are also usually sold with braze-ons allowing you to attach urban essentials such as mudguards, rack or lock, which are not usually found on a racing bike.

Custom bikes (from £500)

If you can't find a bike to fit you, or if you have special requirements, then you could get a bike built for you. Many experienced cyclists prefer tailor-made bikes. Custom bikes may be a little more expensive than an off-the-shelf option but could make all the difference to your cycling comfort and your enjoyment. Specialist builders will take full measurements and take into account unusual height, or any disabilities, when building the frame and selecting components.

Kids Bikes

Here are the key things you need to know when buying bikes for children.   Traditionally children started to learn to ride age 2-3 on trikes. They then moved on to small two-wheelers with training wheels or stabilizers age 3-4.   However, things have changed a bit now with the advent of the new baby two-wheelers pioneered by the German firm Like-a-Bike  and others. These pedal free bikes allow children from as young as two to start on two wheels thus avoiding the need for a trike altogether and often avoiding the need for stabilisers on a pedalled two wheeler bike.

  So as far as ages go, think as follows:

Age 2-3: Traditional tricycle or pedal free two wheeler
Age 3-4: Pedal free two wheeler or pedal bike with training wheels/stabilizers
Age 4-10: Mini mountain bike with gears

Age 10+: Larger mountain bikes, junior road bikes, BMXs etc

Learning to ride

Don’t worry if your child does not conform to the above guidelines– not all kids develop the coordination, balance, strength or motivation to ride a two-wheeler at the same time. Many don't get the hang of it until they are ten or even older.

The trick, I think, is to offer them the opportunity to learn to ride a bike as soon as possible but not to push them too hard. They all get there in the end.

To get the right size bike for your child, check the wheel diameter rather than the frame size. Because kids grow fast, make sure the bike you buy is fully adjustable.    As a rough guide to sizing, use the following:
Age 2-3: 12 inch wheels
Age 4-6: 16 inch wheels
Age 6-8: 20 inch wheels
Age 8-10: 24 inch wheels or a 26 inch frame size for a junior road/racing bike.

Choosing the right bike

There are hundreds of different childrens bikes to choose from but only a relatively small number are carefully thought through design-wise. Many are also poorly made and will not last long. Some are just plain dangerous. The key things to look out for are:  

Size: Get a bike that fits your child. They should be able to mount and dismount the bike without getting caught on the cross bar and, once on, they should be able to stand in front of the saddle with both feet flat on the floor. They must be able to reach the handle bars without straining forward. Their riding position should be upright.  

Brakes: It is essential that your child can get their fingers round the brake levers with ease while properly holding the handle bars. This is a major safety issue with some poorly designed bikes. The best ones not only have brakes specifically made for children’s hands but adjusters that allow you to move the levers closer to the handle bars initially.  On mountain bikes, hand-pull “V” brakes are best.  

Gears: Kids equate gears with status but they do need to be trained to use them properly at first.  They give children the ability to tackle more challenging routes, once they become familiar with them.  They will need periodic adjustment. 

Wheels: The most important thing here is to make sure that the nuts which hold the wheels in place are tight and made from good quality steel. Check regularly that there is no sideways play in the wheels. Also check that the spokes remain taut periodically.  

Frame: Most childrens bikes come with a steel frame. These are strong and durable but they can be heavy for some children. If your child is struggling with the weight of a standard steel frame, consider spending a bit more for an aluminum frame or a lighter steel version. On BMXs, go for a lighter “cro-mo” frame from the start.  

Adjustability: Check that the seat post has a good bit of upward travel in it so there is plenty of growing room. Also look for brakes that have twistable cable adjusters near the levers or the brakes themselves. These enable you to tighten the brakes and keep them safe as the brake pads wear down. On BMXs and junior racing bikes, go for bikes with a three-part pedal crank so parts can be swapped and replaced.

Be safe

Finally, make sure you buy a helmet for your child when they get a bike and make sure they wear it whenever they go out. Three quarters or more of all fatal cycle accidents are caused by head injuries, with boys in the 10 to 14 year old category most likely to suffer a head injury. Broken arms and legs can be fixed. Heads very often cannot.