Choosing the right bicycle

There are many types of bicycle available, each with a different purpose and range of features. If you are new to cycling – or returning to the saddle – it can often be a bit daunting making the right choice from the many options available.

Your local cycle shop is the best source of advice and information to assist you in making the right decision, and of course nothing can substitute sitting on a bike and giving it a test ride to decide if its right for you before you buy.

Here is some useful information to help you get started.

A couple of questions you need to answer:

• “What type of cycling will I be doing?” - to get the most out of your bike and enjoyment when you are using it think about what type of cycling you will be doing most of. Cycling for transport – such as to work or the shops. Cycling for leisure – such as along local cycle paths, forest routes or mountain biking. Cycling for competition – such as road or off-road racing.
• “How often will I cycle?”– the value you will get from your bike depends how often it will be used. If you will use the bike five days a week or take a long spin on it every weekend, then it’s probably worth paying a bit more for a bike that you will enjoy riding. If, however, you will only use the bike a couple of times a month, you will need to consider your budget so that you do not end up with an expensive bike that is rarely used.
• “What’s my budget?”- you get what you pay for and never more so that when it comes to buying a bicycle. Try and get the best you can afford because it will ultimately be a better investment in terms of quality components, features and durability. We generally suggest that a budget of around €350 is really the starting point for a good quality adult bicycle for general leisure / transport use.