RECREATIONAL BIKE BUYING GUIDE

These are two important questions you need to think about when shopping for a bike. There are a lot of options, and each style of bike has characteristics that make it best suited for different riding styles. Do you prioritize speed and low weight, or are you more interested in relaxed riding position and the most comfort possible? Are you going to do short rides around the neighborhood or do you want to be able to tackle your first charity ride?

Within the category of recreational bikes, you’ll find a lot of different names. Hybrids, city bikes, bike path bikes, commuter bikes, flat bar road bikes, comfort bikes. And what one brand calls one style of bike might be different for another. The critical thing to remember is that what the bike is called isn’t important. Instead, what’s important is getting the bike that’s right for you. That’s where ERIK'S can help.

Another fundamental difference, and one that can be seen, is the size and style of tires you’ll find on bikes. On bikes where comfort is king, you’ll find tires that are wider and that have much more volume. This means the tires can be run with lower air pressure to soak up all sorts of bumps and vibrations as you ride. At the other end, you’ll find tires that are narrower, which means that they can be run at higher pressures and they have lower rolling resistance, making them more efficient.

Different tires will also have different tread styles to them as well. Bikes designed primarily for pavement will have smoother tread patterns, which makes them smoother, quieter, and more efficient. Bikes that are designed to tackle a variety of terrain, like the Specialized Crosstrail and Ariel, will have knobbier tread to give them more grip on gravel and dirt.

Suspension is yet another way to smooth out your ride and increase comfort. A suspension fork will absorb bumps and vibrations that would typically come up from the front wheel while a suspension seatpost will minimize those bumps that would normally come up through the saddle.

Specialized uses their Future Shock on select bikes. The Future Shock is a road-specific suspension located above the head tube. It features up to 20mm of vertical travel within the stem. The suspension absorbs vibrations from the road without making you less efficient as a rider. Click here to learn more about the Future Shock.

There are two types of brakes commonly found on bikes today, rim brakes and disc brakes. Most people are familiar with rim brakes as they’ve been around for a long time. Rim brakes, like the name suggests, work by having brake pads squeeze together and grab on to the rim to slow you down. Disc brakes, on the other hand, use a disc attached to the hub with brake pads that grab the disc. Initially found on mountain bikes, disc brakes can now be found on all types of bikes, from road race bikes to hybrid and comfort bikes. Disc brakes have some significant advantages. Most importantly, they offer better and more controlled stopping ability in a variety of conditions. So, whether where you’re riding is dry or wet, you’ll have the braking performance you need.