How to Buy a Bike

When purchasing a bicycle it’s important to think about the style of bicycle that best fits your riding needs. Ask yourself, what terrain will you primarily ride on? What type of position would you be most comfortable riding in? Watch our 60-second video above to see what options are available!

How to choose a bike

You may think you need a mountain bike, for Pittsburgh since it has many hills. However, Mountain bikes are intended for unpaved, rough terrain (not the best option for city streets). Heres a simple breakdown of different bikes you may see around town.

• Mountain bikes have flat handlebars, a large range of gears, suspension, and most importantly large knobby tires.
• Road bikes are designed to be fast, featuring dropped handlebars, skinny tires, and a lighter-weight, compact frame which is good for aerodynamics and racing.
• Hybrid and comfort bikes have an upright position for a more relaxed ride, they also have thicker tires than a road bike but thinner less knobby than a mountain bike.
• Another great in-between is a commuter bike which offers a semi-relaxed, semi-fast position and the ability to carry things.

Hybrid, comfort, and commuter bikes are set up to ride comfortably on both our riverside trails and our city streets.

Looking for more information?

Review our “How to buy a bike: Finding the right bike for you“ blog. We review all of the important questions you might ask, including:

• Where should I buy a bike?
• Which bicycle style is right for me?
• What other things do I need to buy?
• When will I need to get a tune-up?
• How can I prepare for emergency repairs?
• How can I carry things on my bike?

We highly recommend visiting your small local bike shop! They will provide additional knowledge to help inform your decision. Good luck and share your new bike photos with us by tagging @bikegph and #bikepgh on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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