How do I find the right bike for my needs?

New or used? Gravel bike, road bike, city bike, mountain bike, folding bike ...? Which bike is right for me?

Before I buy a bike, I should think carefully about which bike is right for me. Nowadays, the bicycle market is so broadly diversified that there are huge differences between the different product segments. The question of whether it should be a new or used bike should also be considered before buying.

Buy a new or used bike?

Let's start with the latter: Should I buy a new bike or a used one? Even if you rarely buy used products, there is a lot to be said for looking for a used bike when buying a bike. A bicycle is a durable product with reasonably good care and there is actually little that breaks on it that is not easy to repair. Unlike a car or a computer, for example, a well-maintained bike still works just as well after 20 years as it did on the first day.

Most of the time, you only have a certain budget available for your bike. For the amount of a new cheap bike, you can get a used bike of much higher quality in a bicycle exchange for the same money. Over the years, this can pay off, because a high-quality bicycle lasts much longer than a bicycle whose components are produced more cheaply and which therefore give up the ghost comparatively early. In addition, you have much more fun riding with a used higher-quality bike than with an inexpensive new bike.

And this applies to all bicycle classes, but to a somewhat limited extent to electric bicycles. In the latter, the electronics and especially the battery play a particularly important role in the overall product. Here you should make sure that the battery is not yet at the end of its service life or that the purchase price for the used e-bike is so low that you can replace the battery immediately if necessary and still pay less than for an equivalent new e-bike.

But of course there is also the disadvantage that you don't get a warranty everywhere on used bikes. This is more likely to be the case with dealers of used bicycles, but not with private purchases.

Which bike class is right for me?

Which bike is right for me depends on the tours I want to do with it. Of course, there is a world of difference between a mountain bike tour in the Harz Mountains or a cycling holiday in the Netherlands. And there is a bike for every terrain.

City bikes

If I only ride my bike for shopping or work, a so-called city bike may be the right solution. You can ride comfortably on it, have space for some luggage such as shopping or the briefcase, and you are protected from splashing water by mudguards. City bikes have full-fledged lighting and can be used day and night and in any weather.

Bikes

Many buy a bicycle to pursue sporting activities. If you want to do pure endurance sports and enjoy high speeds on smooth surfaces, then a road bike is probably the first choice.

The advantage of a road bike: With comparatively little effort, you can quickly cover large distances at high speed. The disadvantage: With a racing bike, you are tied to well-developed cycle paths or roads. The narrow tires and the slim, reduced construction are not suitable for bumpy tracks. Stony dirt roads, mud, but also curbs and other obstacles can quickly damage the racing bike.

The gravel bike

If you basically sympathize with a road bike, but at the same time would like to turn onto gravel dirt roads or somewhat bumpier slopes, you are better off with a gravel bike. In principle, the construction looks like a road bike, but the gravel bike is more stable and has wider tires. The gears are also designed to ensure that you can ride comfortably and safely even on light terrain.

Gravel bikes are interesting for those for whom mountain bikes are too rustic and who don't want to ride extreme routes, but who still don't want to ride only on asphalt.

Mountain bikes

If you want to go even further off-road, a mountain bike is the right thing for you. With the wide tires, they can also master muddy or gravelly surfaces and small branches or stones are no obstacles.

By the way, a mountain bike may also be a good city bike, because provided you have the appropriate skills, you can also ride down stairs and high curbs do not form obstacles. Mudguards, luggage racks and lights are usually not available on mountain bikes, but can be retrofitted.

The gears of the mountain bike are designed in such a way that even steep routes can be mastered relatively easily. However, the short gears and the wide tires together with the very stable frame of the mountain bikes do not allow high speeds like on a road bike.

If you are interested in a mountain bike, you have two basic systems to choose from: the fully and the hardtail. On the hardtail mountain bike, only the front fork is sprung. This makes the bike a little lighter than the fully and a bit more stable. When riding uphill, you need less power.

The fully has front and rear suspension, which causes a little more weight, and it shows its advantages in very difficult terrain, especially when riding downhill. The double suspension absorbs much more uneven ground and if you want to experience downhill slopes at maximum speed, the fully is the right one.

If you want a universal mountain bike with which you can also go on multi-day bike tours, you should rather go for a hardtail. This is usually a bit cheaper and a luggage rack can be mounted more easily.

A few words about the tire size of mountain bikes: Most modern MTBs come with 27.5-inch tires on the market. That's a good compromise. Smaller tyres increase mobility on narrow passages, larger tyres run more smoothly and absorb uneven ground such as grooves or roots better.

Folding bicycle

A folding bike is the modern version of what used to be called a folding bike. In contrast to a folding bike, the folding bike can be folded several times and you get a very compact package. Modern folding bikes have sophisticated gears and a good technical level overall. Nowadays, you can comfortably cover longer distances with a folding bike.

The folding bike shows its advantages with people who like to take their bike with them on public transport, for example. On the train and in many buses, the folded folding bike can be taken along free of charge and there is also room for one or two folding bikes in the trunk of the small car.

Auch längere mehrtägige Radtouren kann man mit dem Faltrad machen, aber das ist dann eher ein Kompromiss und lange steile Strecken oder holprige Untergründe würde ich dann eher meiden.

Fazit: Erst überlegen, dann kaufen

Diese Vorüberlegungen zum Fahrradkauf sind natürlich längst noch nicht erschöpfend. Es geht eher darum, sich schon einmal grundsätzlich zu überlegen, ob man sein Fahrrad lieber gebraucht kaufen möchte oder neu und welche Art von Fahrrad es denn sein soll.

Hat man sich hier für das eine oder das andere entschieden, kann man auf spezialisierten Seiten weitersuchen, z.B. gezielt nach einem gebrauchten Mountainbike Hardtail oder einem neuen Gravel-Bike.

Übrigens …

… vor dem Kauf eines Fahrrades solltest Du die erforderliche Rahmenhöhe berechnen. Und man könnte ja auch mal über ungewöhnliche Fahrräder nachdenken, wie z.B. ein E-Dreirad …