The bikes we’ve tested have cost from about $300 to nearly $2,000. We found that more money buys a lightweight frame made of carbon fiber, aluminum or a combination of both parts, or high strength steel and other high excellent accessories. But which you could still buy a good bike for a number of hundred dollars. Decide What Kind of Riding You’ll DoThat will narrow your choice to one of the four basic types. If you’re an avid cyclist, you may prefer a standard road bike.
Looking for a leisurely ride on flat, paved roads?A comfort bike may be more your speed. If rugged trails are on your sights, than a mountain bike could be best. Drivetrain A bicycle’s chain runs between the crankset in the middle of the bike and the rear cassette attached to the rear hub. Cranksets typically have two chain rings called doubles or three triples. Shifting from one chain ring to another adds coarse gearing changes, while shifting among the many sprockets in the rear cassette allows fine gearing changes. The total variety of speeds a bike has is the number of chain rings expanded by the variety of sprockets in the rear cassette.
For example, a bike with triple front chain rings and a nine sprocket cassette has a complete of 27 speeds. More speeds generally means more flexibility on a variety of grades.
