Are you planning to buy your first cycle?
Let us be honest with you, the process of purchasing shall be daunting. The wide range of choices adds to the intimidation.
How can you ease the decision-making process?
By answering a few key questions, you will be in a better position to purchase the right cycle for you.
First pedals? Spoke Herd has you covered
Let us delve into the questions and find the ideal cycle for you.
What is your budget?
Answering this question shall save you a lot of time and effort. Also, setting a budget helps when you are at the dealers’ place and the salesman is showing you, their collection. The chances of the dealer upselling shall reduce when you specify the budget beforehand.
Talk with a few cycle owners and get a fair idea. Be smart while setting your budget or you will either end up spending a fortune or purchasing a mediocre cycle.
Also, try to be flexible on the budget with the good rule of thumb being 10%.
What is the purpose?
Commuting to and from college or joining a cycling community? Or somewhere in between?
Your purpose of investing in a cycle shall remove a lot of unwanted options. Understand that the purpose is individual and rarely can you receive advice on this.
To answer this question well, being honest is the key. Investing in a casual cycle and then taking it to downhill a mountain is pointless.
How often will you be using the cycle?
Daily commute or a weekly ride. How often you shall be cycling will decide a lot on the type of cycle you need. For daily commute or weekly use, a solid cycle, usually expensive shall be ideal.
However, for occasional or rare riding, a cheap cycle or even a second-hand shall work fine.
Where will you be riding often?
This boils down to riding on-road or off-road. Will you be riding on city streets or mountains? Though this is easy to answer, many fail at this question in pursuit of choosing a one-type-fit-all cycle.
Knowing the major types of cycles will help you in assessing the right cycle for your style.
Road bike
These are cycles built for the urban population. This type is best suited for cycling on pavements and roads. With thin tires, these cycles are tailored for riding seamlessly and quickly.
Mountain bike
Ironically, mountain bikes fit the bill for cycling on Indian roads. With consistent bumps and lack of leveled roads, a road bike may just be less durable for Indian roads.
Also, mountain bikes are the best for off-road cycling. They are highly durable with wide and grippy tires.
Hybrid
These cycles are a right mixture of road and mountain bikes. Slightly durable like mountain bikes, with a tinge of seamless ride like the road bikes.
These are used for long-distance cycling and fitness regimes.
Answering these questions shall narrow down the options to very few. Test ride the cycles, check for features like the right weight, frames, feel, and accessories.
And following this guide sincerely should help you in finding the right cycle for yourself.
