Bike Advice! (For Beginners!)


This is my generic general advice for people buying bikes, feel free to ask me any specific questions though.

Step 1: Determine Your Intended Use this is 90% of the work):

Most people mess this up in the same way:
They start by looking at bikes instead of asking what they actually need.

You don’t need the “best bike.”
You need the bike you’ll actually ride.

Before buying anything I would first try to  figure out what you were buying the bike for..
Not what you aspire to do. What you’ll actually do.
  • Riding around your neighborhood?
  • Commuting a few miles?
  • Weekend rides for fitness?
  • Trails?
Commuting (getting from point A to point B)
  • Best overall option: road bike or hybrid
  • Why:
    • Efficient on pavement
    • Faster and lighter than most alternatives
    • Practical for daily riding
Your options:
  • Flat-bar road bike (best for beginners)
    • Straight handlebars
    • More upright, easier to control
    • Less intimidating if you’re new
    This is a great entry point if you’re nervous about riding in traffic
  • Drop-bar road bike (faster, more aggressive)
    • Curved handlebars
    • More aerodynamic
    • Better for longer or faster commutes
    Choose this if you care about speed or distance
  • Gravel / cyclocross-style bike (rough conditions)
    • Thicker tires
    • Handles bad roads, potholes, light dirt
    • Slightly more comfortable
    Best if your commute includes:
    • beat-up roads
    • gravel paths
    • or you just want a smoother ride

Recreational Riding (fitness, speed, long-distance)
  • Best option: road bike
What this looks like:
  • Riding longer distances (10–50+ miles)
  • Riding for fitness or training
  • Riding faster, not just casually cruising
  • Road bike (fitness and performance focus)
    • Lightweight and efficient
    • Designed to go faster with less effort
    • Better for longer rides without feeling sluggish
    This is a good choice if you:
    • Want a workout, not just a casual ride
    • Care about speed or tracking progress
    • Plan to ride consistently (multiple times per week)
  • Flat-bar road bike (more comfortable entry point)
    • More upright position
    • Easier handling
    • Slightly less efficient, but more approachable
    Good if you want:
    • Fitness riding without a steep learning curve
    • More comfort while still going farther and faster than a hybrid
  • Drop-bar road bike (more serious riding)
    • More aerodynamic position
    • More hand positions for longer rides
    • Better for speed and endurance
    Good if you:
    • Want to ride faster and farther
    • Are okay being a bit less upright
    • Plan to build endurance over time

Recreational Riding (casual slow rides, weekends, parks)
  • Best options: hybrid, cruiser, or Dutch-style bikes
What these are like:
  • Upright position
  • Comfortable
  • Slower, but easy
  • Hybrid bike (best overall choice)
    • Comfortable but still efficient
    • Can handle longer rides if needed
    If you want casual riding and flexibility, get this
  • Cruiser / Dutch bike
    • Very upright
    • Very comfortable
    • Very slow
    Only choose this if:
    • You’re riding short distances
    • You care more about comfort than efficiency
    Important:
    • Heavy
    • Hard to ride long distances
    • Not versatile
    Don’t buy this if you think you might:
    • commute
    • ride longer distances
    • want flexibility

Interchangeability (what can do multiple things)
  • Road bikes
    Can be used for commuting and recreation
  • Hybrid bikes
    Can be used for commuting, casual rides, light fitness
  • Gravel bikes
    Can do almost everything (roads and dirt)
  • Cruiser / Dutch bikes
    Technically can commute
    Practically not a good idea

Mountain Bikes (common beginner mistake)
A lot of people buy these first, usually for the wrong reason
  • Why people choose them:
    • Thick tires
    • Feel stable
    • Upright position
  • The reality:
    • Designed for trails, not roads
    • Slower on pavement
    • Require more effort
    For city riding:
    • They’re fine
    • But not ideal
    Better alternatives:
    • Hybrid bike
    • Flat-bar road bike
    • Gravel bike

E-Bikes (worth considering)
  • Adds motor assistance while pedaling
  • Makes hills and longer rides easier
    Great for:
    • commuting without sweating
    • longer distances
    • getting into biking

Other real-world use cases
  • Errands / everyday life
    • Best: hybrid, commuter bike, or e-bike
    • Can add racks, baskets, bags
  • Fitness / getting in shape
    • Best: road bike or hybrid
    • Road = faster
    • Hybrid = easier to start
  • Exploration / adventure riding
    • Best: gravel bike
    • Works on mixed terrain
    • Good for longer, varied rides
  • Carrying kids or heavy loads
    • Best: cargo bike or e-bike
    • Built for weight and stability
  • Mixed transport (bike + train / small apartment)
    • Best: folding bike
    • Easy to store and carry

Quick summary
  • Daily riding / commuting → road or hybrid
  • Casual riding:  hybrid
  • Rough roads / mixed terrain:  gravel
  • Trails : mountain bike
  • Maximum comfort (short rides only) : cruiser
  • Want it easy : e-bike 


Step 2: Understanding Bike Types 

Hyrbid Bike:
This is what most newbies people should buy.
  • Comfortable
  • Simple
  • Works almost everywhere
If you don’t know what you want, this is the answer.

E-Bike: 
This makes biking easier. They arent so much a category per se as an E-Biked can be any type of bike (mountain, hyrbid road).
  • Helps on hills
  • Less effort
  • More expensive
If you’re worried biking will be hard or you just want it to feel easy, get this. If you are new to biking in general, you should exercise more caution when first starting out until you know how handling a bike feels.

Road Bike:
This is for speed.
  • Fast
  • Efficient
  • Less comfortable
If your goal is exercise or distance, this makes sense. **Note any entry road bikes, especially ones with flat handlebars (ones that dont curve downwards are sometimes called hyrbids)

Mountain Bike:
This is for rough terrain.
  • Stable
  • Durable
  • Much Slower on roads or paved trails
If you want unpaved or dirt trails, get this. Otherwise, you probably don’t need it.

Gravel
This sits in between road and mountain bike..
  • Works on roads and dirt
  • More versatile
  • Slightly more niche
Basically if you think you will be biking on the road and on unpaved tails, you should look into this. 

Step 3: Sizing
  • The easiest way to find your size is to go to a bike shop and try different bikes
    • Sit on multiple options
    • See what feels comfortable
  • Sizing is not consistent across bikes
    • Two bikes labeled the same size can feel very different
    • Different types of bikes (road, hybrid, mountain) fit differently
  • Do not rely on the size label alone
    • Always go by how the bike actually feels

If you are buying used (Craigslist, Facebook, etc.)Use these basic checks:
Stand-over test
  • Stand over the top tube (the bar between the seat and handlebars)
  • Both feet should be flat on the ground
  • If you cannot comfortably stand over it, the bike is likely too big

Seat height range test
  • Raise the seat to a higher position
  • You should be able to sit on the seat and reach the ground on your tip toes
  • This helps confirm:
    • The bike is not too small
    • You have enough adjustment range

Pedaling extension test (most important)
  • Sit on the bike and pedal
  • When your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke (i.e. when the pedal is at its lowest point before coming back up again as it makes its rotation):
    • Your leg should be almost fully extended
    • Your knee should not be locked straight
  • This position is ideal for:
    • Efficient pedaling
    • Comfort on longer rides

Why this matters
  • Proper leg extension:
    • Makes riding easier
    • Reduces strain on your knees
    • Improves endurance

Important note
  • You do not have to ride with the seat this high!!! 
    • You can lower it for comfort
    • If you are newbie you may want your seat lower but as you ride more you will realize riding higher is actuall better and easier!)
  • However, you should buy a bike that allows this position
    • This prevents choosing a bike that is too small

Exception (cruiser and Dutch bikes)
  • These bikes are designed differently
    • More upright riding position
    • Easier to put your feet on the ground
  • Because of this:
    • Full leg extension while pedaling may not apply
    • Fit will feel different from other bike types

Bottom line
  • Do not rely on the size label
  • Focus on how the bike fits your body
Make sure you can:
  • Stand over the bike comfortably
  • Adjust the seat high enough
  • Pedal with near full leg extension
A properly sized bike will feel noticeably better, even on a short ride

Buying a Used Bike
  • Always test ride the bike
    • Don’t skip this
    • Ride it like you actually would

During the test ride:
  • Ride on different terrain
    • Go up hills
    • Go down hills
    • Ride at different speeds
  • Adjust the bike if needed
    • Seat height
    • Handlebar position
    If you can, bring:
    • Multi-tool
    • Allen keys / screwdriver
    Sellers often won’t have tools, and fit matters
Check the gears (most important)
  • Shift through all gears while riding
    • Not just once: go through them multiple times
  • What you want:
    • Smooth shifting
    • No hesitation
    • No loud clunking
  • Warning signs:
    • Skipping gears
    • Delayed shifting
    • Loud clunking or grinding
    If you notice this:
    • Expect repairs (~$100 or more)
    Unless you’re okay fixing it, don’t buy it
Check the tires
  • Look closely at the rubber
  • What you want:
    • Smooth surface
    • No major wear
  • Warning signs:
    • Cracks in the sidewalls (the sides of the tires)
    • Dry or brittle rubber
    This means the tires are aging and will need replacement soon
Check the brakes
  • Look at the brake pads
  • What you want:
    • Visible grooves or lines in the pads
  • Warning signs:
    • Pads worn down smooth
    • Grooves no longer visible
    Many pads have a “wear line”
    • If it’s worn to that line it needs replacement

What these issues mean
  • Worn brake pads:
    • Cheap fix ($10–20)
  • Worn tires:
    • Moderate cost ($20–40)
Note: If the bike has disc brakes, it will be much harder for you as a newbie to see if the brakes have a long life ahead of them, instead make sure the brakes feel responsive easily (i.e. you dont have to apply a large amount of force on the brakes before you feel stopping power).

These are not deal breakers
Just things to factor into the price

Bottom line
  • Test ride everything
  • Check the gears carefully
  • Expect to replace small parts
A used bike can be a great deal, but only if it actually works properly when you ride it


Brands: 
My favorite entry level bikes that I recommend to everyone: Fuji. They are definitely very economical and and also very well built. These are very cheap new and good quality. The Fuji Absolute 2.1 is my favorite entry level bike and it is usually around $350-450

Other brands I recommend are Giant and Trek, though they are more expensive so you can look out for them on craigslist. Stay away under any circumstances from bikes and brands you can buy at target, honestly.

This includes schwinns, huffys, magna. They are never worth it no matter if bought in the store of used (especially used!). They use very low quality parts and are assembled by employees who do not know how to properly assemble a bike.

​If you ever do buy one of these brands you should assume you will either have to get it tuned up or that you will be changing parts/getting service soon.

Hope this helps!

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