Buy the correct bicycle to suit your needs

When you are with friends over coffee catchup session, there is one common topic brought across the coffee table. Two questions can be deduced from the topic of bicycle.

• What type of bicycle are you intending to buy?
• What type of bicycle are you riding?

Hence, I will be sharing with you the seven types of bicycle from my knowledge.

1. Children Bicycle
2. Commuter Bicycle
3. Electric Bicycle
4. Foldable Bicycle
5. Mountain Bicycle
6. Road Bicycle
7. Time Trial Bicycle

Children bicycle is suitable for kids aged 3 to 12 years old. Depending on the height of your child, a certain wheel size will be suitable for him. Wheel sizes range from 16 inch, 18 inch, 20 inch and 24 inch. Do bring your child down to the bicycle shop to let him try out the different bicycle options before purchasing. 

Commuter bicycle is for people who rides from Point A to Point B whether for work or grocery shopping. Usually, a small basket is found at the front of the commuter bicycle for you to store items. In the recent years, there is an increase of cyclists commuting to work using their road or mountain bicycle. The working attire and documents are stored in backpack and carried over their shoulders during commuting.

Electric bicycle is for people who prefer the use of electric motor built into the hub of the wheel to help them in pedalling. The speed and distance of the electric bicycle will depend on the size of its rechargeable battery. In Singapore, electric bicycle is classified as Power-Assisted Bicycle. It is mandatory to have your electric bicycle approved and registered with Land Transport Authority. Click here to find out more: https://www.onemotoring.com.sg/content/onemotoring/home/buying/vehicle-types-and-registrations/PAB.html

Foldable bicycle is similar to a commuter bicycle except that it has folding capability. It is widely used by cyclists who have primarily concern in storage space. Popular brands in market are Dahon, Tern, Strida, Bike Friday and Brompton. The first three brands are for budget cyclist while the latter two brands are exclusive for cyclist with deep pockets. Wheel sizes range from 16 inch, 20 inch, 24 inch, 26 inch and 700c.

Mountain bicycle is for people who prefer to hit the trails or cycling in off-road terrains. It can be divided into two categories: Hardtail and Full Suspension. The wheel size of mountain bicycle has evolved from 26 inch to 29 inch to 27.5 inch. There are pros and cons to each wheel size and I will be sharing with you in future. In my photo below, I am using the mountain bicycle with 26 inch wheels.

Road bicycle is for people who prefer to cycle on the roads. It can be divided into three categories: Climbing, Endurance and Performance. Depending on your intended usage, you should buy a road bicycle to suit you well. The wheel size of road bicycle is 700c. I will be doing reviews for these three categories of road bicycle in the future.

Time Trial bicycle is for people who take part in triathlon and time trial cycling events. There are several factors to distinguish between a time trial bicycle vs road bicycle. Factors such as the shape of the handlebar, frame geometry and the types of wheel used. The handlebar is usually in bull horn design with aerobars fitted on it to allow the cyclist to be in aero dynamic posture. The frame geometry is more aggressive compared to the road frame. Deep section wheels such as disc wheel, 100mm, 80mm are preferred in a time trial bicycle. The wheel size of time trial bicycle are 650c and 700c.