Knowing what to look for in your new bicycle is of paramount importance. Choosing their next bicycle is difficult, even for professional riders. All the varieties and options make it really hard to buy a new bike. Planning ahead for things like bike use, safety and comfort, as well as where it will be ridden, and what it looks like, will help you make a better decision. Trying to keep yourself informed of all the new choices, as well those just about to be released, can make it really hard to finally choose the bike for you. Simply apply this test as you go to get your new bike.
One thing that is usually the first on the list is the cost of the bike. This doesn't mean other things aren't important, like where you are going to ride or how often you will, but it does mean that the cost of the bicycle should be one of your main concerns.
Some of the best bicycles you can find will cost thousands of dollars. This doesn't mean you are going to have to spend thousands of dollars on a good bike, because there are ways you can find a great bike for a great price. You can go to auctions and find some of the best bikes available for a fraction of the price of new ones.
Take 9" away from the total of your inseam if you plan to get a road bike. The size of the tires a road bike uses are the reason for this. Designed to work best on concrete pavements, road bikes are best suited to cycling around the city. If you are looking for a mountain important site bike, you will want to subtract about a foot (twelve inches) from your inseam measurement. This is because the tires of a mountain bike are different than those on a road bike. These tires are designed to handle rocky and jagged terrain so are therefore thicker. You can use mountain bikes for city cycling, but the opposite is not true and they are nowhere near as good on city streets as road bikes.
You also want to make sure you leave some room between you and the crossbar of your bike. When browsing for a bike try some out, make sure the seat is a few inches above the crossbar. Sit on it and make sure you can rest your feet flat to the ground. Each type of bike requires different clearances. As an example, with a touring bike you will only require around 1". With a mountain bike however you will need some more, 3 inches should suffice. There are plenty of things to consider when choosing a bike. You may want an incredibly durable bike that can handle being thrown around a bit. You may simply be looking for the bike least likely to malfunction because you rely on it to get around. For others, price is a major factor. As long as you take your time to find out all you need to know about buying a bike, you should be good to go. Do some research and steer clear of buying the first bike you come across.