Thinking of buying a hybrid bicycle for yourself? Then here are a handful of tips for you before you purchase the perfect one out of the many!
From cycling on sloping mountains to upward hills, racing tracks to plain roads, hybrid bicycles offer a wide range of uses. However, to ace all the bicycle performance, there is nothing better than a hybrid one, as it offers more flexibility, efficiency, and is light enough to pedal effortlessly.
Before you shop for hybrid bicycles, look for a number of factors to suit your needs. Otherwise, the bicycle can become a nightmare to ride and an absolute waste of money. Hence, this article will guide you with some suggestions that you should take into account before buying hybrid bicycles.
10 Factors to Consider Before Buying Hybrid Bicycles
1. Purpose
The very first factor to check is your purpose. For example, you might need the bike for a smooth city tour, or mountain ride, cycling on paved paths or commuting through a forest. Therefore, buying the right kind of hybrid bicycle mainly depends on how you want to use it.
2. Cargo Racks
If you are looking for a hybrid bike for simply roaming around the streets of an urban city or for the daily commute, then go for the hybrid bicycles equipped with frontal cargo racks. If the racks have wide gaps, then you might need to buy pannier bags separately so that nothing falls out of the rack.
Nonetheless, these racks are removable. So, you can remove it if you don’t need it. But these come in handy holding your possessions.
3. Fenders
Fenders are a great accessory of bicycles, mainly, to keep mud or water splash away and also to protect the wheels from sand and dirt. So, if you are planning to ride your bicycle somewhere muddy, moist, or sandy, then buy a bicycle with fenders.
However, if you don’t require fenders, then you can remove them to get rid of that extra weight.
4. Comfort
The importance of comfort, like any other bicycle, would be the seat since you will be sitting while riding; look for a comfortable foamed one.
In hybrid bikes, seats are higher than the handlebar, allowing you to seat in an aerodynamic position. So, this automatically offers a comfortable sitting position. Moreover, the foam will resist any shock from a sudden jerk reaching your back while riding on a rocky road.
5. Wheel Size
The standard wheel size in a hybrid bike is 700c. However, this is not as important while choosing your bike; rather, look for ones that suit your riding style. You can check The Cycling Point for in-depth knowledge to pick the most suitable one for you.
6. Bike Suspension
Hybrid bikes hardly have suspension engineered in them. That is because it adds additional weight, and riders find it difficult to pedal. So, if you are going to ride the bike on paved and uneven terrain, you should forego suspension to make your pedaling more efficient.
However, the positive side of bike suspension is that it absorbs shock when you accidentally hit the front wheel with some obstacle. So, if you have plans to ride on smooth urban streets, having a hybrid bike with suspension would be ideal.
7. Brake Type
Two types of breaks are available for hybrid bikes, rim, and disc.
Rim brakes:
Rim brakes are very common and economical. These brakes have padding that grips the wheel rim and is easy to maintain, as you can notice any kind of wear and tear on the padding and get them exchanged.
However, rim brakes have low stopping power; and you need to put more effort into the levers for instant brakes. Also, if the worn-out pad is not changed on time, it will deteriorate the wheel too; and, you may need to change the entire wheel.
Disc brakes:
Disc brakes come in hydraulic and mechanical forms. The former requires less force and effort for quicker brakes and a self-adjusting mechanism for the worn-out padding. Besides the latter one requires manual repairing for worn-out pads.
However, hydraulic brakes are costlier to exchange. And, unlike rim brakes, the wearing is hard to inspect in the mechanical disk brakes.
8. Bike Frame Type
Bike framing is also an essential feature of bikes that you need to prioritize before buying one. Although aluminum is quite common, carbon fiber and steel frames are also on the list. So, let’s know some pros and cons of each.
Steel
More reliable and stronger in nature. Steel frames offer rigidity as this offers a smooth and comfortable ride.
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber frames are very costly and are used in high-end hybrid bikes. But they are stronger than steel and have comparatively more rigidity.
Aluminum
The most common types happen to be lightweight, affordable, and firm frames. In the past, the weight of aluminum frames could not handle challenging roads, but nowadays, these frames are made to absorb shock.
9. Gear
If you are a beginner, then determining the number of gears required for your hybrid bike can be confusing. But, if you are planning to ride rough and sloppy terrain, then you will need more gear.
For smooth terrains, you do not want as many gears. Also, installing unnecessary gears will make your bike heavy and lower pedaling efficiency.
10. Shape of Handlebar
In general, there are four common types of handlebars for every bicycle, including hybrids too.
Drop bars
Most commonly seen in hybrid bikes, drop bars offer a comfortable aerodynamic position. These also allow you to go for many hands and riding positions.
Flat bars
These bars have an upright position that allows for a more comfortable hand position to prevent wrist, shoulder, and neck pain due to long-term riding. However, these are a little heavy-duty than the drop handlebars.
Rise bars
Another typical handlebar in hybrid bikes, rise bars, offers better control while steering. Also, they help you to sit in a relaxed and upright position from where you can achieve clear visions of your trails ahead.
Mustache bars
Not commonly seen in hybrid bicycles, mustache bars are almost similar to drop bars. But with mustache bars, you can sit more straight and upright compared to a drop handlebar.
Final Thought
Keeping these few points in mind, you are now all ready to find the right hybrid bike for you. Of course, you don’t have to consider all of these features I have listed, but note down some of the more important ones.
Take a test ride before purchasing one to determine your needs. Also, don’t forget to visit one of these amazing bicycle-friendly places if you are living in California
