CYCLE STYLE GUIDE

What Type of Bike Do I Need ?

We sell all kinds of Bikes and the biggest question you need to ask yourself is what is the cycle/bike going to be used for ?

Our Cycle Ranges include -

• Mountain Bikes - ideal for leisure based cycling and a great all rounder
   
• Hybrid-Leisure Cycles - ideal for work or commuting these cycles are based more on speed although not as great off road biking
  
• BMX - Hard Knocks of bikes these cycles are built for stunts and tricks
  
• Road and Racing Bikes - ideal for leisure based or commuting built purely for speed and the fastest form of bikes
  
• Childrens/Kids Bikes - These are generally either Mountain Bikes or BMX's styles but come in a range of size - check out our size guide page here
  
   

How Many gears do I need ?

Most people appreciate that you just don't need 21speed on a bike but this is just where the market is and you will be lucky to find a Mountain Bike with less than 18 gears nowadays. You won't need to use them all and in fact a lot of cycle gear ratios are duplicated. Some Bikes come with just 3 speed - check out our 3 spd cycle section on the left hand navigation panel (Our Cycle Store) or here.

Mountain Bikes
These are great all round Cycles and are best suited for leisure cycling where a rider may want to use their bike on both On-road and Off-road tracks. They use a slightly smaller 26" wheel and tend to have fatter tyres to give better grip when cycling off road.
They come in 3 different forms :
No Suspension - Standard Rigid Frame can be lighter than suspension bikes but will have a harsher ride if used on off road tracks
Front Suspension - Using the standard frameset but with Front Suspension Forks up front offers some comfort if using the cycle off road. This is the most popular option for most cyclists as the weight penalty is often outweighed by the ride the suspension offers.
Full Suspension - The cool option with suspension units upfront and behind the ride on these cycles tends to be comfortable and highly stable if using off road, They however carry more weight which equates to harder work on the bike.
Dirt / Trials Bikes - The latest addition to the Mountain Bike field these cycles are based on small adult Mountain Bike Frames which make them easier to do tricks and stunts on. They are not size specific and will often feature long travel forks and beefed up cycle components for extra stength. A ideal choice for teenagers

Hybrid-Leisure Cycles
Often the most sensible option for most cyclists the standard Hybrid uses Road or Racer Wheels which are larger than the standard Mountain Bike Wheel and combine it with Mountain Bike Brake and Gear technolgy. The bikes are a lot easier to ride with most cyclist claiming they 'Glide better than Mountain Bikes'. They can come in two main styles
Traditional Hybrid Bikes - These cycles come set up ready for the ride to work with Full Length Mudguards and Rear Rack.
Sports Hybrids - more visually like a Mountain Bikes but still have all the benifits of the above mentioned Hybrid Cycle.
Both Hybrid style cycles come in Rigid and Front Suspension options.

BMX
The hardest forms of all bikes these are designed for the street and skate park. Smaller 20" wheels offer extreme strength on a bike and the lower slung frame offers better manoeuvrability when doing tricks, They often come with Stunt Pegs and 360 Giro units which allow you to Spin the cycles handlebars without the cables tangling up. They are single speed which is really their only downfall as distance riding becomes a problem.

Road & Racing Bikes
These are the more standard type road bikes with either drop handle bars or flat bars, They are built for pure speed and covering distance. as quickly as possible on a bike They have the larger 28" wheels and skinny racing cycle tyres ideal for a quick lap. Ideal for leisure cycling and some commuting although not suitable for off road cycling.

Kids/Childrens Cycles
These cycles come in a range of wheel sizes starting from 12" and ranging to 24" - see our size guide for suitable bike sizes for your child , All our kids bikes are proper bike shop quality kids bikes with Full metal bearing and proper metal Hubs, Spokes ,Rims and Tyres - there is just no excuse for selling rubbish plastic bikes as a lot of the toy susperstore and supermarkets do!!!.
From 20" wheel the cycles come with gears starting with just 6 spd and ending up with 18spd by a 24" wheel bike. Our kids range are all quality cycles and we normally recommend a 2 generation cycle life from them,