Well, thanks for asking! Choosing a bike is great fun and when you come to Kiddles I'll discuss your specific desires with you, thus sparing you the time it would take to listen to me run on about EVERY kind of bike. But I am "The Bike Guy" after all, so since you asked. . .
Types of Bikes
Think of bikes as existing on a continuum. On the left is a heavy-duty dual suspension mountain bike that appears to be just an engine away from actually being a motor cycle. On the right is Lance Armstrong’s time trial bike; very light and built for aerodynamics and speed. Those two categories are often referred to as Mountain and Road. Here’s what the continuum might look like:
Down hill
Dual suspension
Hard tail
Rigid mtb
26” comfort mtb
Cruisers
700c hybred
Fitness (Trek FX type)
Cyclo cross (Trek XO-1,2)
Flat bar road
Raised head tube road (Pilot)
Road (Madone)
Triathlon/time trial
Track
Definitions:
Downhill/Dual Suspension: A bike that has a rear shock absorber allowing travel of the back wheel to soak up bumps. The front fork is a heavy suspension type and the steering angle is designed for stability, not agility. A heavy bike that is not suitable for much climbing or longer rides.
Hard tail/Rigid Mountain bikes: Hard tail refers to a bike that does not have a rear shock. Rigid is how all mountain bikes started; without shocks at all. The 820 through the 6700 and the Gary Fisher Hard tails all have suspension forks.
Kiddle’s mountain bike customers begin with the little guy that buys a Trek Mt. 60 that has 20” wheels and a suspension fork. It’s big brother is the 220, that has 24” wheels. These bikes are popular because they resemble the bigger mountain bikes. 8-15 year olds, especially boys, gravitate toward our mountain bikes. The advantage of this marriage is that the bikes are durable with their large tires, shocks, and heavy construction. The disadvantage is that the knobby tires and big weight make speed and distance a challenge.
Comfort Mountain: This category has diminished in popularity lately. It is a mountain bike with a raised handle bar position that allows a more upright riding posture. The Trek Navigator is an example. The Hybrid category offers the same posturing, but with a lighter, faster product.
Cruisers: This is a design that is at least seventy years old and remains popular because of its comfort and cool looks. The Biria brand bicycles, although the frame is much different, actually places the rider in a cruiser-like posture. Gearing on a cruiser varies from coaster brake (one speed, pedal backwards to brake), to seven speed and also includes three speed gearing.
Hybrids: The term hy- bred refers to the combination of two types of bike, the road and the mountain. It uses the 700c wheel size of a road bike, but the frame style of a mountain bike. Most hybrids include suspension seat posts as well as light weight suspension forks. They also include adjustable stems, that make them very appropriate for 11-16 year old kids as an option to the mountain bike. The posturing of a hybrid is very upright and comfortable for shorter distances. Most folks who ride with their family a few times a week, or are very focused on the comfort of their bike, will wind up on a hybrid.
Fitness: This is a newer category that moves hybrids closer to the “Road” end of the continuum. The suspension fork no longer is here and in most cases the fitness bike opts for a threadless steerer/stem as opposed to the heavier, but more adjustable hybrid quill stems. Fitness bikes use the mountain bike frame platform of a raised head tube (higher handle bar position) and sloping top tube, but offer much of the speed and endurance of a flat bar road bike.
Cyclo cross: tucked somewhere in here in the cyclo cross bike. CX racing originated in Belgium as an off-season sport for road bike racers, but has become very popular in the U.S. too. Think of a road bike on steroids. The CX frame allows larger tires that make some off-road riding easier. The ’cross bike is also popular among commuters, because it allows the use of fenders and the larger tires absorb bumpy city roads better than the traditional road tire. With thin, high pressure tires, a cyclo cross bike is capable of all road bike duties.
Flat Bar Road: Some of the raised head tube road bikes (like the Pilot model) offer the option of a flat, mountain bike style handle bar. Many people want the endurance and speed of a road bike, but either dislike or have never used traditional road bars (referred to as “drop” bars).
Raised Head Tube: This is the future of Road Bike design. The Pilot Series offers a raised head tube design that allows a rider to sit in a less bent over position. For 2008, the Performance Series Madone is Trek’s offering for this geometry, with a 30mm raise in the HT. An estimated 80% of Road cyclists are now buying this geometry as opposed to the racier, more aerodynamic traditional posturing. In this set up, the handle bar is positioned slightly higher than the saddle in most cases. Touring bikes have raised head tube designs as well as other geometry changes that make your bike stable and comfortable when carrying loads.
Road Racing: this is usually thought of as a geometry that sets the saddle higher than the handle bar. The handle bar is the “drop” style. Light weight is the goal and proper fit is crucial. .With the right adjustments, and the addition of aero bars, a road bike is a great contender in triathlons.
Triathlon/time trial: Triathlon racing is huge and the bikes are expensive. This is a sport in which every second counts and the competitors are prepared to pay for speed. A triathlete ready for a Tri-specific bike already has invested thousands of dollars into this sport and usually come to our store with her decision practically already made. A triathlon bike, with its aero bars and very steep geometry, is not suitable for riding outside of training and racing, which is why a road bike equipped with clip on aero bars is a more practical, enjoyable investment for many racers.
Downhill/Dual Suspension: A bike that has a rear shock absorber allowing travel of the back wheel to soak up bumps. The front fork is a heavy suspension type and the steering angle is designed for stability, not agility. A heavy bike that is not suitable for much climbing or longer rides.
Hard tail/Rigid Mountain bikes: Hard tail refers to a bike that does not have a rear shock. Rigid is how all mountain bikes started; without shocks at all. The 820 through the 6700 and the Gary Fisher Hard tails all have suspension forks.
Kiddle’s mountain bike customers begin with the little guy that buys a Trek Mt. 60 that has 20” wheels and a suspension fork. It’s big brother is the 220, that has 24” wheels. These bikes are popular because they resemble the bigger mountain bikes. 8-15 year olds, especially boys, gravitate toward our mountain bikes. The advantage of this marriage is that the bikes are durable with their large tires, shocks, and heavy construction. The disadvantage is that the knobby tires and big weight make speed and distance a challenge.
Comfort Mountain: This category has diminished in popularity lately. It is a mountain bike with a raised handle bar position that allows a more upright riding posture. The Trek Navigator is an example. The Hybrid category offers the same posturing, but with a lighter, faster product.
Cruisers: This is a design that is at least seventy years old and remains popular because of its comfort and cool looks. The Biria brand bicycles, although the frame is much different, actually places the rider in a cruiser-like posture. Gearing on a cruiser varies from coaster brake (one speed, pedal backwards to brake), to seven speed and also includes three speed gearing.
Hybrids: The term hy- bred refers to the combination of two types of bike, the road and the mountain. It uses the 700c wheel size of a road bike, but the frame style of a mountain bike. Most hybrids include suspension seat posts as well as light weight suspension forks. They also include adjustable stems, that make them very appropriate for 11-16 year old kids as an option to the mountain bike. The posturing of a hybrid is very upright and comfortable for shorter distances. Most folks who ride with their family a few times a week, or are very focused on the comfort of their bike, will wind up on a hybrid.
Fitness: This is a newer category that moves hybrids closer to the “Road” end of the continuum. The suspension fork no longer is here and in most cases the fitness bike opts for a threadless steerer/stem as opposed to the heavier, but more adjustable hybrid quill stems. Fitness bikes use the mountain bike frame platform of a raised head tube (higher handle bar position) and sloping top tube, but offer much of the speed and endurance of a flat bar road bike.
Cyclo cross: tucked somewhere in here in the cyclo cross bike. CX racing originated in Belgium as an off-season sport for road bike racers, but has become very popular in the U.S. too. Think of a road bike on steroids. The CX frame allows larger tires that make some off-road riding easier. The ’cross bike is also popular among commuters, because it allows the use of fenders and the larger tires absorb bumpy city roads better than the traditional road tire. With thin, high pressure tires, a cyclo cross bike is capable of all road bike duties.
Flat Bar Road: Some of the raised head tube road bikes (like the Pilot model) offer the option of a flat, mountain bike style handle bar. Many people want the endurance and speed of a road bike, but either dislike or have never used traditional road bars (referred to as “drop” bars).
Raised Head Tube: This is the future of Road Bike design. The Pilot Series offers a raised head tube design that allows a rider to sit in a less bent over position. For 2008, the Performance Series Madone is Trek’s offering for this geometry, with a 30mm raise in the HT. An estimated 80% of Road cyclists are now buying this geometry as opposed to the racier, more aerodynamic traditional posturing. In this set up, the handle bar is positioned slightly higher than the saddle in most cases. Touring bikes have raised head tube designs as well as other geometry changes that make your bike stable and comfortable when carrying loads.
Road Racing: this is usually thought of as a geometry that sets the saddle higher than the handle bar. The handle bar is the “drop” style. Light weight is the goal and proper fit is crucial. .With the right adjustments, and the addition of aero bars, a road bike is a great contender in triathlons.
Triathlon/time trial: Triathlon racing is huge and the bikes are expensive. This is a sport in which every second counts and the competitors are prepared to pay for speed. A triathlete ready for a Tri-specific bike already has invested thousands of dollars into this sport and usually come to our store with her decision practically already made. A triathlon bike, with its aero bars and very steep geometry, is not suitable for riding outside of training and racing, which is why a road bike equipped with clip on aero bars is a more practical, enjoyable investment for many racers.
Track: To the south of us is the Northbrook velodrome and to the north there is another track located in Kenosha where racing is popular. A track bike is one gear that is fixed, no coasting. The Trek T-1 is a very light, moderately priced track bike that also may be used on the road. It comes with brakes and also a “flip flop” hub that has a free wheel sprocket (able to coast) on one side and a fixed cog on the other. Kiddles also offers Gunner track bikes, and Surly.
Of course, other micro categories and lables exist. The right bike for you is the one that is capable of your current goals and additionally has the ability to serve you when your goals and fitness reach beyond today. I think the concept of having only one bike is simply crazy talk! We don't ask one pair of shoes to fulfill all of our footwear demands--yeah, I see it like that. However, if you must have only one bike (for now. . .) that's OK--Kiddles will set you on the correct point of the continuum.
