If you are one who loves to cycle, or want to get into it and live in the city, then you should know that riding a bike in an urban setting is very different from riding a bike up a mountain or through beaten forest paths in the rural areas. Buying the best bike to ride in your city can be and is a daunting process. Before you settle on one from the sea of bikes available, you will have had a tough time. But this is not to say that it cannot be done. When you consider several variables you will be able to find the bike with the perfect combination of convenience, comfort, fun and efficiency. Good thing many of the city commuter bikes available have these features and much more. Get yourself a city bike!!!
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But why do city bike shave to be different? Why can’t you get a normal bike to cruise through our city well, for starters, and you probably know this, cities are places that bring persons from all parts of the world together. It is where everything goes down. There are higher chances of you meeting an important personality in the city than anywhere else. That said, you will need to make an impression since after all, first impressions run most cities. Experts say that you have less than 30 seconds after meeting someone to make an impression after which they form a perception of you that will take you a while to erase or replace. City bikes help in making these impressions. They are stylish and downright executive looking. No one will dismiss you for not having a car when they see you in this. As a matter of fact, many persons just might stand in awe and ogle at your machine green with envy.
In addition to theses, they are the one style of bikes that are designed with features to aid you in running errands such as picking up dry cleaning and buying groceries. They feature a carrier that allows you to drop and pick these items.
Now this article comes to help you make the best choice. Given the misinformation available on the internet, it is important to get the facts straight regarding the features you should prefer and those that while great to have in a city bike do not make much of a difference to the performance of the bike itself.
What you should look for in a good city bike
Upright riding position
When you are out searching for the best city bike, you will get sales persons who will try to convince you to get a cruiser bike saying it is one of the best city bikes they have in stock. Do not be fooled. The truth of the matter is that you will want a bike that supports you in an upright position as you cruise through the city. An upright position will help in keeping you fresh and keep you from ageing fast not to mention the fact that it will improve your visibility to other road users as well as increase your own visibility. In an upright position, you will be able to see further ahead even when in traffic.
Decent gearing range
When it comes to gears, there is a tendency to assume that more gears are better. Well, not quite. The point is never the gears but the gear ratio. At this point, you might be asking yourself, so what happens when I want to go up hill? Won’t I be sweating profusely and my muscles aching? Well, even when you get a city bike with 10 gears, it will be of no use. As a matter of fact, 8 gears are still plenty. So there is no need for you to waste your money and be in the same predicament with an individual with no gears. Instead, you should prefer to have a bike with an internal gear hub. Geared hubs are, by many, referred to as bullet proof designs. Why? First, they never get clogged up with ice, debris and snow, and second, there is no way they can be knocked out of alignment on the bike rack.
Now while they usually are heavier, their durability and ease of maintenance more than makes up for the increase in weight.
Do not go for the cheapest by default
With the market flooded with city bikes, the competition between brands is stiff. This competition causes a drop in prices. However, companies that are well established and provide quality will for the most part maintain their prices which you might consider to be high.
It is said, you always get what you pay for. And this is true to a great extent. While you might save some couple hundreds of dollars, you might have to forego some of the parts and components. For instance, there are some city bikes that come with back pedal brakes only or coaster brakes only. Now this might work for you if you only ride on flat surfaces. But if you encounter a hill and have to go downhill, these braking systems will do squat for you. If anything, they just might put you in the line of danger. When your city is bound to experience icy or wet weather, the braking system you choose becomes all the more important if you want to remain safe.
With this in mind, to get a city bike that is all rounded – one that will serve you under all conditions and circumstances, you should expect to fork out quite a bit of money. The value it will provide you with will however be more than enough to ease your hurting finances.
Storage potential
If you will be cruising through the city running errands you will want your city bike to at least have the ability or even potential to store some items. It could come with a storage basket at the front or back or even both as you so wish. Saddle bags work perfectly as well.
With city bikes, even if you do not see yourself running errands with it, you should at the very least get one with provision to stash away your umbrella, jacket or briefcase.
Four Best City Bike Reviews
Schwinn Men’s Network 3.0
Schwinn has been at the forefront of producing great and quality bikes for the longest time. They have over the years built a reputation for themselves in providing quality and affordable bikes, which has worked wonders for them. The Schwinn network is one of the city bikes this company is proud to make available to the general public. It is fun and flexible – just what you and anyone else to get through the city on any day.
The reason many people are making such a great fuss about it is because one, it provides the rider with an upright riding position and very comfortable bars. How is this a big deal? Have you ever gotten stuck in traffic on a bike that has you bent over to reach the handle bars? How frustrating is it to try and navigate through the traffic without the ability to see ahead of you past two sedans? The upright position will provide you with the visibility you require.
Its frame is made from an aluminum alloy. Given the light nature of aluminum, the bike is much lighter than many persons expect. For its drive train, it features a 21 Speed Shimano with EZ fire shifters. It has perfect gear ratio to ride through any situation in your city. The Promax brakes (linear pull) are effective in getting you to stop.
It comes with a modern styled frame which will impress all who set their eyes on it. While it does not some with a rack, it has space on its rear end for this addition.
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Windsor Oxford 3 Speed
If you are one of those who loves classic items, then this bike will do for you. The Windsor Oxford is one of the best classic bikes there is. It comes with a host of great features as well. And the best part is that it is not as expensive as one would think it to be. It is pretty inexpensive and perfect for those who are just making their entry.
Many of the accessories it features are out of the box, which is a great thing. It shows its designers really put their mind into it.
It comes with fenders integrated to the system and a chain guars to help you ride in the rain without the worry or fear of getting wet as you ride on the wet pavements. Rather than having an external gear, it features an internal gear hub. This gear hub comes with three speed options and requires little maintenance if any. Now the 3 speed gear hub might not be as impressive as you had hoped but it is more than perfect for commuting in the city and it provides good range. This is of course unless you live in a hilly area.
Its frame is made from Chromoly steel which is durable and pretty light. Its hub is a product of Shimano, the Shimano nexus to be exact. The same goes to its shifter. As a whole, you will be mind blown by its quality and performance. It features many different colors and comes at an affordable price.
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Retrospec Fixie style
If you are not in the search for something fancy, you can always get yourself a fixed gear or single speed city bike. These will work surprisingly well especially if you live in and are devoid of hills. If you are wondering, single speed bikes do have advantages. They usually are very easy to ride, they require little maintenance and it just so happens that this particular single speed city bike is gorgeous to look at.
The Retrospec Siddhartha is a great city bike. Arguably one of the best single speed city bikes there is today. Not just because they are simple in design (if you are a sucker for the classic and clean look), but also because of the various accessories that they come with. It has been designed with an open mind so much so that many of the accessories can be added to it and in the end it will look as though it was part of the bike from the start.
You will love the fact that it comes with a coaster brake and that it does not come with a fixed gear. You will be able to coast down the hills without any issues. It provides a somewhat neutral riding position though upright. You will have perfect visibility and others will be aware of your presence as well.
It is direct and straightforward. Easy to capture the attention of all.
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Schwinn discover
This is yet another Schwinn product. It is well rounded and needless to say, is making a lot of sales. It is one of the few city bikes that have the ability to handle some rough trails and still be perfect for the city.
For a city bike that has piqued interest from many persons, it’s hard to believe that it can deliver. But unlike many that promise heaven and fail to get you to the clouds, the Schwinn discovery delivers.
It is made from an aluminum frame which gives it its light weight nature. It features rear and front fenders which come in handy during those muddy or rainy days. A luggage rack is included on its rear providing space for carrying groceries and even laundry if you happen to be picking then on your way home from work.
Its suspension forks will cushion you from many of the bumps you will run into providing you with a much smoother ride – all this without compromising your control. The tires are wide and are 700c. They are perfect on light trails and on pavements.
This particular make is designed for women. However, Schwinn makes available an identical city bike for men. Only the style changes though to give it a more masculine look. All in all, this ride is versatile and will provide you with great service in and out of the city.
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Conclusion
It can be rather confusing to tell bike styles apart especially if you are new. Tagging a friend along who knows a little something or asking for help from an attendant will prove to be very helpful. However, be sure to do your homework and get to know as much as you can before you head out to shop.
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