Choose the Right Bike

If you are new to cycling, the first thing you may notice is just how many different types of bikes are available these days. Choosing the right bike can be quite daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to determine what kind of riding you will be doing, how frequently you plan to ride and what your maximum spending limit will be.

No one bike can do everything. The first thing you need to consider is how you want to use the bike. Are you going to be using it mostly on the road? Do you want to take it off-road? There are approximately five main types of bicycle: road bikes, hybrid bikes, family/recreational bikes, mountain bikes and BMX.

	City / Streets	Bike Paths	Off Road
Fun / Recreation	Road / Hybrid / Single-Speed	Recreation / Hybrid / Single-Speed	Mountain Bike
Commute	Road / Hybrid / Single-Speed	Hybrid / Single-Speed	Mountain Bike
Touring/ Camping	Road / Hybrid	Hybrid / Recreation	Mountain Bike
Training / Sport	Road / Hybrid Sport	Hybrid Sport	Mountain Bike
Adrenaline / Exteme	Single-Speed	Single-Speed	Dual-Suspension / Free Ride


Road Bike	Hybrid Bike	Recreation Bike	Mountain Bike	Free Ride Bike

Bike Cost

To work out how much you need to budget for your bike, you need to consider how much cycling you'r planning to do. Once you have identified your needs, you can use the following table to give you an idea of what your ideal budget range will be.

The idea is to find a bike that will provide you cost effective cycling.

It is up to you how much you choose to spend, but it is worth remembering the golden rule… You get what you pay for. Higher quality bikes generally are more reliable and have lower maintenance components, which can save you money when it comes to servicing your bike.

Usage frequency	Price range
When I feel like it	$300 - $500
A few times a month	$400 - $800
On weekends	$500 - $1500
A few times a week	$800 +
Every day	$1000 +

Bike Size

Choosing The Right Size Bike

It is important when choosing your bike that you select the correct frame size. Unless you are an experienced rider and are confident about the size you require, it is a good idea to ask our helpful staff to assist you.

Going for a test ride can help, allow a little extra time when you visit one of our Bums on Bikes Stores for trying out the bikes you are interest in purchasing.

Choose the Right BMX

80% of teenage boys ride BMX bikes. They may not seem to be very practical with their size, but they are designed specifically for a full body length to move freely around and manipulate the frame. They are lightweight but built to be robust and cope with the extremes of hard riding and stunts. Whether you're looking for yourself, or someone else, these questions will make choosing the right type of BMX much easier.

• Do you want to race at the BMX track with a lightweight frame?
• Are you going to be pulling tricks at the skate park and on the street?
• Are you jumping, pulling tricks in the air with a backyard dirt ramp?

BMX type	kind	characteristic	designed usage
BMX / Race BMX	dirt-ready race bike	Lightweight frame and parts, strong rear brake	Dirt-track racing, fast off road for short distances
Freestyle / Park BMX	sturdy stunt and trick bike	Strong reinforced frame and wheels, pavement-ready tires, 360 GYRO cable-detangling headset, stunt pegs	Riding at skate parks and flat land. Landing stunts and tricks
Jump BMX	a fusion of BMX and FREESTYLE	Medium weight, sturdy frame and wheels, rear brake, knobby tires	Carving local trails, jumping ramps and landing tight air off dirt ramps.


BMX / Race BMX	Freestyle / Park BMX	Jump / Dirt Jumper BMX

Choose the Right Kids Bike

Purchasing the correct bike is important for a child's safety. Buying the wrong size or type of bike can be dangerous and intimidating. Oversized bikes are dangerous, so make sure you don't buy a bike for the child to 'grow into'. There are no specific rules for buying a particular bike for a child of a particular age, the guidelines below should give you a fair estimate.

Age	Wheel Size	characteristic
2 - 4 Yrs Old	12" / 300mm Wheel	Suitable for children between 2 and 4 years old. Most come with trainer wheels and a back-pedal brake as children's hands are often too small to use hand brakes.
4 - 7 Yrs Old	16" / 400mm Wheel	These bikes are usually single speed with back-pedal brakes. Some bikes might have hand brakes as well. These bikes typically come with trainer wheels as standard.
6 - 10 Yrs Old	20" / 500mm Wheel	Bikes this size offer a wider selection of features, including hand brakes and gears, than smaller bikes. More experienced children might prefer smaller mountain bikes which include gears for easier pedalling.
8 - 11 Yrs Old	24" / 600mm Wheel	Most of young adults can fit this size bike. BMX and Free ride bikes are also a popular choice with this age group.
12 Yrs +	26" / 700mm Wheel	At this age they are ready to ride an adult size bike. Choose from a wide range of adult sizes to suit your height.