Just as each role has its own responsibilities, every type of bicycle has its strengths and weaknesses. Choosing a bicycle largely depends on our preferences, the environment we ride in, and the distance we cover. Without further ado, let's list the various types of bicycles
- Road Bikes
"Light and fast" is the epitome of road bikes, making them the top choice for high-speed travel on paved roads. Their large wheels and narrow tires offer minimal road resistance, providing higher speeds, but also reducing traction and making them susceptible to damage from hazards like sidewalks and grooved drainage channels. Due to their popularity with thieves, they are not ideal for leaving unattended, and they have almost no carrying capacity. The riding position is more aggressive, offering less comfort, and they are best suited for sports and racing.
Pros: Lightweight, high speed
Cons: Aggressive posture (more reclined), lower traction, no carrying capacity
- Mountain Bikes
Mountain bikes, as the name suggests, are designed for rugged mountain trails. Disc brakes, knobby tires, and high strength, along with full-suspension models, give riders ample confidence.
The technologies on mountain bikes are specifically developed for off-road trails. If your ambitions do not lie in off-roading, other types of bicycles might be more suitable. Mountain bikes on paved roads not only feel sluggish but also waste the expensive technology.
Pros: Strong braking power, excellent traction, off-road capabilities, can traverse mountain trails
Cons: Heavy, sluggish performance on flat roads with knobby tires, lower speed
- Cross-Breed Models - "Flat-Handle Road Bikes"
Flat-handle road bikes differ from traditional drop-handlebar road bikes with their flat or butterfly bars and the use of road bike 700C wheels with wider tires. They can adapt to more road surfaces and offer better comfort with wider tires. They come equipped with "V-brakes," "road calipers," and even disc brakes from mountain bikes.
Lower-end "flat-handle road bikes" mainly use internal three-speed or mountain bike gear sets, while high-end models feature higher-speed internal hub gears or specialized "flat-handle road bike" gear sets. The three major bicycle gear manufacturers, Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM, all have shifters designed for "flat-handle" bikes. Flat-handle road bikes are designed for comfortable, fast, and lightweight riding on roads, mainly used for sports, leisure, entertainment, outings, travel, commuting, and transportation.
Pros: Almost as fast as road bikes, comfortable riding posture
Cons: Essentially the same as road bikes
- Cross-Breed Types - "Mountain Road Bikes"
The basic definition of a "mountain road bike" is to convert a regular mountain bike into a high-speed mode for paved roads by replacing the original suspension fork with a rigid fork and slick tires, purely for street riding (only on paved roads), without participating in off-roading.
However, it's inevitable that "mountain road bikes" neither possess the off-road capabilities of a true mountain bike nor the speed and lightness of a road bike. This cross-breed from mountain bikes to road bikes is in an awkward position.
Pros: Comfortable riding posture of a mountain bike, can be "back on track" by changing accessories
Cons: Speed and weight are not as good as "flat-handle road bikes," traction is not as good as mountain bikes, "jack of all trades, master of none"
- City Cruisers
City cruisers carry more of the bicycle's original function - transportation. Their most attractive feature is their simplicity. The structure of the entire bike is very simple, almost with the huge advantage of "maintenance-free." With single-speed or internal gear systems, they are enough to meet basic riding needs. In recent years, city cruisers have been more towards "retro," exquisite, comfortable, and very "artistic," becoming a unique landscape in the city.
Pros: Practical, elegant, indestructible (high reliability)
Cons: Due to its main function of leisure and transportation, it leads to its "heavy and slow" characteristics
- Touring Bikes
Touring bikes are the second most practical models on this "list"! Professional long-distance touring bikes are mainly made of steel frames, equipped with road bike 700C or more popular mountain bike 26-inch wheel groups, and the targeted design makes them have very high strength and durability. The strong carrying capacity also allows them to easily "drag the family," carrying several months of supplies and equipment on the journey.
Pros: High strength, strong durability, strong versatility, super carrying capacity
Cons: Higher weight, more cumbersome for short-distance use
- E-Bikes (Electric Assist Bicycles)
The biggest difference between E-Bikes (electric assist bicycles) and ordinary bicycles and electric vehicles is their unique "hybrid power"; "electric assist" is the organic combination of pedaling torque and motor torque. Pedaling torque is the main one, and motor torque is the auxiliary one. You can ride with the motor off, but you won't move forward when you stop pedaling, unlike pure electric vehicles, which automatically move forward when you turn the handle.
Isn't riding a bicycle about using human power to pedal? Why do you need other power to assist? Mountain riding not only allows riders to enjoy the pleasure of long downhill rides but also encourages them to pedal uphill with their own strength. In reality, not every cyclist is a professional (especially female cyclists), with leg strength and physical fitness developed over a long period of exercise. Before enjoying the pleasure of downhill mountain riding, they may have been exhausted by uphill sections. Moreover, while downhill riding is refreshing, riders still need sufficient physical strength to control the bike. In this case, the fun of the ride is reduced by half, and E-Bikes are the "best toy" to amplify the fun of long-distance and mountain riding.
Pros: Any cyclist can easily enjoy all kinds of riding fun
Cons: Need to charge, the body is heavier, more expensive than conventional bicycles
Folding bikes are the best for short-distance riding, commuting, and mixed riding (taking other modes of transportation or "4+2" car carrying folding bikes for outings)
Folding bikes are the most popular models among urban office workers. Compact, they can even fit under a desk when folded. In some domestic cities during rush hours, folding bikes can also be connected by public buses, subways, and other modes of transportation, becoming the best solution for urban transportation.
Pros: Compact, the first choice for urban commuters
Cons: Traction, handling, strength, rigidity, comfort, and other "performance indicators" are all reduced
- Folding Bike Extension Models - "Small Wheel Diameter"
"Small wheel diameter" has been popular in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, where space is very valuable, for more than ten years. Its frame is like a scaled-down road bike. Its small size greatly reduces the space occupied when parked at home. It not only meets the pursuit of speed by people in big cities but is also more suitable for cyclists with insufficient altitude (including female cyclists) than large wheel diameters.
Pros: Compact, suitable for cyclists with insufficient altitude and limited family space
Cons: Handling, comfort, and other "performance indicators" are not as good as conventional large wheel diameter models
- Gravel Bike (Gravel, Gravel Road Bike)
Gravel Bike is not equal to road off-road racing bikes (Cyclo-Cross/CX). It is a "universal road" that can be used for commuting, riding, going up the mountain, training, shopping, and even racing (long-distance endurance races). In simple terms, it is the combination of road off-road racing bikes (configuration) and endurance road bikes (comfortable geometry). Its unique taste has quickly formed a trend, loved by North American and Canadian riders. It can also be seen from the recent changes in brand manufacturers that Gravel Bike has gradually replaced the original endurance, long-distance, and comfortable road bike models.
The cost of assembling or purchasing an entry-level Gravel Bike is not much different from "mountain road bikes," but on the contrary, Gravel Bike has better paved road speed, lower total vehicle weight, better comfort, and the same strong traction. Why not?
Pros: Almost as fast as road bikes, almost as good as XC mountain bikes in traction, off-road capabilities, and comfortable geometric design
Cons: Do not have heavy off-road capabilities, knobby tires will also reduce its speed on paved roads
- Fixed Gear Bike (Fixed Gear/Fixed Gear)
Fixed Gear Bike (Fixed Gear), its rear gear and rear wheel hub are completely fixed, while ordinary bicycles, the freewheel is "alive," so Fixed Gear Bike is also known as "Fixed Gear Bike." Because the freewheel is "dead," riders can control the rear wheel through the pedals to slow down and brake; of course, from the annual accident rate much higher than other models, Fixed Gear Bike is still very dangerous without brakes, and the harm to traffic is so great that some countries have long banned Fixed Gear Bikes without brakes on the road.
Fixed Gear Bike is not commented here
12. "Extreme Sports"
"BMX," "rock climbing bikes," "DJ bikes," "dirt bikes," etc., are all representatives of bicycle extreme sports. Because they pay more attention to technology and action tricks, they are far different from ordinary bicycles.
The models of "extreme sports" are also not commented here.
In this comprehensive model, are there any cyclists who are interested in or riding? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area below with the model number, or provide more supplements.
