Buying guide: Bike
Buying a bicycle involves a lot of choices and there are many terms to keep track of. Here we clarify everything about bike models, components and materials.
When buying a bike, the first question to ask is what you're going to use it for. If you want to ride exclusively on tarmac, a road bike is the way to go. If you want to be flexible and be able to get around almost everywhere, a mountain bike is what you're looking for. If you want to ride downhill on the slopes, you should aim for a downhill bike.
We sell bikes from Scott and Trek. Our brands are among the best in the cycling industry, no matter which brand you choose, you will get a bike of the best quality.
We recommend that you follow the supplier's size guide to get the right size of the bike.
Mountain bike
Mountain bikes have evolved a lot in recent years. Cushioned front forks and disc brakes are more the rule than the exception, and the 26-inch wheels that were standard a decade ago have now been replaced by two other options, 29-inch and 27.5-inch. The questions that are usually the most difficult to answer before buying a mountain bike are wheel size, frame material, components and full suspension or hardtail.
Size: 27.5‘ - 29’
In recent cycling seasons, 29-inch wheels have been joined by 27.5s. The choice of wheel size is based on the surface you intend to ride your bike on.
Big wheels roll faster and get over terrain obstacles such as rocks and roots more easily, they're great for everything from gravel roads to trails that wind over logs and rocks.
27.5s are slightly smaller and can therefore be perceived as a little quicker and easier to handle on really tricky trails. This size suits shorter people and those who ride almost exclusively on technical trails and want the agility of small wheels but the rolling capacity of big wheels.
Damping
A fully damped bike is cushioned both front and rear, making cycling on bumpy surfaces more comfortable. Shocks from the ground are absorbed by the bike and you save on physical exertion. This option is usually more expensive because more and more complicated components are needed on the bike.
A bike that is only damped at the front tends to ‘stop’ the speed when the rear wheel has to overcome various obstacles, but is fully sufficient for those who ride mostly on smoother paths and gravel roads. One argument in favour of choosing a hardtail is that it is cheaper and often weighs a little less.
Most damped mountain bikes come with a lockout function, which allows you to open and close the dampers depending on the surface. For example, a locked shock gives you more power on hills. Slightly more expensive bikes often offer the convenience of lockout on the handlebars, while others lock directly onto the fork.
Different shock absorbers have different stroke lengths, i.e. how much they can dampen. If you know you're going to be riding on a really rough surface, you should look for long travel shocks.
Frame
Carbon and aluminium are the most common materials used in mountain bikes, and while the price of carbon frames has long been significantly higher, prices are now starting to even out between the two materials.
Aluminium is light, strong and torsionally stiff but conducts vibrations, which can make the bike feel unnecessarily shaky.
Carbon fibre, like aluminium, is lightweight and torsionally stiff but is increasingly used in mountain bikes because of its shock-absorbing properties. Really fine (and expensive) carbon fibre weighs less than aluminium, and a clear advantage is that carbon fibre does not rust.
Downhill
A downhill bike differs from a mountain bike in several ways. Perhaps most notably the different frame geometry and shocks. Most downhill bikes have 27.5-inch wheels that roll well but maintain the bike's agility. There are also 26s.
Geometry
With a downhill bike, you'll be travelling almost exclusively downhill. The frame and front fork are designed to allow you to ride down steep and bumpy descents without going over the handlebars when you shift your centre of gravity forward. That's why the front fork is long and has a flatter angle to the front wheel.
Damping
Downhill bikes are sturdy bikes and usually have really good damping, both front and rear. The front shock is double-crowned, which means that the shock can go up over the headset and thus have a longer stroke.
Unlike mountain bikes, these shocks are not lockable. This means that the bike is not very good uphill because the dampers give a rocking effect.
Other components
From the shocks and frame to the tyres and brakes, most everything on a downhill bike is solid. The wheels are strong to withstand hard impacts and the tyres are thick and have a rough tread to give good grip on the often loose and muddy surface. The brakes are well-developed, large-diameter disc brakes that can handle the heat generated by frequent, high-speed braking. The handlebars, thanks to the bike's geometry, are high and wide to provide a comfortable seating position and good control of the bike. To reduce the risk of chain breakage, downhill bikes have only one front sprocket, which usually gives them between 8 and 10 gears depending on the cassette.
Road bikes
If you're buying a road bike, there are some important things to know. What differentiates bikes in this category are performance, comfort, weight and price. This is influenced by the material the bike is made of, the frame design and the components.
Materials
The frame of a road bike ensures that you get good power transfer from your body to the pedals. The two most common materials to choose from are carbon fibre or aluminium.
Aluminium is light, strong and torsionally stiff but conducts vibrations, so many aluminium frames often have carbon front forks which are a little more shock absorbing.
Carbon fibre, like aluminium, is light and torsionally stiff but is said to be the material of the future for road bikes precisely because of its shock-absorbing properties, which mean that vibrations from the ground are not propagated further in the bike.
Frame design
The frames of road bikes are designed to minimise air resistance. The design means that the seating position of the cyclist will be more or less aggressive. Anyone who wants to ride really fast should choose a really aerodynamic bike and will then have to sacrifice comfort. An exerciser can advantageously choose a bike that has a more gentle sitting position (a shorter frame with a slightly higher handlebar). Then you can sit on the bike for a long time.
Components
Once you're in the saddle and pedalling away, it's the bike's various components that will make you feel the difference between good and best. Components such as the chain, cassette, sprocket, crank arm, brakes and controls are collected in different component groups by the suppliers where components that correspond in weight and performance end up in the same group. These can be divided into entry, middle and top segments.
The components largely determine the price of the bicycle and here the wallet is often allowed to rule. The simpler and cheaper component groups clearly do the job, while the better and more expensive, slightly more luxurious, components also save a lot of weight. A bicycle does not become more difficult to ride because the components belong to the upper segments, but the vast majority of exercisers get around Sweden's second largest lake with components from the middle segment.