Well done! You’ve made the best decision you’ve made for a long time – you want to buy a bike. Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve been on a bike and you’re wary of all those gears they seem to have now. And what’s all this about hydraulic brakes and air suspension? Don’t panic. We have the right bike for you.

Let’s start by considering a few simple questions about you and your cycling aspirations:

Where do you ride?

On-road: I ride roads and cycle paths.

Hybrid: I ride a mix of dirt, path and road.

Off-road: I ride on dirt tracks.

What is your desired level of riding?

Leisure: I ride occasionally for fun.

Sport: I ride regularly for fitness and freedom.

Performance: I ride all the time, to compete, to push my limits.

 What’s your budget?

Before you set your budget imagine yourself riding your bike a year from now. What sort of terrain would you like to be riding? How far and how often? Be honest with yourself. If you have specific goals in mind it will be more economical to choose a bike that can grow with you as you progress.

Now it’s time to choose your new bike. Give us a call, drop us an e-mail, or pop in the shop for a chat, and we can give you the benefit of our experience and knowledge to help you choose wisely.

For those of you who want more information now, on the following pages I will describe the various types of bike and the sort of rider and riding that they would suit.

Alternatively, try the Bike Finder Tool on the Giant Bicycles website which will also help point you in the right direction: Giant Bike Finder Tool.