The Ideal Bicycle

The ideal bicycle is anything that gets you out on the road (or off the road) as much as possible. If a bike is comfortable and doesn’t feel sluggish, that’s really all you need. That said, I’d like to offer my own opinion as to what makes a great bike. Many of the bikes I will show you are a bit pricey, but you can get (or at least put together) a bike which embodies the same principles for as little as a few hundred dollars, if you know what to look for, and where to look.

Road, but not racing.

As I said above, you don’t need a racing bike in order to enjoy riding. In fact, most racing bikes are not comfortable. On the other hand, many mountain bikes are also designed for (off road) racers, and so are full of features which don’t help someone who rides only on the road, or on mild trails.

Here is an example of a comfortable, nice-riding road bike (made by Heron, belongs to Ed Braley):

Immediatley you may notice that the handlebars are at about the same height as the seat. The rider will not bend down and strain his or her back. Also, the tires are bigger than your average road/racing bike. This makes for a more comfortable ride. There is a wide range of gears, which makes it easier to pedal up steep hills. The leather seat is in fact very comfortable, it just requires proper adjustment, and a bit of break-in time. The front bag (here set up in French style, mounted on a front rack) is convenient on long rides, where you can put a lunch, and extra clothing, camera, etc. Fenders are great if you want to ride in even light rain, for bicyclists get soaked more from tire splash, than from the rain itself. Overall, this bike would be great for anything, from a jaunt to the store (bring a good lock!), to a century, to a fire road in the woods, to a month-long fully loaded tour. The key is versatility. As I mentioned, the French and English have been making, and enjoying, this kind of bike for over a century. Check out this 1956 beauty:

Once again, fenders, racks for bags, easy gears for the hills, raised handlebar, leather seat. Also notice the lights and generator. Of course these are antiques and extremely expensive, but my point is that these bikes are hardly obsolete from the perspective of the non-racer, and there is no reason that bikes shouldn’t continue to be made which embody these features. I swiped this photo from Classic Rendezvous.

Now compare a top of the line Lance Armstrong-style Trek, price: $4700:

Notice the hard seat, low low handlebars, small tires (also, not many spokes on the wheels), hard gears. Extremely light and responsive, but not very comfortable or practical for the rest of us. The frame, instead of being made of steel tubes, is made out of a single piece of plastic. Extremely light, but don’t crash—it may crack, and you can’t get it fixed. No room for racks, fenders, larger tires, easier gears—all the things which make a bike practical and comfortable. Many cheaper bikes, even those aimed at non-racers, are made to look and feel like this. No wonder regular people aren’t buying road bikes.

But a non-racing road bike is not necessarily low-performance. None of the practical features I have listed above will slow you down if you are in good shape, and they will probably allow you to enjoy a ride even moreso than if you were on more of a racing bike, even at the expense of a bit of speed. But, when you’re riding your bike, what’s the hurry?

Features to look for in a bike are:

Easy gears: at least a 24 or 26 tooth rear cog, and a three ring crankset, or a 36 tooth small ring on a double crankset.

Handlebars no more than 2” below the seat.

Tires that are 25mm or wider

I have modelled my bike after this idea of comfort and versatility in a road bike, and it was not that expensive either.

Affordable Road Bikes

This, of course, depends on what you consider affordable. Bikes cost as much as you want to spend. The Heron pictured above probably costs in excess of $2000, but the frame is handmade, a work of art. In order to gain a bit of financial perspective, think about how much you spent on your computer, how long it will last you, and how little fun you have working on it. Accesories also quickly increase the price of a nice bike. There are cheaper bikes out there, though. Here is the Jamis Aurora, a well-designed all around road bike:

This bike is both comfortable and fast—extremely versatile. It has easy gears for the hills, room for big tires and fenders. The only thing I don’t like is the stem, which puts the handlebars fairly low, and they cannot be raised. But you can replace the stem with one that rises higher. Price, $600-750. I think REI/Novara has a similar bike.

For around $900, you can get an incredibly versatile bike, with a bit more classic style. This is the Surly

Cross Check. This bike was designed by people who REALLY ride. The also offer just the frame for $400. (2004 prices)

If you can’t or don’t want to pay this much, then you should probably consider a used bike.

Used Bikes

Bicycles lose at least half of their value after the first year. For this reason, a used bike can be a great deal. You just have to know what to look for. In addition, a bike from the 1980’s or earlier, was probably made at least in part by hand, and the parts are reliable. Brand names to look for: Bridgestone (especially the RB-2. See here for more on the culture that was Bridgestone, and has kind-of become Rivendell. See here for Bridgestone’s epitaph.), Trek, Centurion, Univega and Miyata. Most of these were made in Japan. Back in the 80’s and into the 90’s, Japan was producing high quality lugged frames and parts at low prices. If you’re interested in something more unique, though perhaps less reliable, Motobecane was making affordable versions of the expensive French touring bikes. Look for the Grand Jubilee in particular.