Let’s consider some of these questions;
- How do you ride now?
- How do you plan to ride in the future?
- How much does your budget cost?
- How well do you cycle?
The answers to some of these questions will be easier than others, and some will have a more significant impact on the final decision than others.
Framing material
There are a variety of materials available for making road bikes, such as carbon fibre, aluminium, titanium, and steel. The bike will be more expensive, more comfortable, lighter, and feel different depending on the material. Note that it’s often the way the material is used by engineers and manufacturers that matters most and that each brand will typically experiment with this.
- Carbon Fibre
- Aluminium
- Titanium
- Steel
Types of brakes
Buyers of new road bikes will typically have two choices for stopping power, rim brakes or disc brakes. The main difference between a traditional rim brake bike and a disc brake bike is how and where the brakes are applied.
Groupset
A group set consists of brakes and the drivetrain, like the bike’s engine.
The drivetrain has cranks, chainrings, chains, cassettes, derailleurs, and shifters. The drivetrain is a closed circuit that propels the bike, and as the bike gets more expensive, it becomes more efficient, durable, and effective at shifting while the weight decreases.
The materials change as you move up the groupset hierarchy. The entry-level groupsets are mostly made out of low-grade aluminium and steel, which transition to higher-grade alloys, finally to the highest-grade alloys, carbon fibre, and titanium.
Gearing
The gear ratio of a road bike varies depending on its purpose. Gear ratios and range are determined by the number of chainrings on the front of the bike, the number of teeth on the chainrings, and the number of cogs on the rear cassette.
Most road bikes have either two or three front chainrings, although triple chainrings (known as ‘triples’) are commonly found on recreational, entry-level, or touring bikes. Some road bikes have followed the mountain bike trend of having a single chainring instead of two in recent years. The single chainring minimizes potential mechanical issues and simplifies shifting to the rear cassette.
Spending budget
When purchasing a road bike, budget is the limiting factor. The price range for a road bike is enormous. Entry-level recreational bikes start at 200 Euros and go up to over 6,500 euros for elite performance bikes.
You can find a great bike that will suit your needs. Spending more money on a bike will typically (but not always) result in a lighter bike, more stiffness, better shifting characteristics, more excellent durability, and greater comfort.