What is the Best

A lot of people have asked me over the years, "What is the best bike to get?"
This is not an easy question. It’s like asking what you should have for dinner. I don’t know; what do you like?
I am not sure where this question is coming from either. Are you trying to make conversation? Are you patronizing me? I will assume that you really want to know.
There are so many bikes out there that it would take a personality test to determine which one is the best for you. It’s really a personal preference. The problem is that if you have never owned a nice bike, you don’t know your preferences. You have to try a few to find out. You need to realize, though, that the personal preferences are usually the same as everyone else’s, and the better stuff is always more expensive. So figure out your budget.
Let me ask you a couple of questions:
Why do you want a bike in the first place?
Are you trying to get in shape?
Are you looking for a family activity?
Are you looking for some extreme fun?
Or do you want something to decorate your garage?
I can assume that you don’t have a lot of experience. I can further assume that you don’t want to spend a lot of money. This is a good place to be because it limits your choices, and you are not out a lot if you screw it up. Get something decent that you can afford now, give yourself some experience, and then you can blow a lot of money on the type of bike you will want later. The more you ride, the more you will know what you would rather have.
It’s important to understand a concept in the bicycle industry: everyone in it is looking for money. This is hard to take, I know. You would rather think that they are trying to lower the carbon footprint or that they want the world to be healthier, but really, they just need to feed their families.
All bikes are made in factories. Quite a few of them are made in the same factories. Look closely at the frames, a Trek might look exactly like a Gary Fisher. That’s because they are. Last I checked, Trek owned Trek, Gary Fisher, Klein, Kestrel, Lemond, and probably a few others I can’t think of. This dates me but, Giant and Schwinn used to share some models. Don’t take this wrong, though, it’s a good thing. It allows for more choices in an industry that struggles.
The trick to producing a bike is to build it cheap and still get you to buy it. The designers spend a lot of time figuring out what will appeal to you. They start with a frame that looks cool and is fun to ride but not too radical. They choose a stylish color knowing that you mostly want to look good. Then they figure out how to choose parts that look cool but don’t cost much. They will use name-brand parts where you will notice it the most – like the rear derailleur, and then use cheaper stuff where you won’t notice – like the hubs and the bottom bracket (that’s the bearing in the middle that makes the pedals go around). But, guess what, the bearings make the most difference in the ride quality.
It’s a catch 22: The real quality in a bike is the assembly. It’s a craft. Robots build the bikes in the factories, and people in bikes shops put them together. If they do it right, the bike is fun to ride, and it lasts. But the cheaper the bike is, the more important the assembly is. Worse, the cheaper bikes get the least amount of attention because of the lower profit margin. Time is money.
The bike shop owner has to make money, too, but with a tight margin, a lot of competition, and a lot of bikes to sell. So a kid puts your bike together. He (or she – jeez) is paid by the hour, or worse, by the bike. The kid probably makes a little over minimum wage if he can keep up the pace. I am sure he has good intentions, but he doesn’t get a lot of support for putting in the extra effort. I remember being in his place. I wanted to do it right, but I had a time limit. My boss taught me a system so I could do it right but fast. I think my record was 10 bikes in 4 hours. I will teach you the system in later posts.
Some bike shops do a better job, but they charge more. It takes more experience and more skill to do it right while making a profit. Your job is to figure out which shop that is, get past your thrifty nature, and pay a little extra for a better bike. It pays off with a bike that lasts longer and is more fun to ride.
How do you tell if you are getting that extra quality? Keep reading.
More tomorrow.