BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

This is where it all starts. Are you looking to ride down Shoreline to Crown Beach with your kids? Cruise out to the base to grab a growler at Faction? Do an all-out sprint down Harbor Bay Parkway and Ron Cowan to the airport and back before you start your workday? Replace your car? The possibilities of what you can do with a bicycle are endless - honing in on what you want to do narrows down the search.

The more miles you put on your bike, the sooner parts will wear out - it’s that simple. This may not mean getting the most expensive bike out there, because the highest end bikes are not necessarily the most durable. There's a fine balance between low weight and high durability. It's important to also consider how long certain components last, and how they operate as they get older.  

Depending upon where you’ll ride, and other factors such as your budget and potential for theft, you may even want a lower-priced bike with certain upgraded components - such as sturdier tires for daily commutes on Oakland streets.  The kind of terrain you ride, how rough you are on your stuff, and your body type can also play a part in this.

Silly as it seems, it’s important to have the right tool for the job. If all of your friends are doing dirt laps in Joaquin Miller and Redwood on the weekends, you’ll want a bike that is up to the task. This affects both bike type and level of bike we may recommend. It’s also important to let us know your personality type - if you’re the type of person that takes weekend rides with buddies as a personal competition, we’d like to know.

Consider us your cycling psychologist - your secrets are safe with us, and we can only improve our diagnosis if you’re honest.

Your personal goals absolutely affect what type of bike we recommend; alternatively, we may recommend altering your goals to meet hard constraints such as your budget. Be willing to share your long-term goals; we’re not being judgmental, but quite frankly many of us have radically transformed our lives and our bodies through cycling. So we’re here to help.

If you’re new to cycling, or you catch yourself saying, “I remember when I used to ride a…” be ready to be blown away by all the options and innovations that have gone on -- and don’t dismiss e-bikes, they’re light years better than they used to be. Technology has not passed the bike industry by, so be prepared to dig in deeper into our catalog or let us help you out by coming in or requesting a personalized recommendation.

Changes aren't limited to the bike industry. Your body is likely different than it was way back when. Be realistic on what you can handle and how you’ll ride, we’ll likely be able to get you on a better bike for less than you’d spend otherwise.

Certain types of bikes are more performance-oriented than others, which affects the riding position on the bike. Even amongst bike categories - such as road bikes - a wide range of bikes are available, from those with super aggressive positions to others which can be very relaxed.

While certain parts can be swapped to obtain a more upright position, it’s always better to start with the right bike type and frame geometry. Bikes are purpose-built, and making alterations to a bike may drastically alter ride quality and aggravate pre-existing injuries. We’ll help recommend the right type of bike and sub-category to match your body conditions.

This can be a sensitive topic to broach, and we’re sure to tread lightly. That said, it’s important to consider your riding style and your body type - the more aggressively you ride or the larger you are, the more durable your bike needs to be. The pavement in Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley is no joke, and can be hard on bikes. We want to make sure you've got a bike that is durable enough to keep you rolling.

Or are you the type of person who would rather buy one thing that lasts forever? With bicycles, money spent up front on a complete bike with nicer parts will always cost less than an upgrade later. Bicycle companies have a lot more spending power than any of us do, and they get their parts at a better deal we can offer you on an upgrade later.

No, we aren’t in the used car business (apologies to the honest car salespeople out there). There are certain accessories that are truly essential to bicycling - imagine trying to ski without goggles or going for a hike without boots. We’ve compiled a list of cycling essentials that everyone should have when they ride -- we own at least one of every item on the list -- and recommend that you set aside room in your bike budget to get everything on the list.