Christmas is coming up fast and there’s no better present than a bike - but what to buy? Here are a few hints to help navigate this potential minefield.
Christmas is coming up fast and there’s no better present than a bike - but what to buy? Here are a few hints to help navigate this potential minefield.
This was prompted by a question on the discussion forum. And Hugh did the right thing: he specified what he wanted to use the bike for. If you’re buying a bike for yourself, or in consultation with the recipient, then it’s relatively straightforward. If you’re planning to surprise them, then beware.
A bike is a very personal thing, and bikes today are also highly specialised. You absolutely need to know, in some detail, what sort of cycling the recipient does - or wants to do. And I don’t mean just ‘mountain biking’ or ‘road riding’. Bikes can be a lot more specialised than that.
As well as getting the type of bike right, you also need to ensure that it’s the right size. I’ve explored this already here on Suite101. If you’re buying for yourself, or you can take the recipient along to the shop with you, then it’s fine. If not, then that’s another note of caution.
Buying a bike as a surprise is a real minefield, at least for an adult. It’s really a lot safer to forget about the surprise and consult with the recipient.
Kids, of course, love surprises on Christmas morning, and fortunately buying for the kids is easier. Kids grow fast and grow out of bikes all too frequently, but will generally only have one bike at any one time, and they’ll probably do anything and everything on it. At the very least they’ll ride over kerbs and given half a chance they’ll be doing lumps, bumps and jumps. Mountain bikes are made to soak up this kind of punishment, and anyway most kids will expect something that at least looks like a mountain bike.
It’s always worth buying the best you can afford, but unless the budget is unlimited go for a slightly lower spec with good quality components, rather than something that looks superficially more flashy. In particular, avoid low-cost full-suspension bikes. If the suspension works at all, it will probably soak up pedalling effort more efficiently than it soaks up bumps. For a budget mountain bike, hardtails (front suspension only) are a far better choice.
