No, it’s not too early to think about buying a bike for when the beautiful station arrives. And if your doubt is about which bicycle to keep in shape, we understand you a bit: entering a bicycle shop is a bit like entering a dark labyrinth: many models, prices with zeros that are added or subtracted for you obscure at first sight, a lot of acronyms and technologies from true initiates that make everyone feel a bit lost. The good news is that in this babel there is certainly the right bicycle for you and for your needs. The bad news is, you have to find her.
Which bike to keep fit?
So, if you’re dreaming of whizzing around on your new bike in the first days of spring, with the warm sun warming your skin and the feeling of freedom that only two wheels can give, keep reading and you’ll find out which bike to keep fit you need to go for. We will talk about racing bikes, MTBs, city and travel bikes, but also gravel bikes and obviously pedal assisted electric bicycles. All good models to keep fit, and to choose from based on your goals and habits.
Mountain bike
Probably the mountain bike to keep fit is the first idea that came to your mind when you imagined pedaling tonic and snappy. From this point of view, a MTB has many positive points: you can slip into dirt roads but also use it on the road, it’s a sturdy bike that you don’t have to handle like a Fabergé egg, it’s quite comfortable (although the wide handlebar might give you some of effort in your first outings) and if it is a double or triple chainring model (basically the “front gears”) it also allows you to do your leg in peace, starting from the lightest and most agile gear ratios. The cons? They are certainly heavy bicycles (unless you go for top-of-the-range carbon and super-performing frames, but this is a matter of wallet) and if your idea is a fast bike, no, they are not the right ones. To choose your MTB, also read our guide to the first mountain bike to get started.
Racing bike
It’s probably not the first idea that crossed your mind that of a racing bike to keep fit, partly because of the prices you’ve seen (but you can also spend affordable prices if you want), partly because the idea to whiz on those tires so thin, all bent forward with your hands on the racing handlebar (yes, the curved handlebar is called that) you don’t immediately associate it with comfort and pleasure. But if you want to train, give it your all, do km, face climbs and look satisfied with your Strava, there really is nothing better.
Of course, if you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need a good fit in the saddle and also learn how to use shoes with pedal attachments, which are a bit difficult to digest at first. For the rest, read our guide to buying your first racing bike.
Trekking e/o Travel
They are a halfway hybrid between city bikes and MTBs, with lighter and more relaxed frames, a comfortable and relaxed riding position, designed for those who love to do many kilometers or real bicycle trips, also suitable for white and dirt roads, with nice tires that absorb vibrations and ensure excellent road holding, often including shock absorbers on the front fork. Of course you can’t do real off-road things like with the MTB, nor can you think of lowering your head on the handlebars to spin like on a racing bike. But you can go around the weekend, take a real trip, go to the office, do the shopping, have an aperitif. In short, they are a bit the equivalent of urban SUVs among cars, versatile and good for doing many things.
City Bike
The classic city bikes, for men with a nice straight horizontal tube, for women with the step-in model bent tube to make it easier to get on the saddle. They are what they are, that is, city bikes, excellent for getting around in traffic, on paved roads, for putting bags on to go to work or do the shopping. Here the idea of keeping fit with the bike is not so much for “performance” as inuse the bike as a means of daily transport. Which is still a great way to get moving.
Gravel
I am the latest fashion of recent years, said simplistically, they look like racing bikes with tires for dirt roads, white roads and a bit of off-road (how much depends on the handle of the driver). If you’re undecided between the speed of a racing bike or the versatility of a trekking or MTB, they could be an interesting solution. Of course, the riding position is the one with the handlebar bent and you have to get used to it a bit, but shoes with SPD cleats are not mandatory (and you can eventually put on the special pedals at a later time) and in the end you can really use it to do everything. Even more than the trekking and/or travel we mentioned above. To learn more, find out why the gravel bike is the first one you have to buy (and you won’t regret it).
Electric
The electric bike to keep fit? Yes, despite the assisted pedaling you struggle, you pedal, you sweat even on the electric bike. There are many models, practically all those we have talked about and even more and the things to take into account are: they cost a little more (even a lot more) due to the motor and battery; they weigh more, definitely more than the same model without motor and battery (and you have to take this into account if you plan to load it in the car to take it somewhere); they need a little more maintenance, because in addition to the standard one for each bike, you also have to add that for the motor and battery; obviously you’ll always have to remember to recharge the battery, because otherwise you’ll find it twice as hard to pedal. To find your way, discover the 8 types of electric bikes to know.
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