Which type of bike should I buy?

[flyingant]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a bicycle which I'd mostly be using for 2 things: riding on a tarmac bike track (50+km) and at home with a bike trainer for exercise.

I'd also like to think I'd take it away on trips to the countryside, but I don't have any actual plans to do this.

Is a road bike sufficient? Or should I go for something else that gives me the option of riding it in places other than on tarmac roads (just in case!)? Is there a good allrounder? And what is the difference between a hybrid, cyclocross, touring and gravel bike? There are too many choices and I don't really know where to start.

My budget is around £1000 and buying 2 bikes isn't an option due to storage space.

Based on what you are suggesting, would go for a gravel bike - skinny enough tyres to be good on a road but big enough to let you do tracks and trails. I have a cross bike (which is what gravel bikes were called til they were rebranded!) and it’s currently on a turbo trainer in the garage.

This has flat bars which are good if you don’t like dropped handlebars. Mine is an older version of this and I love it.

Your local bikes shops may be open, I’d give them a ring and have a chat and see what they recommend. But be aware, I’ve been reading from a few different places that they are selling out and can’t get any more for ages so don’t hang about.

Thanks for the info Ohdeariedear

So, it turns out that gravel bikes are not common at all where I live (not UK). So, I'm wondering if I could buy a road bike plus some additional wider wheels for when I do want to ride it off road. A quick search on google shows it is possible. Has anyone done this? Any tips? I think I'd need a bike with wide enough somethingorothers - what's the word I'm looking for? (complete novice - sorry!) And how wide (as in, when looking at bike specs, what measurement would I be looking for? Any tips gratefully received!

I think you’re at the point now where you need to find a bike shop and talk to them about what is possible. DH has different sets wheels with different tyres that he swaps on his mountain bike but the tyres and wheels are all the same size (just different types of tyres for different conditions). I think I’d be concerned that there wouldn’t be enough clearance in the frame to allow the chunkier tyres to spin freely?

There is a shortage of bikes at the moment so I don’t think you can be choosy. Our local bike shop has around 5 left in the entire shop - all at 2k plus.. Just go and visit your local shop and they will advise you.

I’d buy something like a cyclocross bike, so fine as a road bike but swap the tyres and you’ve got a off road cross country bike

Pedals are easy to change
Tyres easy to change
Disk brakes are fine brakes

Trek bikes are often a great fit for females

That’s my tips

I’ve got a cycle cross bike, I’ve stuck a pannier rack on it so can use as a touring road bike

eBay is worth a look when you know what size bike you need

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-Cyclocross-Bike-small-/283892164450

If your putting it on a trainer against a rotating tube then you will need a spare set of tyres. You should cycle on the road on the same tyres because of the wear on the tyre from the trainer will reduce the grip

I would do it the other way round, buy a hybrid/mountain bike and a pair of road wheels. Road bikes have narrow frames and would be hard to get a wider set of tyres on.
I'd say definitely get something that can do both, it's quite frustrating when you get used to going further distances but can't do nice off-road multi use trails on a road bike. Good family rides are often off road too.

Gravel bikes might also be called adventure bikes in your area.

Do check about wider tyres - some road bikes can't fit them.

A bike shop trip will clear it all up. But yes, in the UK at least, bikes are in short supply right now. Your budget might help with this - it's mainly the cheaper ones that have sold out.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice everyone. ivykaty44 the video was really useful, as well as another one that came after it about gravel vs road bikes.

In normal circumstances I would definitely just go to a bike shop to get some professional advice, but I'm dealing with a massive language barrier as well as my complete ignorance of bikes. I wish I could just pop into a shop and buy a gravel bike, which is what I would have been doing next month on my trip to England, which is obviously off the cards now, unfortunately.

Which language?