Best bicycles for the city: ranking and selection

Today, using bicycles instead of public transport is rapidly becoming a top trend in cities. It is not difficult to understand people who choose this way of travel: they keep themselves in shape, do not suffer in crowded public transport, do not get stuck in traffic jams - in a word, they move fast enough and strictly in the direction they need, and even free.

If you want your personal transport to be comfortable in urban conditions and last as long as possible, you should know how to choose it correctly.

A city bike is not some kind of abstraction, but a completely official term that can be used as an opposition, for example, to a mountain bike. The set of transport characteristics for the city seems to be ideal - it is a light, fast, convenient, compact (weighing up to 10 kg) accessory. Visually, it is not difficult to identify a city bike - first of all, it is distinguished by a high seating position with a straight back - the rider sits on it in the same way as on a chair. A high seat is convenient from the point of view that thanks to this, you can drive slowly, conveniently looking at the windows and assessing the situation in general.

Sitting upright, the rider does not tire his arms at all, but the load on the spine with the pelvis increases. To neutralize this effect, at least partially, manufacturers equip the structure additional shock-absorbing springs.

Another fundamental point is the absence of an upper frame bar as such, or its relatively low fit. In an urban setting, a trip can consist of numerous sections of several hundred meters, and in such a situation, the convenience of getting on and off, provided by this position of the top bar, is very much appreciated. In addition, urban roads are usually characterized by a flat surface without protruding relief details, so there are no shock loads on the frame, which means that the reinforcing top bar is not really needed.

The third, which is also clearly noticeable, is protection at all major nodes. The chain is protected by a special lining, exactly the same protects the wheels. From the outside, such a solution may seem like a designer's whim, but in fact, the solution is purely practical - the bike must be constantly ready for spontaneous, unplanned trips, because the wearing mechanisms are reliably protected from any unforeseen damage. The city bike does not fail, you do not need to look after it - you just sat down and drove off.

In addition, other accessories such as signal, headlights and even turn signals can be added for comfortable movement in heavy traffic conditions.

Considering that in city conditions it is often necessary to stop at the same traffic lights, and in order to avoid accidents, many modern city bicycles actually stand on three wheels, although the two rear ones are not very spaced apart so that transport can slip into the narrowest gap.

When purchasing any product, many inexperienced users prefer not to delve into the features of the characteristics, but simply trust the manufacturer's brand. In principle, this is logical, because there is no other way to assess the durability and reliability in advance. However, any rating would be too subjective, so we'll just look at the popular brands, without distributing prizes or insisting that all the best ones are necessarily in our field of vision.

• Merida... Taiwan is usually associated with good electronics, but it also does well with bicycles. The brand is good at least for its recognition caused by the wide range of products - there are road models, and walking, and the same urban ones. The price range is also varied - from relatively inexpensive, but decent level bicycles to decent mid-price segment.

• Felt. The American brand is ranked among the top in terms of the production of bicycle equipment - the company has mastered the production of high-quality bicycles not lower than the average price category, its products are recognizable all over the world. Much of the brand's name comes from its sporty models, but its city bikes are amazing too.

• Fischer. Germany simply does not know how to make any products poorly, so German bicycles are known far beyond its borders for the highest quality and impressive reliability. Such a unit is not very cheap, but it will not let you down.

• Schwinn. The American bicycle brand has been around for over 120 years, and this is already an indicator of professionalism if the company has remained afloat all this time.

Sometimes consumers are not ready to make an independent choice and will be sincerely grateful if they are offered a choice of several popular product models. As with the brand situation above, we do not pretend to mention all the great bike models - every cyclist's opinion may differ from ours. For the same reason, we did not begin to distribute places in the rating, but simply selected several fresh models that are in demand.

• Forward Valencia 1.0. Perhaps the optimal solution among the inexpensive ones.Contrary to some English-Spanish name, this is not even a representative of China, but of Russia. To buy, count on 9 thousand rubles, however, for people of high or at least average height, it will not work.

• Schwinn suburban women... A good example of a stylish ladies bike in vintage design ideas. For connoisseurs, one brand name will be real music in the ears, because Marilyn Monroe and Angelina Jolie did not hesitate to ride on the company's products.

• Giant Roam 0 Disc. Many experts consider the Taiwanese transport of this model to be one of the best in terms of technical equipment. In principle, this is not so much a city bike as a full-fledged hybrid, which means that you can ride it outside the city limits - it will withstand many different tests. The price bites (about 75 thousand rubles), but the only drawback is not the cost, but the lack of choice in the color of the frame.

• Merida Crossway 100. An ideal option for those who are looking for something in between - they understand that they cannot save a lot on personal transport, they want to buy decent equipment and at the same time do not consider it necessary to overpay for the name of the promoted brand.

• Shulz Krabi Coaster. Another bicycle, by the name of which you will never guess that it is domestic. The good thing is that it folds to a compact size in just 20 seconds, but the negligence that allowed the manufacturer to refuse to adjust the height of the handlebar is somewhat surprising.

• Gums 2200. The Russian-made unit has minimal depreciation, therefore it is not suitable for off-road conditions and will carry no more than 70 kg. Despite the seeming disadvantages, there are also advantages, for example, a simple folding scheme and a cost of 7 thousand rubles. An additional bonus is the abundance of colorful colors for every taste.

All these brands and tops are the opinion of the majority, but when you understand the characteristics of a bike, you can choose the perfect model for yourself, without focusing on the point of the crowd. The first criterion to look at is the frame. The design without the top tube is called feminine, because it is extremely easy to sit on it even in a skirt, but today it is more reasonable to choose it according to the logic that the fit is not complicated even in winter clothes.

Wherein for the sake of sufficient rigidity, manufacturers have to heavily weight a single pipe - so much so that the trapezoidal "male" frame with two tubes would be even lighter.

Pay attention to the material of the frame. Aluminum is considered exemplary in terms of the combination of price and quality.... This bike is lightweight, yet durable and corrosion-resistant. The steel frame also performs well, but still inferior to aluminum, but belongs to the category of budget solutions. Carbon as the main material is good for its incredible lightness., but finding a cheap carbon frame simply won't work, and such a bike is not suitable for a park - it is not very reliable and is afraid of heavy loads.

There are two types of cushioning: rigid and hardtail. The first option is good for flat city roads, it is the optimal solution to lighten the vehicle, and the absence of extra springs has a positive effect on the cost. If the typical route includes disgusting Russian roads, it would be right for an adult to take a more expensive and heavier hardtail - the built-in suspension fork will have to be serviced periodically, but it will save the fifth point from sudden shocks.

It is very important to choose the appropriate type of seating. It may seem counterintuitive to some, but soft seats are an option for short trips, and for long trips, hard seats are needed, and not vice versa. When riding for a long time, a soft seat provokes pinching of the blood vessels and numbness of the buttocks. Wheel diameters are generally recommended at 26-28 inches. A large diameter allows you to overcome small elevations without much effort and discomfort, while too large wheels negatively affect the weight of the vehicle and its compactness.

If there is no significant elevation difference in the city, you do not need a gearbox - you can get by with a single-speed bike, which will be simpler, lighter, and elementary cheaper. With an abundance of ups and downs shifting gears will prove to be very appropriate, and the small overpayment will pay off completely.

In the city, it is important to be able not only to drive fast, but also to brake sharply. Drum brakes allow you to stop by pedaling in the opposite direction, but this braking can be too extended, and if the chain also fell off, you can be sure that your brake is not working now. For this reason rim brakes are in great demand, the control of which is brought to the steering wheel in the form of a lever.

By pressing the lever, you compress the wheel rim, and it slows down due to the frictional force. - it is both effective and fairly easy to repair. Please note that rim braking is especially effective when there are brakes on both wheels, if there is only one on one, let it be the rear.

For information on how to choose the perfect bike for the city, see the next video.