How much should you spend on a bike?

How many miles do you ride a year? If you ride twelve thousand miles a year, you could spend six thousand on a bike. You could spend less. If you ride one thousand miles, spend five hundred.

Will you use the bike many days a week or a few weekends a year?

For the money, you’ll get a better used bike than a new one. Get it from a mechanic, or have a mechanic inspect it .

Aluminum alloy makes a cheap and very stiff frame. It has use on bikes where comfort matters little, such as a mountain bike. It can break.

Carbon fiber frames and components are disposable: they will break.

Nothing rides or lasts better than a steel frame with aluminum alloy parts.

Hydraulic discs brakes have expensive maintenance and fail ungracefully. Disc brakes stress and can distort a frame.

New bikes come out the box needing bearing adjustments, wheel truing, grease everywhere, and tuning. Correct spoke tension and bearing adjustment are especially important. Get your bike built by a good mechanic.

The most important bike: the first serious one.

Adaptive Bikes, Farrier, Isla Bikes

Balloon Bikes

Flicker

Sadly, Ryan only makes frames for friends anymore.

Primus Mootry

Slingshot

Legendary for a reason

Soma

Surly

Terry

For smaller riders, especially women

tout terrain

Velo Orange

Worksman Cycles

Worksman’s flickr feed — nuff said

Papillionaire

Advanced Sports International and Accell Group have excellent dealer service in the US: both a pleasure to work with.