How to choose a good and cheap city bike

If your goal is not to practice sport or compete on weekends but to go to work or for a ride around the city, it is best to opt for a light urban bike. However, choosing the right bike from the dozens of models available on the market can be quite a challenge. To help you with this task, we at compare.com present you with the main factors to consider when buying a cheap, high-performance city bike.

Types of city bikes: which one to choose?

Before making a buying decision, you should know that there are 3 types of cheap city bike: touring bike, folding bike and fitness bike. All of them, in turn, can be mechanical or electric. The most popular are the touring bikes, as they allow you to keep your back upright and are very comfortable to pedal thanks to their wide, curved handlebars. They are also smaller, lighter and easier to handle, which can be an advantage for getting around large cities comfortably. Fitness models, on the other hand, are more sporty city bikes and allow you to pedal faster. However, they are somewhat less comfortable than city bikes, as they do not allow you to maintain such an upright posture due to their flatter and less curved handlebars. In general, the pedalling sensation and posture offered by a fitness bike is very similar to that of a road bike or even a mountain bike. Fitness bikes also feature sturdier wheels and thicker tires than other models designed for the city. At the same time, a folding urban bike is the most practical option for short trips and forget about parking. As the name suggests, this type of bike folds in half in just a few seconds without the need for tools or excessive force. On some folding models, which take up very little storage space and can be taken on public transport, the handlebars and saddle also fold down.

Advantages you get when buying an electric city bike

As mentioned above, all men's and women's urban bikes are available in electrified versions. In fact, the electric variants are gaining more and more followers and have become a real revolution in urban mobility. They are traditional bikes but with pedal-assist, making them an ideal option for those looking for extra comfort in their journeys around the city. And is that an urban electric bike requires less physical effort when pedaling, while allowing you to enjoy all the advantages of moving by bicycle. Having a motor and a battery, electric bikes tend to be heavier but also faster than conventional city bikes. Of course, they also require more maintenance, which includes a periodic review of the brakes, motor, battery and other mechanical and electrical components. Still, it is an ideal bike for the city, as it is highly manageable and easy to pedal on steep slopes, as well as when overcoming the irregularities of the asphalt. In any case, before buying a city bike of this type you should bear in mind that it is not a motor vehicle, so you will have to use the bike lane on your journeys.

Cheap and efficient city bikes: wheel size does matter

Many first-time buyers make the mistake of buying a classic mountain bike for around town. However, in the urban environment it is ideal to opt for a model with flatter and thinner tyres, because they weigh less and perform better. Besides, it is not very pleasant to ride on asphalt roads on studded tyres, as the latter are designed to perform on dirt roads and mountain trails. As for the size of the rims, opt for a bike with large wheels (26-29 inches), as they move very well in the city and are perfectly maneuverable even at very low speeds. In addition, the bigger the wheel, the better their ability to overcome the small bumps and obstacles that we find on the road.

Is a women's urban bike the same as a men's one, but smaller?

It's not only the wheel sizes that you need to take into account when looking for a bargain urban bike. You also need to pay particular attention to the size and geometry of the frame, as both features vary significantly between a women's and men's bike. These variations in frame design are due to the great differences between the morphology of men and women. The female body has a lighter and thinner bone structure than a male body. On the other hand, women tend to be shorter than men and have shorter arms and legs. In addition, the sacrum bone is smaller in case of females, while the muscles surrounding the male pelvis are much bulkier and stronger than those of women. That's why a cheap women's urban bike has shorter handlebars, a lower steering bar and a saddle adapted to the female anatomy, among other details designed exclusively for women. As a general rule, riders up to 1.80m tall should opt for a supply urban bike in size 17, while people taller than 1.80m will be comfortable with a size 20 or 21 bike.

Other things to consider when looking for the best city bikes

Getting a city bike at affordable price is not at odds with having the best equipment on the market. One of the things you should consider before making your purchase is the number of gears. Although this is a rather subjective factor, it all depends on how you intend to use your new bike. If you are planning short trips (less than 5 km), 1-3 gears should be sufficient. For longer routes (between 5 and 15 km) and with moderate gradients, opt for a urban bike of medium/high price with 1 to 6 speeds. If your journeys are longer than 15 kilometres and have steep gradients, choose a model with a minimum of 6 speeds. And to make it easier for you to find a city bike on offer that best suits your needs and budget, at comparar.net we offer you the possibility to review and buy offers from different suppliers. That way it won't take you long to find your urban bike with unbeatable price and quality.