It can be surprising to some just how many different types of bike there are. When many people walk into a bike shop they have very little idea of what they're looking for. They'll simply tell the salesperson they're looking for something to get fit with, or get around on.

As they don't have a clear idea of what they want, more often than not they'll find themselves riding out away on what's called a hybrid bike. These have flat, wide handlebars and tyres which allow you to ride on or off road. The geometry of the bike is very relaxed and comfortable. They ride home with the feeling they've got the best of both world, and can ride on or off road on their new go anywhere machine. 

However, most likely they have just made a big mistake. Yes the bike can ride on the road, but it's heavy with slow tyres, so they will get overtaken by road cyclists on super light bikes who are chatting away casually, while they huff and puff to hold a fraction of their speed.

So they decide to take their cycling off road. However the lack of suspension makes them feel every bump and imperfection in the road. The tyres aren't especially grippy, the brakes aren't especially good, and the sluggish geometry means they get overtaken by anyone and everyone. 

The result? They get disheartened and give up cycling, where their £200 bike collects rust, and is eventually taken to the tip. Hybrid bikes are all well and good if you want to go for a family bike ride round Center Parcs or something to ride to the shops on, but if you want to get fit and enjoy cycling, more often than not they're the worst of all worlds. 

In this article I'm going to talk you through the different kinds of bikes, and sub-types within each category. Let's start off by looking at the hybrid bike

A quick disclaimer before starting. I am including images of different kinds of bikes against a white background to help you understand what each type of bike looks like. I am not recommending any brand over another, nor am I knocking any brand if I speak negatively about that kind of bike. I have simply tried to rotate different brands to keep things fair.

Hybrid Bike

These are the jack of all trades of bikes. They are fine if you only want a bike to ride a handful of times a year with your family on hard packed trails, but if you want to get fit, you are better off looking at something a bit more specific, which will be faster and more motivating to ride. Yes road bikes and mountain bikes are more expensive, but not as expensive as buying a bike you only ride five times and then leave to rust in the shed.

Pros: Comfortable ride, can be used both on and off road

Cons: Slow, heavy, very sub par at both on and off road riding. Generally come with poor quality components

Road Bikes

Of the different types of bike on the market, road bikes are the ones I recommend for those looking to get fit. This can feel intimidating, but mile for mile, you are much less likely to be injured on a road bike than mountain bike. They can also be a surprising amount of fun, as you can ride really quite fast without a huge amount of effort. Expect to pay around £600+ for an entry level bike.

Road Performance

These are the lightest and most aggressive bikes that money can buy. If someone wants to get into racing or spends a lot of time in the hills, they will be grateful for the racing DNA in these frames. The downside is that as the geometry is aggressive it can be hard to get comfortable for prolonged periods if you don't have the mobility of a 20 year old, and the difference in weight isn't actually massive between these bikes and road aero or road endurance frames.

These are the bikes that the fastest cyclists in the world will be riding on mountain stages, or on days where they just want to hide in the bunch.

 Pros: Light, fast, brilliant handling

Cons: Aggressive position can make it hard to get comfortable, negligible weight advantage 

Road Endurance 

If you are looking to ride for long distances and aren't interested in peak performance, I highly recommend buying a road endurance bike. The truth is that only 10% of cyclists really need a road aero or road performance bike, most of them just get sold on based on the promise of glory that could be achieved by saving less than a kilo in weight. 

Road endurance frames have a more relaxed geometry which improves comfort for very little aerodynamic penalty. Many are designed to (sightly) absorb bumps in the road as you ride along, and they just make for an all round more pleasant riding experience. For long rides or general fitness, these are all you really need

Pros: Improves comfort, less aggressive geometry, only a small penalty in handling and weight

Cons: Less suited to criterium racing or mountain top finishes than performance bikes

Road Aero 

In my humble opinion, these are one of the biggest cons in the bike industry, and that's saying something. These are road bikes that are shaped in such a way that they are more aerodynamically efficient, meaning they cut through the air easier. As aerodynamics is one of the biggest factors influencing cycling performance, this sounds like a massive win.

Unfortunately, the real world difference between other road bikes and road aero bikes leaves a lot to be desired. On any bike the rider makes up around 90% of the drag, while the bike is responsible for only 10%. So if a sales piece for a road aero bike makes you salivate with promises of it being 10% more aerodynamic than their other bikes, bear in mind that's only going to be around 1% in real world terms. 

The other reality is that most cyclists will ride with others. If you ride behind another cyclist, then they become the best aerodynamic aid you could possible ask for, and your aero frame becomes utterly redundant. 

They are also (marginally) heavier than other bikes so make the hills a bit more challenging. If you rarely ride in a group, primarily on the flat, and being as aerodynamic as possible is important to you, then there may be a place for this bike. Equally, if you race and fancy your chances with a solo breakaway, or you're a sprinter, then these bikes may be the answer, but given you pay a premium for these frames, I can't in good faith recommend them for 99% of riders. 

Pros: Marginal benefits on the flats when riding solo

Cons: Heavier, expensive

Time Trial or Triathlon Bikes

These two terms broadly cover the same bike, I won't go into the differences here, as chances are you don't need to know the differences if you're reading this. 

These bikes are designed for one thing, and one thing only. Speed. If road aero bikes look to optimise aerodynamics, time trial bikes are built around aerodynamics from the ground up. Instead of riding with classic handlebars, you instead rest your arms on specially designed pads that leave you in a praying mantis position.

You cannot access your brakes in this position and it's not especially comfortable, but you go a lot faster than you would on a regular road bike. However, if you're just looking to get into cycling, this is a very poor choice. 

Pros: The fastest bike available

Cons: No access to brakes on the bars, twitchy, corners poorly, not as comfortable, expensive 

Mountain Bikes

Mountain bikes come in a variety of different variations which I'm not an expect on, so instead I'm going to keep it simple and avoid overcomplicating things.

Mountain bikes are significantly heavier than road bikes, with wide, knobbly tyres which makes them feel horrible when riding on the road. However, this is not what they are designed for, they are for off road riding through mud, over rocks and down steep slopes. Their knobbly tyres provide ample grip in muddy, wet conditions and the suspension helps make for a much smoother ride. There are two main types of mountain bike.

Hardtail

These bikes have suspension in the front fork to take the worst out of the bumps, roots and stones you ride over. This adds weight to the bike and is another item to have to maintain, but it is more than worth it when riding off road. 

These bikes are cheaper than their full suspension counterparts, and better suited to riding on flatter, less extreme terrain. I you take a hardtail on a very technical mountain bike trail you may find yourself being shaken around a bit too much for your liking. 

Pros: Cheaper and lighter than full suspension

Cons: Not as much travel in the suspension

Full Suspension 

These mountain bikes are the real deal, and ridden by most professionals. In years gone by these were markedly heavier than hardtail bikes, but as suspension has become lighter the gap has closed, and the additional comfort offered by full suspension means it's rare you'll see a hardtail bike at top end events these days.

The addition of rear suspension does mean more additional parts to maintain though. And as you pedal, more energy will be lost through the suspension than in a hardtail, but this is easily offset in most cases by the additional comfort and control offered by the suspension.

Most mountain bike rides consist of heading to a trail centre or forest where they will ride to the top of a trail, then down it. They may then repeat this several times, getting faster each time, or move onto the next trail. For this kind of riding, full suspension is a must. 

Pros: Ultimate comfort and performance off road

Cons: Heavier, more expensive, more moving parts, less efficient on the flat

Miscellaneous

There are some extra bikes which don't fit into the above categories that I'll include here, just in case they're what you're looking for

Single Speed/Fixie

Can't be dealing with gears? Live somewhere flat? A single speed bike might be for you. Less moving parts, no faffing around, just hop on the bike and go. Hills are very difficult, and you won't be able to pedal on steep downhills, but the low price and low maintenance is appealing to many.

Pros: Cheap, low maintenance, light

Cons: Hills will be hard, limited scope

Additionally you can get a fixie bike. This is slang for a fixed gear bike which means that there is no free hub, and the main way you slow down is by pedalling slower, but not too slow or you could get thrown over the bars. Honestly, I've never seen the appeal in these, it just seems dangerous to me.

City Bike

If you just want something practical to ride short distances on, a city bike could be for you. They're cheap and heavy, but also very comfortable, designed purely for practicality. Some come with gears, some are single speed, some even have a basket on the front, but if all you want is a runaround, these might be for you.

Pros: Comfortable, cheap, simple

Cons: Slow, heavy, not designed for intensive use.

Conclusion

There are plenty of other types of bikes I haven't covered, from fat bikes to track bikes and recumbents to kids bikes, but these are the primary bikes you will be looking at if you want to get fit or buy something to get around on.

If you're new to cycling and want to improve, check out my low cost cycling programmes here: https://app.kajabi.com/admin/themes/2161283437/settings/edit?theme_file_id=3096397178#/