FAQ - NEWBIE

How do I know what type of bike to buy?

Our suggestion you come in and look at a few bikes. We can explain the differences and even arrange for a test ride.
When making a selection, it helps if you can tell us how you’ll use the bike, where you’d like to ride and approximately how much you want to spend.

A good thread on what to look out for when you are about to pick a bicycle (link)

With so many choices in the market, how do I chose between bicycles ?

The best way to zero in on a good bicycle is to look at the components on the bicycle, your budget and the need for the bicycle.

Figure out what you are going to be using the bicycle for and depending on that consider the various options. Check out the Bicycle suggestions page on the notebook for more info on this.

Get your budget in place. Figure out how much cash you are willing to spend. Dont be too miserly. Remember with good brands you get what you pay for. Good bicycles are expensive.

Various parts of the bicycle like derailleurs, the frame, handle bar, saddle etc all work together to make sure the bike rides as well as it does. Bad components lend to various problems like improper shifting, recurring maintenance and a general headache. Good components on the other hand make sure your bicycle rides exactly the same as it did when you first picked it up, hardly require any maintenance and have superior performance, light weight and a much longer life. And of course they are more expensive :)

With so many brands in the market, how do I chose between brands ?

When comparing bikes between brands you need to look at the components and then figure out which bicycle might be better w.r.t the cost of each bicycle.

Its like buying a camera and trying to chose between Canon and Nikon – its going to be hard unless you are a fan of a particular brand. Products from good brands are bound to be good in terms of quality and similarly spec’d bikes are bound to be priced around the same :)

So, unless there is a discount being offered on a brand the pricing is a good indicator of what you are getting into. Dont think any of the brands offer any good ‘deal’ compared to the others in the market wrt pricing. If that was the case most bikers would have just picked up bikes from that brand.

Another important factor behind choosing between brands is to get an idea of the support a brand can offer if things go wrong on your bike, especially in a market like India where this Industry is just developing and most of the brands are in a container on container sell mode. You need to find a bike shop who you are comfortable with and then get an idea of what brand they trust with respect to after-sales support. This is something most folks miss out on when they decide on their bikes

How much will I have to spend ?

A compilation of some prices of bikes in the market

Do I have to bother too much about where the bikes are manufactured while choosing a bicycle ?

Here is a good write up on where bikes are made ( link )

Do I need a Full-suspension bike to ride off road?

Dualies (Dual Suspension), as they’re sometimes called, are lots of fun and they can make your off-road rides more comfortable and provide additional control making you a better mountain biker. They’re not absolutely essential and plenty of people ride even the most demanding trails on bikes with only front suspension.

Unfortunately, full suspension mountain bikes are more expensive than hard-tails (bikes without a rear suspension). If you can’t afford a full suspension with decent and reliable components, its always better off buying a good reliable hardtail from a specialty bike shop rather than compromising on a heavy pseudo ‘full suspension’ bicycle that are omnipresent in the Indian market.

What advantages do disc brakes offer?

Disc brakes have trickled down from motorcycle and automobiles to bicycles because mountain bikers who were riding in demanding technical conditions found that regular rim brakes weren’t working as well as they wanted. With rim brakes, you squeeze your levers and pads rub on the rims to slow and stop you. This works great in dry conditions. But, as the trails get sloppy with water and mud, the pads slip on the rims, weakening braking.

Also, the dirt in the mud wears the pads quickly, in some instances completely, which creates a dangerous no-brakes condition. Sand and muck aren’t good for the rims either and over time, the rims can and will wear out forcing an expensive wheel repair. Another brake compromiser is rim damage. If you warp or bend your rim on a ride by hitting a hole or rock, it’ll hamper and might even ruin your braking.

So, mountain-bike designers started looking for solutions to these problems and settled on disc brakes. On these brakes, discs are attached to the wheel hubs and calipers are attached to the frame. When you operate the levers, pads inside the calipers squeeze against the discs and stop the bike. Because the discs and pads are designed specifically for braking, they can stop as well, or better than rim brakes and do so in all conditions. What’s more, all rim damage associated with braking becomes a non issue. And, rims can be designed differently (and improved) because they no longer are part of the brake system. When you’ve got discs, should you damage a rim while riding, it has no effect on the brakes.

Can I commute to work on a bicycle ?

Cycling, especially in many crowded Indian Metros, is one of the fastest way to move about. Provided you take a few precautions and cycle sensibly commuting on a bicycle could be a very rewarding experience

check out the complete section on Commuting to work for more details.

Can I insure my bicycle ?

Bicycles come under a special category and will not be insured by private insurance companies (the Tata-AIG sorts).

Bicycles will be insured by public sector insurance companies like:
New India Assurance, Kastruba Rd: 080-22212236/ 080-22126803
Oriental Insurance, Church Street: 080-25588381/ 080-25595964
Surendranath – 9845631334 (Oriental Insurance)
New India Cycle insurance

Please call one of the companies and they will send a surveyor who will examine your invoice and condition of the bike and insure it for you. As always, don’t insure for parts and repair — just insure for theft. That way you may get a better deal.

To get an insurance agent from one of these companies near your area, call Just Dial on 080-23333333 and ask for an agent near your address.

What kind of accessories should I pick up with a new bicycle.

check out the more detailed accessories section