Learn About Specialized Bicycles

Series Summary

Want to purchase a bike but not sure what kind you need? Want to ride to work, but also be able to hit the trails on weekends? Want to ride around the local neighborhood but still be able to compete in the spring triathlon? Not sure what features you need, or even the basic options available? Intimidated by the vast array of styles at your local bike shop? What you need is a overview of what to expect and ask about when talking to the sales person before you even walk into store.

In this series of free videos, our bicycle sales pro tells you everything you need to know about purchasing a new bicycle. Would a mountain bike or road bike or even a hybrid be best for you. He discusses features such as brakes, shifters, pedals and derailleurs and how they apply to your cycling needs. Our expert also tells you how to determine the right frame size. Watch these videos and know what just what you need before you start shopping.

Video Transcript

"Hi! This is Eric from Expert Village and today I am going to talk to you about some different kinds of bikes. Some people don't know this but there are different types of bicycles that are designed for different purposes. On one end of the spectrum, you've got road bikes which are made to go fast. They have skinny tires, high pressured tires, they are very light weight. Those are the types of bikes you see people riding in the Tour of France or other cycling events like that. There's another type of bike on the other end of the scale that is made specifically for off road use and that is called mountain bikes and there are different types of Mountain bikes but in general they are going to have fatter, knobbier tires, a little lower pressure. They are going to have beefier frames with bigger wells. They are going to generally have some type of suspension whether it is on the front, back or both and they are specifcially made for off road use. Between those two, you've got something that is called a hybrid and that is a bike that is sort of made to do a little bit of everything. So if you are the type of person that likes to ride on the street, ride around the neighborhood with kids but you occasionally like to do a little off road riding like on a hike and bike trail or something like that, that is the type of bike that might be best suited for you. Now it is not going to be best at everything, not great at anything but it is going to be very versatile and allow you to do a lot of different things. Generally those bikes will have a tire that is sort of in between a road bike tire and a mountain bike tire; something with a little bit of tread but also sort of a flat center line that will give you a nice smooth rolling tire. So that was my little discussion about the different types of bikes. Thanks for watching. "