CHOOSING THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU

John Nofsinger

INTRODUCTION John Nofsinger, PhD, is an extensively published finance

expert who serves as the William H. Seward endowed chair in finance and professor of finance at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. When he’s not busy teaching undergraduate and graduate finance courses, Dr. John Nofsinger enjoys cycling and often participates in various local bike events.

Cycling is a popular form of transportation and exercise, but it can often be a challenge to find the right bike when you are first starting out. Before you look at things like size and design, you must determine what your riding style is. Bikes are generally divided into several basic categories: mountain, road, commuting, and hybrid. These categories depend on the type of riding you intend to do.

RIGHT BIKE If commuting around the city is your goal, a commuting or urban

style bike is probably best. However, if you are looking for riding through mountain trails, you may want a mountain bike.

Once you figure out the general style, you have to find the right frame and fit. There are several frame designs that create a different fit and feel for a bike. Frames with a steeper geometry are designed for improved control and quickness, as would be needed for racing bikes, while a shallower geometry is more comfortable and better suited for touring bikes. In terms of fit, find a bike that fits the length of your leg. A very basic test for this is straddling the top tube of the frame while standing up. There should be roughly two inches of clearance for mountain bikes and one inch for road bikes. Don’t forget to also check the seat and handlebar heights.