Five helpful tips to make buying a bike easier

Buying a new bike can be a ​considerable​ financial investment – which, however, is more than worth it. This makes it all the more important to make the right choice. 

What do I want to use my bike for?​

A racing bike is not suitable for off-road excursions, and commuting on a mountain bike with full suspension is rather inefficient. Some suitable and unsuitable application areas are obvious. The various bikes you can buy can be roughly divided into the following categories of use:

• City bike: Daily ride to the station or office, short distances in the village or around town. At FLYER, these bicycles are called Upstreet.
• Racing bike: Endurance training on paved roads
• Trekking bike/Touring bike: Extensive tours on paved roads or well-maintained gravel roads. All of our Gotour models are suitable for this purpose.
• Gravel bike: Bikepacking or sporty tours on mostly unpaved roads or easy trails.
• Crossover bikes: Regular all-round bikes that are suitable for everyday use in the town or village as well as for weekend trips to the mountains. If you are looking for an all-round bike, you will find what you are looking for in our Goroc models.
• Mountain bike: Touring off paved roads, rides on trails and / or bike parks. At FLYER, the bikes for rough terrain are called Uproc.

What terrain will I be on?​

Various factors play a role when it comes to being as efficient and comfortable as possible: Tires, the suspension fork, rear shock and the seating position determine the terrain on which a bike reaches its peak. That’s why it’s important to think about which terrain you want to be on most often with your bike when buying a new one. 

• A bicycle with narrow tires without tread is suitable for paved, well-maintained roads. 

• A bicycle with wider, sturdy tires with a little tread will also get you moving swiftly on tarmac roads, but will not shy away from gravel roads.  

• A bicycle with wide, highly profiled tires has great rolling resistance on tarmac roads, but offers you the necessary grip on terrain. 

Suspension forks and rear shock provide more riding comfort on poor roads or when you are off-road. Unevenness is cushioned by the suspension fork or the full suspension frameset. This increases riding comfort immensely. However, this also increases the weight of the bicycle. It is clear that a mountain bike must have full suspension for use on rough trails. For touring or urban use, you should consider whether you need the extra riding comfort or whether you prefer a lighter bicycle. 

How often will I use my bike?​

A question that can significantly influence your decision when buying a bike. How often do you cycle and how much is the individual trip worth to you? We compare: 

A high-quality mountain bike for CHF 6,000/EUR is used once a week during the summer months for five years. 6,000 francs / euros divided by 130 trips (5 years x 26 weeks) equals 46 francs / euros per trip.  

​​A low-cost mountain bike with little comfort for CHF 1,500 is used once a month during the summer months for five years. 1,500 francs / euros divided by 30 trips (5 years x 6 months) equals 50 francs / euros per trip.​​​ 

A ​high-quality mountain bike​ promises greater comfort and more fun. The more fun you have on a bicycle, the more often you will use it. This effect can also be seen with e-bikes. As riding an e-bike can be less strenuous than riding a bike without a motor, e-bikes are often used more frequently. This quickly puts the high acquisition costs into perspective. When buying a bike, you should also bear in mind that every time you ride a bike you are doing something healthy. 

What is particularly important to me about a bike?​

It’s a pretty personal question that isn’t even that easy to answer. Especially as a newcomer with little cycling experience. Some bicycle buyers pay particular attention to the geometry of the bike and determine whether the bike suits their riding style and their preferred terrain. Others place great value on a comfortable saddle. And then there are cyclists who are looking for a specific color and consider the technical characteristics to be of secondary importance. We can only recommend that you seek comprehensive advice from one of our ​dealers​. Our dealers are absolute professionals and are sure to find the right bike for you.

2. Research before buying a bicycle​​

Fortunately, the sources of information are virtually endless. If you want, you can spend days learning about the pros and cons of a belt drive. We have compiled the most helpful sources for you.

​​Research on the Internet​​

• Social media channels of bike magazines: Here you can see the bikes in the best possible light and often in action. 

• Comparison portals and tests: This information will help you find out how the bikes prove themselves in practical tests. Another advantage is that you can assess whether the testers paid attention to the same aspects you would pay attention to. This allows you to classify the test results even better.

Research offline​​

• Visit a specialist dealer​: Specialist dealers passionately follow developments in the bicycle industry and are always up to date. You can compare different brands at specialist dealers and ​test the bikes directly​.​     ​ 

• Trade journals and magazines: The trade press is familiar with the latest features of the innovations and takes a closer look at them. The trade press often also carries out tests and compares models from different brands. 

• Exhibitions and trade fairs: Compared to specialist dealers, you have even more opportunities for comparison at an exhibition or trade fair. Ideal for getting a rough overview of the different brands and models. (FLYER fair calendar) 

​​3. Weigh up costs and benefits​​

When deciding how much you want to spend on your new bike, it’s worth making a distinction between a compulsory program and freestyle. The compulsory program defines which criteria the bicycle has to meet. For example, this could be a lowerable seat post on a mountain bike to make you feel much safer on descents. Or an e-bike with motor assistance up to 45 km/h because you no longer want to travel to work by car. When buying a bicycle, first determine what is essential for you. 

Freestyle is more about the “if possible” criteria – the nice-to-haves. There are different brakes, gears, suspension elements, etc., which influence the riding experience to a greater or lesser extent, but often have a decisive influence on the price. Specifications that make it worth considering whether the investment is worthwhile or whether you can do without it – with varying degrees of teeth gnashing. 

How much money do I want to spend on my new bike?​

Find out in good time about the price range of the bicycles you are considering and make sure that the defined mandatory criteria are met. It makes no sense to buy a cheap bicycle that is not practical for you. If you don’t want to spend too much money on a bicycle in one go, there are a number of offers that allow you to rent bicycles for a longer period of time. There is now also an increasing number of options for leasing a bicycle. Of course, it is very important that the bike suits your financial possibilities. No hobby is worth maneuvering into money worries.

4. Before you decide, try out the bike​​

Once you’ve made a shortlist, it’s worth taking a test ride on at least one or two models. Does the geometry of the bike match your physique and riding style? Does the motor of the e-bike provide the support you would like? Of course, the following are also very important: Does the color look the same as in the photos? On a test ride, you will get to know the bike in practice and can check whether it delivers what it promises in theory. 

Test ride at dealerships​​

Many specialist dealers give you the opportunity to test the bikes on a ​test ride​. You should make sure that you test the bike on the terrain you will be riding on most. The trained eye of the specialist dealers can also judge which frame size suits you best. 

Trade fairs, events and test rides​​

Another option is to visit trade fairs, events or test rides. At these events, you will also have the opportunity to see the bike of your choice “in real life” and, if necessary, even go on a test ride. Of course, advice at a trade fair is less personal than when you visit a specialist dealer. However, trade fairs, events and test rides are ideal for getting an overview. 

​​Would you like to get to know FLYER e-bikes at a trade fair? Click here for our international​ ​​fair calendar​.

fair calendar

5. Buying a bike: Buy it from an official dealer​​

Remember that a bicycle needs regular care when you buy it. Regular maintenance of the bicycle is important so that you can enjoy your new bike for as long as possible. It is worth taking your bike to your specialist dealer for inspection at regular intervals. 

Find all FLYER dealers near you here: ​Find a dealer​