Beginners' bike-buying guide

Forget fashion and choose the bike that is best for you - that is Colchester Cycling's advice to people buying a new cycle.

You may have cash or a credit card burning a hole in your pocket, but planning your purchase can save tears later.

Make a decision - and stick to it - on whether you want the bike for getting to work or school, for nipping round the neighbourhood and bridleways at weekends, or pure dirty weekend off-road fun.

The bike's intended use should be the main influence on which cycle you buy.

There are so many different types of cycle that many keen cyclists have two, three or four bikes. Some cyclists have a shed full of bikes: for fanatics bitten by the biking bug, the challenge is: "He who has the most bikes when he dies, wins."

Before you buy, sit down with a piece of paper and note what you'll use your new bike for, and your budget. The website www.live2bike.com may help you to choose.

If you are switching from a bus or car commute, remember that a Colchester Day Rover bus fare is £2.50 - your bike could save you £625 a year, so it's worth buying the best you can afford. Town centre car parking charges are high, too,, so you could buy a folding bike and arrange your own park-and-bike. Either way, you will save time and money on a gym membership, leaving your evenings free for what you really want to do.

Once you have decided on bike and budget, you should research local bike shops and the internet. Dealers on the web may be cheaper, but it is a good idea to develop a relationship with a town cycle store if only to ensure priority for repairs, etc. If you find the same bike on the web and in a shop, you could use a printout to try to strike a deal with the shopowner.

Bear in mind that many bike shops pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap. Those shiny cycles might seem tempting, but if they don't have the bike you want, look somewhere else!

Remember that "bike bits" can push up the price. Add in a lock, lights, mudguards, a rack and panniers, and you could be spending an extra £150. Some bikes (notably Dutch and German cycles) have all these as part of the price, which is worth remembering when you are making a comparison.

Don't be blinded by the number of gears. With derailleur gearing, you can get up to 24 gears, although crossover and duplicates reduce the number of effective gears to about 18: derailleur gives a good range of gears but requires regular maintenance. Three, four, seven or 14-speed hub gears (like the Sturmey Archer) are coming back into fashion, and anything above a four-speed is suitable for Colchester roads and hills. 

If you choose to go the derailleur route, ask your dealer to explain the difference between the different models of Shimano derailleurs (Deore, Tiagra, XT etc), as they generally dictate the quality of the overall bike.

Finally, check the tyres. A puncture is at best an inconvenience and, at worst, a reason for the bike gathering dust over weeks and months. Kevlar tyres such as the Schwalbe Marathon are expensive (about £25 each) but they will keep bursts to a minimum. If the bike you like hasn't got them, ask the dealer to fit them and you pay the difference.

Types of bikes

Mountain bike: There are so few mountains in Essex, but so many mountain bikes ... mostly lying in sheds. Unless you are buying purely for off-road riding, don't buy a mountain bike. The cheaper ones have heavy frames, and suspension adds to the weight. The big-tread tyres also make pedalling hard on the road. Downhill bikes are the latest sports incarnation to hit bike shops; if you want to practise downhill riding for the next Olympics, get one. If not, don't.

Hybrid: This is a cross between a mountain bike and a commuter cycle: in reality, they are a practical bike with modern styling suitable for everyday use, weekend riding and light touring. Most UK models have derailleur gearing.

Commuter: A serious bike for everyday use. Look for hub gears, mudguards a rack, lights and a hub dynamo to be included. Expect to pay £400 upwards, which will more than pay for itself. See these examples from the Classic range from London dealer Bikefix. A variant is the courier bike, which has more aggressive styling and no mudguards.

Racer: Popular in the 1970s and slowly making a comeback as people switch from jogging to racing and triathlons as a way of keeping fit. Racers have drop handlebars and light, tight frames. A specialist bike - you'll know if you want one!

Tourer: Touring bikes such as the Dawes Galaxy are meant for long distance-riding. Tourers feature drop handlebars and a light but comfortable frame. New tourers can be relatively hard to come by, but a dealer should help you find one. On the internet, check out the Thorn Raven. Touring bikes are often called the "brevet", "audax" or "randonee" after the most popular type of sport-touring.

Folder: These are especially popular among people who commute to London. Brands include Brompton, Dahon and Birdy. Folders are great to stick on the train or bus and combine public transport and cycling. Expect to pay from £300 upwards for a quality machine - but these bikes hold their value.

The banger: If you don't fancy a folder, ride to Colchester station on one bike, park up, and use an old cycle to keep in London. The scrappier it is, the less likely that Johnny Lightfingers will target you - but buy a good lock! A hub gear (an old Sturmey Archer) will minimise maintenance.

Recumbents and tandems: superb bikes for people who like cycling a lot. If you think you want one, you won't be reading this beginners' buying guide!