In the great big world of cycling, new categories are constantly emerging for different riding styles. For someone who's new to bikes, this can be horribly overwhelming. There's a fear of spending too much on the wrong bike, or not spending enough and ending up with a bike that can't keep up.
We want to simplify things for beginners, lay out exactly what our favorite bikes are in some common categories, and let you as the rider decide which describes your style best. These five picks are based off of common customer types, from stories we hear every day on the bike sales floor, and the bikes we like to steer them towards.
1. Specialized Diverge E5
For the roadie who wants to ride gravel, commute, and maybe go for a weekend bike trip
Around Vermont, it's hard to go for a road ride without coming across at least one dirt road. On a classic road bike, these roads can seem a little sketchy. The skinnier tires don't get great grip in the loose gravel and you end up feeling unsteady as your tires slip underneath you. A bike like the Diverge comes stock with wider tires. Your average road bike will have 23 or 25 mm tires; the Diverge comes with 30 mm (for the aluminum version) or 38 mm (for carbon) tires. These greater widths give riders more confidence on the gravel and more comfort on the pavement. The Diverge E5 comes at a great starting point of $1099.95, with options going up in price with different components. Even the base aluminum model comes equipped with a carbon fork, disc brakes, and all the eyelets for mounting racks and fenders. The Diverge is a great do-it-all road bike. It can take you anywhere from a speedy commute downtown to a long weekend excursion to the middle of nowhere Vermont.
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2. Cannondale Quick 8
For anyone who needs a basic bike, for commuting, for sport, or for fun
The Quick 8 is what we call in the industry a “bikey-bike”. When someone says the word bike, this is the image that comes to mind: flat bars, 21 speeds, rim brakes. It's designed to get you where you need to go with ease, no complicated pieces involved. It's able to take racks and fenders, so you can equip the Quick for commuting, or even just for an afternoon picnic at North Beach. This bike is designed with integrated reflectivity, making riders super visible to drivers in low-light situations. At the low price of $439.95, the Quick 8 makes biking accessible to more people. Whether you need a bike to get to class or you want something to mix up your workouts, the Quick is a viable option.
The Cannondale Quick 8 is currently available in store only.
3. Cannondale Trail 5
For someone new to mountain biking and wants to love it
Locally, we have half a dozen trails within a half hour drive from Burlington. It's easy to catch the mountain biking bug, with busy traffic roads all around and well-maintained trail systems so easily accessible. The one thing keeping folks away is often the cost of bikes. For someone new to the sport, it can be hard to make that leap. The Trail 5 offers the sub-thousand price point that people want (right at $879.95) without compromising important features. There are a couple things to look for in a mountain bike if you want it to perform well in the woods, namely hydraulic disc brakes and a one-by drive train. The hydraulic brakes give awesome stopping power without too much effort on your part. With mechanical (cable-powered) brakes, the rider needs to pull hard if they want to stop fast. With hydraulics, all it takes is an easy pull with one finger to stop, even on a steep downhill. The one-by drivetrain keeps things simple, referring to the single chainring up front. All shifting happens in the rear gears, so riders only have to worry about shifting with one hand when a sudden big hill appears. The Trail 5 has 10 speeds with a wide range to allow you to spin easy up the climbs and crush the flats. It's equipped with a nice coil fork that allows riders to lock out the suspension, so between trails you don't loose power it the squish of the fork. This bike can handle anything from gravel rail trails to rooty singletrack – wherever cars aren't, this bike wants to be.
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4. Specialized Crossroads Sport
For the rider who has comfort as their top priority, looking to ride for the fun of it
Along similar lines as the Quick 8, the Crossroads is a very simple bike designed to keep things easy for riders. The main difference between the bikes is the geometry. The Crossroads is designed to keep the rider upright and comfortable, at a comfortable price at just $499.95. It comes with an adjustable stem that allows you to change the angle, so the handlebars can go up or down as is more comfortable for you. At the sport level, this bike is equipped with a shock-absorbing seat post, helping to eliminate discomfort from bumpy roads. With 24 speeds, you will have easy gears to spin up any hill and bigger gears to get some speed. The Crossroads also comes with fairly with tires, 45 mm, designed with a smooth middle and some grip on the edges of the tread; this makes it roll quickly on pavement and dig into gravel as you turn, providing a stable ride. So you can take this bike all the way out on the causeway, then spin up the hill afterwards for a nice maple creemee.
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5. Specialized Crosstrail and Ariel
For someone who wants it all, a bike that can ride trails, commute, and is comfortable for bike path spins
Some folks can't quite decide on just one function for their bike. They want to spin rail trails, some easy mountain bike trails, but also want to commute on their bike. For this rider, the solution is the Crosstrail. It's designed to be the ultimate hybrid, a true cross between road and mountain. This bike has all the comfort of a regular hybrid: flat bars, 24 gears, easy to understand and ride. Where it differs is in the fork and the brakes. The Crosstrail comes with a shock in the fork called the “brain”. It's able to feel from the ground up the difference between riding on smooth pavement or rough terrain and will adjust itself accordingly. On smooth surfaces, the fork will be basically rigid, meaning you won't lose any power as you pedal along. Once you hit the trails or even a rough patch of pavement, the fork automatically adjusts to absorb some of the shock, similar to the shock on a mountain bike, so that the ride feels smoother and more comfortable for you as the rider. The Crosstrail also uses hydraulic disc brakes, so you get that strong braking power with just the pull of a finger, rather than needing to grab a fistful of brakes to stop fast. This bike gets you light-mountain biking ability at much lower costs than a mountain bike, just $649.95. On the Crosstrail, you can go between fire road trails to pavement with ease.
Men's Crosstrail: Shop Online
Women's Ariel: Shop Online
Have questions or does the bike that you have in mind is not mentioned? Stop into Skirack's Bike Shop and we can help you find the bike that fits your needs!
About Val Cyr: Val has been at Skirack's Bike Shop since Summer of 2017 and has raced road bikes and cyclocross since she was 16 and was a member of the UVM cycling team.
Learn more about Val in her Skirack staff bio
*Please note that availability and pricing is subject to change.
