Buying a road bike: Specialist shop or mail order?
More and more bike purchases are being made over the Internet these days, and not just for the classic mail-order brands. The advantages: The bikes are usually much cheaper and are delivered directly to your home. Assembly is also not rocket science, and the established mail order companies in particular deliver bikes that are well pre-assembled and come with clear instructions. However, buying by click also has disadvantages, especially after the purchase: the bike has to be sent back for inspections or complaints, which is complicated, and there is no local contact person to deal with any problems. In addition, the purchase is only suitable for potential buyers who can do without a test ride, i.e. who know their size and seating position exactly. If you don't know exactly what you want, want in-depth advice and want to compare several options, buying from a well-stocked specialist dealer is probably the safest way to find your new dream bike.
Carbon, aluminium, steel: Which frame material is the right one?
The vast majority of mass-produced bikes come with a carbon or aluminium frame. From a technical point of view, carbon is superior: It can be used to build lighter, stiffer and more comfortable frames. However, they are more expensive than aluminium frames. Consistently aerodynamic frames are also made exclusively from carbon fibres, which can be shaped into (almost) any form. The formability of aluminium tubes is quite limited in this respect. Aluminium frames are cheaper and usually more robust in everyday use. If you often transport your bike, you will have fewer worries with an aluminium frame. In most cases, however, the choice of frame material is primarily a price issue: in the price range up to 2000 euros, aluminium frames are available almost without exception. From 3000 euros upwards, the models are usually made of carbon. Steel is relatively rare and even more robust than aluminium, but also heavier. Titanium is roughly on a par with aluminium in terms of weight and is considered indestructible, but the material is expensive and more complex to process.
Drivetrain: How many sprockets, how many chainrings?
Twelve sprockets are standard on road bikes today, and sometimes ten or eleven in inexpensive Shimano groupsets, but this is not decisive. The range is usually wide enough and the sprocket set can be adapted to your needs on modern drivetrains without changing the rear derailleur. A look at the crank gradation provides clarity beforehand: find out whether the gradation is designed for racing or mountain biking; the number of teeth can no longer be compared one-to-one between manufacturers. With gravel bikes, one more thought should be given to the decision as to whether a crank with two chainrings or just one makes sense. Single drivetrains without a front derailleur are uncomplicated to use, but have large jumps between gears. Double drivetrains offer a wide range and narrow gradation in one.
Gearstick: electrical or mechanical?
The trend is clearly moving towards electronic switching systems with radio transmission. They can be set intuitively using an app and function with lasting precision - as long as the battery supplies power. Competition bikes are hardly available without them. There is still a choice for gravel bikes and endurance bikes, although the price plays a major role here too: Mechanical systems that are controlled by a cable are now only available on comparatively inexpensive bikes. Their advantage: they are independent of the battery and charger and the bike can be used at any time, even if it has been in the garage all winter.
Wheels: carbon or aluminium?
Similar to the frame, carbon rims are the better choice when buying a road bike from a performance point of view: not only are they lighter and therefore easier to accelerate; if good aerodynamics are also important, there is no way around the high profiles. However, they are significantly more expensive than aluminium rims, which is why they are usually only fitted as standard on bikes from 3000 euros upwards. Robust aluminium wheels can make more sense for touring, especially on gravel bikes: sensitive carbon rims are damaged more quickly on rough terrain and replacements are then expensive. On modern road bikes, the inner rim width, also known as the rim width, is important. It should match the width of the tyres being ridden. On road racers, 19 to 21 millimetres are suitable for 28 mm tyres; 40 millimetre gravel tyres sit better on 23 to 25 millimetre wide treads. The following applies: A tyre that is slightly too wide is generally no problem, but tyres that are too narrow should be avoided for safety reasons. And the manufacturer's width and pressure recommendations must always be observed!
Jens Klötzer
Editor
