Bicycle Buyer's Guide!

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303 Strawberry Hill Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06851
203-831-9144

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BICYCLE BUYER'S GUIDE

The age-old question: What kind of bike should I get?!
Ultimately, it is your choice. With a bit of education, you can make the right one! A visit to our store with the knowledge you gain by reading this may make the first few minutes of your search a bit clearer... What matters most is that you get a bike that will be able to handle the type of riding that you intend to do and that it will be COMFORTABLE... you can determine comfort by TEST RIDING...we use that comfort word a lot...do you get the picture??? READ ON!

Style Of Bike	Type Of Use	More Detailed Discussion
Mountain Bike $279.99 and UP! Models We Carry: We Stock Giant Boulder Boulder SE Rincon YUKON Yukon FS Rainier XTC1 XTC2 Haro Flightline 1,2,3 Extreme Escape Shift 1, 2, or 3 Diamondback Outlook Peak Sorrento Response Response Sport SantaCruz Superlight Chameleon Blur XC, LT NOMAD Heckler VPP FREE V-10 Turner 5Spot Intense EVP 5.5 Spider UZZI	Recreation Fitness Trail Riding Street Riding Off Road Riding Off Road Racing Downhill Racing "Freeriding"	"Mountain" bike's are defined by two features: 26" Wheels and wider, lower pressure tires. The smaller wheels make for a lower center of weight which leads to a bit more stability and control as well as comfort. Contrary to the myth, the small wheels don't make it harder to ride nor do they make the bike go slower! Go ask a physics professor to show you how they actually are faster than a bigger wheel! The smaller diameter wheel also makes for a better fit for shorter bikers. We sell more "mountain bikes" than any other style. One reason is their versatility and another is that there are a few different styles of "mountain" bike to choose from. Recreational, everyday mountain bikes are the perfect style for most riders getting a bike to just go out and have fun on. If you know you are buying a bike to trail ride or race or bring to the ski slopes...then a mountain bike is your only choice. If you're looking for pure comfort, durability and stability...a city bike or comfort mountain bike might be better for you. Once you've decided on these features, you'll have a few things to choose from...we'll leave that info for when you visit the store. Keep in mind that just because the word "mountain" appears in the name of a bike, you are not likely to be issued an ticket for using it on pavement!
		HYBRID BIKES
Hybrid Bike $339.99 and Up! We Stock Giant Cypress Cypress DX Cypress SX Cypress EX Raleigh Detour Bianchi Torino	Recreation Fitness Street Riding Groomed Trail Riding Available as pure COMFORT MODELS or a bit sporty as well!	The word Hybrid implies a "combination" or "cross" between bikes. That is accurate. A Hybrid bike is pretty much half-mountain-bike, half-road-bike. The real important thing to keep in mind is that the mountain-half of Hybrids is more about components than about being able to use it off-road. Hybrids are, for the most part, meant to be ridden on pavement. Hitting a dirt road, or loose gravel driveway once in a while is ok. BUT, forget about using a hybrid in a rocky, rooty, loose-surfaced trail. Hybrids are great recreational bikes. They come totally decked out for comfort and they also come in more sporty versions that are closer to a pure-road bike in terms of feel. The 700c road-sized, somewhat narrow, and high-pressure tires make for smooth, fast rides on nicely kept roads. Hybrids are great for our area where you can find longer stretches of nice roads and even for the great coastal riding available along The Sound!
		ROAD BIKES
Road Bikes $469.99 And Up! Brands We Carry: We Stock Giant Bianchi Masi Raleigh Torelli Mondonico Coppi Ciocc Cyfac Casati Vicious Cycle	Fitness Road Racing Long Rides On Good Roads Long Charity Rides	Purely meant for well kept pavement! Road bikes are fast, tight, light, responsive bicycles that are meant for one type of use...on the road! Road bikes tend to be a good fit for "serious" or "advanced" bikers who want the more aggressive, fast, not-so-plush feel that these types of bikes offer. You are likely to find a pure road bike uncomfortable and difficult to operate if you lack in riding experience. Still, road bikes may be the right type of bike to get for some beginners. Quick test rides prove valuable when deciding between road bikes and other types. Where you ride, whether you ride for speed or for distance, and what your ride buddies use are important things to consider when you've decided that a road bike is for you.
		COMFORT BIKES - CITY BIKES
Comfort Bike & City Bikes $339.99 And Up! Brands We Carry: We Stock Giant Sedona Sedona DX RALEIGH Venture 3.0 Venture 4.0	Recreation Fitness Trails Street All With Comfort as a PRIORITY!!!	Comfort bikes have saved the bicycle industry. For a long time, bike manufacturers were so concerned with selling speed, flash, and racing that comfort was forgotten. Let's face it...if riding isn't comfortable, then it isn't fun...if it isn't fun...who is going to ride??? That is what we were faced with a few years ago as an industry. Fortunately, in addition to Hybrid bikes, we now have City Bikes or Comfort Mountain Bikes. These are bikes that are recreational in nature and all about being cozy. Like a LazyBoy with wheels! 26" wide and low pressure tires, suspension seat posts and forks, and adjustable handlebar stems all make these bikes comfortable and fun. When we assemble new bikes for the showroom, we take them out for test rides...care to guess what style of bike is responsible for the longest test rides??? COMFORT BIKES! They are easy to ride in any situation and very versatile. They can handle light trail use and even come equipped with some high-end components if your tastes hover near the high-end stuff!
		BMX FREESTYLE and JUMP Bikes
BMX /Track $179.99 and Up! We Stock HARO REDLINE	Track Racing, Neighborhood Conquering Good Old Reliable Bikes! Ages 5 and Up	BMX stands for Bicycle Moto Cross. These bikes are decsendent from motorcycles that are used for short track racing. BMX racing is still very popular all over the world. This highly visual sport makes for a lot of dream bikes in the eyes of youngsters. The great thing about them is that they are simple, durable and because they come one-size-fits all, kids don't physically outgrow them. Yes, the 6'5" pros that race BMX ride the same size bike that your 4' 9-year old wants! We carry simple, inexpensive BMX bikes as well as high caliber racing bikes...our selection is extensive....bring the kids down to the store!

Freestyle $199.99 And Up! We Stock HARO REDLINE MOSH DIAMONDBACK WETHEPEOPLE MACNEIL	Dirt Jumping Trail Riding Neighborhood Riding Ages 5 & Up	The newest type of BMX bike, jumping bikes have pretty much designed with one purpose in mind....being launched off ramps by professional riders! The higher and farther the better and the biggest crash usually gets the most applause! They are also called trail bikes, because they are beefy enough to withstand the rigors of rough trail rides as well. These bikes are as durable as it gets...again, they are on-size fits all, simple and practical for what most youngins' need! Kids- The stunts you see and read about are performed by pros and come with great risk. NEVER ride your bike without a helmet and other appropriate safety gear! And NEVER attempt tricks or moves that are beyond your abilities just because you saw or read about them somewhere. Start slow and gain command of your skills with small steps!
		KIDS BIKES
Kids Compact $139.99 And Up! We Stock HARO REDLINE DIAMONDBACK GIANT RALEIGH	Ages 3-9 Neighborhood Riding Around The Block Riding	Compact bikes have either 12, 16, or 20 inch wheels. The frames are squished lower to the ground thus the name compact. This allows for a lot of room between rider and bike and allows you to get a bigger bike than you might expect...so you won't have to replace it as fast as you might expect! These are simple, durable, easy-to ride bikes that either come with training wheels or can been fitted with them. They are the perfect first bike....great for use around the 'hood, driveway, beach, etc. We have a wide variety of these bikes so find that special dream bike for your little one will be easy...we stock a lot of brands and models to have good stock and color choices all year round. Bring your camera....these shopping trips make good family memories!
		Geared Bikes For Kids
Kids Geared Bikes $199.99 And Up! We Stock GIANT HARO DIAMONDBACK RALEIGH	Ages 5-12 Neighborhood Riding Family Riding Trail Riding Recreation	If your children are a bit older, or better riders...or if you all ride as a family on longer, more diverse roads or trails....a bike with gears will be a great help to the younger bikers. These bikes come with 20 or 24" wheels and can have between 6 and 21 gears to make the pushing up the hills more manageable!