Types of Bikes, Compared

Start with how you’ll ride

Bike types are really just answers to different questions. A road bike answers “How fast and far can I go on pavement?” A mountain bike answers “How do I get down a rocky trail in one piece?” A comfort bike answers “How do I enjoy a relaxed ride without sore hands?”

So before reading the list, think about three things:

• Where you’ll ride most often. Paved pathways, city streets, gravel roads, coulee single track, or a mix.
• How far, and how hard. A gentle half-hour, a fitness ride, or a daily commute.
• What your body likes. Upright or leaning forward, two wheels or three, sitting on a saddle or in a seat with a back.

Most Lethbridge riders end up on one of three types: a hybrid or comfort bike, a gravel bike, or an e-bike version of one of those. But the others all have their place, and some readers will find that a recumbent or trike is what they’ve been missing.

Conventional upright bikes

This is the bike most of us learned on: two wheels, a saddle, and the rider sitting over the frame with hands on the handlebars. Hybrids, road, gravel and mountain bikes are all variations on it.

Many of those drawbacks can be eased with fit: raising the handlebars, changing the stem, choosing a wider saddle or swept-back bars, or picking a more upright frame. A good bike shop fitting can make an ordinary bike far more comfortable. If they can’t be eased enough, the recumbents and trikes page explains the alternatives.

Hybrid and comfort bikes

Hybrids sit between road bikes and mountain bikes: flat handlebars, a fairly upright position, and tires wide enough for gravel paths but smooth enough to roll well on pavement. Comfort bikes take that further, with an even more upright seat, swept-back handlebars, softer grips and a wider saddle.

For riding Lethbridge’s paved and aggregate pathways, around the neighbourhood and to the store, this is the type that suits the most people.

What to look at

• Upright seating. Easier on the neck and wrists, and you see more around you. The trade-off is more wind resistance, which you’ll feel on an exposed pathway into a west wind.
• Moderate-width tires. Wide enough to be stable on gravel and cracks, narrow enough to roll easily. Lower pressures soften the ride.
• Grips and saddle. Shaped grips spread pressure across the palm. A saddle that’s too soft or too wide can rub on longer rides; comfort is about fit, not padding alone.
• Frame geometry. How long and tall the frame is decides how stretched out or upright you sit. Ride two sizes if you’re between them.
• Step-through frames. A low or absent top tube means you can step through the frame instead of swinging a leg over the saddle. They’re not just for anyone in particular; they’re simply easier to get on and off, especially with stiff hips, a bag on the rack, or at frequent stops.
• Mounting and dismounting. Try it several times on the test ride, including on a slope. If it feels awkward in the shop, it will feel worse on a windy day.
• Handling on pavement and maintained paths. Hybrids are steady and predictable. They’re not built for rough single track.

Road bikes

Road bikes are built to go efficiently on pavement. They’re light, with narrow tires, drop handlebars that curl down and back, and a position that leans the rider forward.

• Speed and efficiency. Light weight, narrow high-pressure tires and a low position mean less effort for a given speed. On long rural roads they’re hard to beat.
• Aerodynamics. Riding in the drops makes you smaller to the wind. In southern Alberta that’s not a racing detail; it’s a real advantage into a headwind.
• Drop handlebars. They give several hand positions on long rides, but take getting used to. Brake levers can feel unfamiliar at first.
• Comfort. Narrow tires transmit more bumps. Many newer road bikes take wider tires and have a more relaxed “endurance” shape.
• Gearing. Some road bikes are geared for fit riders on flat roads. For coulee climbs, look for low gears.
• Storage. Light and easy to hang or carry.

For casual riders: a road bike is usually not the best first choice. The forward position, narrow tires and limited room for racks and fenders make it less forgiving on pathways, gravel and short errands. For fitness riders who want to cover distance on pavement, it can be ideal.

Gravel bikes

Gravel bikes look like road bikes, with drop handlebars, but are built for mixed pavement and gravel. They have become popular across the prairies, where a good ride often mixes asphalt, range roads and canal paths.

• Tire clearance. Room for much wider tires than a road bike, often with a little tread. Wider tires at lower pressure grip loose gravel and smooth out washboard.
• Gearing. Usually lower and wider-ranging than a road bike, for steep climbs and loaded riding.
• Geometry. A little longer and more stable than a road bike, so it tracks steadily on loose surfaces and in crosswinds.
• Comfort and distance. Many have mounts for racks, fenders and extra bottles, which suits longer days and light touring.

Gravel bike or hybrid?

Both handle pavement and gravel. The difference is mostly the handlebars and position. A gravel bike’s drop bars give more hand positions and a lower, more wind-cheating posture, and it’s generally lighter and faster over distance. A hybrid’s flat bars feel more familiar, put you more upright, and are easier for short, stop-and-go riding. If you plan long rides on rural roads, try a gravel bike. If your rides are shorter and relaxed, a hybrid is often more comfortable.

Mountain bikes

Mountain bikes are designed for trails: roots, rocks, loose shale and steep drops like those in the river valley and coulee single track. They have wide knobby tires, strong brakes, low gears and usually suspension.

• Hardtail or full suspension. A hardtail has a suspension fork at the front only. It’s lighter, simpler, cheaper and easier to maintain. Full suspension adds a rear shock, which helps control and comfort on rough trails but adds weight, cost and parts to service.
• Tire size. Larger wheels roll over obstacles more easily; smaller wheels feel quicker to turn. Wide tires add grip and cushion.
• Suspension travel. How far the suspension moves. More travel suits steeper, rougher terrain. For gentle trails, less is plenty.
• Brakes. Hydraulic disc brakes are standard and give strong, controllable stopping on steep descents.
• Weight. Heavier than hybrids and road bikes, and much heavier with full suspension.

Electric-assist bikes

An e-bike has an electric motor and battery that help you while you pedal. How much it helps depends on the system and the assist level you choose. In Alberta, an e-bike that meets the province’s rules is a “power bicycle”: its motor is rated at 500 W or less (continuous) and it stops assisting at 32 km/h on level ground. The rules and safety page has the details.

Almost every type of bike now comes in an electric version:

Pedal assist and throttle

Pedal assist means the motor helps only while you’re pedalling. You choose how much help with a control on the handlebar. A throttle lets the motor drive the bike when you twist a grip or press a lever, even without pedalling. Alberta’s power bicycle rules allow a throttle as long as the bike meets the other requirements, including that assistance stops when the brakes are applied. But some trails and parks allow only pedal-assist bikes, so check before you ride somewhere new.

E-bikes are covered in depth on E-bikes explained.

Folding bikes

A folding bike collapses into a smaller package, usually by hinging the frame and the handlebar post. They suit people with little storage space, apartment dwellers, RV travellers and campers, and anyone who puts a bike in a car often.

Cargo bikes

Cargo bikes are built to carry groceries, children or equipment. Some have a long rear rack (“longtail”); others have a box or platform in front of the rider; some are three-wheelers with a box between two front wheels. Most new ones are electric.

• Load capacity. Check the maximum total load, including rider, and the limit for the rack or box separately.
• Handling. Heavier and longer, so they turn more slowly. A loaded front box steers differently; practise in an empty lot.
• Stability. A strong two-legged kickstand matters for loading children.
• Battery use. Carrying weight uses more battery, especially on hills and into wind.
• Parking and storage. They take up the space of two bikes, and many won’t hang on a hook.
• Transport. Most won’t fit ordinary bike racks. Plan to ride it everywhere or use a trailer.

Specialty and adaptive cycles

Not everyone can, or wants to, balance on two wheels and sit on a small saddle. There’s a whole family of cycles designed around different bodies and needs:

All of these are covered in depth on Recumbents and trikes. If you have a specific medical or mobility need, an occupational therapist or physiotherapist can help you work out what to try.

The big comparison table

These are general tendencies, not rules. Individual models vary a lot, which is one more reason to test ride.

Sources

• Government of Alberta, Rules and Regulations Applying to Small Vehicles (updated November 2018), power bicycle criteria: transportation.alberta.ca (PDF)
• Government of Alberta, Cycling safety equipment (helmets for children in trailers and trail-a-bikes): alberta.ca/safety-equipment
• City of Lethbridge, Tuesday Trail Tips (pathway types; Botterill Bottom Park mountain bike park): lethbridge.ca/news/posts/tuesday-trail-tips
• City of Lethbridge, Cycling page: lethbridge.ca/roads-parking-transit/cycling
• David Gordon Wilson, Bicycling Science (MIT Press), for general principles of bicycle design, rolling resistance and aerodynamics.