Bicycles are a bit like shoes; there are different types depending on the type of activity you want to do, and are a reflection of one’s personality. Let’s go briefly over the different types.
First of all, one has to decide whether one wants a standard human powered bicycle or a pedal-assisted (pedelec) bicycle. With a standard bicycle, you move the bike with the power of your own pedalling; with a pedal-assisted bike, a 250W motor can assist you to varying degrees while you are pedalling. This is especially useful if you have to go up hills carrying loads or when you want to travel but do not want to do excessive effort.
All the following types of bikes are available as standard human-powered bikes or pedelec bicycles:
Road bike: recognisable by the downward curved handlebars, this is a sporty bicycle intended for racing or exercise on tarmac roads. They are super light and fast and have gears suited for high speed cycling.
Mountain bike (MTB): is intended for cycling off road on dirt roads and forest tracks. Hard-tails have a shock absorber in the front fork and are very versatile. Dual suspension bikes have another shock absorber on the rear wheel and are intended for downhilling on off-road tracks. MTBs are recognisable by the wide knobbly tires that they have on them.
City bike: as the name suggests, this is a bicycle for commuting around town. It usually has a rear rack for carrying pannier bags and may also have a basket at the front attached to the handlebars. Sometimes they have a very limited gear range.
Trekking bike and touring bike: this type of bicycle is intended for going on a road trip. It has a sturdy frame with various racks and attachments for carrying stuff like carry bags and camping gear, heavy duty road tires and gears for going at relatively slow speeds up steep hills carrying heavy loads.
As one can see, there are different types of bikes each adapted to different cycling activities. Of course, some types of bikes are more versatile than others, but there is always a trade off that one has to make. For example, one can use a touring bike as a commuter bicycle, but he would not have any high speed gears available. On the other hand, going off-road cycling with a city bike or a road bike is risky and can result in serious injury and costly damage to the bike. So choosing the right bike is a crucial decision to make and depends solely on what you intend to do with the bike and your personality.
And once you buy your bike, don’t let anyone touch it. Ever. It’s personal, OK?