What type of bike should I buy?

[jgriff147]

I want to get into biking and don't know what type or which one to get. Around 80% of my riding will be on smooth paved trails while the other 20% will be on trails that are not paved. Not exactly hardcore mountain biking trails but trails with divots and rocks.

I was looking at the Vilano Diverse 3.0 but unsure. I have always had a mountain bike but got tired of struggling to keep up with my friends. I top out around 16 miles an hour and they can hold 18-19 due to having road bikes.

[Painkiller]

Build yourself a flat bar road/fitness/hybrid
Thats what I did. you cannot buy a new one as nice for the money or geared as fast
https://forums.bikeride.com/thread-8183.html

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

I think your best of both worlds will be a gravel bike.

But I would opt for a mountain bike with semi-slick tires (such as a GT Aggressor, Pantera, or Avalanche).

One of the big factors here is going to be the gearing. You'll want about a 44t chainring for the best versatility. Anything within 2t of that should be fine.

The real big factor is the tires. You want grip off road and versatility on road.

Specialized Pathfinder Sport is an amazing example. Can't beat the price. I have the Nimbus 2 Sport and they are amazing.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/pathfinder-sport/p/173175?color=269819-173175

Make sure to tilt your seat for comfort.

[Lss555]

(02-13-2023, 03:27 PM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  I think your best of both worlds will be a gravel bike.

But I would opt for a mountain bike with semi-slick tires (such as a GT Aggressor, Pantera, or Avalanche).

One of the big factors here is going to be the gearing. You'll want about a 44t chainring for the best versatility. Anything within 2t of that should be fine.

The real big factor is the tires. You want grip off road and versatility on road.

Specialized Pathfinder Sport is an amazing example. Can't beat the price. I have the Nimbus 2 Sport and they are amazing.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/pathfinder-sport/p/173175?color=269819-173175

Make sure to tilt your seat for comfort.

I’d have to 2nd this as a gravel bike sounds pretty ideal for your situation 🤘🏼

[Talha]

https://www.amazon.com/Hiland-Hybrid-Shimano-speeds-Wheels/dp/B08DHZY7PR?th=1

Take a look at this. You're definitely on the right track with hybrids. I recommend you look into amazon builds like these, with preferred components if you don't want to painstakingly get into building one yourself.

[ichitan]

On my mountain bike, I could run mountain bike tires, gravel tires, or road tires. Anyone not sure what to buy, could get a mountain bike, and experiment with different tires.

Similar to what someone mentioned above. My bike is a 3x8 speed. The large chainring is a decent size. Don't buy a bike with a single small chainring. It will be too slow.