What Kind of Bike Should I Get? Take the Quiz

What bike should I get? A few things worth thinking about first

If you've made it this far without taking the quiz above — go on, it's quicker than reading this. But if you'd rather work it out yourself, here's roughly how I think about it when someone asks me what type of bike they should get:

• What's the ground like? Smooth tarmac opens up gears, city and hybrid bikes, fixies, single speeds. Broken or unpaved ground pushes you towards gravel or mountain bikes.
• Speed or comfort? If you want to get there fast, look at hybrids and gravel bikes. If you'd rather sit up and enjoy the ride, city bikes win.
• How much do you want to maintain? Fewer gears means less to go wrong. Fixies and single speeds are about as low-maintenance as a bike gets.
• What's your budget? A decent single speed or fixie starts under £300. Proper gravel and mountain bikes usually start closer to £600–£1,000+.

The 6 main types of bike — and who they're actually for

Here's the honest pros and cons of each, the same way I'd explain it to someone in the old shop.

Hybrid bike

A cross between a road bike and a mountain bike — flat bars, a proper gear range, lighter tyres than a mountain bike but tougher than a road bike's.

Pros

• Quick and efficient on tarmac
• Wide gear range for hills
• Comfortable, upright-ish riding position

Cons

• Not built for proper off-road
• Tyres too narrow for really rough ground

Best for: fast, flat-to-rolling commutes on smooth roads. Shop hybrid bikes →

City bike

Upright riding position, comfort over speed, usually already fitted with mudguards and a rack.

Pros

• Comfortable for longer, easier rides
• Practical — guards and rack built in
• Easy to ride in normal clothes

Cons

• Heavier than a hybrid or road bike
• Not built for speed or distance

Best for: relaxed rides on smooth streets, no rush. Shop city bikes →

Gravel bike

A drop-bar bike with wider, knobblier tyres than a road bike — built to handle towpaths, trails and broken tarmac without giving up speed on the smooth stuff.

Pros

• Genuinely versatile — road and rough
• Comfortable over broken ground
• Still quick on tarmac

Cons

• Pricier than a basic hybrid
• Overkill if you never leave the pavement

Best for: mixed terrain — a bit of road, a bit of rough. Shop gravel bikes →

Mountain bike

Suspension, knobbly tyres and a tough frame, built for proper off-road punishment.

Pros

• Handles rough ground with ease
• Tough and forgiving over potholes and kerbs

Cons

• Slower and heavier on the road
• Suspension is dead weight if you never leave tarmac

Best for: trails, towpaths gone properly wrong, actual mud. Shop mountain bikes →

Fixie (fixed-gear)

One gear, no freewheel — the pedals turn whenever the wheels do, so you control your speed with your legs (UK law still requires a front brake, whatever anyone tells you).

Pros

• Simple, light, almost nothing to maintain
• Cheap to keep running

Cons

• No freewheeling
• No gears for hills — hard work if your route isn't flat

Best for: smooth, mostly flat city riding, for riders who like the connected feel of fixed gear. Shop fixies →

Single speed

One gear like a fixie, but with a freewheel fitted — so you can coast when you want to.

Pros

• Low maintenance, lightweight, cheap
• Easy to live with day to day

Cons

• Still only one gear — hills are down to your legs

Best for: smooth, flattish routes, fixie-style simplicity without the fixed-gear commitment. Shop single speeds →