A belt drive is also easy to use (one shifter controls everything) and, perhaps best of all, lets you change gears while sitting still at a stop light. Not only can you get a bit of exercise and your daily dose of fresh air, but you can also explore your neighbourhood or city, to find the hidden gems you may have missed stuck in the driver seat, or on public transport.Read on for our favourite fitness bikes, or skip to the bottom for essential things to know.While the stalwart Belgian brand Ridley is best known for its high-performance race bikes, they know a thing or two about making bikes which are less about watts and more about taking in the scenery. The carbon fork, wide tires, and handlebar suspension smooth out the ride. Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. They come in cable and disc actuated versions; the former is cheaper and easier to adjust, while the latter requires zero maintenance and more power. It’s as capable for slow, people-watching cruises as it is for fast, get-to-work commutes. A Microshift clutched rear derailleur wrangles the chain, and a 10-speed 11-42T cassette means you can take the fun route to the grocery store — you know the one with a single track. The lightweight aluminum frame is decked out with mounts for racks and fenders if you choose to add those, or leave it bare and simple, ready for longer rides for exercise. If all of the bikes you are leaning towards cost the better part of a used car, your money might be better spent on a more traditional road bike. Simplicity and ease of use are the highlights here, Cannondale has created a light and nimble bike that is sure to get you smiling as you tick off the miles. After spinning around downtown, on the roads near our office, and on our local trails, we’ve settled on these 9 exceptional rides.We’ll admit we’re biased, but there are few better ways to 42mm-wide tires provide awesome grip and stability. For more information about how to do this, and how we hold your data, please see our privacy policyThank you for signing up to Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, BA1 1UA. With only one gear there are no derailleur hangers to bend, or shift cables to stretch and the 42Tx14t gear combo has a freewheel so you can coast, though it's definitely best suited to flatter rides.
If you think prioritizing value and reliability makes a boring bike, the Presidio 1 just might change your mind.The Acme is fast like a road bike, sturdy like a mountain bike, and smooth like a luxury car. The fewer moving parts a bike has, the fewer things there are to break or push out of alignment and it's this simplicity that we love about the Octane Kode drop bar Commuter. We also loved that the wide handlebar afforded a greater feeling of control over the entire bike. Though the 100mm Suntour fork has enough travel to keep you riding comfortably on most smooth trails, the suspension does have its innate downsides; the cost of a cushioned ride is the loss of energy you’ll experience when pedaling up an incline.
Bath We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Cannondale's Treadwell features a kinked top tube to create standover height and has what the brand classes as an 'easy geometry,' along with a zippy ride quality when compared to other fitness bikes and hybrids. Cable actuated discs will also require the pads to be adjusted as they wear down, while hydraulic brakes will do this automatically.Fitness bikes come in all different price ranges, but just like everything else in cycling, you get what you pay for. There are rack and fender mounts throughout the frame, and Ridley makes the bike in a dropped top tube version too.Vitus Dee 29 is a big wheeled bike that's ready for adventuresWith a geometry reminiscent of an old school MTB hardtail, the Vitus Dee 29 is a big-wheeled utility bike that can take you past where the pavement ends.
A fitness bike starts with a traditional road bike platform: fast-rolling 700c wheels and a swooping lightweight frame. A wide cassette and triple chainring offer a great number of gears, including lots of easy ones for hilly rides.If you live somewhere relatively flat and prefer to avoid as much bike maintenance as possible, consider Batch’s The Cruiser. Hybrid versus Comfort. It’s a great option if you can afford it, and low maintenance is often more important that low weight. This Hybrid Uses Rear Suspension to Smooth the RideTest editor Riley Missel is an experienced road racer, mountain biker, and a national champion on the track who has been at Bicycling since 2017. The The most striking feature of the Cannondale Bad Boy is, of course, the Lefty Lightpipe Fork. Wheel sensor and Cannondale app: Listen up, because this is SUPER cool. 700C tyres mean the bike will be efficient over long distances, and the 40C Kenda Flintridge tyres roll well and stand up to plenty of abuse; they are tubeless-ready too. The brand-new Treadwell from Cannondale looks to be the perfect fun and fitness bike to rekindle your joy of cycling.
With BMX inspired flat bars and an aluminium frame, the bike features urban armour bumpers to protect the tubing from dings when you lean your bike against a pole or rack. A 1x10-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain with an 11-36t cassette and 38T Truvativ crankset means there is plenty of gear range, while hydraulic disc brakes will keep your speed in check. The Vee Tire Co. tires are puncture-resistant and have reflective sidewalls, and the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes mete out real stopping power. So what else sets these regal rides apart?