Choose the best bike for the job

While any functioning bike will get you from point A to point B, the right style will make the trip more pleasant. Here are the basic styles and their benefits. Diamondback brand (from Raleigh) offers added value in ever one of their 56 models. With a wide variety sizes, and an endless opportunity to customize, you’ll have the bike of your dreams at a price you never dreamed was possible. Visit our showroom for the finer points and take a test ride!

Road Bike – Built for speed, road bikes have skinny, smooth, high-pressure tires; low drop handle bars; and a narrow seat – all designed for aerodynamic performance. Advantage: Efficiency and 16-20 speeds, for a variety of gears to pedal easily up hills. Detriment: Non-racing riders often find the hunched-over position uncomfortable.

Mountain Bike – Designed for off-road riding, mountain bikes have fat, knobby, low-pressure tires that grip roots, rocks and mud; flat, upright handlebars that are easy to maneuver on tricky terrain and many easy gears for climbing steep, gravely hills. Most also have suspension or shock absorbers. Advantage: stable and comfortable. Detriment: slow and inefficient on pavement. $199 - $1599

Lifestyle Bike – Comfort drives the design of Lifestyle bikes which have upright handlebars, wide tires, plenty of gears, suspension seat posts, and wide saddles to give you the most comfortable ride possible. Advantage: Comfort. Detriment: Weight. Lifestyle bikes are heavier and not as fast as road bikes. $199 - $349.

Commuter Bike – A relatively new category, commuter bikes feature an upright riding position, are stable and comfortable. They can be equipped with fenders and cargo racks and bags. Most bicycles can be retrofitted with accessories to make commuting efficient and comfortable. Starting at $399.

Cruiser Bike – The “Cadillac” of rides, you’ll float along the road on a cruiser. Wide saddle, wide road tires, seat shocks, chain guards and fenders are a few of the features that make this classic a popular choice for a new generation of cyclists. $279 - $299.

BMX – This category of lifestyle bikes covers a wide range of riding preferences. Look for models designed for jumping, racing or trail riding. They have as many tricks built in as you can pull off. $139 - $299

Kids Bikes – Diamondback offers 10 bikes specially designed for children. That means these bikes are not simply sized down, but built to perform the way youngsters need them to. Choose from mountain, cruiser and BMX styles that will make them proud and introduce them to riding the way it was meant to be. $99 - $239

Remember — Always wear a helmet!