Unless you plan on buying a cheap bike from Walmart or your local sporting goods store, buying a new bike can be a tedious process. If you are looking for a higher end road or mountain bike for serious recreational use, there are several things to consider before making the purchase: price, quality, components, weight, and warranty. There are tons of online resources, including the manufactures websites, where this information can be found. Another good way to get a grasp of this information is to visit your local bike shop and talk with an expert.

When it comes down to it, you first need to create a budget and a price range. When it comes to bikes, you typically get what you pay for. However, there are certain instances when you will pay a little more for certain brands, such as Trek or Specialized. For example, let's say your budget is $2,000 and you are looking for a new road bike. You have been shopping around for weeks looking at every bike imaginable until you are blue in the face. Finally you find a Trek you really like and notice the quality level of components (aka: groupo set) it comes with. You recall a bike from a smaller company you were looking at last week equipped with top of the line components where the Trek in front of you has medium level. What throws you for a loop is they're the same price. This is common when it comes to bike companies. After all, Trek is a well established company and people know the name, thus willing to pay more. You may get better quality and a better warranty going with the name brand, but may not get the higher end components on a bike in your price range. But in the end, does it really doesn't matter? What I used to tell my customers is that whatever feels the best and is in your budget it is what you should get.

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