What exactly is a city bike?
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I’ve been hearing and reading the term “city bike” frequently in the last few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone knew what it means exactly?
Is it just another term to describe electric bikes?
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Well you see, there are mountain bikes, and city bikes! It’s as simple as this!
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No, it has nothing to see with electric bikes. A city bike is simply a bike that’s designed to be used in a city, mostly for short rides, like for example, people riding to work.
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Ok, I see… But what’s the difference between a city bike and a regular bike, then? What makes city bikes so special?
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There are many different models of city bikes, of course, but I’d say most of them share some characteristics. They usually have fewer gears than regular bikes, and a larger saddle. Most of them allow the rider to sit in an upright sitting position.
I think most of the time they have a step-through frame to make it easier for people to mount them. You can see examples of what I mean on the website for Regal Bicycles, they sell different models of city bikes with a step-through frame.
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Ok, I see! Thank you for the info! Some of the bikes on that website look pretty neat.
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City bikes are simply not built for speed! So if you’re looking for a fast bike, a city bike isn’t for you. They’re for people who want to get from one point to the other, but are not in a hurry to get there… so yeah, I guess a lot of people use them to commute!
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I bought myself a city bike a few years ago, and I use it when I go visit my friends or have to run a few errands… I don’t own a car, so I find my bike very convenient, it’s also very comfortable compared to the bike I owned before I got this one.
One thing that the others didn’t mention is that a lot of city bikes have skirt guards! Those are also called coat guards, and they cover part of the rear wheel of the city bike to make sure your skirt or coat will not get caught in it while you ride… This is very convenient, because getting your clothes or your scarf caught while you’re riding can be dangerous! It happened to me as a kid… ouch!
City bikes also often have chain guards, that once again will help make sure your clothes won’t get stuck in the chain. Very convenient!
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Wow! That’s convenient indeed, why don’t all bikes have coat guards and chain guards? I hate it when my pants get caught in the chain of my bike…
Oh, and no, I’m not looking for a new bike at the moment, I’m still doing fine with my old bike… But when I need a new one, maybe I’ll get a city bike. Although I’m also curious about electric bikes…
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Electric bikes are helpful if you need to climb hills, or if you need to ride over long distances… However, if you use it daily you always have to make sure your battery is charged, and that can be annoying, it is to me at least!
I’ve owned an electric bike for a few years but I didn’t really like it, so I got back to a fixie.
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What’s a fixie?
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They’re also called fixed-gear bikes. My fixie doesn’t have breaks, when I want to break I just pedal backwards, it’s a lot of fun!
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I see… That sounds strange to me though!
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