Which bike should you buy?
Let the Oracle pick.

It depends on where you ride. Mostly tarmac: a road bike. Tarmac and gravel: a gravel bike. City and commuting: a city or hybrid bike. Forest trails: a hardtail or full-suspension mountain bike. Carrying kids or shopping: an electric cargo bike. Taking your bike on trains or living in a small flat: a folding bike. The Pedal Oracle quiz asks seven questions and gives you a specific answer.

Plan for about €/$500–1,000 for a reliable first bike, plus around €/$100–150 for a helmet, lights and a lock. Below €400 bikes are usually heavy and use parts that wear out quickly. Mid-range bikes (roughly €/$1,000–3,000) are the best value for people who ride regularly.

An e-bike is worth it if you ride in hilly areas, commute more than about 8 km, carry children or cargo, or are getting back into cycling. E-bikes typically cost €/$1,300–6,000, weigh 20–30 kg and need charging, so they are less practical if you have to carry the bike up stairs.

Choose a road bike if you ride almost only on smooth tarmac and want maximum speed. Choose a gravel bike if you want to ride tarmac and unpaved roads, carry luggage, or only want one drop-bar bike. For most people a gravel bike is the more versatile choice.

A hardtail is lighter, cheaper and easier to maintain, and is ideal for forest tracks and smoother trails, especially on budgets under €/$2,000. A full-suspension bike gives more grip, comfort and control on rough, rocky or steep trails.

Bike sizes depend on the brand and the type of bike, so use the manufacturer's size chart with your height and, ideally, your inseam (measure barefoot from the floor to your crotch with a book pressed up between your legs). As a rough guide for a road or gravel bike: 160–168 cm (5′3″–5′6″) rides a size S, 167–178 cm (5′6″–5′10″) an M, 177–186 cm (5′10″–6′1″) an L. After the Pedal Oracle quiz you can enter your height and inseam to get the right size for each recommended bike. If you are between sizes, the smaller size is more agile and the larger more stable.

Your answers are scored against ten bike categories. The highest score decides the type of bike, your budget decides the level (entry-level, mid-range or performance), and your fitness and motor preferences decide whether an e-bike makes sense. We then show the best-matching models from our hand-maintained bike list. Affiliate commissions never influence the ranking.

Prices come from our bike list, which we update regularly, but retailers change prices and run sales often. Always check the final price on the retailer's website.