So, you want to buy your first proper bike. But the choice of different types of bike can be overwhelming! How do you know you're getting the right one, first time round? Well theres plenty of advise going for people who already know a little bit about what they want. You want a road bike? Easy, there are plenty  of roundups and reviews to help you select the pick of the bunch. The same can be said for mountain bikes, hybrids, commuters, you'll find any single category of bike has multiple group tests at multiple price points. The first step, then, is in figuring out which category of bike you need! 

Some factors will play a much stronger role in helping you decide than others. If you want to ride aggressively off road, for example, then its quite reasonable to assume you'll need a mountain bike, theres nothing else that can cope with that kind of terrain. If your riding is going to be centred completely on the daily commute then it seems likely that a lightweight hybrid will be a good choice. The lines blur however when you want to commute to work during the week but also fancy nipping over to the nearest trail centre once or twice a month to shred round and get the adrenaline pumping! Trying to commute on hard hitting trail bike will sap your soul, and your desire to ride, to the point where you may end up not enjoying the bike enough to still want to hit the fun stuff on the weekend. Conversely if you get that commuter hybrid then the trails will be all but closed to you. Is there a bike that does both? Well in theory, no, at least not without making some compromises somewhere, but if you learn to ask the right questions, then you can minimise the negatives and enjoy the best possible combination of riding characteristics for your specific needs.

Think about your priorities, not in terms of what you'd most like to do, but in terms of what you realistically will spend the most time doing with your bike.  Ask yourself;

• What are my reasons for buying a bike? Eg. To save money on fuel, for exercise, for gentle leisure, to socialise with your friend who's a cyclist.. 
• What is my upper spend limit? (its far to easy to get carried away if you don't set a sensible budget)
• What else do I need to go with the bike? factor in the cost of a helmet, a lock, lights if you'll be riding at night, set aside some money within your budget for the little extras, they can add up.

Once you've thought about this, and have the answers to these questions, you should be able to go and have a conversation with a sales assistant at your local bike shop and give them a good idea of what you need your bike to achieve. However, If you're still not confident that you know exactly what you'll use the bike for, then one rule applies, pretty much, universally. Simplify.

The more complicated a bike appears to be, the more specific its intended purpose will be. If you're looking at a bike with front and rear suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, switches and levers for things other than changing gear, fancy seat post adjusters, and adjustable this, that, and the other, then this bike is made to do one thing, and to do it very well. If you think you'll be mostly on roads and only very occasionally on the rough stuff, then all those extra features will only slow you down the entire rest of the time, while taking a lot of extra looking after.

If a bike is made out of carbon fibre, has drop handle bars, 11 speed group set with electronic shifting, and aerodynamic features on the frame and wheels, then Its probably going to feel lovely on a smooth bit of tarmac. But it will be fragile, and high performance parts can wear out quite quickly.

So simplify, get a bike without suspension. Get a bike with simple rim brakes instead of discs, if your budget only allows for the most basic disc brakes then a rim brake at the same price point is likely to better performance, and will definitely be easier to take care of. Get a bike with flat handlebars, and traditionally spoked wheels. Get a bike thats a bit plain. Because thats what all bikes used to be like. And every aspect of the sport evolved from people riding those simple bikes. So get one of them, and you'll evolve too. Take a bike without suspension off road and your arms and legs will learn to lift the bike over bumps and allow it to drop and rise in and out of dips. Take the same bike out on the road and you'll figure out that if you lean over the bars a bit you can fight through the wind resistance a little easier. This is genesis, the start of your journey in so many ways. It is after riding and growing as a cyclist with a bike like this that you will learn what features may be useful in the future. You may start to lower your handlebars  to lean farther forward and go faster on road. You may decide to put bigger tyres on and lower the pressure a touch to soften the ride off road. If you don't know exactly what you want now, this is how you learn, you'll find a bike like this either in a rigid mountain bike or a simple urban hybrid , these are often based on mountain bike frames and components anyway, just with slick tyres. 

Think about what the bike is going to be like to live with. Ask the sales assistant at your local bike shop;

• Are service parts for this bike, like brake pads, chains, cassettes, bottom brackets, and tyres easy to get?
• Do any of the parts on this bike have a reputation for wearing out quickly, or developing faults, like creaks?
• Is this bike unusually heavy? Ask to get it off the stand and pick it up.
• What options are there for running different tyres? Can I easily swap between off-road and road tyres? 
• Is this a bike thats worth upgrading in the future? Perhaps you'll want a different fork at some point?

Hopefully these questions will get an honest answer from your sales assistant and lead them away from their usual sales patter. And before you commit to buying anything make absolutely sure they have set you up on the correct size bike! If your bike doesn't fit correctly, it will feel horrible no matter how well made it is. 

Ultimately the perfect bike for you is the one that gets you into cycling. The one that helps you figure out how you want to ride and what you enjoy the most about it. If you have a clear idea of that already then a lot of the decision making is already done. If not, don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask to test ride any bike you're interested in. Most shops will have a way of enabling you to ride a bike before you make a decision. And whatever you end up with, I'm sure you'll love it.