It was Adam Opel, of all people, and thus one of the world’s most famous car manufacturers, who said that. He confirms our assumption: bikes were and are simply the best means of transport of all times! After all, what other vehicle is eco friendly, lets you travel without noise, saves space (both, when parked and whilst driving), is inexpensive, and huge fun to boot?
There's huge selection of cheap or high-end bikes you can buy online, so it's not always easy to make the right choice. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to find the perfect bicycle, so just answer our two questions and you'll be a lot closer to your dream bike.
Two simple questions will help you buy a bike online:
This question will lead you to the perfect type of bike. You'll find many bikes that fit your plans in our bike worlds.
- How often and for how long will I ride my bike?
The answer to this question tells you in which price category you will find what you’re searching for.
The shortcut:
Which bike is perfect for me? Find the right type of bike!
In the last few years, a lot has happened on the bicycle market. Bikes continue to become more and more specific, with ever new kinds of bikes revolutionizing the cycling world over and over again. Gravel bikes, for example, have only been around for a few years, but already they top sales charts. E-Bikes are on their way to replace cars as the most common way to get around town. Not every bike is suitable for every plan, but the choice is actually quite simple.
Basically, bikes can be specified as performance bikes (mountain bikes, road bikes, touring bikes, E-MTBs) or bikes for a more casual use (citybikes, fixies, and some touring bikes).
The best rides for off-road biking: meet our mountain bikes
Mountain bikes are right at home where things get dirty. They're perfect for dirt roads, forest tracks and single trails. Mountain bikes usually have at least one “shock”: the one inside the suspension fork. This type of mountain bike is called a "hardtail" and perfect for easy offroad terrain. "Full-suspension bikes" have another shock somewhere around the frame, which makes the bike perfect for rough terrain and downhill rides. Mountain bikes have fat tires with an unmistakable tread pattern. There are many different kinds of mountain bikes, some are more suitable for daily use and on moderate trails while others only reach their full potential when jumping in dirt or skate parks. If you want to go downhill at top speed, downhill and enduro bikes are your thing, whereas cross-country and marathon MTBs are the best choice for endurance tours.
Manufacturers like Orbea, Trek or Santa Cruz make high-quality MTBs.
For gravel bikes and road bikes there are only two speeds: there and gone
Gravel bikes and road bikes are easy to identify by their curvy handlebars (dropbars) . They make you go super fast on tarmac and gravel, depending on how wide their tires are. Real road bikes have very slim tires, they are somewhere between 23 and 32 mm wide, and minimize rolling resistance. Gravel bikes usually have tires that are a little wider, around 35 to 45 mm, so you can cycle comfortably off of smoothly paved roads. While road bikes are built for optimum performance and top speed, gravel bikes can also be equipped with bags, panniers, mudguards and lights for longer bikepacking tours.
We carry for you, among others, road bikes and gravel bikes from top manufacturers NS Bikes, Rondo or Bombtrack.
A gravel bike is the perfect mix between speed and comfy cycling. Picture © Orbea
Bring some style to the city: classy urban bikes and beautiful citybikes
Citybikes are, as the name suggests, bikes for urban areas. They get you from here to there quickly and comfortably, classic city bikes are perfect for getting all those everyday tasks done in style and comfort. A city bike is made for everyday use, which is why these bikes very robust. They come everything you might find handy, they usually have lights, a rear rack and fenders. Fixies or Singlespeeds are designed for basic and quick progress, they usually do without any accessoires or even a gear shift. Generally, citybikes are tres chic, they offer a wide range of colors, accessories and styles. If you care about the looks of your bicycle, you'll find anything in this category, from colorful retro cruisers to minimalistic urban runners.
On BMO, you can buy city bikes and urban bikes from Creme Cycles, Diamant or Giant.
There’s no such thing as “too far” for touring bikes
Touring bikes like to go the extra mile. These bikes are built to give you perfect comfort on long drives. Because you don’t want to be stuck out there, optimum durability is their other strength. Only parts that can cope with such mileage will be allowed to grace a touring bike. For your really big bike trekking plans there are even more robust bikes, you should look out for an expedition bike or a travel bike, if you want to circle the globe. A touring bike will have an easy to handle and comfortable geometry. Make sure to buy a bike with an ergonomic saddle and comfy handlebars, but most importantly make sure there’s room for all your luggage, and rear racks and lowriders can be mounted.
Explore the planet on one of our trekking bikes from Fuji Bikes or Trek.
Easy going: e-bikes and pedelecs
An e-bike likes to give you a bit of a push when you're out cycling and you're getting exhausted. It has a drive unit, in most cases it is located somewhere around the bottom bracket and supports you with a little extra power while you pedal. There are many different models and variations. There are e-bikes in every bicycle category, such as e-mountain bikes, e-touring bikes, city e-bikes and many more. From compact bikes with small 20 inch tires to full-suspension mountain bikes, there is practically no bike that you can’t buy in an electrified version. Whether you want to commute to work every day or go on alpine mountain bike tours, everything is possible as long as your battery is charged. There are great differences in the capacity of the batteries and the power of the drive units, that’s where you need to be careful when you’re shopping for an electric bike.
You can find e-bikes from top manufacturers such as Haibike, Winora or Liv here in our online shop.
Electric bike or just a bike? Hard to tell, because today's drive units are integrated perfectly into the bike's design. Picture © Orbea
First rides: Kids’ bikes
Riding a bike is incredibly important for children for a great many reasons. It teaches them important skills, gives them some outdoor exercise and it is their first step towards independence. Riding a bike is also great fun. And the best thing you can do is help your kid to an early start, there are bikes for kids in many sizes as well as tiny push bikes for toddlers. These don't have pedals, kids push the bike forward using their feet and practice their reaction and balance while they're at it. For older children, there are bikes in different sizes. The diameter of the wheels defines the size of the bike, it is measured in inch or “Zoll” (in German). Technically small bikes work pretty much like bigger bikes do. Smaller bikes have brakes, bikes for older children come with simple gear shifts. You can even treat your kid to a full suspension bike, those are available from 24-inch bikes upwards.
We carry kids’ bikes made by Creme Cycles or Early Rider.
Other bike types
Of course, there are more bikes categories to choose from. These days, very small and very large bicycles are hugely popular. Folding bikes, for example, have become a common sight in public transport during rush hour. Their compact size makes them perfect to take them with you on the train or on the subway. Cargo bikes are on the other side of the scale. They are long and wide, so they offer enough space for children, a week’s groceries and everything else you might want to transport.
If you want to know more about a specific type of bike, you can simply head over to the category you want to shop in. You will find detailed information about gravel bikes, citybikes, mountainbikes and e-bikes and others there.
Womens' bikes - mens' bikes?
Is there still a difference between bikes for men and bikes for women? In fact those differences become less obvious with every new model, unisex bikes are a big trend. So women don't have to buy a women's bike, but bikes built for women might fit better. Traditionally, a bike with a step-through frame was a womens' bike and a bike with a high top tube was a mens' bike. But today, the shape of the frame no longer dictates the gender of the cyclist. It’s rather the length of the tubes of the bike (mostly stack and reach) in proportion to the body of the biker, that allow for comfortable riding. Our tip: Just ride the bike you feel comfortable on, no matter what gender it’s tag might suggest.
A classic women's bike has great equipment, is comfortable and lots of fun! Picture © Diamant
Still, we have bikes built by Liv for you, Liv builds bikes exclusively for women.
What makes a bicycle “high-quality”?
When you look around for a bike, you will quickly notice one thing. There is a huge price range. You can buy bikes at the supermarket for 120 Euros and if you check for the most expensive bike in the catalog, you can find price tags that demand 8,000 Euros or more. So, the question is: What makes a bike a “good and high-quality bicycle”? And which is the right bike for you?
That depends on a lot of things, really. But it is safe to say that a bike for 100 bucks will probably not spoil you with a good performance, easy handling and a long service life.
Generally, the minimum budget for a high-quality bike should be roughly 400 Euros. The price you should pay for your bike depends on where you want to go with it and how much time you’re planning on spending in the saddle. In other words: You get what you pay for. For a high-quality bike with good, long-lasting components you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket.
By the way, a high-quality bike today is not only defined by quality, the weight plays an ever more important role. The higher the price, the less the frame and components will weigh. Investing in a lightweight bike is always worthwhile, because a lightweight bike is much more easy to ride. If you don't want to or can't spend much on a bike right now, we have a suggestion for you: buy the best bike that fits your budget now and gradually update to better bike parts. But don't worry, we also have less pricey bikes in our online store that are really fun! To give you a better idea of what the bike you want to ride will cost, we will check out what you get for your money in each buying guide!
How much does a “good” bike cost?
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Bikes under 500 Euros are considered entry-level. Here you get simple city bikes, touring bikes and also childrens' bikes. You can also find simple hardtail mountain bikes in this price range. These bikes have sturdy aluminium frames, basic gear shifts and most likely rim brakes. If you only get on your bike occasionally and do not plan to cover huge distances, it is absolutely ok to buy one of these affordable bikes. There is one exception: fixies or single speed bikes come without all the parts that can make a bike expensive, which makes them a real bargain. So you can buy good quality fixie bikes for little money in this category.
> Click here for bikes under 500 Euros
- Bikes between 500 and 1000 Euros are considered the middle price range. Here you will find beautiful city bikes, the simple road bikes, cross bikes, fitness bikes and hardtail MTBs. The bikes will not necessarily get much lighter yet, but the quality of the parts is improving significantly. These bikes are suitable for daily, shorter journeys to work or day trips. There probably will be mechanical disc brakes, the gearshift will work smoothly and allow for more precise shifting, all the other components are more robust.
> Meet our bikes from 500 to 1000 Euros
- You can expect top quality bikes if you spend more than 1000 Euros. At least that's true for city bikes or touring bikes. If you want to be able to rely on your bike to ride through your city to work every day, you should not go for a cheaper one. If you spend 1000 - 1500 Euros, you buy high-end bikes from the best bike manufacturers we have available in our online bike shop.
> Bikes from 1000 to 1500 Euros
- Performance bikes are available for 1500 euros and more. You can actually pay a lot more for a road bike or a mountain bike. Real road bikes or mountain bikes start at 1500 euros, this price segment is actually open-ended. The more sophisticated the components get, the more exquisit the materials are, the bigger the number on the price tag will be. But you can also expect much more of those bikes. They are designed for perfect performance, they are light and durable, and you don't have to worry about annoying bike trouble interfering with your training plans. Trekking bikes can also be found in this segment, for multi-day tours it's certainly worth investing in the durability and ergonomics that these touring bikes can offer.
Find high performance bikes for 1500 euros and more
If you want to buy lots of style for little money, check out our fixies and singlespeed bikes! Picture © 6KU
How much does a good e-bike cost?
There is significantly more “stuff” to an e-bike, so e-bikes cost more than other bikes. You might want to step down from buying an e-bike for less than 1600 Euros, unless it is in a clearance sale, of course. An e-bike for less than that will probably have disappointing components, a weak drive unit and the battery capacity will hardly meet your expectations. For 3000 Euros and more, e-bikes and their drive systems become more and more efficient, the engines have enough power and the batteries allow for a long driving range. For 2000 to 3000 Euros, you can buy a great city e-bike. E-MTB hardtails, electric road bikes and e-touring bikes, likely will cost more.
>Discover our e-bikes
What do we mean by "cheap"?
It is just wrong to call a bike cheap or expensive without giving a little more detail! A citybike for 1200 euros is rather expensive, a road bike or mountain bike for the same price is quite cheap. A full-suspension bike will be difficult to find for this price, also E-bikes are clearly more expensive. "Cheap" always depends...
What equipment should my new bike have?
What parts and equipment your new bike should have depends on several factors. Of course, looks and practical requirements play a role when you buy a new bike. Are you searching for a stylish bike with only the absolute essentials and simple, direct driving? Or do you want a bike that is equipped to the max and comes with all possible accessories? Here, we explain the most important technical features and help you figure out what you really need. You can read in the specifications which equipment the bikes in our stock bring along.
Choose the right wheels!
There are many different sizes of bicycle wheels available. The frame dictates how big your bike's tires are, because it determines what diameter and width you can mount. With some bike frames only one size will fit, on others you can mount larger or smaller wheels. It is important to know the tire diameter, but the width of the tires also has a direct impact on how the bike drives.
What you want to know about bicycle tires:
>large tires make your rides smoother and less bumpy, they let you cover more distance with less pedaling
>small tires feel agile and playful, but you get less distance out of your pedaling efforts
>wide tires need more energy to get going, because there is more friction. On the other hand, they have better grip on any surface, which means safer cycling. They flatten bumps and roll easily over rocks or branches without breaking out sideways. Along with a tread pattern, they make a bike ready for off-road riding.
>narrow tires are efficient. Less rolling resistance makes them fast. The fact that they usually have rather little tread pattern too, makes them even faster. They let the vibrations of a rough surface get through to the rider.
If you want to tackle some less-than-perfect surfaces, you need bicycle tires with a lot of tread pattern. Picture © Schwalbe
Nutshell guide to bicycle tires:
- Road bike tires are narrow, smooth, and without tread pattern
- Mountain bike tires are wide, they have a lot of tread pattern
- Trekking and city bike tires are somewhere in between
Here's what you need to know about the wheel size:
- When you order a bike on BMO, you can expect it to stand on wheels that fit it’s frame and the intended use when it arrives.
- For most cyclists, tire size becomes of interest when they have a flat tire and need a spare tube or when their tires are worn down and need replacing.
- In the specifications of our bikes you find all the information on what tire options your dream bike offers. There you will find information that tells you if there is enough clearance for different tire sizes or widths.
You'll find plenty more information in our buying guide for bike tires.
The best gear shifts for your bike
Why do you need a gear shift? That’s easy, shifting adapts your bike to the ups and downs on your road, to inclines, declines, the terrain and the surface.
A hub gear shift is very easy to use, because you shift gears using just a single lever or a twisting switch on the handlebar. Hub gears usually have between 7 and 14 speeds. That offers sufficient range for everyday cycling and easy terrain, performance bikes usually want a little more diversity when it comes to gear range. Apart from the very easy handling, hub gears have one more great advantage, they are almost immune to wear, so your whole drive train will be robust, durable and long-living. You also won’t have to worry about the drive chain “jumping off” during shifting. All this makes a hub gear much more reliable and less delicate than a derailleur, which is why hub gears are often used on “no-worrys”-city bikes and childrens' bikes.
If you want coaster brakes, you have to pick a bike with hub gears, coasters and derailleurs don't work together!
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Advantages of a hub gear
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- easy to operate
- easy to maintain
- little wear
- robust and durable
- works with a coaster brake
- works with a belt drive
- best suited for everyday bicycles and children's bicycles
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Disadvantages of a hub gear
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- fewer gears
- less range
- not suitable for performance bikes
- higher weight
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You can ride a bike with a hub gear if you are mostly riding in flat country or in a city with nothing more than small hills. A hub gear will also work in smooth terrain, on flat dirt roads or easy bike paths.
> A hub gear works great on city bikes, childrens' bikes and simple touring bikes. E-bikes in these categories also have hub gears.
On a bike that is meant to perform rather than cruise, road bikes, mountain bikes or touring bikes for example, you will find a derailleur. These gear shifts are built for speed and power, and they allow you to tackle a wide variety of terrains and surfaces.
Basically, a derailleur consists of up to three chainrings near to the crank and up to 10 sprockets on the rear hub. 3 chainrings and 10 sprockets add up to a 3x10 derailleur shift with 30 speeds. 2 chainrings and 8 sprockets make a 2x8-shift or a 16 speed-set up. However, the number of gears reveals very little about how easy the smallest gear feels and how hard the largest gear feels. That's what the ratio comes in, and that's determined by the size of the sprockets and ring gears. The bigger the difference between the smallest and the largest sprocket, the more diversity a derailleur offers. Derailleurs consist of many parts, they are referred to as “group sets”.
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Advantages of a derailleur
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- many gears
- allows you to cycle on all surfaces
- makes uphill cycling easier
- for performance bikes
- large range of gears
- lightweight
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Disadvantages of a derailleur
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- needs to be adjusted
- consists of a large number of parts that must work together perfectly
- wears out
- needs service and maintenance
- must be cleaned and oiled
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For off-road riding, cycling on rough surfaces or uphill and downhill, a derailleur is perfect. It makes a road bike efficient and fast and a touring bike efficient and fun.
> These shifts are available on performance bikes such as road bikes, mountain bikes and gravel bikes. Trekking bikes also have derailleurs. If you buy a city bike, it’s up to you, you can buy one with either a hub gear or a derailleur.
There's the perfect gear shift for every bike, the quality of your groupset will influence the handling of your bike. Picture © Cannondale
If you treat yourself to an electric gearshift, you will not need to shift gears mechanically via lever and cables, an electric impulse takes care of the gear change here. The advantages of electronic groupsets are obvious - they work easily and accurately. Wires that aren't there can't cause trouble. You just shouldn’t forget to charge your batteries! If you’ve got an electric bike these shifters are a very good choice, because they give out a shift recommendation. E-bikers tend to forget shifting gears, because the e-bike rolls along effortlessly anyway. An electronic gearshift reminds them to do so.
>Because these shift groups are expensive, they are found mostly on high-end road bikes and e-bikes.
The best brakes for your bike
Bicycle brakes divide into two main groups. On one hand, there are the good old rim brakes. Disc brakes, however, have spent some years catching up and now have become the standard outfit on most bikes. Here’s why:
Rim brakes have many advantages. They’ll slow you down. They are light, cheap and require a little maintenance, but not too much. But they also have disadvantages, of course. One of the most serious is the abrasion they cause on the rims. It depends on your rims and what your brake pads are made of, but eventually you will need new rims because too much material has been scraped off of the old ones. You'll also need new brake pads from time to time, but you can easily order them here and replace them yourself. V-brakes are a variation on rim brakes. The design is slightly different, but the way they function is very similar.
Disc brakes, on the other hand, have an excellent braking efficiency. This means your hands will have to use less force to stop your bike. In fact, the braking is so outstanding that you should get used to your breakes carefully on your first rides with disc brakes. However, they are more expensive and heavier than rim brakes, they also need to be bedded in. You can buy bikes with hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes, with hydraulic brakes being even slightly better than mechanical ones. Depending on how much you cycle, you will need new brake pads now and then, and the rotors will also need to be replaced at some point. Hydraulic brakes also need to be bled every now and then. Perhaps the greatest advantage is that disc rakes do not cause abrasion on the rims. Disc brakes also work very well in wet weather.
Some bikes (this one, for example) will still come with good ol' rim brakes. Most new bikes have discs, however. Picture © 6KU
Which frame size?
It's especially important to choose a bike with the right frame size. You can make a few tweaks here and there, but the wrong frame can ruin your fun and make cycling a literal pain in the back. Therefore, don't just buy any frame size, but use our size calculator.
Which frame shape?
Most bikes have one of the following three frame shapes:
- Diamond frame: These frames have a high top tube that gives the frame some extra stability. Most performance bikes have a diamont frame.
- Trapeze frame: These frames have the top tube in the middle between the saddle and the bottom bracket, trekking bikes are often built around these frames.
- Step-through frames: These frames are easy to “step-through”, since the top tube is very low. They are therefore considered to be quite comfortable.
A trapeze frame is a great compromise between an easy entry bike and a sturdy frame construction. Picture © Diamant
Can I buy a bike online?
Of course you can! Why would you miss out on the great prices and bargains online bike shops offer you? Once you've browsed through our buying guide, you'll know which bike suits you, and what price range to look for. Now you can choose one of our many bike models, and soon your parcel will be delivered to your door and you will be able to enjoy your first rounds on your new bike. By the way, here at Bike Mailorder you can find all accessories you might need for your bike. You can buy all the bike tools, functional bike clothing and bike care products right here. Of course, we also have a huge selection of biking helmets for you to choose from, after all, you should always be wearing head protection when you get on your bike!
