Bike riding is quickly becoming one of the most popular  recreational pasttimes of all time.

Men and women in their 20s and 30s combine recreational riding with riding to work, and now older people are taking up the sport as a way of keeping fit. Bike riding is quickly surpassing golf as a maion interest for many older people and even retirees, with men preferring to spend $3000 on a new road bike than on a set of golf clubs.

When buying a road bike quality is all important. Before you buy, do your research and make sure you have an understanding of what types of bikes are available and what this interest is going to set you back. If you like the idea of being out on the road with others, as a social activity as well as a healthy pursuit, then think of the money you will spend as an inexpensive way of enjoying a much richer and healthier lifestyle. And, when you are ready to buy, make sure you buy from a specialist bike store, rather than a department store. Department stores generally sell bikes in volume, and that means items that are usually low-cost. Unfortunately with bikes, what you pay is what you get. 

Once you've committed to the idea of road riding you’ll need to choose a bike based on a particular bike frame type. Road bikes are mainly made of four materials: steel, aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium. Steel has always been the traditional material for bike frames but nowadays it is mostly entry level bike frames that are made from steel. Steel is heavy and it rusts. Because they are heavy they are hard to push uphill.

Bikes with aluminium frames are a more modern choice. They don’t rust, they’re much lighter (while retaining strength) and are easier to push, but the ride can be jarring. You usually find entry level aluminium bicycles are priced a little more that steel but the better ones are mid-priced.

The most common choice of road bike riders are bicycles with carbon frames and these are what you should be aiming for if you can afford the extra cost. (Unfortunately carbon frames are expensive to mould and you will pay considerably more than aluminium.). Although expensive, carbon frames offer strength, lightness and rigidity and are comfortable to ride.

The space-age material for bike frames is titanium and are the road bike of choice for people with deep pockets. Bikes with titanium frames offer incredible strength-to-weight ratio and are regarded as ultralight. They are a pleasure to ride.

Bikes with titanium frames  cost thousands of dollars, so if you are staring out it may be advisable to start with a carbon bike. Once you’re comfortable with riding a bike on a regular basis (and are confident you are interested in road riding as a pasttime) step up to a titanium-framed bike. The good news is that you will be able to sell your carbon-frame bike for a reasonable price and put that money towards a new titanium bike.

When buying a road bike, take the advice of a good bike shop on what gears, cranks, brakes, chain rings etc to have fitted, although good bikes will usually be fitted out to a high standard. One suggestion: a triple chain ring will make it much easier climbing steep hills, so you might like to ask that a two-chain-ring crank be upgraded to a triple.

A good bike shop will advise you on how to best fit yourself out with riding gear and what are the best helmets to buy. Don't go overboard in buying bike clothes - when starting out it's more important to be comfortable than to look like Lance Armstrong.