When choosing a bicycle for commuting to work or school, you might sometimes wonder what criteria to use.

While it's one thing for yourself, it becomes even more challenging when choosing a bicycle for your children or grandchildren.

Here, we'll provide information on how to choose a bicycle, including types and sizes.

■Choose a size that matches your height

When choosing a bicycle, it's important to select one that fits your body for safety.

The most straightforward criterion is height.

Each bicycle has a recommended height range, so check the size before considering the model.

Common bicycle sizes and their applicable heights are set as follows:

20 inches: 130cm or taller

24 inches: 140cm or taller

26 inches: 140cm to 170cm

27 inches: 150cm to 180cm

Sports bikes may have more specific recommended heights for each frame size, so they might differ from the above.

Always check the size before purchasing.

Another thing to check when determining size is your inseam length.

Since purchasing bicycles online has become the easiest option recently, you can't actually sit on them, but please check the saddle height from the ground.

Choose a size where both feet can reach the ground when you are astride the bicycle.

Do not just measure your inseam; also consider the width of the saddle when measuring.

You can also measure the saddle height of your current bicycle as a guide.

■Gear shifting makes it easier

If the road were flat, gears wouldn't be important, but there are no such roads in Japan.

Even on cycling routes, there are always ascents and descents.

That's where gear shifting becomes important.

Technically, it's a sprocket, but it's commonly referred to as "gear shifting," so we'll use that term here.

By the way, gears transmit power through a combination of cogs, while sprockets are the term used when power is transmitted through a combination of cogs and a chain.

When you shift gears, you can change the resistance of the pedals and the speed at which the tires spin.

It's definitely easier to start pedaling after stopping at a signal or going uphill with a lighter gear, and when you pick up speed on a flat road, shifting to a higher gear allows you to ride without exerting too much leg power.

Even for bicycles used for shopping, not just commuting to work or school, it's recommended to have some gear shifting capability.

As a guideline, city bikes (mamachari) with 3 to 6 speeds and sports bikes like road bikes with 15 to 18 speeds or more offer comfortable riding.

■Baskets are useful for commuting, school, and shopping

For commuting, school, and shopping, I think a front basket is a good idea.

However, you need to be careful that if you carelessly put a bag containing your wallet in it, there's a risk of snatching by moped riders or similar.

Also, when riding on uneven roads, there's a possibility that valuables like your bag, wallet, or smartphone could bounce out due to the shock.

Therefore, what you'll want to use in conjunction with the basket are "hooking straps" or "bicycle basket nets."

By hooking them over the top of the basket, you can prevent items from bouncing out and visually deter snatching.

They are relatively easy to find at 100-yen shops, so please use them.

It's also effective to secure your bag to the basket with a chain lock (or cable lock) when parked.

■Check durability

Bicycles are used for a relatively long time, so durability is an important factor.

The tires are most likely the first thing to wear out.

Recently, "puncture-proof tires," which eliminate the worry of punctures, have become more common.

Puncture-proof tires do not have an inner tube, so there's no need to inflate them.

Inside the tire, there's highly cushioned urethane material or a hard tube.

Even if you run over a nail, the air won't escape, eliminating punctures altogether.

In addition, tires can tear on the sidewall, not just the part that touches the road surface.

Thin tires, after 2-3 years of use, can show tears on the sidewall, revealing the fibrous metal woven into the tire.

It's difficult to judge when buying, but you can assess it by its luster and feel.

Chains rarely break, so they are not as critical, but belt-type systems have been available for about 20 years.

While these are quite durable, they can deteriorate from UV rays if often stored outdoors.

When they degrade, the teeth (cogs) wear off before the belt breaks, making the bicycle very difficult to pedal, so care must be taken with storage conditions.

If you often store it outdoors, a chain-type might be a safer bet.