Choosing the best bike for long rides is not an easy task, as your choice can make or break your safety on the road. Whether traveling across cities or through challenging terrains, you shouldn't go on an extended cycling adventure without the proper bike. 

To help you with this, we've come up with the ultimate guide on selecting the best bikes for long-distance traveling. Hopefully, you are more than ready to hit the road on your first long-distance adventure at the end of this blog.

Here are the top five characteristics you should be looking for in a traveling bike:

1. Gears

While single-speed commuter bikes are comfortable, they are not fit for long-distance rides. Their lack of gear variety will force you to depend solely on your energy and move you to maintain speed, which will quickly drain your energy.

Aside from speed, gears will also allow you to go through uphill and downhill roads safely. Lower gears will allow you to maximize your force when going on uphill tracks, while higher gear levels will help you maintain your balance while going downhill by placing greater resistance on your tires.

2. Compatibility with Biking Accessories

The next thing that you have to ensure is that your bikes are compatible with safety biking accessories. This includes bike lights, portable tire pumps, anti-theft tools, etc.

Safety biking accessories can cause a significant difference when going through uneven roads or challenging terrains. For example, an excellent pair of bike lights can reduce road collision by 72% by improving your road visibility. 

Aside from this, it's also best to look for anti-theft devices before going on your trip. Fortunately, various biking gadgets such as bike lights and navigation devices already come with anti-theft features. These smart gadgets will send theft alerts to your phone even when you're not near your bike.

3. Suspension

For long-bike rides, it is recommended to get a bike with high suspension. 

Bike suspension also works as a shock absorber. It provides a certain degree of comfort when going off-road. Aside from this, the suspension also lessens the risk of accidents when going through uneven trails. 

Most bikes for long-distance travel come with front suspension. It's convenient to have a locking front suspension since you can 'lock out' on smooth roads and activate the suspension on rougher ones.

4. Compatibility with your body size

You should also ensure that the size of your bike is compatible with your body size.

An oversized bike will make you tire easily. Thus, you might not be able to reach your destination or the distance you're targeting. On the other hand, if your bike is too small for your body, it may affect your pedaling and maneuvering, which will cause great discomfort while riding.

5. Premium material

If you're planning on going on long-distance rides, you should look for a bike with premium quality.

Single-gear commuter bikes are less prone to damage as they're usually used on well-cemented and even roads. So, you can opt for less expensive commuter bikes if you're just going for casual trips.

On the other hand, using your mountain bikes for long-distance rides makes them more prone to damage and malfunction. Repairing them can be expensive. So, to avoid this extra cost, make sure to look for a bike that can withstand various road conditions.

If you're using the right bike for you, long-distance bike rides are fun. Remember that it's better safe than sorry–so make sure you're well-prepared before hitting the road.