Switching to safe and secure alternatives is what the world needs desperately at the moment. In most low and middle-income cities, pollution has spread its venom in the air. To a great extent, pollution can be curtailed down with the help of bicycles, letting us breathe clean. Cycling resolves many issues in one go. It safeguards us from numerous health hazards.
Research suggests steady cycling burns 300 calories per hour. Therefore, the idea of riding to work is well perceived, as it is very time efficient (remember those tedious gym sessions). Governments are also encouraging people to cycle through various cycling campaigns.
This growing awareness regarding bicycles has certainly bolstered its market growth. In recent years, bike production had climbed to over 100 million per year. Be it the health consciousness or the adventurous aspect of riding a bicycle; people are intrigued by various kinds of cycles. The market is packed with numerous brands and their models. Picking the one meant for you might not be an easy task.
Listed Below are the Top 15 Best Bicycle Brands in the World according to us:
1. Giant Bike
One of the best bicycle brands in the world, Giant is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer. Giant was started by King Liu in 1972. Giant justifies its name as it is the largest manufacturer in the world. Giant topping the list is supported by the fact that many professionals and world champions trust it.
Giant Contend SL1 is one such decent model. The bicycles have a handlebar-mounted Ride. Its control units make it easy to switch between power modes and view critical ride data such as speed, battery, and GPS. For a high-class cycling experience, Giant is the go-to brand.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a cycling lunatic or an average Joe, you’ve heard of giant bikes. Giant produces bikes of all types and prices, so you can buy a huge bike for as little as 300$ or 10,000$. Giant makes top-of-the-line road bikes, mountain bikes, electric bikes, BMX bikes and more. They sponsor many athletes and racing teams.
Official website: Giant Bicycles
2. Merida
Merida is yet another Taiwan based bicycle company. Though Merida offers a wide range, their mountain bikes take the limelight. Merida outsmarts many brands in terms of style and solid built. This is also on the list of best bicycle brands in the world.
As Merida is one of the leading brands, it is natural for it to be costly. With exemplary engineering, Merida has been building bicycles with the perfect balance between performance and refinement. If you believe in a one-time investment, should consider Merida.
Official website: Merida Bikes
3. Cannondale
Cannondale, now located in the USA, is a famous bicycle brand. The name of the company was taken from the Cannondale Metro-North train station in Wilton, Connecticut. The cycles have aluminium and carbon fiber frames. This assures their durability. Cannondale offers high quality built bikes that are safe, comfortable, and affordable. If durability is your priority, Cannondale is the brand.
Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American branch of the Canadian team Dorel Industries. One of it’s main products is bicycle. Cannondale Corporation 1 was founded in 1971 by Joe Montgomery and Murdoch McGregor to build prescott concrete housing. It made its breakthrough a few years later when it incorporated polymath engineer Ron Davis into its position.
Once a privately run company, Cannondale was held publicly in 1995 after a 22 million IPO. Several of its bicycle frames were made of materials such as steel or titanium. Cannondale is considered a pioneer of carbon-fiber technology and was one of the first companies to start playing with components for bike production.
Official website: Cannondale
4. Trek
It was founded in 1976 by John Burke. Trek is one of the leading bicycle manufacturers and distributors under the brand names Trek, Electra Bicycle Company, Gary Fisher, Bontrager, Diamant Bikes, Villiger Bikes and until 2008, LeMond Racing Cycles and Klein.
Trek mountain and hybrid models give an unmatched experience of cycling. Trek is known for its strong built. Trek will not fail at impressing you while riding on mountain cliffs.
Official website: Trek
5. Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is specialized in high-class mountain bikes. It is based in Santa Cruz, California. They offer around 12 different bike models made of carbon fibers and aluminium. They make bikes with great precision, for the practice of radical sports, like mountain biking or downhill biking.
For offering such a high-quality professional product, their price is bound not to be cheap. If money is not the constraint and adventure is all on your mind, go for Santa Cruz.
Official website: Santa Cruz Bicycles
6. Specialized
Specialized Bicycle was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard and is based in California. Specialized Bicycle Component, Inc. is also one of the most famous bike companies in the world. The frames feature the brand’s alloy known as FACT, which stands for Functional Advanced Composite Technology.
Specialized is the fastest growing brand catering to the different needs of its customers. The race bikes of the brand are appreciable as they won’t give pain to your body. Specialized Roubaix sport is one such race bike.
Official website: Specialized
7. Scott
The Swiss company SCOTT Sports SA is a producer of bicycles, winter equipment, motorsports gear, and sportswear. It was started by Ed Scott who was working in Sun Valley in 1958. This Swiss brand is famous for its very stylish sports bikes, made for adventure-seeking bikers. It is to be noted that they are not for the daily city bicycle rider.
Official website: Scott sports
8. GT Bikes
GT was founded in 1972, by Gary Turner and Richard Long in Santa Ana, California. They have promoted BMX bicycles. The most popular are their mountain, BMX and road bikes. For those who love riding, GT Mountain Hardtail Line is a great pick. A mountain bike that doesn’t burn your pocket!
GT Bike is a bike brand that has been producing quality two-wheelers for almost 50 years, standing tall in history. Today, they are revered for their cyclocross, hybrid, mountain, as well as road bikes. In particular their mountain bikes have a successful racing lineage and they are well known in the World Cup competition.
Official website: GT Bicycles
9. Fuji Bike
Fuji Bike is a Japanese bike brand, and it has been making bikes since 1899. Named after Mount Fuji, the famous mountain that watches Tokyo. Not everyone needs a fancy built bicycle, a high-end mountain cycle, or a sports cycle. Simple people have simple needs.
Fuji is the go-to bicycle for them. Fuji bikes are specifically famous in Asia for their simple frame, ideal for everyday use. We are currently traveling across the ocean to talk about Japan’s most popular bike brand. Founded in the nineteenth century, it is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world.
The name comes from the famous Mount Fuji, so it sends that they make high quality mountain bikes that can conquer this kind of mountain. Fuji manufactures XC, trail, electric and fat bikes, but is also well known for their road bikes.
Official website: Fuji bikes
10. Kona
Kona is an American brand of bicycles. The company was founded in 1988 by Dan Gerhard and Jacob Heilbron. Their models are ideal for city biking. Kona sells bicycles in almost all parts of the world, with newly added features that fit customer’s desires.
Official website: Konaworld
11. 3T Bikes
Formerly known as 3TTT – Tecnologia del Tubo Torino (Turin Tube Technology), the company was no more than a typical tube-bending machine until they began making bicycle parts and accessories, even sponsoring professional teams, including Team CSC in 2008 for which the famous cyclist Fabian Cancellara rode.
The company began using carbon fiber composites for its components in the 1990s. Other parts included handlebars, cranksets and stalks. Professional team sponsorship continues and in 2016 they released their first bike, Explore.
Official website: 3T
12. All-City Cycles
All-City Bicycle is a Minneapolis-based bicycle brand that makes steel bikes for the passengers, single-speed and gravel biking market. QBP has created an all-city bicycle brand to satisfy a niche market with interest in the style and quality of city-based cyclists, bicycle passengers. In addition to a number of standard fixtures and passengers, the company produces several high-end, podium-winning roads and track bikes.
Official website: All City Bicycle
13. Bianchi Bicycles
Bianchi Road has a racing offspring of bikes, which have won multiple grand tours under the belt, including the latest version of La Vuelta. However, they produce top quality mountain bikes, e-bikes and hybrids.
Official website: Bianchi
14. Cube Bikes
It is a German brand, so cube bikes are much more popular in Europe than in the United States. Cube is most famous for making the best quality mountain bikes, but they have a lot of love and skill in making trekking, hybrid and cross bikes, road bikes and triathlon bikes.
Official website: Cube Bikes
15. Ghost Cycles
Brand Ghost bikes are no longer ghosts in the cycling world. This German-based bicycle company has been hugely popular in Europe for decades but has recently begun to conquer the rest of the world, including the United States.
They are most recognized for their mountain bikes, which are successful in the racing scene of the ghost factory team. Most recently they have been involved in building roads, kids and electric bikes.
Official website: Ghost Cycles
Conclusion
We know that there are many brands out there, making it difficult to pick the top 15 bicycle brands in the world. For the best possible start, it is advisable to invest in a quality product. Do not get lured by the ultra-light weighted frame.
Choose aluminum or steel based frame over a carbon frame. Comfort and budget should not be compromised just for a few attractive features. Opt for something that adds fun to your journey.
Also Read: Top 25 Bicycles Brands in India