About
How the Oracle works
No magic, just a transparent scoring system and a hand-picked bike list.
What is Pedal Oracle?
Pedal Oracle is a free bike-finder. You answer seven questions — where you ride, why you ride, how fit you are, how hilly it is, whether you want an e-bike, where you'll store the bike and your budget — and it tells you which type of bike you need and which specific models to look at.
How the quiz decides
Each answer adds or removes points for ten bike categories (road, gravel, hardtail mountain, full-suspension mountain, enduro, hybrid, city, touring, folding and cargo). The category with the most points wins. Your budget sets the level — entry-level, mid-range or performance — using price bands specific to each bike type. Your fitness, terrain and motor answers decide whether an e-bike is recommended. Categories you can't realistically afford are down-ranked, and we tell you when a small budget stretch makes a big difference.
How we choose the bikes
We maintain a hand-picked list of 197 bikes from established brands and retailers. We favour bikes with good value for money, sensible geometry, reliable components and wide availability. Prices, availability and shop links are kept separately for Europe and the US. Within your recommended category, bikes are ranked by how close they are to your budget, whether they match your motor preference, and whether their character (comfort, race, lightweight, bikepacking) suits your answers.
How sizing works
After your result, enter your height (and your inseam if you know it). For every recommended bike we use that model's own size chart — rider height and inseam ranges per size — when we have it, and a typical chart for that type of bike when we don't. If you fall between two sizes, your inseam decides; without it we show both and explain the difference.
How we make money
Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, the retailer pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never influence which bike type the Oracle recommends or how bikes are ranked — a bike without an affiliate programme is ranked exactly the same way.
Prices and updates
Prices are indicative and were last updated on 29 September 2026. Retailers change prices and run sales often, so always check the final price before you buy.
Photo credits
Bike cutouts are made from freely licensed photos on Wikimedia Commons. Our cut-out versions are shared under the same licence.
- Specialized S-Works Tarmac road bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gravel bike with flared drop bars — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Titanium hardtail mountain bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Stevens E-Maverick full-suspension mountain bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Long-travel full-suspension e-mountain bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Stevens flat-bar fitness bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Step-through city bike with basket and rack — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- VSF TX-1200 touring bike with panniers — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dahon K9 folding bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Longtail electric cargo bike — photo by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source