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There are inertia automatically shifting bikes. They are kinda a gimmick that's gone out of style
There are electric shifting road bikes that can shift themselves. You'd know about them if you wanted one. I haven't seen any under $5000.
There are electric-assist bikes. They are the new big thing.
Your not finding any of these in a big box store.
A cruiser bike will have a chain guard. Some use belt drives instead of chains. I've seen ONE with a shaft drive. Really weird for a bike
There are (many) roadbikes with Di2, they are electronic shifting, but not automatic. Electric assist bikes typically have gears and merely assist the pedaling... still need to shift. There is only one or two mass market shaft drive bicycles, maybr just one, and one or two that do belt drives. They are not cheap.
Dont buy a bike from A Big Box store. They are thrown together and can actually be dangerous. If you decide to go that route, have some one that knows what they're doing, go over it and check it out. Craigslist always has excellent bikes, just a few years old from manufacturers that know how to build bikes, with parts available for repairs that sometimes you cant get for a box store bike.
The only thing I know that is hard to replace on box store bikes is the coil over air springs on full suspension bikes. Everything else is pretty standardized modern or old stuff; 1" and 1⅛" headsets, many are 1⅛" threadless, about two or three different seat post diameters normally your old 21cm through whatever you'd find on any modern 1⅛ threadless bike(34cm?). 20", 26", 29/700c wheels... some 27.5 because thats a thing now. Gripshifters and trigger shifters. Square taper and ashtabula cranks, side pull, disc, and linear pull("v brake") brake calipers. Center pull calipers for the back of some bmx bikes. Bolt mount rear derailures and on rare ocassion on still built old mtbs(Mostly Roadmasters); drop-out mounted derailures. Just about every single big box bike can be upgraded. I've made a few in to masterpieces(polished turds 10x better than they were), the last was a 90s Murray mtb; replaced the stamped steel side pull calipers with the forged ones from a hyper bmx bike, aluminum wheels, better thumbshifters, aluminum handlebars, vbrake levers, newer(but low end) rear derailure. I took that old 40lb mtb and made a decently performing, relaible, 38lb bike.
I’m not using my bicycle as a daily commuter so would the higher price from these specialty stores be worth the price over discount store price bicycles?
What separates most bikes is the components. A bike in the $300 to $400 range is going to give you average components suitable for the average rider.
Dont buy a bike from A Big Box store. They are thrown together and can actually be dangerous.
Most bikes are nearly assembled. You need to put on the front wheel, neck, bars, seat and make adjustments. They may be able to make them safe but they won't be making fine adjustments. On lower end bikes for example the rims are almost always out of true. If it's just little bit you don't worry about it but there is always a few that need adjusting. Assuming they can adjust the brakes correctly they are just going to leave the brakes wide. At a bike shop they will take the few seconds to turn a few spoke nipples to get the rim reasonably trued.
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with parts available for repairs that sometimes you cant get for a box store bike.
Parts are standardized. Any bike shop should be able to fix almost any bike unless it's very outdated rare part required. The real issue with very low end bikes is they are rarely worth putting parts into them unless it's something simple like a cable. Even putting new tires on an old cheap bicycle is questionable.
The only bike I destinctively remember being pretty much fully automatic was a brand called Land Rider from back in the mid 00s, on infomercials.
They had them back in the 80's, might of been Huffy's and some other brands but I'm not sure. They had weights on the spokes attached to springed lever that shifted a 3 speed hub. They worked well new, don't know how well they aged.
No idea what is available now but I will shortly. I used to be a bike mechanic 30 years ago and the place I worked at is owned by childhood friend. He wasn't into the bikes much after the mid 90's because he sold other things but he's going full scale back into it. I'm just doing it on the side at the moment but It's actually quite fun working on bikes after all the years.
We may be moving soon to an area where bicycle riding is a safe alternative. . If I do get a bicycle when we move it will be for riding in town for fun and relaxation.
Riding in a city and sharing the roadway with cars will not lead to fun and relaxing time IMO.
I have two 60's model Schwinns that have semi-automatic rear hubs with two speeds. They have old fashion pedal brakes. You remember, push backward and the brake engages. Well on this you simply rock halfway back to the brake function and they shift to the next gear. They must be very sturdy, because they still work after all these years.
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