Choosing Road Bikes
History of Road Bikes
Road bikes have been around for around 100 years and their design has not changed all that much in that time. The bikes themselves may not have changed much, but the technology that's gone into their design has changed in numerous ways. Some of you may or may not remember but the first bike ever was a wooden hobbyhorse that could only be moved if the rider pushed his feet on the floor. Although the design of the bike has really changed since then, the frame and two wheels have remained the same.
Gears, Chains and Pedals
Somewhere along the way, someone with some great ideas invented cranks, pedals and gears. The cranks and pedals were connected to the front wheel and gears were put on in certain sizes depending on what size the wheel was. From here we got the chain, which enabled us to have wheels that were the same size. They were able adjust the number of gears based on the size of the wheel and how many teeth were on the sprocket. Whereas the first speed bikes had only three gears, today bikes have twenty or thirty gears.
Frames for Road Bikes
As it's been stated, the actual design of the bike hasn't changed much through the years, but the materials have. For a long time wood was the choice for bikes, and then along came steel. Steel was used for many years because of its strength and durability. Every manufacturer's goal was to make it lighter and lighter. Eventually alloy was brought into the picture and used on the tubes to make the frames lighter, yet very strong and safe. With the addition of the new aero-dynamic shapes, the frames were very light and responsive. Now in addition to alloy, bike manufacturers are using titanium and carbon. Carbon is the most popular material because it's as light as it is strong. Unfortunately, it's also very expensive. Some of the best bikes are made with a mixture of carbon with either titanium or alloy and these offer the best riding at an affordable cost.
Wheels at one time were also made of steel until the invention of alloy followed by allow with rims of carbon. The one thing that hasn't changed is that the wheels are round and this will probably never change.
The Final Choice
What type of bike you should buy will be a huge decision. What you can spend will be your deciding factor. You may want to get some magazines on bikes to read up on what they all have to offer within your pocketbook. You can also find some excellent bike reviews online to help steer you in the right direction.
Read more articles about road bikes and bicycle reviews available at this web.
History of Road Bikes
Road bikes have been around for around 100 years and their design has not changed all that much in that time. The bikes themselves may not have changed much, but the technology that's gone into their design has changed in numerous ways. Some of you may or may not remember but the first bike ever was a wooden hobbyhorse that could only be moved if the rider pushed his feet on the floor. Although the design of the bike has really changed since then, the frame and two wheels have remained the same.
Gears, Chains and Pedals
Somewhere along the way, someone with some great ideas invented cranks, pedals and gears. The cranks and pedals were connected to the front wheel and gears were put on in certain sizes depending on what size the wheel was. From here we got the chain, which enabled us to have wheels that were the same size. They were able adjust the number of gears based on the size of the wheel and how many teeth were on the sprocket. Whereas the first speed bikes had only three gears, today bikes have twenty or thirty gears.
Frames for Road Bikes
As it's been stated, the actual design of the bike hasn't changed much through the years, but the materials have. For a long time wood was the choice for bikes, and then along came steel. Steel was used for many years because of its strength and durability. Every manufacturer's goal was to make it lighter and lighter. Eventually alloy was brought into the picture and used on the tubes to make the frames lighter, yet very strong and safe. With the addition of the new aero-dynamic shapes, the frames were very light and responsive. Now in addition to alloy, bike manufacturers are using titanium and carbon. Carbon is the most popular material because it's as light as it is strong. Unfortunately, it's also very expensive. Some of the best bikes are made with a mixture of carbon with either titanium or alloy and these offer the best riding at an affordable cost.
Wheels at one time were also made of steel until the invention of alloy followed by allow with rims of carbon. The one thing that hasn't changed is that the wheels are round and this will probably never change.
The Final Choice
What type of bike you should buy will be a huge decision. What you can spend will be your deciding factor. You may want to get some magazines on bikes to read up on what they all have to offer within your pocketbook. You can also find some excellent bike reviews online to help steer you in the right direction.
Read more articles about road bikes and bicycle reviews available at this web.
About the Author:
Alison Addy is a journalist who writes newsletters for some magazines .Keep reading about road bikes and bicycle reviews at http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com/road_bikes.html .

