How to Stay Safe When Cycling on the Roads
Biking is more popular than ever these days. The industry and sport continues to evolve and reach new levels every day. No matter what kind of riding you are into, there is a category and style of bike to suit you every need, allowing everyone to enjoy the benefits of cycling.
Besides gaining the benefits of exercise, like stress relief and living a healthier life, cycling also provides a whole lot of fun. Whether it’s hauling down trails on mountain bikes, taking long endurance rides or pulling that new trick off a jump in the park, biking brings a lot to those who choose to participate.
But with more bikers out there, both motorists and cyclists need to understand the rules of the road and how to make sure safety remains a priority. It’s just as much a cyclist’s responsibility to watch out for motorists as it is for motorists to watch out for the cyclist.
Top Tips for Road Racing
Road racing is one of the most popular forms of bicycling out there. The modern bike industry has road racing to thank not only for it’s current popularity but also it’s existence as a whole. Without the attention, development and money that has flowed into road racing many other bike companies and disciplines may not have been able to reach the heights they have.
Organized road races have run for almost one hundred and fifty years wtih famous races like the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix, Milan – San remo and Giro di Lombardia have captured the world’s attention. Riders like Greg LeMond, Jan Ullrich, Lance Armstrong, Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali and many other personalities have brought a “super star” quality to the sport, helping it’s popularity even more. Without the technical developments and innovations made for road races, most other types of road bikes may not have even been possible. The use of materials and techniques and fabrication methods like carbon fiber, 3D modeling, wind tunnel testing and TIG welding have all stemmed from road racers trying to get the best possible bikes out there.
Choosing the Best Road Bike For You
While the term road bike can be used to describe any bicycle that is used on paved surfaces, it is most commonly used to describe cycles specifically designed for racing or traveling at fast speeds on paved surfaces. Road bikes are lightweight, aerodynamic and designed with only speed and efficiency in mind.
If you’re looking for a bike to cruise around on and take leisurely rides on the weekend, then you’re barking up the wrong tree. Road bikes are built for speed not comfort. You’re going to be bent over to achieve the best aerodynamic stance possible and after a long ride you’re not going to be feeling great. While modern design techniques and bike geometries try to address the comfort issue, if you want to win or go as fast as possible you’re going to need that stance.
What to Look for When Buying a Recumbent Bike
Once something you would stop and stare at, recumbent bikes are quickly becoming more popular amongst the biking community. A recumbent bike is a cycle where the rider sits in a laid back reclining position, with the pedals in front of them.
Many riders ride recumbent bikes because they are much more comfortable that regular bikes. The body’s weight is more evenly distributed over a larger area. Instead of all your weight being on your hands, feet and sitting area, your weight is supported by your entire back and bottom.
While it may not look like it at first glance, recumbent bikes are very fast. Their design is aerodynamically superior to traditional bikes. In the recumbent position there is less of a frontal profile to create drag, allowing for less resistance and more speed. In fact, a recumbent bike actually holds the world speed record for a bicycle. In 1934, this variation of bike was banned from international racing due to having such a big aerodynamic advantage.
Racing Principles – Basics and Tactics
While we often think of racing as being a purely physical endeavor, there is a huge amount of the sport that is mental.
We have all seen the insane amount of calories professional racers have to consume to have enough energy to maintain their endurance and power throughout a long race, whether they are racing on road bikes or mountain bikes. The training and physical feats of champion level racers like Lance Armstrong are often promoted, studied and turned into the stuff of legends.
However, even in the most physical and brutal sports out there, there are huge amounts of mental energy and strategy that must be put into making a winner. Think about football, rugby or even mixed martial arts. All the strength and power in the world is going to do you no good if you don’t know the best tactics and strategies to implement and when to use them.
Tips for Finding the Right Cycling Glasses
We all know that helmets are a necessary piece of riding gear, but keeping yourself safe and your ride enjoyable doesn’t stop there. Cycling glasses are also a must have during your rides, whether you are riding road bikes, mountain bikes or a cruiser bike.
The sun might deliver life giving energy to this planet and make days so perfect it’s worth being outdoors, but it can also wreak havoc on your eyes and be a dangerous distraction during your rides. Too much sun causes glare off the road, cars and even your own bike. Glare forces you to squint and that is just a recipe for disaster when you’re hauling down the road. Exposure to too much sun also causes your vision to go haywire and see those crazy little black dots. Too much of that and your eyes will be on their way to being permanently damaged and it can also distract you from your riding and your surroundings.
Finding the Best Mountain Bike
Mountain bike is a very wide umbrella term that applies to a wide variety of bikes. By far one of the most popular styles of bikes, mountain bikes are built to be durable and take the abuse of off road riding without leaving the rider battered and bruised. These bikes have to be able to handle large obstacles like logs, rocks and debris, while also being fast and easy to control while going down fast mountain trails.
Everything You Need to Know About Hybrid Bikes
With so many different riding disciplines, race types and different competitions in the bike world, the industry has developed many highly specialized bikes to meet the needs of a wide variety of riders. If you’re all about speed and performance on the pavement, you buy a road bike. But if you’re all about tearing it up off road, then you need a mountain bike’s heavy-duty suspension, strong frame and bigger tyres.
The only problem with these specifically designed bikes is that if you need to do any other sort of riding, you’re pretty much out of luck. That is why over the last decade or so, the bike industry has reversed over a hundred years of making bikes more activity specific and started making rides that can accommodate a variety of riding situations. Hybrid bikes are the outcome of this process and they combine the best of both worlds.
The hybrid bike takes the best of the mountain bike set up and the best of the road bike set up and combines them into one convenient package.
Tips for Choosing the Right Bicycle Tyre
Frames, handlebars and other components get a lot of attention from riders, reviewers and manufacturers, but we can’t forget about what makes it all possible – tyres. Having the right tyre for the right situation is vital if you’re serious about having a successful, enjoyable and safe ride.
Pedal to the Metal – Finding the Perfect Bike Pedal for You
While a lot of energy is put into what kind, brand and size of bike we ride a lot of people overlook one of the most fundamental parts of the machine; the pedals. Having the right pedal on your bike can make a world of difference when it comes to your comfort, proficiency and even safety.
While there are many kinds of bikes, such as road bikes or mountain bikes, pedals can be generally broken down into three main categories; platform, click in and toe clip pedals. Each has their pros and cons. Here is a break down of each pedal type so you can make a better decision on which one is better suited for you.