Mountain And Road Bikes: What’s The Difference?

It can be difficult when trying to choose a bike is suitable for your needs. This is even more true for beginners who don’t know about the different types of bikes you can get. You will find mountain bikes to have better suspension and are therefore more comfortable but they are also heavier and not as fast as road bikes. So how do you decide which bike is right for you?

First decide what you need a bike for. The are a few things you will want to consider one of which is where you will be riding your bike. This not only includes the terrain you will encounter on your journey but how long you expect to spend on each journey. A comfortable bike that can handle different types of terrain can be ideal. For people who will be cycling on the road racing bikes are the best solution. But if you need to cycle in difficult conditions then a mountain bike may be more your thing.

This brings us nicely to next consideration which is how much you value comfort and speed. Faster bikes are light because they use lighter materials and don’t have any extra features. You will also need to bear in mind the different riding postures for the different styles of bikes. Road bikes require that you use a posture that makes you more aerodynamic and this can sometimes be uncomfortable for people who have never ridden like this before.

Choosing a specific model of bike is the next step once you know the type of bike you want. In every bike range you will find that there are many different models for you to choose from. For pure speed you will want a bike made from carbon fibre although this can be quite pricey forroad bicycles. When it comes to mountain bikes extra features to consider are the wheel size, suspension and braking system.

Naturally budget will always play its part. You will find that there are many good quality bikes available for good prices.

Tags: Bikes, cycles, racing bikes, road bicycles

The Popularity Of Bicycle Touring

Touring on road bicycles has become more and more popular.  When I was young, I first recall seeing men on touring bicycles climbing the highways through the mountain areas of Vermont and New Hampshire.  I was intrigued watching these riders climbing the long inclines without letting up.  Loving the outdoors and especially the mountains, I knew this was the only way to really enjoy the magnificent views.  It was then that I realized the type of bicycle they were riding was much different then the mountain bike I grew up with.

A few months ago I met a man in his late 50′s who lived in the north east.  Each summer he would fly with his bicycle to the west coast.  Then he’d spend several weeks riding across the country coming home.   Needless to say, his bicycle was outfitted with loads of specialized touring bags and accessories.  As the sport’s popularity has risen, so has the demand for touring bicycles.  In the past, the only place to locate a tour bicycle was at local bike shop which would usually be limited to one brand of bike.  Of course that all came with a high price tag.  Lets face it, the price of many serious tour bicycles simply put them out of reach for younger people just entering the sport.

I recall traveling a couple hours to find the specific Schwinn touring bicycle I was searching for.  Fortunately today, that is not the case.  You can find all the biggest names in touring bicycles on the internet.  The additional benefit is many can be found at affordable prices also.  The interest in bicycle touring has also given rise to the availability of specialized bicycle parts, accessories and bicycle clothing.  You would be hard pressed to find bicycle parts at your local discount store.  But this is not the case online.

The obvious addition that bicycle touring requires is a way to carry your personal gear, clothing and camping equipment on long trips.  The popularity of touring has provided riders a huge variety of racing bicycle parts and accessories.  It is quite easy to find all types of bicycle parts and adult bicycling accessories for your long trips.  Serious bikers can easily upgrade just about their entire bicycle by traveling no further then their PC.

Tags: bicycle accessories, bicycle parts, Bicycle Racing, road bicycles, tour bicycle, touring bicycles