Posted by Art on Jul 15, 2010 in
Biking
No one can deny the thrill of mountain biking. Riding and jumping a simple machine over the rockier parts of our planet can be exhilarating. Kids ask their parents to teach them how to ride a bike, because once you learn, you never forget. And they are quite simple machines, the most basic level requiring two wheels, a frame, and a gear set to make pedaling a little easier. They’re used for exercise, transportation, and just plain fun. Mountain biking is a specific form that’s become incredibly popular since the 80′s, and there are two brands to consider when buying mountain bike: Schwinn and Diamondback.
The Schwinn Bicycle company has been around for 115 years, founded back in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn. The company was originally based in Chicago, and when it began it didn’t make much of a dent in the transportation market. Automobiles and motorcycles had recently become available, and most consumers preferred the fancier motorized vehicles over the occasionally strenuous pedaling necessary with a bike. The 1920′s, though, changed all that. The stock market crashed, and overnight most people didn’t have the money to maintain their automobiles. But these were still the traditional two-wheeled, single gear designs. A Schwinn mountain bike wouldn’t make its appearance until much later.
By the 1950′s, the Schwinn Bicycle Company had grown to dominate the bicycle industry. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to destined to last. In the 60′s and 70′s, Schwinn began to lose it’s hold over the bicycle market. Schwinn’s main claim to fame was the standard bicycle, but the public’s demand began to shift. Consumers wanted bikes catered to more specific forms of biking, like road racing or touring. Schwinn didn’t budge in its position, which led to financial trouble for the company.
Their position wasn’t helped when the management made a statement denouncing BMX racing as a dangerous sport. Without any bikes catered to the emerging market of BMX, Schwinn fell by the wayside in the 80′s and 90′s. In 2001, the company was finally sold to Pacific Cycles, though the parent company retained the brand name. It wasn’t until recently that a Schwinn mountain bike would appear in stores.
These days, there are two bicycles worth looking at when buying a mountain bike: Diamondback Bikes and Schwinn Bikes. Diamondback is a relative newcomer to the bicycle scene when compared to Schwinn, but they never had the troubles Schwinn came up against. Diamondback entered the market with a range of sports bikes, while Schwinn was wary of changing their tried and tested design.
There is one major question to consider when buying mountain bike, though, and it all depends on the terrain. The biggest decision you’ll have to make is hardtail or full suspension. A hardtail bike has the back wheel firmly secured to the frame, adding strong support, but can cause discomfort over rougher trails.
Full suspension mountain bikes solve this problem. The rear wheel is connected to the frame through a suspension device. This device allows the rear wheel to keep contact with the ground more often, supplying more pedaling power to the rider. Of course, the suspension also offers some cushioning on rough terrain. It’s a good idea to find your trails first, then decide on the bike you need.
Tags: Bicycle, Bikes, Schwinn
Posted by Art on May 12, 2009 in
Biking
While buying a bike is not on the equivalent level of commitment as, say, getting married, it is still a decision that warrants some thought. especially if you are considering buying a bike for the first time, it can seem as if your options are practically endless.
Your first decision comes in determining what type of bike you are after. Are you going around town, or are you trail riding? Do you want to ride fast, or do you want smoothness and comfort? There are essentially four main styles of bikes to choose from, and your selection should really depend on what you expect your main type of riding to be.
Ask yourself what kind of riding will you be doing? There are different types of bicycles that are designed for the kinds of riding people do.For long-distance rides, road and tour bikes are built for comfort. Racing bicycles are lightweight and designedfor speed more than comfort. Mountain or trail bikes have sturdy frames and wide tires for all-terrain biking. In addition there are intermediate designs, such as hybrid bicycles thatunite features of road and mountain bicycles. Which one you choose depends on your individual interests.
Usually bicycle riding is either mountain biking or road biking, mountain biking being the most challenging. Mountain biking is done on terrain and mountain trails where there are no trails. For general fitness purposes I ride only on roads and smooth, maintained trails. The fact is, to benefit from biking, you do not need mountains, you can do it anyplace. Even if you live in the flatlands and travel long distances to ski country you can keep in top ski condition by adding road biking to your exercise routine.
There is practically no limit to how much money you can spend on a new bike. To keep your spending under control, figure out what price range you are willing to pay for your new bike and try to just look at bikes within that price range. A recommendation when buying a bike is not to buy it from a mass-merchant store such as Wal-Mart or Costco. People tend to get disappointed. Support your local bike shop and get a better product and much better service. Another choose could be to search on-line. Schwinn bicycles have been around for many years and are a well-known, reputable company. A Schwinn Cruiser bicycles for example, in my opinion, are still one of the more comfortable bikes to cruise around on, especially the beach. Try sitting on a Schwinn Sierra bike, it is one of the most comfortable bicycles I have experienced. But, in the end, the choose is yours. You decide what is best for you
Bicycles have been a popular means of recreation and transportation for over a century. Today, with gasoline price increases and rising concern about the environmental impact if burning fossil fuels, more and more people are turning to bicycles as an substitute to driving. If you’ve decided to join the ranks of those who are pedaling their way to physical fitness, it helps to know how to buy the right bicycle for you.
Like numerous adults in America, you probably learned how to ride a bike as a child. It’s a common childhood activity in the majority of suburban neighborhoods. Kids still get together and ride around on their bikes. Even in todays world, kids still bicycle to their local store, to the part, to school and to their friend’s houses. When the bicycle is your only way to get somewhere, you tend to ride it a lot.
Tags: Bicycle, bike, Biking, Mountain bicycle, Mountain Biking, Racing Bicycle, Schwinn