Bikes
hybrid
road racing
touring
track racing |
Built for speed, racing bikes are thin and
aerodynamic built with ultra light frames.
Often they are customized and usually expensive.
Racing bikes generally use the drop handlebars,
which allow the rider to assume the leaned-over
position, which reduces wind resistance during
a race.
Tires and wheels on a racing
bike are extremely
narrow. A good racing tire sticks
to the
road to allow the rider to maintaining
high
speeds and control through turns.
Consider
using a common, easy-to-replace-or-repair
brand. If and when you crash
and damage your
wheels, most bike shops can repair
or rebuild
a common wheel. Available in
a wide range
of prices, a pre-built set of
wheels can
appear to be a wise purchase.
But they may
have to be returned to the original
manufacturer
or a service center that is approved
by the
manufacturer for repairs.
Keep two sets of wheels and tires,
one for
training and one for racing.
The training
set does not need to be as expensive
and lightweight
as the racing set and can be
used as spares
if you get a flat during a race.
Racing bike frames are aluminum,
steel, titanium
or carbon. The aluminum frames
are lightweight
and tend to be less expensive
than most of
the other frame materials. Steel
frames are
much lighter than they were several
decades
ago, and an advantage of a steel
frame is
that it can be realigned after
a crash if
not too badly damaged. Titanium
and carbon
frames are light and long lasting,
but are
more expensive than the aluminum
and steel
frames. Carbon frames may help
dampen vibration
and therefore, are more comfortable.
Combining materials in racing
bike frames
is becoming very popular. Carbon
forks can
be attached to a frame made of
steel, aluminum,
titanium, or carbon. Some frames
are a combination
of materials such as a steel,
aluminum, or
titanium main triangle with a
carbon rear
triangle.
Buy a racing bicycle only if you want to
seriously compete in road racing. The ride
on a racing bike can be rough since racing
bikes are built for speed, not comfort. The
drop down handle bars are not conducive to
sightseeing. Racing bikes tend to be much
more expensive than a hybrid or mountain
bike and harder to maintain properly. |
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