Road Bike Cycling - Choosing a Bike
There are loads of reasons for cycling on the road and there are many variations of road bikes. The four main types of bikes for road bike cycling are road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes and folding bikes. All these kinds of bikes have numerous different designs so choosing the most suitable bike for your needs can be a tricky decision.
What kind of bike yo decide to get to ride on the road varies depening on your use, the length of your journeys, and which kind of bike you feel comfortable riding as they all have different riding positions and intended usages.
Most road bikes are lightweight, and they have drop handelbars and thin tyres. As they are mainly designed for speed the riding position is aerodynamic by being low down, not upright. This kind of bike is the fastest kind for road bike cycling and is chosen for racing by experienced road cyclists.
Road bikes can then be spilt into two sub-categories, of touring bikes and racing bikes. Touring bikes are perfect for long distances and cycling holidays, but race bikes are designed for speed and acceleration.
Touring bikes have lower gear ratios, which makes them suitable for carrying stuff on a long ride or touring holiday. Race bikes are extremely light and have very rigid frames to maximise the transfer of power from the rider to the wheels, in order to offer a smooth ride.
A good choice of road bike for commuters, keeping fit and cycling for leisure are hybrid bikes. They are a combination of a road bike and a mountain bike, and they are becoming more and more popular. They have quick spinning wheels like a road bike has, but they have flat handlebars so the riding position is upright like a mountain bike.
Mountain bikes have tyres with tread for riding off-road, but they they can also be adapted to road cycling use if you already have a mountain bike and don’t want to fork out on another bike. To adapt a mountain bike you can just swap the tyres for narrower, smoother tyres. This will decrease resistance and make cycling on the road easier and faster.
If part of your journey to work involves cycling on the road an excellent sort of bike to use is a folding bike. These are superb if you use any public transport on your journey, or if you have any storage issues at home or work. Instead of thinking about where to secure your bike you can just fold it up and take it indoors with you.
Whichever style you choose, when road bike cycling always think about making yourself obvious to other road users by wearing reflective items and using lights. This is essential for your safety on the road, whichever kind of bike you decide on.