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Jordan Ikeda

Mr. Jim Beatty

Writing 2010

October 10, 2017

Faces of Cycling

There are lots of different types of bikes out there and regardless of skill; there are

things the cyclist enthusiasts needs to ask themself before deciding what bike to get. You

need to think about the purpose of the bike, what are you going to use it for? Are you

going to commute to work? Are you going to climb up some rocky mountains? Compete

in a race or triathlon? These and many more questions should be in mind when thinking

about your new bike.

Before we start to get into the types of bikes you need to know the basic parts that

most all bikes have which will help you better further your search for the bike you want.

The picture displayed is a common road bike. But for the most part you have your bike

frame with a seatpost and saddle connected together with a seat clamp. The handlebars

are connected to the stem,

which is connected to the

fork. The headset is the

bearings where the fork

and frame connect

through, which lets you

turn your handlebars

when riding. When you

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look at the rear wheel you have a cassette, which is a collection of gears connected to the

chainring on the crankset where you pedal. You can shift between different gears and

chainrings with the shifters that are on your handlebars located next to the brakes.

Shifting gears helps adjust speeds and how much power you put into each pedal stroke.

Road Bike:

The picture you saw was a diagram of a road bike. When you first look at it the

road bike hasnt really changed over the years. According to Bikeradar.com, Its a

traditional bicycle with near identical silhouette of those raced 50 years ago. Of course,

theres nothing traditional about the carbon fiber frames and fancy lightweight cassettes

we see now a days. But what makes a road bike different from other bikes? A road bike

is designed specifically for riding on a surfaced road. The narrow tires and lighter frame

all help make you and the bike more aerodynamic and accelerate faster. Many urban

cyclists choose road bicycles-style frames because they provide an efficient and

comfortable ride during daily commutes. (World Bicycle Relief, 2)

Mountain Bike:
Still going along with The World Bicycle Relief talks about how

mountain bikes are designed to conquer off-road terrain like dirt, mud,

snow, and gravel. These Bikes are built especially tough, with thick tires

Trek.scene7.com
and Strong Wheels that resist damage from impact... Suspension

systems allow the wheels to absorb the vibrations and impact from a rough trail.

Full-suspension mountain bikes have shock absorption for both wheels. Mountain

bikes usually feature flat handlebars, which place the rider in an upright position for

balance and control. (World Bicycle Relief, 3)

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One of the most notable differences between the two bikes is the tires

Mountain bikes tend to have bigger tires with bigger tread patterns for those loose

dirt rides really digging in to the ground and providing traction rather then a road

bike which would not since the tires are thinner and have less traction. There was a

study where it was found that the larger the tire the lower the level of impact exposure

experienced at the point of contact between bicycle and body(Macdermid). Mountain

Bikes tend to have flat handlebars, which give more balance in those rocky situations, as

for the road bike, has drop-style bars that give more of an aerodynamic stance.

Fixed Gear:

Bicyclehabitat.com had this to say, Fixie is

short for fixed gear is a slang term for bicycles

that have one drive train ring with one gear thats

fixed to the rear wheel so that you cannot coast and

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must continue pedaling whenever the bikes moving.

Fixies are among the most simple of bicycles because they dont require derailleurs,

shifters, double- or triple- chainring cranksets, or in some circumstances, even

brakes. The way you break is either installing brakes or putting back pressure into

your pedals to slow down.

Track Bike:

Most people think that fixies and track bikes are

the same just because they are both fixed gear,

meaning you cannot coast on your bike like road or

mountain bike. You are constantly pedaling. According

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to unknown bike company, track bikes are specifically used for sprints. The frames

are designed to be as aerodynamic as possible. There is no place for brakes on track

bike. There are places where these bikes are specifically used for called velodrome.

Velodromes are big oval arena where track cyclist race. This kind of cycling is very

big in Japan and is a very entertaining Olympic sport to watch.

Triathlon Bikes:

According to Gearwestbikes.com, A triathlon bike has

a steeper seat tube angle- that is- the seat tube is closer to

vertical than a road bikes. The steeper geometry places the

riders hips over the crankset which engages their quadriceps

Gearwestbikes.com
more for increased power. Additionally, this distribution of

muscle use makes the transition to the run much easier. With the riders torso also

in more forward position, their upper body weight becomes supported by their

skeletal rather than their muscular system. Despite a rather aggressive looking

position, the rider in comfortable and aerodynamic, increasing their efficiency.

After reading through this paper I hope you have a better understanding of

the types of bikes out there that are yours for the taking! Even if you dont want to

go through the hassle of owning and maintaining a bike you should still give riding a

chance. I suggest looking into your nearest city and see if they own there own bikes.

More and more cities are starting to own there own bikes, for instance I live in Utah

and Salt Lake City owns their own bikes called Green Bikes. You pay to use them but

there are multiple designated green bike stations where you can lock up and return
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youre bike and have it tuned up if necessary. I believe riding gives you more insight

into where you are and the things you see. It gives more appreciation to the

environments of where you ride. Hopefully, this was informative enough for the

cyclist enthusiast out there to have a clear enough decision on what new bike they

want.
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Work Cited

Buyers Guide To Fixed Gear Bikes Bicycle Habitat.

http://bicyclehabitat.com/buyers-guides/buyers-guide-to-fixed-gear-bikes-

pg606.htm

Macdermid, Paul W. Tyre Volume and Pressure Effects on Impact Attenuation during

Mountain Bike Riding Shock and Vibration Vol. 1 2015, pp 1-10.

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=e114

a2ca-ceec-4d35-b07b-

5da9ed131079%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%

3d#AN=109084645&db=aph

Rizek, Juliet. World Bicycle Relief: Your Guide to Buying the Right Bike. 2017.

https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/1738872/Offerings/Bike%20Buying%20G

uide/BicycleBuyingGuide.pdf?utm_campaign=Global%20-%20Offering%20-

%20Your%20Guide%20to%20Buying%20the%20Right%20Bicycle&utm_m

edium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-

8_0qZBfb04eapPaEqg8d9fCnkt1qQKdZzfA6vjkm-

xKuEfFvDhYUgCCDTFNU_4o-

bhZe_djg5e85MtCoiJyevnD3Iuhw&_hsmi=52853323&utm_content=5285332

3&utm_source=hs_automation&hsCtaTracking=35e3975c-01a0-4cc5-9eeb-

79009dac09ad%7Cf4e14b1b-0baa-4ff2-95c8-26d9de7eb5f0
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triathlon Bike or Road Bike Gear West. 2016. http://

gearwestbike.com/articles/tri-bike-or-road-bike-pg54.htm

What is a Road Bike Bike Radar. April 2013.

http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/what-is-a-road-bike-

36865/

What is the Difference Between Fixie Fixed Gear and Track Bike Uknown. February

2017. https://www.unknownbikes.eu/single-post/2017/02/28/What-is-

the-Difference-between-Fixie-fixed-gear-and-Track-bike