Unfortunately we can’t ride our bikes everywhere. Sometimes we have to transport our bikes from one place to another. In the old days, people would use hodge-podge methods to tie their bikes to vehicles for transport, but those days are long over! With the advent of back racks, it is now possible to transport your bikes safely and securely.
Bike racks come in many different styles and uses. They also come in various prices. You need to do a little investigation to see what fits your needs. You very well sped as much as 300 dollars on a high quality bike rack or pick up one really cheap at bazaars or garage sales. The one you pick will depend on your needs. Be sure to ask yourself the following questions.
1. What vehicle will be used?
You need to know where the bike rack will be going. This is important because you need to know how the rack will attach to your vehicle. Racks use different attachment methods. You will have to choose one that fits your vehicle.
2. How many bikes will you need to transport?
Do you transport two or more bikes? If so, you will want to buy attachments that will allow more than one bike rack.
3. Where do you want them to be racked?
Consider whether you want a roof, rear, or sport rack:
- Roof Racks These racks are attached at the top of a vehicle
- Rear Racks These racks attach to the rear of vehicle
- Sport Trailers These are used to carry many bicycles
4. What shape are your bikes?
You must into consideration the size and shape of your bikes. If you are transporting children’s bikes, for example, you will need racks that will take that size of bicycles.
5. Who will load the bicycles on the rack?
It has to be convenient for the loader. The easier the rack is to load unto the more expensive the rack.
6. How strong should your rack be?
If you are loading heavy bikes, you will need racks that can withstand the weight of the bike. They have to be made of sturdy material. But the sturdier the material, the pricier the rack.
7. Should it be lockable?
If you want added security for your bikes you will want to purchase racks that support locks and other security devices.
8. How often are you likely to use the rack?
You need to know how often you will use the rack so that you can purchase one that can withstand the rigors of travel. If you will not use it often, you will not have to purchase a heavy-duty, high price rack.
9. How much do you want to spend?
Ultimately, everything boils down to your budget. If you can’t afford it, even if you need it, it will have to wait. But don’t be afraid to save up if the cheaper alternatives do not match up to your needs. Try to find a rack that has only the features you need. If it has bells and whistles you don’t need, don't buy it right away. It's fine to take into consideration features and functionality that you might need in the future, for example.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
How To Find The Best Bicycle Frame Looking Beyond Its Paint
Whether you're shopping for a bike or just admiring them, the first part you notice is probably the bicycle frame. The frame is the heart of a bicycle, as well as its art. Including the basically triangular core structure that supports both seat and handlebars and the extensions that attach to the wheels, the color and the geometry of the bicycle frame not only affects the beauty of the bike, but its strength and speed as well. The pleasure and success you derive from bicycle riding will be strongly impacted by having the right frame for your physique and your purposes.
The Two Most Important Aspects of Bicycle Frames Are Their Materials and Their Configuration
Naturally, your bicycle frame will take into dramatic account whether you ride primarily on roads or off-road. Not only are so-called mountain bike frames made of noticeably bigger "tubes," they are made of more shock resistant materials, with stronger weldings. Road bike frames have a smaller triangular geometry and the main consideration in their material is its weight. Everything on a road bike is designed to keep the rider's resistance to a minimum in order to promote fluency and speed, while a mountain bike is designed with the primary goal of shock absorption and maneuverability in mind alongside speed-influencing factors.
Even among these two main divisions, you will find major differences in bicycle frames. Road bikes used primarily for touring or recreational riding will have frames with a more relaxed geometry and more total horizontal spread front to back, while racing bikes will tighten that structure for a shorter front to back bike length. A tighter triangle and less distance between the bicycle frame and the tires acts to decrease the resistance of wind and road for a racer, as well as to increase the bike's ability to respond to the quick, minute maneuverings road racing requires.
There are several basic considerations to keep in mind when choosing the correct bicycle frame for your individual physique and your riding purposes. In addition, your unique body shape and weight will also affect what kind of bicycle frame is best for your comfort and accomplishment. Standard frame measurements, made along the seat tube of a frame, take into account the length of your legs, but the relationship of your torso length and arm length to the length of your legs is also extremely important to comfort on a bicycle, and the length of the top tube of the bicycle frame must also be examined. Two riders of identical height may need completely different bicycle frames. The best thing you can do is to shop at a bicycle store where knowledgeable riders earn their living and where you are allowed to try out a bicycle before buying it.
The Two Most Important Aspects of Bicycle Frames Are Their Materials and Their Configuration
Naturally, your bicycle frame will take into dramatic account whether you ride primarily on roads or off-road. Not only are so-called mountain bike frames made of noticeably bigger "tubes," they are made of more shock resistant materials, with stronger weldings. Road bike frames have a smaller triangular geometry and the main consideration in their material is its weight. Everything on a road bike is designed to keep the rider's resistance to a minimum in order to promote fluency and speed, while a mountain bike is designed with the primary goal of shock absorption and maneuverability in mind alongside speed-influencing factors.
Even among these two main divisions, you will find major differences in bicycle frames. Road bikes used primarily for touring or recreational riding will have frames with a more relaxed geometry and more total horizontal spread front to back, while racing bikes will tighten that structure for a shorter front to back bike length. A tighter triangle and less distance between the bicycle frame and the tires acts to decrease the resistance of wind and road for a racer, as well as to increase the bike's ability to respond to the quick, minute maneuverings road racing requires.
There are several basic considerations to keep in mind when choosing the correct bicycle frame for your individual physique and your riding purposes. In addition, your unique body shape and weight will also affect what kind of bicycle frame is best for your comfort and accomplishment. Standard frame measurements, made along the seat tube of a frame, take into account the length of your legs, but the relationship of your torso length and arm length to the length of your legs is also extremely important to comfort on a bicycle, and the length of the top tube of the bicycle frame must also be examined. Two riders of identical height may need completely different bicycle frames. The best thing you can do is to shop at a bicycle store where knowledgeable riders earn their living and where you are allowed to try out a bicycle before buying it.
Strength Training For Cycling
The research done to date on the effects of weight training on cyclists has brought mixed results. The study done by Ben Hurley at the University of Maryland had 10 healthy men take up strength training (bench presses, hip flexions, knee extensions, knee flexions, press-ups, leg presses, lat pulldowns, arm curls, parallel squats, and bent-knee sit-ups) for 12 weeks, while eight other healthy men served as controls. After 12 weeks, the strength-trained men improved their endurance while cycling at an intensity of 75 per cent V02max by 33 per cent and also lifted lactate threshold (the single best predictor of endurance performance) by 12 per cent.
However, these men were untrained prior to the study and did not carry out regular cycling workouts during the research, so the applicability of these findings to serious athletes is questionable
The study carried out by R. C. Hickson and his colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago was considerably more practical. In that investigation, eight experienced cyclists added three days per week of strength training to their regular endurance routines over a 10-week period. The strength training was incredibly simple, focusing on parallel squats (five sets of five reps per workout), knee extensions (three sets of five reps), knee flexions (3 x 5), and toe raises (3 x 25), all with fairly heavy resistance. The only progression utilized in the program involved the amount of resistance, which increased steadily as strength improved.
Nonetheless, the strength training had a profoundly positive impact on cycling performance. After 10 weeks, the cyclists improved their 'short-term endurance' (their ability to continue working at a very high intensity) by about 11 per cent, and they also expanded the amount of time they could pedal at an intensity of 80% V02max from 71 to 85 minutes, about a 20-per cent upgrade.
On the negative side, we have research, carried out by James Home and his colleagues at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, seven endurance cyclists who averaged about 200 kilometers of cycling per week incorporated three strength training sessions into their normal routine. The strength program was relatively unsophisticated, consisting of three sets of up to eight repetitions of hamstring curls, leg presses, and quadriceps extensions using fairly heavy resistance.
After six weeks, the strength training had produced rather impressive gains in strength (the gains averaged a bit more than 20 per cent). However, actual cycling performances were not improved; in fact, they were worse than before the strength training was undertaken! 40-K race times slowed from 59 to 62 minutes, and the strength-trained cyclists complained of feeling 'heavy' and tired during their workouts.
Why did Hickson's study uncover clear advantages associated with strength training for cyclists, while Home's work revealed the reverse?
No one knows for certain, which means it's time for a personal observation. It seems quite likely that the strength training carried out by Hickson's charges improved fatigue resistance in their muscles, permitting them to persist longer both during high-intensity tests of endurance and prolonged efforts at a submaximal (80% V02max) intensity. Meanwhile, it's likely that Home's added strength training sent his athletes into the overtrained - or at least 'stale' - state. The feelings of fatigue which originated shortly after the beginning of strength training suggests that the athletes were simply doing too much work.
Home's cyclists were averaging 124 miles of weekly riding when they started their strength training, while Hickson's athletes were logging considerably fewer miles, so one might be tempted to suggest that strength training can produce major benefits for low-mileage cyclists but does much less for experienced, higher mileage competitors who have already built up considerable strength merely by riding. That certainly wouldn't be an unreasonable thought, but it doesn't explain why strength training per se would actually slow down endurance performances, as it seemed to do for Home's performers (no other study has shown this). It seems very likely that Home's added strength training was simply the straw that broke the camel's back; it wasn't the strength training which slowed the cyclists but the total amount of work they had to complete.
Another issue that was not kept controlled in the studies was nutrition and supplementation which also would have a major impact. It is my personal feeling after three decades in the physical training world that weight training is advantageous in almost all sports when done properly and paired with the correct nutrition.
However, these men were untrained prior to the study and did not carry out regular cycling workouts during the research, so the applicability of these findings to serious athletes is questionable
The study carried out by R. C. Hickson and his colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago was considerably more practical. In that investigation, eight experienced cyclists added three days per week of strength training to their regular endurance routines over a 10-week period. The strength training was incredibly simple, focusing on parallel squats (five sets of five reps per workout), knee extensions (three sets of five reps), knee flexions (3 x 5), and toe raises (3 x 25), all with fairly heavy resistance. The only progression utilized in the program involved the amount of resistance, which increased steadily as strength improved.
Nonetheless, the strength training had a profoundly positive impact on cycling performance. After 10 weeks, the cyclists improved their 'short-term endurance' (their ability to continue working at a very high intensity) by about 11 per cent, and they also expanded the amount of time they could pedal at an intensity of 80% V02max from 71 to 85 minutes, about a 20-per cent upgrade.
On the negative side, we have research, carried out by James Home and his colleagues at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, seven endurance cyclists who averaged about 200 kilometers of cycling per week incorporated three strength training sessions into their normal routine. The strength program was relatively unsophisticated, consisting of three sets of up to eight repetitions of hamstring curls, leg presses, and quadriceps extensions using fairly heavy resistance.
After six weeks, the strength training had produced rather impressive gains in strength (the gains averaged a bit more than 20 per cent). However, actual cycling performances were not improved; in fact, they were worse than before the strength training was undertaken! 40-K race times slowed from 59 to 62 minutes, and the strength-trained cyclists complained of feeling 'heavy' and tired during their workouts.
Why did Hickson's study uncover clear advantages associated with strength training for cyclists, while Home's work revealed the reverse?
No one knows for certain, which means it's time for a personal observation. It seems quite likely that the strength training carried out by Hickson's charges improved fatigue resistance in their muscles, permitting them to persist longer both during high-intensity tests of endurance and prolonged efforts at a submaximal (80% V02max) intensity. Meanwhile, it's likely that Home's added strength training sent his athletes into the overtrained - or at least 'stale' - state. The feelings of fatigue which originated shortly after the beginning of strength training suggests that the athletes were simply doing too much work.
Home's cyclists were averaging 124 miles of weekly riding when they started their strength training, while Hickson's athletes were logging considerably fewer miles, so one might be tempted to suggest that strength training can produce major benefits for low-mileage cyclists but does much less for experienced, higher mileage competitors who have already built up considerable strength merely by riding. That certainly wouldn't be an unreasonable thought, but it doesn't explain why strength training per se would actually slow down endurance performances, as it seemed to do for Home's performers (no other study has shown this). It seems very likely that Home's added strength training was simply the straw that broke the camel's back; it wasn't the strength training which slowed the cyclists but the total amount of work they had to complete.
Another issue that was not kept controlled in the studies was nutrition and supplementation which also would have a major impact. It is my personal feeling after three decades in the physical training world that weight training is advantageous in almost all sports when done properly and paired with the correct nutrition.
LED Bike Lights: Adding Safety and Efficiency To Your Ride
LED flashlights are an economical and safety conscious choice for any bicycle rider. Many riders overlook this piece of safety equipment because it has been traditionally considered too bulky or heavy to carry on a bike. However, there are a number of bike light options now available that are easy to carry and versatile, making them perfect for bicycle safety.
Why Carry a Light on Your Bicycle
Anyone who bicycles should consider keeping a light on their bicycle. There are a variety of types of lights that can be used on bicycles. Bicycle specific lights, such as an LED bike chip, are wonderful investments. The LED bike chip connects to the bicycle, providing a bright, hands-free source of light. If you need a flashlight, you can easily remove the LED bike chip and use it as a hand held flashlight.
There are a variety of reasons for carrying a flashlight on your bicycle. The most obvious is for safety. In the summer, when many people bicycle in the evening to take advantage of the cooler temperatures, it is easy to end up far from home with darkness rapidly approaching. While there are hours of additional daylight, once darkness settles in, it gets dark quick. What starts as a leisurely ride can quickly turn frightening if you take a wrong turn or encounter a flat tire. A bright LED torch is the perfect companion for your ride. The LED torch has a compact size, a bright light and long battery life.
If you need help, a strobing light can bring it. While you may think the chances of injury or danger on you bicycle are rare, it only takes a pothole to damage your bicycle beyond repair, or even a minor wreck to leave you too sore to ride home. A strobing light will be noticed by passers-by, and is just the thing to bring someone to the rescue. Many strobing lights can be used as a regular flashlight, and switched to strobing if necessary.
What Makes the Best Sort of Light
LED flashlights are a good choice for the bicyclist. The battery life of the LED light is extraordinary, and the clear, bright light that the LED flashlight emits is a wonderful safety feature, particularly in foggy conditions. If you are frequently out in the early morning or late evening hours, or at times when the weather is unpredictable, a strong light, such as an LED torch is a safety conscious choice.
The batteries in an LED flashlight, as well as the bulb, last an extremely long time, often thousands of hours. Compare this to traditional filament flashlights and you can see the benefits of an LED flashlight. Also, an LED flashlight will gradually lose strength over a period of time, while a traditional flashlight will work one time, and the next time, it will be dead. Because you are unlikely to use your flashlight each time you ride your bicycle, it is important that you have a flashlight with a long shelf light. If you have a traditional light bulb, you would find it necessary to carry extra batteries and even a spare bulb, but with an LED flashlight, all you need is your flashlight. You can easily find a small LED flashlight that will fit into the palm of your hand.
Why Carry a Light on Your Bicycle
Anyone who bicycles should consider keeping a light on their bicycle. There are a variety of types of lights that can be used on bicycles. Bicycle specific lights, such as an LED bike chip, are wonderful investments. The LED bike chip connects to the bicycle, providing a bright, hands-free source of light. If you need a flashlight, you can easily remove the LED bike chip and use it as a hand held flashlight.
There are a variety of reasons for carrying a flashlight on your bicycle. The most obvious is for safety. In the summer, when many people bicycle in the evening to take advantage of the cooler temperatures, it is easy to end up far from home with darkness rapidly approaching. While there are hours of additional daylight, once darkness settles in, it gets dark quick. What starts as a leisurely ride can quickly turn frightening if you take a wrong turn or encounter a flat tire. A bright LED torch is the perfect companion for your ride. The LED torch has a compact size, a bright light and long battery life.
If you need help, a strobing light can bring it. While you may think the chances of injury or danger on you bicycle are rare, it only takes a pothole to damage your bicycle beyond repair, or even a minor wreck to leave you too sore to ride home. A strobing light will be noticed by passers-by, and is just the thing to bring someone to the rescue. Many strobing lights can be used as a regular flashlight, and switched to strobing if necessary.
What Makes the Best Sort of Light
LED flashlights are a good choice for the bicyclist. The battery life of the LED light is extraordinary, and the clear, bright light that the LED flashlight emits is a wonderful safety feature, particularly in foggy conditions. If you are frequently out in the early morning or late evening hours, or at times when the weather is unpredictable, a strong light, such as an LED torch is a safety conscious choice.
The batteries in an LED flashlight, as well as the bulb, last an extremely long time, often thousands of hours. Compare this to traditional filament flashlights and you can see the benefits of an LED flashlight. Also, an LED flashlight will gradually lose strength over a period of time, while a traditional flashlight will work one time, and the next time, it will be dead. Because you are unlikely to use your flashlight each time you ride your bicycle, it is important that you have a flashlight with a long shelf light. If you have a traditional light bulb, you would find it necessary to carry extra batteries and even a spare bulb, but with an LED flashlight, all you need is your flashlight. You can easily find a small LED flashlight that will fit into the palm of your hand.
What Style of Cyclist Are You?
From touring to off-road riding to track riding to cyclo-riding to recreational biking—there are almost as many different styles of riding as there are bikes. The following is a discussion of three of the most popular styles of biking today.
Street/Urban Riding
Street/Urban riding is when you bike through urban areas, ride on ledges and other man-made obstacles. Some riders execute tricks as well as stalls and grinds. Hybrid bikes, sometimes called city bikes, are typically used for street/urban riding. Hybrid bikes are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. Most have front suspension with wide comfortable seats and upright handlebars.
Free Riding
The essence of free riding has it origins on the shores of British Columbia. As some free riders have explained it, free riding is more than just riding, it’s about riding with your friends and doing things on your bike that push the limits of both yourself and your bike. It’s not about being the fastest or coming up with a new trick. Rather, it’s about being totally free on your bike. Free riding is different for everyone. Essentially, when you ride for pure enjoyment, do your own thing, in your own way, that’s free riding--making it more of a mindset than a structured style of riding. For example, you could free ride downhill, cross-country or down the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.
Many free ride bikes closely resemble downhill bikes and weigh as much, although they are usually designed to be easier to pedal. Free ride bikes should be in the 30 to upper 50 pound range, have a steeper angled frame in order to make maneuvering on narrow obstacles possible, and be built from stronger, heavier materials.
Downhill Mountain Biking
If you think downhill biking is all about kicking back, stretching your arms and cruising at a leisurely pace, think again. Even though it’s all downhill, biking down a mountain demands concentration, quick reflexes and bike-handling skills much different than free riding or city riding. It’s also a blast! Downhill mountain biking races involve race courses that are designed for riders to speed down while navigating huge jumps, obstacles and more. It’s very similar to motor cross racing.
While it’s true that all bikes go downhill, bikes that provide the optimum ride for Downhill Mountain Biking have what is called full suspension. This means that the front and rear of the frame are equipped with shock absorbers.
Street/Urban Riding
Street/Urban riding is when you bike through urban areas, ride on ledges and other man-made obstacles. Some riders execute tricks as well as stalls and grinds. Hybrid bikes, sometimes called city bikes, are typically used for street/urban riding. Hybrid bikes are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. Most have front suspension with wide comfortable seats and upright handlebars.
Free Riding
The essence of free riding has it origins on the shores of British Columbia. As some free riders have explained it, free riding is more than just riding, it’s about riding with your friends and doing things on your bike that push the limits of both yourself and your bike. It’s not about being the fastest or coming up with a new trick. Rather, it’s about being totally free on your bike. Free riding is different for everyone. Essentially, when you ride for pure enjoyment, do your own thing, in your own way, that’s free riding--making it more of a mindset than a structured style of riding. For example, you could free ride downhill, cross-country or down the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.
Many free ride bikes closely resemble downhill bikes and weigh as much, although they are usually designed to be easier to pedal. Free ride bikes should be in the 30 to upper 50 pound range, have a steeper angled frame in order to make maneuvering on narrow obstacles possible, and be built from stronger, heavier materials.
Downhill Mountain Biking
If you think downhill biking is all about kicking back, stretching your arms and cruising at a leisurely pace, think again. Even though it’s all downhill, biking down a mountain demands concentration, quick reflexes and bike-handling skills much different than free riding or city riding. It’s also a blast! Downhill mountain biking races involve race courses that are designed for riders to speed down while navigating huge jumps, obstacles and more. It’s very similar to motor cross racing.
While it’s true that all bikes go downhill, bikes that provide the optimum ride for Downhill Mountain Biking have what is called full suspension. This means that the front and rear of the frame are equipped with shock absorbers.
Ride Safe (The Tools Every Biker Should Have Along for the Ride)
A basic bike survival kit should include:
Brakes: Ensuring your brakes are working well is vitally important. Make sure you check your pads often to prevent rim damage and to ensure that your bike actually stops when it is supposed to. Adjusting the tension is also important.
Chain: Degrease the chain and re-lube it. Clean rear sprockets with a brush tool.
Gears: Check derailleur gear action and cables. Degrease chain and re-lube. Clean rear sprockets with brush tool.
Pedals: Make sure the axle spins freely. Check bottom bracket axles for looseness.
Steering: Make sure handlebar and stem is tight.
Frame: Check for damage. Make sure the seat is adjusted appropriately for your height.
Wheels: Make sure spokes and nipples are tightened and wheels are trued.
Check tire pressure and condition. If your suspension fork is quick release, make sure they are tightly fastened, and don’t forget to check tire pressure.
- Tire patch kit
- Pump
- Chain tool
- Screwdriver
- Spare tube
- Wrenches in various sizes
- Chain cleaners
- Solvents specifically designed for bike chains
- Lubrication
Brakes: Ensuring your brakes are working well is vitally important. Make sure you check your pads often to prevent rim damage and to ensure that your bike actually stops when it is supposed to. Adjusting the tension is also important.
Chain: Degrease the chain and re-lube it. Clean rear sprockets with a brush tool.
Gears: Check derailleur gear action and cables. Degrease chain and re-lube. Clean rear sprockets with brush tool.
Pedals: Make sure the axle spins freely. Check bottom bracket axles for looseness.
Steering: Make sure handlebar and stem is tight.
Frame: Check for damage. Make sure the seat is adjusted appropriately for your height.
Wheels: Make sure spokes and nipples are tightened and wheels are trued.
Check tire pressure and condition. If your suspension fork is quick release, make sure they are tightly fastened, and don’t forget to check tire pressure.
Fitting A Road Bike Frame To Your Needs
For most of us, well-intentioned but casual bike riders who secretly believe we might be Lance Armstrong's heir if we only had a few more hours a day to spend on our bicycles, buying a new road bike is tantamount to buying a road bike frame. The frame is what we're thinking of, something new and shiny and colorful, something we suspect even car drivers envy when they see us flash through the snarl of traffic. Truly, a road bike frame is a beautiful thing and part of the reason we love bicycling.
When you have the good fortune to be looking at new bicycles, though, you definitely want to look at a few elements besides the color of a road bike frame. Face it. When you're on your way back home from a long Sunday ride and you're riding your thirty-fifth mile smack into a stiff headwind, the fact that your frame is cobalt blue or even Bianchi green is not going to help you. The length of your seat tube is going to help you and the length of your top tube and even the angle of the three main tubes all put together is going to help (or hinder) you, but color is not.
If you shop at a discount store or even a general purpose sports store, if you get any help at all in choosing a bike that fits you, it will probably consist of a clerk instructing you to stand over the top bar of the frame and see if you can comfortably straddle it with your feet on the floor. This is not really particularly helpful, especially if you happen to have anything unique about your physique, like long legs combined with a short torso. If you have long legs, you can straddle almost any bike, but will your body be able to relax comfortable in the stretch between your saddle and the handlebars? The whole geometry of the road bike frame matters a lot to fit. And fit matters excessively to comfort.
If you're a racer, comfort will not be your only consideration. Indeed, it may be down among the last elements you consider. Speed is not usually built from comfort, and the road bike frame that promotes speed is built of different materials than one used primarily for recreational riding. Frames can be made of titanium, chrome-moly, aluminum or steel, and each metal has different advantages of weight and strength. Frame geometry varies, too, with touring bikes featuring a longer vertical base and top tube than the skittish racing models.
So when you're looking at road bike frames, think beyond the paint. Get a frame that fits both you and your purpose. Whether you do your research online or in a good bike store, you'll be glad you took the time.
When you have the good fortune to be looking at new bicycles, though, you definitely want to look at a few elements besides the color of a road bike frame. Face it. When you're on your way back home from a long Sunday ride and you're riding your thirty-fifth mile smack into a stiff headwind, the fact that your frame is cobalt blue or even Bianchi green is not going to help you. The length of your seat tube is going to help you and the length of your top tube and even the angle of the three main tubes all put together is going to help (or hinder) you, but color is not.
If you shop at a discount store or even a general purpose sports store, if you get any help at all in choosing a bike that fits you, it will probably consist of a clerk instructing you to stand over the top bar of the frame and see if you can comfortably straddle it with your feet on the floor. This is not really particularly helpful, especially if you happen to have anything unique about your physique, like long legs combined with a short torso. If you have long legs, you can straddle almost any bike, but will your body be able to relax comfortable in the stretch between your saddle and the handlebars? The whole geometry of the road bike frame matters a lot to fit. And fit matters excessively to comfort.
If you're a racer, comfort will not be your only consideration. Indeed, it may be down among the last elements you consider. Speed is not usually built from comfort, and the road bike frame that promotes speed is built of different materials than one used primarily for recreational riding. Frames can be made of titanium, chrome-moly, aluminum or steel, and each metal has different advantages of weight and strength. Frame geometry varies, too, with touring bikes featuring a longer vertical base and top tube than the skittish racing models.
So when you're looking at road bike frames, think beyond the paint. Get a frame that fits both you and your purpose. Whether you do your research online or in a good bike store, you'll be glad you took the time.
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