ALL ABOUT ROAD BIKES

PICKING OUT THE RIGHT BIKE

 

Survey your riding style:

Before visiting our shop, take a minute to consider how you'll use your new bike, where you will ride and who will be your riding companions.


Are You...

A new cyclist?
Interested in rides around the neighborhood or in that long club ride?
Wanting to improve your fitness level?
Interested in touring?
Training for an event?
Getting into road racing or triathlons?
Thinking of commuting to work or around town?

 

 

Frame and Fork Materials:

Although over the years there have been such oddities as bamboo and magnesium frames, current road bikes are made of one or a blend of these four materials: steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber. We’ll explore these materials below, but realize that fine bicycles are built of all these materials. Another point to mention is that two frames can be constructed of the same material yet have entirely different ride qualities due to differences in geometry, assembly, tube shape, and material manipulation (reinforcing a tube, for example). You’ll notice these differences when you test ride the bikes you're thinking of buying.

 

Steel:

The most traditional frame material, steel has been used by framebuilders for over a century. Many types of steel tubing are available and the material is easy to bend and shape. Steel offers excellent ride quality, durability, is easily repaired and is affordable. The downside is weight and steel can rust if treated carelessly.Entry-level steel-frame bikes are usually less sophisticated than those typically favored by discerning cyclists and steel fanatics. High-quality steel frames integrate great design, superior assembly, and better alloys in the tubing. Frames built of these materials are famous for their combination of responsiveness and comfort.

 

Aluminum:

Aluminum was first used in frame construction in 1895 but didn't come into wide use until the 1980s when large-diameter tubing was conceived and construction processes were perfected. Todays aluminum frames absorb shock much better than their predecessors and are lightweight and, unlike steel, aluminum won't rust but untreated it will oxidize on the surface.

 

Titanium:

Titanium has many great attributes. It’s impervious to rust and corrosion, has great strength to weight ratio and a very good surface hardness for impact resistance. It can be difficult to achieve a very stiff and light frame, however, as titanium tends to be a springy material.Titanium is hard on metalworking tools, requires expensive titanium welding rod and must be joined carefully in a controlled environment. It is also very expensive to mine from the ground. Consequently, titanium frames are very expensive to produce, which explains their high purchase price. continue to materials>>