Road Bikes

Points to note for a beginner’s road bike

If you are a beginner who is new to the world of road bikes, you will be drawn immediately to the skinny tires and drop handlebars. You need to choose between an aluminum and a steel frame for your bike. While a steel frame is a robust option, aluminum is the lighter of the two material. Have you decided on the transmission on your bike? You will get options from 8, 9 or 10 speed gears to choose from. These are the count of the number of cogs in the cassette at the bike’s rear. You can choose from a double or triple chainset in the front. That will give you options to choose from 2x8 to 3x10 gear options in entirety. The beginner road bikes are fitted with more spokes in the wheelset to offer more stability. Remember to carry an effective tool like a torque wrench to tighten the nuts on your bike. 

Words of wisdom to help you pick an intermediate level road bike

If you are looking for an upgrade to your old workhorse, you can choose from intermediate road bikes that offer you the perfect balance between price and performance. You can fancy searching for a carbon fiber bike in the budget. Yes, it is time to graduate to the elite world of carbon fiber frames which offers you a perfect blend of sturdiness, lightweight, and comfort. These bikes will also come with an upgrade in the transmission. Usually, you will find 11 speed transmission on these bikes for a swifter ride. The wheelsets will be better equipped with lighter spokes, rims, and high-quality wheel bearings. Of course, you will also get disc brakes as standards in such bikes. 

Advanced level road bike buying advice

It is finally time to own your dream bike. Since your first kid’s bike, you have waited for this day to come. If you are looking to own a dream bike, you will need to check for the following attributes in the bike before you buy. Carbon fiber is the default choice of frame type in high-end bikes. Its lightweight characteristic and overall strength makes carbon fiber an apt choice for a bike’s frame material. Nowadays, electronic gathering is the preferred choice of transmission as they give you a perfect gear shift each time. Every second matters when you are planning to drive an advanced level road bike. It is all about marginal time gains which is provided by using carbon fiber wheels, deep section rims, and an aerodynamic design. All these measures help by reducing the overall weight of the cycle and decreasing the amount of effort required in driving the bike. 

What are the different materials used to build road bikes?

Road bikes are most commonly built using either of the three materials – steel, aluminum, or carbon fiber. Each of these materials has its own merits and demerits. For example, a steel frame bike will be durable and comfortable but also heavy with restricted mobility as opposed to a carbon fiber bike. A carbon fiber bike will be extremely lightweight and equally durable. Carbon fibers bike are the top-of-the-line bikes which are also better aerodynamically shaped because they do not come pre-shaped cylindrical tubes. However, owning a carbon fiber bike is not cheap. Be prepared to shell out a significant sum before you can own your dream bike. Aluminum bikes on the other hand offer the perfect balance between comfort, price, and performance. They are lightweight, strong, and easily accessible. No matter which bike you own, invest in a good torque wrench for better maintenance of your cherished bike. 

Just like a balance bike is an integral part of a child’s outing, you can ride your drop-bar road bike on your daily commute to your regular places. Use your road bike for time trials or in your daily commute, you will learn to fall in love with these spectacular machines.