Information about bikes?

Hello,

Are there any good resources to learn things about bikes and biking?
I'm looking for things like:

What are the characteristics of different frame materials, how does it
affect the ride and what kinds of riding and riders are they best
suited for?

What are the characteristics of different wheel sizes? Assuming a
similar tire and appropriate gears, what is each size best suited for?

Different types of frame geometry. What's the difference and
characteristics of a frame for touring, road racing, mountain biking,
cyclocross, etc?

What's a cyclocross race like? I know nothing about it but I'm leaning
toward that style of bike so I'm interested in learning more about
what kind of riding they are designed for. Both on and off road I hear
but what kind of distance, how rough is the off road part, etc.

Anything else that someone who worries too much might like to know
before purchasing a bike that will be with him for the next 10-15
years.

Thanks.

On 4 Jan 2004 18:52:43 -0800, (Chris Hansen)
wrote:

Hello,

Are there any good resources to learn things about bikes and biking?
I'm looking for things like:


Quite a list....

Go to the bottom of this page for a menu of lots of short articles-

http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/#menu

Some frame info-

http://www.citybikes.com/bikes/frame_geometry.htm

The mother lode of info-

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/#articles

A good selection of forums, peruse the lists of questions and
responses-

http://www.cyclingforums.com/

Some user reviews-

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/
http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviewscrx.aspx

Good luck. Learn to use google, especially the 'groups' tab.

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 18:52:43 -0800, Chris Hansen wrote:

Hello,

Are there any good resources to learn things about bikes and biking?
I'm looking for things like:

What are the characteristics of different frame materials, how does it
affect the ride and what kinds of riding and riders are they best
suited for?

The hype far exceeds the reality in terms of frame material. What matters
most is fit, and frame quality. There is more difference between a good
steel frame and a cheap one than between a good steel frame and a good
titanium one. You will hear testimonials from advocates of any possible
frame material, but view any claims that seem to be too good to be true as
what they are --- too good to be true.

What are the characteristics of different wheel sizes? Assuming a
similar tire and appropriate gears, what is each size best suited for?

You might be referring here to the tendency for triatheletes to use
smaller-than-normal wheels on a road bike. For my money, the best use of
small wheels is for small riders, since they allow smaller riders to have
better frame geometry than the larger standard wheels. For average height
riders, normal size wheels offer two distinct advantages: availability
and cost, and no disadvantages. View wild claims about the advantage of
smaller wheels similarly to the wild claims about unobtanium frames.

You might also be referring to the mountain bikes now coming available
with larger-than-standard wheels. I don't have any reason to believe
there is a huge advantage there, but mountain biking has more specialized
situations, and there may be some types of riding for which larger wheels
might offer some advantage.

Different types of frame geometry. What's the difference and
characteristics of a frame for touring, road racing, mountain biking,
cyclocross, etc?

Here there is a difference. Touring bikes are more comfortable than a
road bike on long tours (big surprise), since their angles (head and seat
tube) are not as steep as a road bike. They also have fittings for things
like racks and fenders, and clearance for the larger tires needed to carry
both you and your gear. Road bikes (road racing, as you mentioned) are
optimized for speed under a wide variety of situations. This includes
long single-day rides, so they are comfortable when set up properly.
Mountain bike frames are a whole different animal from road machines, and
are definitely superior off-road. There is a lot of new technology on
mountain bikes that make them very rugged and versatile for extreme
conditions. Cyclocross bikes are specialized for racing off-road. They
are an older design than a mountain bike, for a different type of riding
than most mountain biking.

The general idea here is that each type of bike is optimized for the type
of riding that they are named for. Using a mountain bike for road riding
will be slow and hard compared to using a road bike. Riding a road bike
off-road is not really possible. Touring on a road bike is OK, but a real
touring bike is better. Touring on a mountain bike (unless much of it is
off-road) will be far harder than using a touring bike.

What's a cyclocross race like?

Muddy. Hard. Crazy. You have to see one to understand.

Anything else that someone who worries too much might like to know
before purchasing a bike that will be with him for the next 10-15 years.

Be more concerned about fit than anything else. Do not settle for a
straddle-the-bar fitting. A good shop has a "fit-kit" that will help
decide what size bike you need, what changes to components (often the
stem) you need to make the fit right, and whether or not a stock frame
will do. Some people, due to their proportions, do not fit well on stock
frames, since they are proportioned for average-proportion people. If you
are in that category, you will want to consider a custom frame if you get
hooked seriously into the sport.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is a scientifically proven fact that a mid life crisis can
_`\(,_ | only be cured by something racy and Italian. Bianchis and
(_)/ (_) | Colnagos are a lot cheaper than Maserattis and Ferraris. --
Glenn Davies

You're looking for info on just about everything cycling, and you've pretty
much come to the right place. Between rec.bicycles.misc and
rec.bicycles.tech you'll find enough information (and, sometimes,
mis-information!) to keep yourself busy for eons. Oh, and if you really
want a lively discussion, go to rec.bicycles.recumbent and ask why road
bikes are better for climbing. Then duck below the desk before the replies
come in!

Best place to start would be to master Google.

But the most important thing of all is missing from your request- what would
YOU like to do with a bike? YOUR dreams and YOUR ideas are far more
important, as a place to start. It's kind of bass-ackwards to do all the
research on the product first. In my mind, a bike isn't just a tool (like
you might regard a car or a kitchen appliance). It's something that's more
than just two wheels, a handlebar & seatpost. Put everything together and
it's a magical transportation device, but not transportation just in terms
of getting from point-A to point-B. It will transport you away from your
day-to-day existence into a whole new world.

What, me, romantic about bikes? Rather ironic, given my typically-cynical
nature!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Chris Hansen" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

Are there any good resources to learn things about bikes and biking?
I'm looking for things like:

What are the characteristics of different frame materials, how does it
affect the ride and what kinds of riding and riders are they best
suited for?

What are the characteristics of different wheel sizes? Assuming a
similar tire and appropriate gears, what is each size best suited for?

Different types of frame geometry. What's the difference and
characteristics of a frame for touring, road racing, mountain biking,
cyclocross, etc?

What's a cyclocross race like? I know nothing about it but I'm leaning
toward that style of bike so I'm interested in learning more about
what kind of riding they are designed for. Both on and off road I hear
but what kind of distance, how rough is the off road part, etc.

Anything else that someone who worries too much might like to know
before purchasing a bike that will be with him for the next 10-15
years.

Thanks.

In article ,
says...
Hello,
Are there any good resources to learn things about bikes and biking?
I'm looking for things like:
What are the characteristics of different frame materials, how does it
affect the ride and what kinds of riding and riders are they best
suited for?
What are the characteristics of different wheel sizes? Assuming a
similar tire and appropriate gears, what is each size best suited for?
Different types of frame geometry. What's the difference and
characteristics of a frame for touring, road racing, mountain biking,
cyclocross, etc?
What's a cyclocross race like? I know nothing about it but I'm leaning
toward that style of bike so I'm interested in learning more about
what kind of riding they are designed for. Both on and off road I hear
but what kind of distance, how rough is the off road part, etc.
Anything else that someone who worries too much might like to know
before purchasing a bike that will be with him for the next 10-15
years.

You can't go wrong by starting at www.sheldonbrown.com .
--------------
Alex

"Chris Hansen" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

Are there any good resources to learn things about bikes and biking?
snip

Barnett's Manual is pretty good for mechanical stuff ... you can but it for
like $100 or something, but somebody was nice enough to post the whole thing
on the net as a .pdf ...

http://www.d.umn.edu/~bjer0078/bike/manual/

I actually downloaded and printed out the whole thing (c:

C.Q.C.