Touring bike...

Touring bikes differ from racing bike in that the geometry allows for a more upright, and comfortable, riding position.  The frames and components are also more robust compared to a racing bike, this is to allow for a greater weight to be carried.  Touring bikes are used in the same manner as a touring car, to enjoy the journey.  These bikes allow to you take all the stuff you’ll need for a multi-day trip.  Touring bikes, because there are no restrictions, can have many different types of handle bars and other accessories to accommodate the rider.  The most popular thing you’ll see on a tourer is panniers, which are basically luggage designed specifically to be mounted on bicycles, commuter bikes also commonly use these.   I’m not a huge fan of road cycling in general, I find it kinda boring, but it is a great way to explore, travel and stay in shape as well.

“Road touring bicycles have a frame geometry designed to provide a comfortable ride and stable, predictable handling when laden with baggage, provisions for the attachment of fenders and mounting points for carrier racks and panniers.^[1]

Modern road tourers may employ 700C (622 mm) wheels — the same diameter as a road (racing) bicycle. Other road touring bikes may feature wider rims and more clearance in the frame for wider bicycle tires. Before the 1980s, many touring bikes for the North American market were built with 27-inch (630 mm) wheels which have a slightly larger diameter.

Other touring bikes use 26-inch wheels for both off-road and on-road use. Advantages of the slightly smaller wheel include additional strength, worldwide tire availability, and lighter weight. Some touring bicycles, such as the Surly Long Haul Trucker, offer frames designed for 26-inch (ISO 559) wheels or for 700C wheels, with the frame geometry optimal for the selected wheel size. Specially made touring tires for 26-inch wheels are now widely available, especially in developing countries, where 700C may be difficult to obtain. Hence, on the mass ride from Paris to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme asked all riders to use 26-inch wheels.”

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A heavily loaded bike 

This is the last week!!

This is the last week of my two accelerated courses, I can hardly believe it, flew by!  I remember like it was yesterday, thinking how cool it was that all I needed to create a web page was MS Notepad.  Now look at me, I’ve got an interactive website displaying JavaScript, JotForms, pictures, videos, maps, and spreadsheets!  All in all this course was not what I expected, now that I say that I’m not sure what I  expected, but I definitely didn’t think I’d be learning as much about putting together a website.  Overall I certainly learned a lot of new things and new things about things I thought I already knew, I like that.  I’m in my junior year and have done half my college career online and I’m finally able to take some courses I find interesting rather than requirements and so far it’s made school a whole lot more enjoyable, and easier because I look forward to and am interested in what I’m learning.  Anyways, like I’ve said in earlier post, I’m not a big talker and even less of a writer so this is my last post for this course, perhaps I’ll continue writing, hmm, time will tell…

Moving on to road bikes

So, I’ve run out of different types of mountain bikesL, but don’t fret!  We can still explore the world of road bikes!  I’m going to start off with a very common type of road bike, the type we’re probably most used to seeing, a racing bike.  The majority of “10 speeds” I think we’re used to seeing are in fact racing bikes, well, in geometry anyways; they all may not be of racing quality however.

“A racing bicycle, also known as a road bike, is a bicycle designed for competitive road cycling, a sport governed by according to the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The UCI rules were altered in 1934 to exclude recumbent bicycles.  The most important characteristics about a racing bicycle are its weight and stiffness^{[citation needed]}which determine the efficiency at which the power from a rider's pedal strokes can be transferred to the drive-train and subsequently to its wheels. To this effect racing bicycles may sacrifice comfort for speed. The drop handlebars are positioned lower than the saddle in order to put the rider in a more aerodynamic posture. The front and back wheels are close together so the bicycle has quick handling. The derailleur gear ratios are closely spaced so that the rider can pedal at his or her optimumcadence. Other racing bicycles, especially those used in time trialling prioritize aerodynamics over comfort..”

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This week in Expoloring the Internet...but more of a rant

This week in the internet course I’m taking we learned about a JavaScript tool called jQuery.  It’s very cool, allows users of my webpage to interact with it, move things around and change colors.  I’m still learning more about what it can do and how I can use it, I’ll report back once I find out more about it.  Quick “school related” rant, in one of my other courses I had an assignment due Sunday night, normally I work on school assignments as much as I can during the week and finish them up over the weekend, well this weekend we had a massive snow storm that took down the power for most of the state, so no internet access at home, after cleaning up as much as I could from the aftermath of the storm I hurriedly complete the assignment and drive to work where there was still power to submit the assignment.  Then, on Monday the instructor sends an email extending the assignments due date by 4 days, this is great but I has already submitted my rushed work, now I know the argument that I shouldn’t wait till the last minute and this wouldn’t have happened, agreed, but it would have been nice to know prior to the due date that there would be an extension, that’s all.  Anyway, the grade I received wasn’t THAT bad and perhaps the instructor didn’t have internet access to have sent the email.  It’s just a little frustrating.  Ok, that’s it, enough of me crying over spilled milk. Till next time.

Dirt Jump Mountain Bikes

In this installment, the dirt jump bike, these are purpose built bikes strictly for performing jumps.  These bikes have a much lower top tube and seat so it’s out of the way when performing tricks while in the air.  They also incorporate a stronger frame and wheelset when compared to a cross country bike, which they most closely resemble.  A dirt jump bike really cannot be used, comfortably, for anything else, because of the frame geometry it would be very impracticable to ride for any distance.  Below is a great article describing the dirt jump bike along with a picture of one.

“Dirt Jump bikes are a cross between a freeride bike and a BMX bike. Also termed as an urban and street mountain bike, it features a system that allows the biker to ride over obstacles, requiring a takeoff and an eventual landing. Features of this bike include fast-rolling tires, 4 to 6 inches of front suspension and hardly having any rear suspension. Oversized handlebars allow the rider to fully maneuver the ride, with extended rear cables to allow them to spin the bars without getting tangled with the cables. These rides also have a smaller frame, and have about 24-26 inch tires. The lower seatposts provide riders with much leverage so the rider can perform tricks without the seat getting in the way. Riders prefer this type when they perform tricks as it lessens the impact of the crash, and are much simpler in terms of components that need replacement during accidents.” (original article here)