Bike Frames Online
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.
About the Author
Alastair Hamilton is a successful writer who offers a truly unique depth of experience in competitive cycling, he also contributes adding technical articles on road bikes to http://www.bike-cycling-reviews.com/road-bikes.html . Reach further information on bicycle components and cycling reviews at http://www.bike-cycling-reviews.com
Bike Riding for Advanced Cyclists : Bike Frames
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Racor PBS-2R Two-Bike Floor Bike Stand $23.99 This stand lets you quickly store 2 bikes with ease. The bikes can be stored in the same or alternate directions. It’s easy for children to use, and has a solid steel tubular construction with a lifetime warranty and a durable epoxy finish…. |
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Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit Mini Bicycle U-Lock (3.25 x 6-Inch) $109.00 The New York Fahgettaboudit offers extreme bicycle protection with a hardened MAX-Performance steel shackle that resists bolt cutters and leverage attacks.Center keyway defends against leverage attacksProtective vinyl coatingSliding dustcover protects and extends cylinder life3 keys – one lighted with high intensity bulb & replaceable batteryAnti Theft Proctection Offer $450018mm hardened Max-perf… |
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Kryptonite Evo Mini-7 with 4-Foot Flex Lock $64.95 Protect your bike from theft wherever you roam with the Kryptonite Evo Mini 7 U-shaped bicycle lock. Equipped with a 4-foot KryptoFlex looped cable in addition to the lock itself, the Evo Mini 7 is an ideal choice for urban environments and college campuses. The lock’s strength stems from the 13mm hardened Max-Performance steel shackle, which is designed to resist bolt cutters and leverage attacks… |
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The Great Muppet Caper – Kermit’s 50th Anniversary Edition $9.68 This second motion-picture outing for the adventurous Muppets finds them in London hunting down jewel thieves while staying at the city’s most cheerfully derelict dive, the Happiness Hotel. Filled with song and dance (and swimming!) numbers, this Jim Henson-directed feature is worth seeing, if for nothing else than to see the cantankerous Charles Grodin (Beethoven) swoon over Miss Piggy. But … |
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Clif Bar Mini Energy Bar, Variety Pack (6 Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch, 6 Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, 6 Blueberry Crisp), 18 Count $10.99 Product Details It’s the first bar we made, and it’s still everything we’re about Whole, all-natural, organic ingredients. Good nutrition. And great taste Whether you’re on a 150-mile bike ride or making your way through a long day, it’s the energy bar for everyone Product Info |
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Drive Medical Pedal Exerciser with Attractive Silver Vein Finish, Silver Vein (Knock down) $16.50 Exercise Peddler With Attractive Silver Vein FinishAttractive silver vein finishCompact for storage and transportComes completely assembledColor Silver Vein… |