A racing bike is one of the subspecies of sports models, used only in professional triathlon, cyclocross, and road racing competitions. A women’s sports bike and a man’s bike is a more general name that includes several types of two-wheeled vehicles. But one thing unites them: the ability to develop high speed in a minimum period of time.
What are sports bikes?
This category of goods has subspecies:
- Highways are used to move on a smooth road. A similar sports bike for adults has a closed lightweight frame with a top tube that is horizontal or slightly tilted back. The steering wheel is recognizable due to the “lamb” shape, which should be held with a lower or upper grip.
- Cyclocross is similar to the first option, but the tires are toothy, and the brakes are disc (cantilever ones are less common). If you need a sports bike with a trunk, then take this format: the design allows you to install it, like small wings.
- Racing one has a transmission and brakes. The wheel has a direct connection to the pedals, so you can forget about free play. But for this sports bike, prices will be the highest when it comes to a professional model.
- If you are going to conquer difficult tracks in mountainous areas and forests, take a closer look at mountain specimens. This is a sports bike with wide wheels, a powerful frame, and excellent shock absorption – everything that provides excellent handling and traction. The model is made with wide wheels to give it greater stability.
Stunt bikes should also be mentioned. They are known in professional circles in the form of an abbreviation BMX. Visually, they seem to be simply smaller than their “brothers”, but in fact they have critical differences. Yes, you can use a good sport bike to show off, but if you’re serious about this craft, you’ll need a BMX that has:
- free rotation of the steering wheel around its axis;
- the brakes are designed so that when pressed, the wheels are rigidly fixed;
- the athlete’s legs rest on metal tubes located on the sides of the wheel axle.
If you look at pictures of similar models, and especially photos taken at the time of the trick, you yourself will notice the difference. Although you can start mastering these complex exercises on a regular sports bike.
Compare city and sports bikes
Generally speaking, the urban version is good for driving long distances if you have a flat road. But sports in almost any of its incarnations (with the exception of BMX, perhaps), are ideal when you need to drive off-road, ignoring the features of the terrain.
- Landing in urban areas is straight, due to the steering wheel located above the saddle.
- Depreciation of the sports model is at its best, because it needs to compensate for the load on the spine when driving over rough terrain. And in an ordinary city bike, there may not be shock-absorbing elements at all, but the impacts are softened by a softer spring saddle.
- The classic wheel diameter for the city bike is 28”, and for sports one – 26”. If you plan to drive on smooth asphalt, do not select tires that are too thick, as they will create unnecessary vibration and significantly reduce speed.
- On mountain models, the frame is usually high, and on city models it is lowered. And there is even a sports bike without a frame, designed for women: it’s easier for them to get off or ride in a dress.
- As part of the movement around the settlement, gear shifting is not particularly necessary. But on a complex terrain, you can’t do without it, because it is always present.
- In sports bikes, two hand brakes are usually made – for the rear and front wheels, respectively. On a city one, this may not be the case, and then braking is carried out by the rear foot brake.
The devil is in the details, because the equipment for both types also varies. If you are going to drive from point A to point B at a distance of a couple of streets, then a trunk or even a basket will not hurt you. And no one removed the issue of the saddle: sports bikes have a narrow saddle without depreciation, while in those designed for megacities, it will be wider and with spring depreciation.
Summing up, it is worth saying that in most cases, an urban model is enough for everyday movement. It is both inexpensive and comfortable to move with a small load. But if you plan to conquer mountains and go on multi-day bike tours, then you cannot do without a spots bike and its stability.
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