Archive for February, 2009
Posted by Richard on February 28th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
James Y No matter which country and city you are in, could you introduce some bicycles distributors and dealer in your local area to me please? The more, the better. I’d like to have their websites if they have. If without, I would like to have their fax numbers and telephone.
Thanks very much.
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Filed under Cycling | Tags: Bicycles, Fax Numbers
Posted by Richard on February 27th, 2009 | Comments Off
David Cummings
Previously parents were limited in their ability to take their children along for bicycle rides. Bicycle seats are for children who are at least able to sit up and then they are a bit precarious as well if you are not an expert bicycle rider. Now there are bicycle trailers which can be pulled safely behind your bike with up to two children.
There are many different brands and styles of bicycle trailers that can be pulled behind your bicycle. Most have two rear wheels while some have three total wheels. All are covered from the sun and other elements. Children can bring blankets and pillows inside and make a nice, comfortable ride for themselves.
Each of the bicycle trailers attach to your bicycle in a variety of ways, mostly with a long metal tube and a hitch that securely connects to your seat stem. Some of them come with an extra harness strap for added security.
Many of the bicycle trailers are made not only for use with the bicycles, but convert into walking strollers, snow ski strollers or jogging strollers. This multiple use trailer is one of the higher-end bicycle trailers , but well worth the additional cost for the extra uses. There are even snow ski bicycle trailer kits to be able to place skis on the bottom of the trailer so you can snow ski or skate ski or even snow shoe with your child or children in the trailer while you wear a harness and pull the trailer along behind you.
Made of a durable, breathable material, a mixture of vinyl, and tent material, the bicycle trailers can tow one or two children or up to 100 pounds of camping gear, hiking gear or whatever you need to haul with your bicycle. They also come with a thin layer of netting so that bugs stay out and your child can see the world as they travel along with you. And many of the bicycle trailers are lightweight so that you are not weighing down when you are cycling. In addition, if something were to happen to you on your bike and you do tumble, the trailer will remain upright and the children or gear will be safe.
A bicycle trailer is great for taking the smaller children to preschool or having them accompany you to the grocer for a few items. Bicycling is a great way to stay fit and taking your little ones along is more fun than doing it alone. Using your bicycle trailer to haul groceries will save you gas by not using your car, or when you go camping, you can take the bicycle trailer on the trails with hiking and camping or fishing gear so you don’t have to use a backpack.
Babies and small infants must be secured in a car seat before being placed in the bicycle trailer. Even though the trailers are stable and rarely tip over, the babies do get jostled around quite a bit and babies and infants can’t hold on or sit up like toddlers and older children can. They must be protected and a carrier or car seat is the best way to protect them from bumps.
So if you are an active parent who enjoys a leisurely bicycle ride, a bicycle trailer is a great way to combine both your love of riding and your love of your children.
Filed under Cycling | Tags: Camping Gear, Tent Trailers
Posted by Richard on February 24th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
working gal I’m new to cycling, and soon after I got my bike I rolled it down some steps and the chain jumped off (at the pedals, not at the back wheel). A passing engineering student kindly put it back on for me, but it’s on the outermost gear and the gear lever was set to the innermost gear. So, I can’t change gears at the front. This makes going uphill rather tough going.
Can I just lift it off and put it on a different gear? Or is there more to it than that?
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Filed under Cycling | Tags: Engineering Student, Wheel
Posted by Richard on February 24th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Ian S I have a pair of Assos cycling pants, and they are great, but now I’m trying to find the best deal on more Assos gear. Any ideas for good online stores?
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Filed under Cycling
Posted by Richard on February 23rd, 2009 | Comments Off
Roberto Sedycias
The bicycle, bike or cycle is a human-powered vehicle that is driven by foot pedals. It has a basic frame with two wheels attached to it, one after the other. Almost 1.4 billion people in the world use this vehicle, and is obviously one of the most popular and cost-effective vehicles in use today. Not only is it an important and popular means of transport, but also an effective recreational tool. It has several uses such as police and military applications, courier services and cycling sports as well as adult fitness equipment.
Introduced in the 19th century in Europe, bicycle has a host of innovators and inventors credited to its name. The bicycle is supposed to originate from the human-powered vehicle called Draisines. This was introduced to the people in Paris in 1818 by German Baron Karl von Drais. Kirkpatrick MacMillan made an upgrade to this vehicle by adding a mechanical crank drive that as used to drive the vehicle. Thus, the modern `bicycle` came into being.
The French inventors Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement designed a high-seated and big front-wheeled bicycle (ordinary bicycle, as it was formally called) that wasn`t much preferred as of its bad weight distribution. The dwarf ordinary bicycle mended these faults but the front oversized wheel remained a problem to be solved. J.K. Starley`s 1885 Rover was the first modern bicycle in its true sense with even wheels and a proper seat.
The modern bicycle has many parts. They may be jotted down as follows.
Frame – Every bicycle today has a `diamond` frame, where the front triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube and seat tube. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube and chain stays as well as seat stays. The basic of bicycle frames is to have high strength yet low weight so as to optimize the energy of the rider to the fullest. Women`s bicycles generally have a step-through frame. This defines that the top tube is absent as it allows the rider (usually a woman) to mount and dismount in a dignified way while wearing a skirt or dress.
Drivetrain – The pedals which rotate the arms of the mechanical crank and chain rings and the brackets, all are elements of the drivetrain. They are used for gears and other related functions in the bicycle.
Handlebars – The handlebars are one of the most important parts of a bicycle. Upright handlebars are used in normal bicycles while dropped handlebars are used in racing and mountaineering bicycles. The latter are used because they give aerodynamic steering and speed to the biker.
Saddles – The saddles are varying depending on the journey and preference of the rider. Cushioned ones are usually used for short journeys while narrower ones are meant to give more space for leg swings.
Brakes – Modern bicycle brakes are usually rim brakes that use friction pads to de-intensify speed. There are also internal hub brakes that have friction pads within the hubs that halt a speeding bicycle. Disc brakes are used on mountain, racing etc bicycles that need braking to be immediate and accurate.
Suspension – A bicycle has suspension to guard itself from the hard roads and also provide comfort to the rider who has to face the rough road.
Wheels – Wheels are necessary for a bicycle to run and reach its destination. Sizes, shapes and powerful wheels vary as per the rider`s needs and choice.
Cities such as Lyon, Barcelona and Paris have used bicycling schemes to good effect. The journey of the bicycle with the human race has been long and important, and will continue to lengthen as long as the human race still exists!
Filed under Cycling | Tags: Bicycle Bike, Starley
Posted by Richard on February 22nd, 2009 | Comments Off
Dick Tracy
While many of us don’t have the time to do cycle training every day, we would still like to improve our overall level of cycling ability. This means different things to different people – for some it is increasing speed, for others it is increasing the total distance covered.
The natural way to improve your cycling speed is simply to keep going out on your bike and trying to cycle faster. This works to a certain extent but isn’t the most efficient way to increase your abilities.
The good news is that there are a few easy changes we can make that will bring rapid changes in our cycling abilities, and will often take no longer than our existing cycling.
Increase your pedalling speed
It is better to cycle with your pedals making 80-100 turns per minute instead of 50-60 turns per minute. This provides better exercise for your heart and body, will increase your overall level of cycling ability, and reduces the risk of straining and damaging your knees. You will of course be cycling in an easier gear when you do this, not just cycling twice as fast!
Long intervals
Intervals refers to the practice of cycling for short periods at higher levels of effort. For example, every three minutes you might cycle as hard as you can for 30 seconds. Intervals can last for just a few seconds, or for several minutes. They should be at a level of effort that you can manage for the whole length of the interval – but only just!
For beginners to cycle training longer intervals, perhaps 10 minutes each, are most effective. So on a one hour ride, try cycling a 15 minute warm-up, then alternate 10 minute hard efforts with 10 minute gentle recovery riding about three times, then 10 minute cooling down (hence 75 minutes altogether)
Cycle more often
Generally it is better if you can do three one hour sessions than one three hour session, if that means you are cycling more days in the week. It is still ideal if you can also do one longer session, say two-three hours long, each week in order to maintain and build endurance. Worry less about speed during this longer ride.
Remember to take it easier on the day of the longer ride or you will be too tired, too soon. the goal on this day is not maximum speed, but simply to get your body used to sitting in the saddle and pedalling for long periods of time.
Cycle hills and into the wind
The two aspects of cycling that most beginners like the list are cycling uphills, and cycling into the wind. It is not a coincidence that these are also the types of cycling that will benefit you the most, so try not to avoid them.
Hills especially are a very good training ground for strength and stamin for cyclists. Make that extra effort during the last 100 metres to be sure you go soaring over the top ready for the descent on the other side.
Overall
With a few weeks of regular practice following the techniques outlined above you should be seeing a significant improvement in your abilities and endurance.
Filed under Cycling | Tags: Cycling, Exercise
Posted by Richard on February 20th, 2009 | 25 Comments »
sam0703
A Tribute to one of the greatest ever cyclists, Lance Armstrong. In 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer. Given a less than 20% chance of survival, he beat the disease and went on to win seven straight Tour de France titles. Music: Open your Eyes Artist: Snow Patrol Album: Eyes Open
Filed under Cycling | Tags: Brain, Snow Patrol
Posted by Richard on February 16th, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Lauren Jennings My significant other and I do not have or want a car. We walk and take the bus when we go somewhere. However, some places are off the bus route, so we are trying to find bikes, but we are on a limited income. Does anyone know where we can find bicycles cheap?
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Filed under Cycling | Tags: Bikes, Bus Route
Posted by Richard on February 14th, 2009 | Comments Off
Adam Boulton
The usage of electric bicycles is increasing day by day, like the price of fuels, since electric bicycles have a lot of advantages over other types of vehicles. The working of electric bicycles is much the same way as an ordinary bicycle except that it is fitted with a small electric motor that is powered by a rechargeable battery.
Basically, electric bicycles can be of two types, pedal activated and throttle activated. As the name itself suggests, pedal activated electric bicycles are activated by pedaling and are helpful in commuting long distances and good for exercising, too. In the throttle activated type, the motor is activated by a handle bar mounted throttle. Electric bicycles are available in various styles, frame sizes, components and speed. The batteries required are also of different types like lead acid, nickel metal hydride and lithium ion battery-the choice of the battery depends upon the terrain to be used and the weight of the rider.
The most important advantage of electric bicycle is that they are almost zero emission vehicles and thus, eco friendly. They also do no emit noise and help to reduce noise pollution. The recharging of battery takes only a few hours and is affordable.
People who want to commute on a small non- polluting vehicle prefer electric bicycles. They are loved by those who wish to travel outdoors to do a little bit of exercising. Electric bicycles are also preferred to cars in the sense that the user need not search for a place to park the vehicle in the congested traffic, when shopping is done for one or two items. Electric bicycles are also used by children and students who like to go for a joy ride around the town or parks.
Normally, the speed of the electric bicycle is around 25 to 30 kilometers per hour, which is certainly faster than walking or even traveling by a car in a busy road which is fully laden with traffic. Electric bicycles can be purchased online too, from the convenience of the home. The maintenance cost of this bicycle is almost nil. There are electric bicycles that are solar charged, too.
An ordinary bicycle can also be upgraded to an electric bicycle by just fitting a motor kit that is designed for this purpose. The main purpose of fitting a motor for an electric bicycle is to preserve the energy of the cyclist, as also increase the speed of the cycle and thus make riding a convenient experience. Needless to say, electric bicycles are very efficient and useful and there is no reason why it should not be preferred to other forms of two wheelers.
Filed under Cycling | Tags: Convenience, Nickel Metal Hydride
