A ride on a bicycle tends to take one to flashback memory when as youngsters bicycle ride to schools with friends was an enjoyable affair. Thanks to the rising petrol price, today people opt for bicycle rides more often.

Another reason for popularity of bicycle is unlike bikes and four-wheelers, it does not pollute the environment. It requires nearly zero maintenance. Bicycle rides are considered to be a very form of exercise to burn out the extra calorie. Sport events like Tour de France inspires people for bicycle ride. If you are a bike enthusiastic looking out to buy a new bike for serious training or a casual rider who wants to have a bike for lazy Sunday family ride, this article justifies your need.

Bicycles are of various types. Thought eh basic structure remains same, the machinery as well as pick up power will be different depending upon the long and short distance riding. For example, the pick up power of street riding bicycles are different from that of race riding bikes. The trekking or expedition bikes come with stronger surcupture. Now even hybrid bicycles are available in foldable manner for easy transportation in a narrow area.

Similarly another category of bicycles are all terrain bicycles which are suitable for every occasion. Bicycles are manufactured specific to gender because traditionally, women are short and tend to have a shorter reach. Hence the top tubes are slanted to make it easier to dismount even in a skirt. The suspension may be specially adjusted with more expensive bikes.

Before buying you should decide which type of bicycle suits your need. One of the most important things to consider while buying a bicycle is to check if the bicycle fits as per your height or not lest the whole money invested on a new bike will be a total waste. It would be better if you go for a test ride to check if you are comfortable with the size of the bicycle. Do not worry; even if you are considerably shorter in height, there is bike for every size. You just need to choose one as per your height. Make sure to choose the saddle according to your pelvis shape. You can go for changing the saddle, if the one in bike does not fit you.

Gears are important component of bicycles. So double check the gear to ensure that it runs properly . Brakes and wheel come next in the consideration while buying a new bicycle. Never go in for cheap bargain. An expert and CyTech qualified sales man can guide you better while buying a new bicycle. These days, so many online shops sell bicycles and that too on attractive price.

However, it is not advisable to go in for online buying which are never seen or never tried for who knows they might be second hand or have faulty body parts. While buying a new bicycle, it is always a good idea to buy other safety accessories such as helmet, knee-pads, gloves which are a must while riding a bicycle.

People take it for granted that bicycle riding is a safer option as compared to electronic bikes. However, a considerable number of people die every year in road accident because of careless riding of bicycle. So always abide by the traffic rule. The city roads are not meant for bicycle racing. So avoid riding through red light when there is cross traffic.

If you are riding at night, a front headlight is mandatory for your bicycle. Use loud horn so that you can signal other vehicles while overtaking them. Always drive to the farthest left side, so that you can avoid the chance of being hit by a lorry or speeding cars. If you take care of these certain things, your can enjoy a safe bicycle riding!

You can have access to portuguese articles about bicycles from page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/bicicleta.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br

Tags: bicycle, bike

 Evolution of bicycle commenced in 1818 with push bikes or hobby horses which were like a wooden frame supported by two in-line wheels and the rider used to push it with his feet while navigating the front wheel. Then in 1839 it was refined, as a mechanical crank drive was added to the rear wheel.

A new design of bicycle marked its beginning in 1850s and 1860s when Frenchmen Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement placed pedals on an enlarged front wheel. It was made of wrought iron and wood with mounted wire spiked wheels with solid rubber tires on a tubular steel frame. But this designed faced problem of very high seat and uneven distribution of weight.

Subsequently, these problems were solved to some extent by reducing the front wheel diameter, adding gears to attain enough speed, setting the seat in the middle, etc. But it faced major problem with the front wheel, as both pedal and steer were attached to it. Then J.K. Starley, J.H. Lawson and Shergold connected the pedals with the back wheel with chain drive system to reduce the problem. Those bicycles were given a name of safety bicycles or dwarf safeties, as they had lower seats with equal distribution of weight.

Golden age of bicycles began in 1890s, since new innovations made these bicycles more comfortable. Pneumatic tire was an invention of Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 and then only freewheel was developed. Subsequently, coastal brakes were invented in 1898. This period also marked the introduction of derailleur gears and hand operated cable-pull brakes. Soon it became world wide famous due to its high utility in alsmost every field. It was used in India to distribute milk in houses, used by postman for mail delivery, used by military for troup movement, and it also became a source of recreation.

With an advent of technology and modern materials, various types of bicycles are launched in the market. There is a range of utility bicycles, racing bicycles, mountain bicycles, BMX bicycles and many more. One can select the type of bicycle according to his requirement in terme of functions, number of riders, etc.

A rider rides the bicycle by keeping it upright so that the centre of gravity remain on its wheels. He leans while taking a turn by turning the handlebars with his hands. He uses brakes in order to stop, as the brakes applies stopping force to the front wheels. It is the most energy-efficient means of transportation, as it requires very low energy to ride in a slow speed and transmits 99% of energy of a rider to the wheels.

With an influx of technology and innovatios, the designing of bicycles has remarkably changed. There are different models for men and women, racing and ordinary rides, cargo carriers and circus use. Each model has its own unique features in order to meet the exclusive requirements of the rider like gears for racing riders, cushioned saddles for short distance riders, disc brakes for off-road riders, etc.

The use of bicycle has not only improved man`s day to day life, but also contributed for better environment because cycling doesn`t cause polllution. Moreover, it has positive effects on one`s health. Manufacturing of bicycles has led to the deveopment of other industries also like composition of ball bearings, sprockets, washers, etc., as many companies make frames of bicycles and buy other parts from other companies.

This article can be accessed in portuguese from the Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/bicicleta.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br

 

Tags: bicycle, bike

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!

This article can be accessed in portuguese from the Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/bicicleta.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br

 

Tags: bicycle, bike

A bicycle or just cycle is a human-powered vehicle driven by pedals. It has two wheels which are attached to a metal or in some cases hard plastic frame, one at the front and the other at the back.

History of a bicycle

The bicycle was first introduced in Europe in the 19th century. Presently their number is exceeding one billion throughout the world. They are used as a principal mode of transportation in some areas of the world, especially Netherlands and China. They have also developed as a very popular form of entertainment and recreation. Other fields of human activities that they have been adopted are adult fitness, children`s toys, police and military applications, cycle sports and courier services. Thus over the period of time the humble bicycle has assumed quite a few roles!

The basic configuration and shape of a common bicycle has been altered very slightly since the first model driven by chains was developed back in 1885. However, some subtle details have been made better with the growing use of computer and improvement in material technology. Using modern technologies have made it possible to produce specialized designs for different kinds and uses of cycling.

Parts and Construction of a Typical Bicycle

Wheels - it is the most important part of any vehicle. The initial wheels used a wooden hub with a steel axle, spokes made of wood and an iron tire which is fitted on the outside. The wheels used today have a metal hub, metallic wire spokes, a metal rim to hold the spokes and a pneumatic rubber tire on the outside. Another important part of the wheel are the bearings which allows free movement of the hub on the axle.

Frame - most of the bicycles used today has the diamond frame. It`s made up of two triangles, the front and the rear. The front triangle has the top tube, head tube, seat tube and down tube. Head tube is the part containing the headset of bearing to allow smooth steering, the top tube connects to the seat, and the down tube connects the head tube and bottom bracket. The rear triangle has the seat tube, seat stays and paired chain stays.

Drivetrain - it consists of the pedals, which rotates the crank arms, which in turn are attached to a sprocket or chainrings which drives the chain and makes the rear wheel rotate.

Seating and Steering - steering is made possible using the handlebars which turns the front wheel. For seating there are saddles on the top of the frame. The seating can be designed for comfort or to make cycling smoother and faster.

Brakes - the brakes used in modern bicycles are either rim brakes that uses pads to compress the wheel from 2 sides and stopping it, internal hub brakes that has the pads inside the hubs or disc brakes. Braking in bicycles is hand-operated by pressing the brake levers installed on the handlebars on either side.

Suspension - it is the system incorporated to make the cycling experience smoother.

Accessories - parts like mudguards to avoid spray from puddles, chain guards to save clothes from oils, kick stands to keep the bicycle upright while parked have become permanent features of a bicycle. Other accessories like front baskets, rear racks, space for head lamp, a pump, helmets, tool kit etc are also available as per ordered.

The use and development of bicycles have affected mankind in a bigger way than it seems. It has affected history in both industrial and cultural realms. In the initial years, bicycles and its construction were dependent on the technology that existed; more recently, its technology in turn has given forth ideas in different areas.

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/bicicleta.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br

 

Tags: bicleta, bicycle, bike