You are here: Home / Archives for BIcycles

Bicycle Wheel

July 29, 2011 By 523 Comments

Replacing your bicycle wheels is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can perform. Your bike will climb, sprint and stop better with a lighter wheelset.

Typically, bicycle wheels consist of 4 main components – the rims, the hubs the spokes and spoke nipples.

Rims

The part of the wheel that your tire fits onto are the wheel rims.

There will be a number of small holes to accept the spokes and a larger hole for the tyre valve. On more expensive rims the spoke holes may also have brass eyelets to strengthen the hole and spread load.

On road bike wheels, the side of the rim will have machined braking surfaces. The braking surface sometimes has a groove in it (a ‘wear indicator’).

Most modern MTB wheels will use disc brakes. The brake disc will be bolted to the hub.

Rim Materials & Construction

Typically, bicycle wheel rims are made from aluminium. During manufacture, the aluminium rim is extruded and then chopped into lengths. These lengths are bent into circles and then the ends are pinned together to join them.

Lighter wheels mean that your bike will accelerate faster and hill-climbing will be easier. Some cheaper bikes will use steel for rims and hubs. Steel rims are heavier and wet weather braking can be poor.

Top of the range wheelsets for triathlon and time trialling often use carbon fiber in their construction.

Hubs

The centre part of the wheel is the hub. The bearings that allow the wheel to spin are housed in the hub. The axle also runs through the centre of the hub. The spokes of the wheel are laced into holes in the hub flanges.

Spokes

Spokes are basically lengths of wire with a screw thread at one end and a bend (the ‘elbow’) at the other.

The cheapest spokes are plain steel. Rust-free stainless steel can also be used to decrease weight.

To decrease spoke weight further spokes can be ‘butted’. This means the spoke is fatter at the ends (where most stress happens) and narrower in the middle.

Aerodynamic wheels will use flat bladed spokes to lessen air resistance. Flat spokes cut through the air better than round spokes.

The more spokes a bike wheel has, the stronger (and heavier) the wheel will be. The fewer spokes a wheel has, the lighter and more aerodynamic the wheel is. Spoke counts range from around 20 (a front wheel suitable for racing) to 48 (a rear wheel suitable for touring with very heavy luggage or a tandem bicycle).

The larger the number of spokes, the longer the spokes should last before breaking – stress being shared among more spokes.

Spoke Lacing Patterns

Spokes are fitted to a wheel in various patterns. Most common is the 3-cross or 4-cross pattern. This means that each spoke crosses 4 or 4 others between the hub and the rim.

On a radial-spoked wheel, the spokes do not cross any others – this allows fewer spokes to be used and saves weight. Usually only front wheels use radial spoking and then usually only on high-performance bicycles. A radially spoked rear wheel would not effectively transfer the drive-torque from the sprocket to the wheel rim.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5836184

Author of this post is associated with
Road Bike Wheels UK .

You can buy
Pro-lite Bracciano wheelsets can be bought from his website

Filed Under: BIcycles Tagged With: ,

Beach Bicycles

July 29, 2011 By 165 Comments

Beach bicycles are one of the special categories of non-ignition two-wheeler vehicles, allowing the user to remain safe on sandy surfaces as well as damp soil. Although high-end beach bicycles are amongst the latest sporty models in the line, most of them come at affordable prices, especially if one manages to purchase during early summer or spring. Great deals and offers are common at beach bicycle shops since they find it a good way to get the products rolling out. Bicycle users in coastal areas can also lay their hands on a wide range of accessory products such as helmets, horns, locks bells and strapping items. Such products may not be a necessity all the time, but more than a helmet’s safety, beach bicycle brands have strong style statements as a regular feature in their accessories items. It can be beneficial for buyers to check them out since bicycle discounts become easier to avail with such purchases.

Beach bicycles are important as teen vehicles, especially if one wants to play a little less adventurous than many who love rattling rides on challenging terrains. A helmet has to remain part of your bicycle accessories collection if you want to be participating in beach bicycle games. They are adventurous and require a certain amount of safety and shielding against fatal impacts. The various styles of bicycle accessories differ from one US city to another. In the east coast, Miami and other similar areas have a distinct style compared to the styles that come from New York and other places. For locating the best styles one can easily find information in bicycle portals and directories that feature all major manufacturers and dealers. Seattle is another location that is known for excellent beach bike designs.

One of the most important factors about buying a beach bicycle are dimensions and treading of the tires. Although understanding the right tire is not a complicated game, one must be clear about the purpose for which he wants a beach bike. Some beach bikes have thinner tires, while some others have more than 2 inches thickness. Mountainous terrains require thinner tires on bicycles, while beach cruising requires a thicker sort of tire, usually having dimensions 26″ x 2.13″. Tire treading is also an important area to check before laying your hands on a suitable beach bike. Unlike mountain bikes, beach bicycles must also have weaker gripping treads. Stronger gripping treads make pedaling difficult, and since beach bikes need fast mobility on sand, smoother and thicker tires than a usually impressive bicycle.

If you are looking for ultimate comfort with your beach bicycle, you can go for light tires as they help in decreasing the vehicle’s weight. Although a light tire can be beneficial, it may not have much virtue unless it is made with a durable material. However, getting a more suitable tire dimension is more important than getting a tire that only weighs really light. A bigger tire size will always provide that extra distance, when you need to grate your way to victory on a sandy beach.

More Bicycles Articles

Filed Under: BIcycles Tagged With: ,

Bicycle

July 29, 2011 By 518 Comments

In a developing country like India, cycles are the most generally used modes of road transport. India has a strong cycling culture and called as poor man’s vehicle. India is a country of villages and majority of people here use bicycle for going nearer places. Bicycles are chief means of transportation for travelling to job, shopping, schools, and colleges and for other regular needs. In India, cycles are an essential mode of transportation for the middle class people but for the rich, running a cycle is a basic hobby to stay fit.

For the older cycles offer an easy approach to keep their health in good state. Moderate cycling does not insist an effort of a high order such as other gymnastic devices and is thus extremely suitable for the old. Bicycles in India, since their invention in the 19th century have had significantly affected Indian society in business, social and cultural fields. Indeed, in India a child’s life starts with a cycle either two wheeled or three wheeled. All Indian families despite their financial position provide cycles for their children and become compulsory at the age of ten or twelve.

Bicycles, with their mobility, frivolous and fitness answers have created a muscular bike culture in India. Being an effectual mode of transport cycle is best for small to modest distances. Compared to motor bikes, a simple cycle comes with multiple benefits. Apart from physical exercise it offers an option to the exercise of fossil fuels cycles do not make noise or air pollution. Cycles lessen traffic congestion. They are easier to park and can easily run on both roads and paths. These benefits are at less monetary costs to the user as well as society.

India has a vast trade for bicycles and there are many top companies in India that are busy in the manufacturing of cycles fulfilling the needs and tastes of customers. Companies like Hero Cycles, Avon Cycles, BSA Hercules, Atlas, Kaisar, EBike India and Petra come into the category of top bicycle companies and manufacture different kinds of bicycles perfect for sports, mountain hiking, and simple moving and for fitness purposes. “Avon Cycles” is first company that manufactured electric bicycle. This bicycle has the capacity of covering a distance of 40 kilometer on a single 36V lead acid, sealed and rechargeable battery. You can enjoy the ride at a maximum speed of 23kmph. Though classy it has come as an answer for the urban people who are uncovered to the harshness of irritation of heavy road traffic, parking blues and pollution.

Anjali Singh is an author for Freeads Classifieds. Freeads Classifieds gives a one-stop solution for all your free ads. The team of free ads Classifieds in India helps you find the right and legal track to the land of your dreams worldwide.

Filed Under: BIcycles Tagged With: