Cycle Guru - Information about different Bicycles

Hybride fietsen kenmerken meer gespecialiseerde racefietsen en mountainbikes.

• Touring bicycles are designed for bicycle touring and long journeys. They are durable and comfortable, capable of transporting baggage, and have a wide gear range.

◦ BXR bike (a.k.a : Bicycle Crossroadster) or Touring BMX – a special variation created in 2014. It usually features BMX bike-sized (20-inch) wheels built with smaller light-weight frames made of aluminium or carbon-fiber. It has front suspension, wide-range gearing from low ratios to very high ratios, typically with 27 to 33 gears, some riders prefer the mechanical simplicity and ease of maintenance of mechanical disk brakes or the mix use of both mechanical at back and hydraulic at front for reliability/performance with low costs.

◦ Hybrid bicycles are a compromise between the mountain and racing style bicycles which replaced European-style utility bikes in North America in the early 1990s. They have a light frame, medium gauge wheels, and derailleur gearing, and feature straight or curved-back, touring handlebars for more upright riding.

◦ City bike - optimized for the rough-and-tumble of urban commuting. The city bike differs from the familiar European city bike in its mountain bike heritage, gearing, and strong yet lightweight frame construction. It usually features mountain bike-sized (26-inch) wheels, a more upright seating position, and fairly wide 1.5 - 1.95-inch (38 – 50 mm) heavy belted tires designed to shrug off-road hazards commonly found in the city, such as broken glass. Using a sturdy welded chromoly or aluminum frame derived from the mountain bike, the city bike is more capable at handling urban hazards such as deep potholes, drainage grates, and jumps off city curbs. City bikes are designed to have reasonably quick, yet solid and predictable handling, and are normally fitted with full fenders for use in all weather conditions. A few city bikes may have enclosed chainguards, while others may be equipped with suspension forks, similar to mountain bikes. City bikes may also come with front and rear lighting systems for use at night or in bad weather

• Racing bicycles (aka road bicycles) are designed for speed, and the sport of competitive road racing. They have lightweight frames and components with minimal accessories, drop handlebars to allow for a powerful and aerodynamic riding position, narrow high-pressure tires for minimal rolling resistance and multiple gears. Racing bicycles have a relatively narrow gear range, and typically varies from medium to very high ratios, distributed across 18, 20, 27 or 30 gears. The more closely spaced gear ratios allow racers to choose a gear which will enable them to ride at their optimum pedaling cadence for maximum efficiency.

◦ Road bicycle: The term Road bicycle is used to describe bicycles built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Some sources use the term to mean racing bicycle. Other sources specifically exclude racing bicycles from the definition, using the term to mean a bicycle of a similar style but built more for endurance and less the fast bursts of speed desired in a racing bicycle; as such, they usually have more gear combinations and fewer hi-tech racing features. Certain of these bicycles have been referred to as 'sportive' bicycles to distinguish them from racing bicycles.[1]

◦ Tandem bicycle:The frames of tandem bikes need to compensate for two riders and a substantial increase in power, so the best tandem bikes have thick tubing and struts to reinforce both seat tubes and the front head tube. Tandem bike frames are most often made of steel and aluminum, but some tandem bikes can be built with more expensive materials -- like titanium or carbon fiber -- for reduced weight and higher stiffness. A tandem bike designed with frame couplers can be taken apart for storage and transport, which eliminates the bike's size as an inconvenience.