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Deciding
On A Road, Mountain Or Hybrid Bicycle
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There are several types of
bikes - road, mountain and hybrid. The specific type of bike
that is best for you depends on the type of riding you will be doing
and where you will be
riding.
Road Bikes-
Road bikes are the lightest and most efficient type of bicycle.
Most road bikes have drop style handlebars (Ram's horn shape)
that
allow the rider to get in a more aerodynamic position. Many
bicycle manufacturers have flat handlebar road bikes, but most of the
used road bikes available will have the drop style handle bars.
Road bikes are also have narrower tires than hybrids or
mountain
bikes. While the narrow tires allow you to ride faster, you
are more likely to
get flat tires. This is an improtant consideration if you
plan to
use the bike for commutting. Road bikes also have higher
gears (to
allow you to ride faster). If there are many hills where you
live
you will want a road bike with 3 gears in the front rather than 2
gears. Road bikes differ in the location
of
the shifters. Older models have downtube shifters. Others
have the shift levers located on the stem. Road bikes made
for
touring will have the shifters located on the bar ends. Most
road
bikes made in the last few year have integrated shifters or STI
shifters where
the brake levers and the shifters are one unit. The pictures
below (from left to right) show bar end shifters, downtube shifters,
stem shifters and STI shifters on road bikes with drop style handlebars.
   
On a road bike with drop style handlebars, you need to be comfortable
with the handlebars and the location of the shifters. Bikes
with
STI shifters will be more expensive than road bikes with the other
types of shifters. Additionally, STI shifters are more
expensive
to replace or repair then the other types of road shifters.
Mountain Bikes-
Mountain bikes are made to ride on rougher terrain than road bikes.
Older mountain bikes have no suspension. Most newer
mountain bikes will have a froint suspension fork and many also have
rear suspension. Mountain bikes also have tires with large
tread or knobby tires. The suspension and knobby tires will
slow you down on regular streets and smooth paths. However
those
featrues make the bike much more comfortable when riding on dirt paths
or gravel roads. Mountain
bikes that have no susposion often make good commuter bikes if the
tires are replaced with tires that are smoother or have an
inlaid tread.
The shifters on mountain bikes are usually either thumb
shitfters
located on the handlebars or grip shifters located on the handlebar.
Both types of shifters can be used without removing you hands
from the handlebars.
Hybrid Bikes-
These bikes have some of the mountain bike features and some of the
road bike features. Most have straight handlebars and give
the rider a more upright postions. They have wider tires than
road bikes, but less aggressive tread than mountain bikes.
These
bikes are better on pavement than mountain bikes and have more
flexiblility than road bikes for going on gravel, dirt paths or unpaved
trails.
The precise defintion of a hybrid depends on the the
manurfacturer. The gearing is between that of a road bike and a
mountain bike.
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